By:  Jeanna Brown

Driving on Scottsdale Road the week of April 14 through 18, passersby were bound to see more than a few limited edition Harley Davidson’s at WestWorld, in Scottsdale, located at 16601 North Pima Rd.  Packed with vendors who displayed the most luxurious motorcycles and three wheelers to unique spiral pony-tail holders and personalized ear-plugs Arizona Bike Week also sponsored numerous charity events. 

Of course, this wouldn’t be a biker festival without plenty of leather, some rock ‘n’ roll and an American Hell Riders sponsored booth where professional riders test the limit by riding the wall of death daily.

Starting the week off was a concert by Vince Neal of Motley Crew on Wednesday, and continuing the rock ‘n’ roll feel of bike week, there were additional concerts every night following.  Performing Friday at 4:00 p.m. was Psychobilly Rodeo, at 9:00 p.m. was country star Dierks Bentley, Saturday at 4:00 p.m. was Calvin Jones, at 9:00 p.m. was George Thorogood and the Destroyers, then Sunday at 4:00 p.m. was Mogollon. 

Apart from the nightly concerts, that were worth the $25 cover charge all by themselves, there was also plenty more going on all day including free giveaways from sponsors, games, bike shows, silent actions, the Miss ABW pageant and finally the event on Monday at Chase field was the Diamondback’s vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.

While at the event visitors also stopped by a tent for the Fallen Four bikers killed by a sanitation dump truck near 27^th Avenue and Carefree Highway on Thursday March 25, 2010.  Killed on the scene, of the worst motorcycle accident in Arizona history, were 67-year-old Clyde R. Nachand, 52-year-old Stephen Punch, 35-year-old Daniel L. Butler and later, Dayle Veronica Downs-Totonchi, 47, died at the hospital Friday evening from extensive injuries suffered in the multi-vehicle crash. 

Due to the immense severity of this tragedy, bikers are teaming up to help.  Joining the fund raising is TEAM Arizona who will be teaching Skills Under-the-Lights sessions from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. every third Tuesday of every month, costing $25, of which $5 from every participant, for the next 12 months, will be going to the Fallen Four Motorcycle Victims and Family Fund.  To find out more about how to sign up for Skills Under-the-Lights visit: motorcycletraining.com or call 480-998-9888.

By: Jeanna Brown

Newly becoming an obsession for movie goers is the 3D showings many movies and even T.V.’s are now offering to the cinematic experience.  Starting around 2009, with Final Destination’s 3D movie last year, it now seems more prevalent than ever that 3D movies are all the craze these days.  What started off as one movie in the box office in 3D has quickly become a list of 3D movies now offered.  For example, to name a few showing in theatres are movies like Alice in Wonderland, How to Train your Dragon, Clash of the Titans, and Avatar.

As a controversial topic for movie viewers and movie makers, Directors like Michael Bay and James Cameron speak out about the trend of movies in 3D and the fast track some studios take to make them. (http://www.deadline.com/2010/03/michael-bay-james-cameron-skeptical-of-3d-conversions-the-jury-is-out/)

Bay says of being asked to convert Tranformers 3 into 3D before the July 1, 2011 release, “I’m used to having the A-team working on my films, and I’m going to hand it over to the D-team, have it shipped to India and hope for the best? This process is always going to be inferior to shooting in real 3D. Studios might be willing to sacrifice the look and use the gimmick to make $3 more a ticket, but I’m not.  Avatar took four years. You can’t just shit out a 3D movie.”

The Problem Bay and Cameron have with the new 3D craze is that the chance to charge people more has studios jumping at the quickest option to make it happen.  This then, according to Cameron, is really studios using 2D an “inferior product” and calling it 3D creating a layered looking fake 3D effect.

Whether you are an avid 3D movie watcher or simply cannot stand the headache of watching a movie like that, this new phenomenon of making movies is quickly becoming the new reality of movies today.  With the amount of 3D movies steadily increasing, most likely, it will continue to do just that.  Studios see the profit they can make and run with it.

In order to get a real 3D experience, do not settle for a 2D show when you paid $3 more a ticket.  Take the time to look into how the movie was made before you decide to see it in 3D.  Avatar, which took 4 years to make and was widely acclaimed in 3D, took major efforts for the film to reach the heights it did; rightly so, those are the kind of 3D films you pay extra to see.

