At the Gridiron: For young journalists

Sorry for the late update guys. I'm finally adjusted back into a normal life, where I'm talking about inch counts and second-degree murders, rather than ball-step changes and "jazz hands."

Every year, the Hawaii SPJ chapter hosts the Gridiron, a comedy musical in which we rip off known songs and change the lyrics to fit the past year's top news stories. Then we get outstanding choreographers to teach a bunch of notebook gazing, microphone grasping J-geeks to do things like a chasse.

Both nights were sold out, and the proceeds go toward funding the chapter's annual summer internships at all media outlets (which include two major newspapers and four TV stations). In September, we won the SPJ Small Chapter award for excellence in campus relations and scholarship activity, thanks to the Gridiron show. Anyway enough talking, here are some pics:


Circle of Lies: Obvious parody of the Lion King broadway show, which is showing here in Hawaii. Left is Honolulu Advertiser reporter Loren Moreno, and on the right is Cathy Foy, local actress and a former Miss Hawaii. The theme of the show was Randomly Tested, and that's a large cup of "No.1" Cathy is hoisting up.


Rail Rhapsody: Based off of Bohemian Rhapsody, this one tells the tale of the fight between the Honolulu city council and Mayor Mufi Hannemann (played by ABC weatherman Ben Gutierrez on stilts). You'll later see why we needed the stilts.


Barry O. Superstar: Covering the nationwide Obamarama, to the tune of Jesus Christ Superstar.


I hope I get it: Last year veteran broadcaster Dane Cooke, who played our governor Linda Lingle, moved to the mainland, so this number is how the entire cast is trying out for the now vacant part. All the men dressed in drag and wigs. Last year, Cooke, as Lingle, stripped down to a stars-and-stripes spandex one-piece to the tune of the Pussycat Dolls' "Doncha."


Hard Knock Life: About how our poor University of Hawaii football team had no soap in their showers


Here's me in the greenroom, as one of the governors. I received reactions going from complete silence to "You make one ugly woman." I took all of them as compliments. Anyway ponder why I'm single and let's move on.


Da Mayor with Ben: NOW you see why we needed the stilts.

For more photos or information, visit www.hawaiispj.org, or search for Gridiron on Myspace.com! All photos here are credited to Bruce Asato, except for the last two, which are taken from among more than 2,000 shots in various personal cameras.