By Nash Wills, Staff Writer
All photos courtesy of TEMBA facebook page
Last Wednesday, the old pub played host to the biannual festival that only a T-bird would know of if you were so inclined to bring it up outside of the Thunderbubble. Yes, the traditional, cultured fiesta known as the TEMBA Bazaar has been a school staple for decades now. One only needs to flip through a brand new copy of the “Das Tor Through The Years” (you can still request and pick up your copy today!) book recently published by the Das Tor team to see that the ritual has survived the test of time. Although the school has entered into a new era, and the Bazaar probably used to be a little more bizarre, April 13th of this year still saw drinks flow, a bountiful cornucopia of food served by our perennial Chartwells staff—again, although the name has changed, a betting man might say the people serving the food haven’t—stories of international travel shared, a performance by Global Sounds comparable to Zeppelin’s 1976 sold out show at The Garden, and the Hulk-like transformation of our own beloved Franz Ferguson (MA ‘17). I was there, and subsequently had the chance to catch up with students and get their input.
The food really was awesome this year. Quinoa, couscous, and chicken and beef kebabs just to name a few, were served in
surplus. Tomas Thomas (MA ’17), a man of polished taste, thought “the horchata was delicious” and that “it was lovely to hear Bianca sing.” Ah and that brings us to the band. Having recently inducted a couple of new additions to the group, and fresh off of the ecstasy of a few stellar performances, Global Sounds has officially been reinvigorated. From the group that brought us timeless covers of hits such as “Hey Ya,” “Free Fallin’,” and my personal favorite, “99 Problems,” the crowd was yet again serenaded by Jeff, Carlos, Daly, and crew. Front man Jeff Karlick (MBA ’16) was later quoted after the show as saying “I didn’t feel any pressure—we were playing for family. Still, there were two standout moments: Getting to step away from the mic and just listen to Bianca, Daly, and Carlos channel Alicia Keys, and then freestyling the T-bird blues during the jam with Charles Reeves and one-handed David Roman.” Afdaly Sabirin (MGM ’16), a virtuoso reminiscent of one Johan Sebastian Bach and a newer member of the band, reflected Jeff’s sentiments, stating that he “felt that we were actually in a jamming session instead of performing a show. I enjoyed the crowd and vibes and felt like it was a T-bird family Bazaar where everyone could pitch in their music and experience.” Concerning the speakers and information presented at the event, Bianca Buliga (MA ’17) felt that “the TEMBA Bazaar was a very informative event for those of us leaving for Peru on Global Consulting Laboratories trips, and I was glad to hear advice from the previous TEM Lab travelers.”
While the majority of us were beneficiaries of the event and got to sit back and enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes, there was actually a lot of behind the scenes work that went into organizing the event. This year, the baton of preparatory responsibilities was passed on to Hannah Badawy (MGM ’16) and Nicole Meacham (MGM ’16). I had the chance to get the insiders’ view of all the work they did and, as with all successful parties, the first and most important task was securing funding. Because the TEMBA club didn’t receive enough allocations from club day, and due to the fact that they weren’t privy—I don’t think anyone is—to the complex process of navigating the bureaucracy that is ASU, the dynamic duo targeted the Thunderbird Executive Leadership Council (TELC). Commenting on the aforementioned bureaucracy, Hannah stated that “the process is a lot about trial and error when learning what you can and cant do for club events. There are little details that will inhibit you from getting things done that aren’t made clear. It’s up to the club to ask the right questions to the right people at the right time.”
Deciding upon the necessity for TELC funds was just the beginning though. Hannah informed me that TELC submissions require
a detailed budget, value proposition video, and letter of entry for submission. The entire process took several weeks of continuously going through the motions for planning the event via bi-weekly meetings, and eventually they received the funding and TELC covered all of the food costs. Awards and entertainment, including the face painter Nancy Kartoon (what a name), was covered by club funds. In the end, the two concluded that “the turnout was good in comparison to the amount of students on campus.” They also added that “the Bazaar is a staple to Thunderbird so it’s important that the excitement around the event is alive and well.” With that being said, they, like the rest of us, are “excited to see what it will look like in the fall with the incoming students.”
Feature Photo Courtesy of Das Tor