Summer MCCCD Travel Abroad Programs offered at PVCC

By: Jeanna Brown

Take your classroom experience across oceans, into Europe, South America and even China. 

Student Travel Abroad programs are offered to students year round and are within your reach.  Summer excursions are taking place in 2010.  Apart from the classroom setting, to further your understanding of the culture in which you are experiencing, Monday thru Thursday you will be left to your own devices to explore new things, broaden your horizon, and take part in an unforgettable journey.  

China & Thailand:

The two trips to China include Beijing, Xi’an, and Zhengzhou.  One jaunt departs May, 19 thru June 17 and the other, May 25 thru July 2.  Students will gain knowledge of the country by experiencing all the sights, art, language and history China has to offer.   There will be opportunities, among other things, to see ancient temples, city walls, and rural villages along with excursions to the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Soldiers, and Tiananmen Square.  Also available is a trip to Thailand, from July 9 thru Aug. 1.  In Thailand student can expect to see the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, the modern capital of Bangkok, its traditional floating market, and the country’s largest coastal resort city of Pattaya.

Prague:

Prague Summer session 1 takes place June 1 thru July 1, followed by summer session 2 July 6 thru Aug. 5.  Along the journey will be Cesky’ Krumlov, St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, the Jewish Quarter, Wenceslas Square and much more.  Students going on this trip will immerse themselves into endless discovery and exploration of the modern-day Czech Republic as well as all of the country’s history.

 

Current PVCC Student, Ann Portillo, whose major is currently undecided, participated in the Prague escapade last summer and says, “It was the experience of a lifetime.”  At first she was afraid of the unexpected, but walked away with lifelong friends, “[she] learned a ton- -not only in the classroom, but outside the classroom about other people, other cultures and about herself.”  She is now more appreciative than ever for everything she has and cannot wait to do something like this again.  On her trip, she and a group of about 25 to 30 of her peers embarked on a priceless adventure.  While in Prague she took Sociology of Religions and an art history course, afterward which she ventured into the European countryside one foot in front of the other.  She recalls having a tourist book with a list of “must see” spots.  Portillo and two other girls used it and made their way down the list one outing at a time.  Each day they would take in the country’s landscape by visiting museums and castles, and at night, they hit the pubs.  One student on her trip even took a weekend into his own hands and embarked upon a side trip to Germany and Italy.

Britain & Ireland:

Taking place July 2 thru Aug. 3, students stay in the historic district of Nottinghamshire, England, and will spend their time learning of its rich heritage, art, religion and complete history.  Excursions included, but optional, will be outings to Canterbury, Dover, Riveaulx and Fountain Abbey.  This year’s program also includes an optional 3-night stay in Paris, France.   From May 28 thru June 28, staying in Athlone, Ireland students who participate receive guided explorations to megalithic monuments at Loughcrew and Trim Castle followed by a stay of several days in Dublin, and then a boat ride to Clonmacnoise.

Other unforgettable voyages the Student Travel Abroad program is offering this summer include trips to Jordan, Belize, Costa Rica, Peru and Mexico.  You can expect to see a lot of wildlife in the jungles of South America and even see lava bombs from an active volcano.  Depending on different majors, certain trips may prove more beneficial than others.  Also some of the expeditions require different courses before you are eligible to go.  All ventures range from $800 to $4,000.  Though some include airfare and meals, they all include lodging.  As Portillo says, “the price you pay elsewhere and the experience are well worth it.”  According to Director of International Education, Michelle Marion, “Students are scared of the travel probably due to cost and adult responsibilities, but the experience allows you to get to know yourself very well when you go outside your comfort zone and develop critical thinking skills and most importantly flexibility,” which later leads to better jobs coming your way.  For resumes in your future and experiences that you can say you have achieved, future employers will be amazed by your accomplishments as you will be of yourself.  To find out more about Student Travel Abroad Programs contact Michele Marion at michele.marion@pvmail.maricopa.edu, or visit http://www.maricopa.edu/iie/studyabroad/index.html to see the 2010 MCCCD Student Education Abroad Programs Catalog.

By: Jeanna Brown

You always hear the same vague answers about what people want out of life like, falling madly in-love, having kids, traveling the world and making lots of money while doing all three.  Who wouldn’t want that easy-breezy life?  The problem with goals like this are that there’s no clear map of how to go about doing it, you just hope the dice always rolls in your favor.  If you are relying on this approach, you may end up on your death-bed wondering, “how come I never made it to Fiji?”  The answer:  Develop a list that is more specific.  Doing this will help you obtain your goals without the procrastination and allow you to discover yourself in ways you may never have before.  Take the dice and roll with them to see where you end up, don’t sit on the sidelines and wait for things to happen.  Prepare your goals and believe that they will happen so that they can.

On MTV’s new show “The Buried Life,” four young men, tired of going through life with no clear destination, decide to make a list of 100 things they want to do before they die.  So they bought a bus and set out in hopes of conquering their list.  The list includes, among other things, to deliver a baby, make a toast at a stranger’s wedding, crash a Playboy Mansion party and ask out the girl of their dreams (who happens to be famous Megan Fox).  Although at times their list may breach extremes and even include awfully silly things, no matter the goal, reaching victory when accomplishing something you have set forth to do is incalculable.  Along their journey they also set out to help strangers carry out things they want to do; such as help a man find his son he hasn’t seen in 17 years and provide a low-income school with a new computer.  As a young college student myself, I think,  we hope that we have a clear destination in mind for ourselves and our futures.  The truth is that many of us have or are struggling to pick a major or have already switched majors two and three times.  Making a list, setting goals and working on achieving them can help you find yourself while exploring the many options at your disposal.

Fellow PVCC student Ashley Barsellotti, whose major is undecided and is also working on launching a modeling career for herself, wants to do things like help solve a murder, go sky diving in South America and see the Eiffel Tower.  Other students, like Travis LeCompte who is looking to be a doctor and majoring in pre-med, says he wants to live in Africa for a year, learn how to fly a jet, and, along with Colin Amann, a Psychology major, want to save a life.  Colin also dreams of learning to base-jump and freestyle (rap) against Eminem.  “The difference between school and life?  In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test.  In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson,” –Tom Bodett.  Take the time to let life teach you lessons and push yourself to set goals and this can be the key to your success.   

In the movie “The Bucket List,” actors Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson star as two men terminally ill with cancer who set off to achieve the things that they never got the chance to do, their “bucket List.” Seeing other people make these lists can ignite others to do it.  But do we actually do it?  Mostly, not.  Don’t wait until you’re on your death bed to begin making a list and exploring your inner-most desires.  It is possible to do things and go places you have always dreamed of.  Start thinking about what you want to conquer, where you want to venture.  Then worry about figuring out how to build realistic bridges for yourself to attain your ideas, but do it now.  Start working toward making your dreams less of a dream and more of a reality.

By:  Jeanna Brown

Simply put, I can only think to quote a prodigious philosopher, St. Augustine.  Who once said, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”  To have only sipped one kind of wine, to never have tasted fine cuisine and to have only glimpsed a single landscape in this vivid world would be an indignity.

Over this weekend a friend and I, who have talked about going to Tucson but always found some excuse not to make the drive, decided to take a relaxing trip to Tucson.  To experience the town’s main scene, take Interstate 10 East to Speedway Boulevard (Exit 257), go left on Speedway, then right on Fourth Avenue.  As my friend Rosalie and I arrived to Fourth Avenue, heading South, we noticed vibrant reds, purples, blues, yellows and greens spread along the Avenues’ buildings.  Murals are painted on sides of buildings, as we approached a man was playing a beautiful melody on his saxophone outside a shop on the Avenue. One particular mural, outside Hippie Gypsy a local shop, depicts  the infamous image of the Beatles walking across Abbey Road in London years ago. 

This strip included funky clothing boutiques, antique book stores, new book stores, spiritual galleries and myriad eateries ranging from coffee and sandwich shops to Chicago-style pizza, and riveting steak and burger joints.  In addition, the strip has a bar-lounge and music venue named “The Hut,” that can’t be missed, due to the fact it stands as a 47 ft. tall Tiki sculpture.  It resides on the west side of 4^th Ave. and 8^th Street.  Another exciting attraction is a store called Pop Cycle.  It produces eclectic handmade art from recycled items, such as jewelry made from license plates, with  much more rare and exotic forms of art.   Continuing the journey nearing 4^th Avenue, you will come across a bridge.  What is unique about this bridge is that there are pictures of Tucson residents that have been transported onto tiles and made into part of the tunnel’s structure.

 

“No matter the place, the people or the what if’s that could go wrong, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” -Robert Louis Stevenson

Experiencing the great outdoors, escaping the norm and embarking on a trip to a new place can only broaden your horizons.  I know for myself, a large part of craving any journey is due to my travels through Europe during the summer of 2007.  During my summer expedition, I was able to experience the world outside of my safety net and take pleasure in the knowledge of other countries history and culture.  In comparison to historically notorious places like Paris, York, Barcelona and Rome, perhaps Tucson ranks slightly further down on the scale.  Still, you don’t have to cross an ocean to get to it and minimal in travel costs.   Although it’s quaint, Tucson provides visitors a charmingly artistic alternative with pizzazz.  If you are like my friends and I, who always complain that there’s “nothing to do,” consider taking a spontaneous day trip for a refreshing and inspiring adventure that won’t hurt your wallet.

By: Jeanna Brown

 

Looking to quench your thirst for adventure?

PVCC offers recreational, or REC courses that allow you to explore nature have fun and meet new people.

 

Students looking to discover the outdoors and push their endurance by taking an unforgettable trip, look no further than signing up at school to do so.  Take a trip of a lifetime.  Feed your desire to venture into new territories.  You can expect to see all different kinds of wildlife, picturesque waterfalls, tranquil rivers and breath-taking canyons.

Recreational course Instructor Josh Parafinik says apart from his normal recreational majoring students he also obtains a wide range of students between 18 and 29 in search of relieving stress from their constant math homework schedules to experience a fun, exciting mini vacation they can receive college credit for.  Additionally to the courses are adult education seekers, that are not even students at all, looking for an adventure.  Larry Triplett, a 64 year old retiree, has embarked on several of the trips and says when he participated in the Grand Canyon White-water Rafting trip he was “fulfilling one of his longtime dreams.”  Jessica Teman a past student of Josh’s says of her experience, “[caving] is like an adult playground.” 

Such classes are offered through many of the Maricopa County Community Colleges.  PVCC and SCC offer weekend courses that are two days and one night with dinner, dessert, breakfast and transportation included.  Among the available excursions: Sedona Mountain Biking, Caving, Canyoneering, Rock Climbing, Outdoor Survival, Outdoor Cooking, Primitive Living Skills, and in the summer, a Repelling Zip-line Ropes course.  All weekend courses are $35, except Outdoor Survival, which is $65, excluding the cost of state accreditation tuition.  Also joining the REC hype GCC offers Scuba courses and other similar recreational activities.

Longer five day trips are offered as well and usually take place during spring break and summer time.  Available jaunts consist of San-Juan River-rafting, a Havasupai Canyon Hike, Lake Powell Kayaking, and Grand Canyon White-water Rafting.  Although pricier, these five day trips range between $350- $575, including most meals and travel, but exclude the additional state accreditation cost.

In addition, excitingly coming soon to the program will be a journey through Belize comprising kayaking, snorkeling, caving, sailing and exploring the countries native Mayan ruins.  Though pricing for this trip is still in development, along with the awareness of the higher cost of five day trips, the experience and the travel cost you would incur elsewhere do not come close in comparison.

Instructor Josh Parafinik says the most memorable experience in his 15 years “[was when] a Big Horned Sheep came up to the camp [on the Grand Canyon White-water rafting trip] almost close enough to reach out and touch and stood there for them all to gaze at… it was remarkable.” 

While on Josh’s caving trip, one group member Beth Brookhouse recalled seeing several deer in the mountains, while another, Eric Rollman a student of SCC, said he was more in awe of, “the unexpected, but beautiful architectural structures in all the rooms and tunnels in the cave.”  Eric says of the trip that he would have never thought to do something like caving had it not been for the class and he is glad he did so. 

By: Jeanna Brown

Ghostly figures in hotel ballrooms.  Black masses moving across rooms.  Unexplainable moving shot glasses.  Ashtreys flying off the bar.  Arizona happens to be the home of several places well known for such ghostly phenomenon.

THE HOTEL MONTE VISTA

One place in particular is the hotel Monte Vista, located in central Flagstaff off Route 89A and San Francisco Street.  The hotel opened New Years Day 1927.  Since then, there have been several guests believed to never have checked out. 

In 1970, three men robbed a bank, one of whom was shot by the bank’s security guard.  Despite the robber’s injury, all three men stopped for drinks at the Monte Vista, and the robber who was shot died in the lounge before he ever even took a sip of his drink.  From then on, both staff and guests have reported walking into the lounge and hearing a man’s voice say, “Good morning!”  In fact, to this day guests and staff report seeing barstools and drinks move on their own. 

The Monte Vista’s bartender Joe, who decided against giving his last name, has worked there for two years, alleges “Pint glasses just fly off the bar on a regular basis.”  Since working there, Joe has experienced some of the hotels phenomena first-hand.  While closing the bar one night, he recalled being the last one there and all the lights being off.  He walked back into the bar and saw a couple dancing in the middle of the lounge’s dance floor.  To Joe, “The couple looked white, lacking all color.”  He said, “They seemed almost hazy and vanished in an instant.”  He also remembered seeing an apparition of a young boy running down the hallway and down the stairs. 

Among the Monte Vista’s history and evident sightings is the hotel’s phantom bellboy, who mysteriously knocks, saying, “Room Service”; the meat man, who steals the hotel’s light bulbs; a woman sitting in a rocking chair; and the hotel’s “infamous women of the night.” 

As the story goes, one night two prostitutes were brought to room 306 and died from being merderously thrown from the third story.  Ever since then, according to hotel records, there have been paprnormal occurances with the hotels guests.  Particularly male guests, who have stayed in room 306 have experienced, [a] …feeling of having a hand placed over their mouth and throat and awakening unable to breathe.”

Even Joe the bartender, can recollects a time when “300-something pound, tattooed-up biker man,” who stayed in room 306, “ran into the lobby in his boxers, refusing to go back into the room, and who ended up sleeping in his car for the remainder of the night” because he too had felt a pressure on his chest while asleep in his room.  

WEATHERFORD HOTEL   

In addition to the Monte Vista’s history, one block away on Leroux Street is The Weatherford Hotel – another known hotspot in Arizona for numerous paranormal sightings.  The owner, Matt Bail, who has owned the hotel for 13 years, has convinced himself of the paranormal activity.  He has heard an abundance of stories from guests throughout the years.  Additionally his staff has experienced lights going off and on unexplainably.  Out of all the rooms in the hotel, the ballroom has a “significant” illuminating presence.  You can almost feel a weight on your shoulders as you enter.  Bail says a guest’s saw a vision of a little girl in the ballroom. 

A known ghost hunting team called the Southwest Ghost Hunters Association (“SGHA”), a team devoted to the studies of highly haunted places all over the southwest.  In 2002, SGHA did research at The Weatherford in which they documented another guest’s experience, who stated that while “on his way back to his room,” he glanced into the ballroom and “saw the silhouette of a young woman darting from one side of the room to the other.”

THE HOTEL VENDOME 

In Prescott, there is the Hotel Vendome owned by Roma Patel.  This hotel is unique in the fact that throughout the years, she has kept a book of experiences written by guests of things they have seen and experienced.  Patel says there are constantly things falling and noises being heard that cannot be explained. 

Almost on a daily basis, the doorbell rings with no one actually there.  Patel is sure this is no mere prank because she has set up a camera to see if anyone is at the door.  She bought the Vendome 15 years ago, but says the sightings of the paranormal trace back to when a woman who used live there died in the hotel and has been sighted sitting by the rocking chair in the front window.

LION’S DEN BAR AND GRILL

Beside Prescott and Flagstaff, there have been many other paranormal accounts throughout Arizona, including Tombstone, Bisbee, Jerome and Pinetop.  For example, The Lion’s Den Bar and Grill in Pinetop, owned by George Hollingsworth:  the Bar staff and regular customers “know” it to be haunted.

Shelley, a young woman who worked as a bartender there from 1992 until 2009, is sure that there are spirits haunting the bar.  She said she remembers one time around Christmas, while closing the bar with a few other employees, she saw “a black mass about 3 feet wide and 4 feet tall float across the room and then through a wall.”  She also recalls times when she, other employees, and customers witnessed ashtrays, shot glasses, and bottles spinning or flying off shelves.

Whether you believe in ghosts, believe in paranormal phenomena, or simply do not believe in any of it at all, challenge yourself to experience something new.  Why not take a day trip that will be remembered for years and go to Tombstone or Flagstaff this year? Dare yourself to seize the opportunity for an adventure.

By: Jeanna Brown

One of the luxuries a lot of Arizona natives take for granted is the great outdoors.  Constantly living busy lives makes us forget about the beautiful landscapes and wonders of the world at our disposal.  Apart from the great weather 9 out of 12 months of the year, Arizona happens to be globally known for its picturesque sunsets and unparallel topography.  Take the time to climb mountaintops, experience the serenity of nature and plant you feet into this spectacular world.  Conveniently, many popular trails happen to be right here in Phoenix just beyond your backyard.

Piestewa Peak

Formally known as Squaw Peak, the mountain is very popular for its complete round robin view that stuns hikers.  Linda Laube, a woman who frequents the mountaintop contends, “it has one of the most scenic views I have ever seen.”  While climbing the vigorous stair-like trail to the peak, you can expect to see Arizona’s landscape at its finest.

According to the City of Phoenix official website along the trail you are sure to see, “cactus such as saguaro, barrel, hedgehog, pincushion, jumping cholla and prickly pear. Trees and colorful shrubbery include palo verde, mesquite, ironwood trees, ocotillo, desert lavender and giant sage shrubs.”  To get there take the 51 to Glendale Avenue, head east on Glendale Avenue it will turn into Lincoln Drive then head east on Squaw Peak Drive for a half mile till the trail head.

Pinnacle Peak

Located one mile south of Dynamite and Alma School.  Pinnacle Peak offers a fabulous 360 degree panoramic view of the valley and is open to the public 7a.m. to 6p.m. daily.  The trail is approxiametely 4 miles round trip.  On the mountain are various trails for hiking, horseback riding and rock climbing.

Ashley Barsellotti, a P.V.C.C. student, says “it is a good source of cardio, natures stair-master, with a beautiful view.”  Along the trails you are bound to see native plants such as Saguaros, cholla cactus, creosote plants and more.  Beside the plants there are signs that also say names of the plants and their history, making the trail both an educational and enjoyable experience.

Camelback Mountain

Located in Paradise Valley off of McDonald Drive and Tatum boulevard.  The mountain is 2.3 miles round trip.  Hikers from all over flock to Camelback Mountain throughout the year.  However if you’re just beginning you might want to try the Cholla Trail nearby.  Although the reward of reaching the top of Camelback and seeing the view of the valley is worth the strain, Cholla trail is not as rigid a climb, but still an appealing alternative.  After building up some endurance you are sure to take that mountain by storm.

                                                                                                              

By: Jeanna Brown

“Drop it low, put your hands in the air and let the music take you.”  Disco balls, strobe lights, fog machines alongside dancers in black bikinis and combat boots.  If you are a member of the under 21 crowd, there is still a chance for you to get that nightlife thrill.

MYST

Located on Shoeman and Scottsdale Road, in Old Town, Scottsdale.  The club has gained such popularity, they won the New Times’ Best 18 and Up Club Award.  The bouncer, Joe Diggs, says they see about 900 people between 18 to 35 years old every Thursday.  After paying the $15 admission charge, you are greeted by the main dance floor directly under the D.J.’s turn-table.  Three disco balls line the ceiling with the last one dangling over a dancer in a black swimsuit and combat boots.

Upstairs they serve alcohol, but downstairs is where all the dancing and excitement happens anyway.  Outside is relaxed seating where you can smoke hookah underneath the fake flames that surround the front of the club.  D.J. Slippe, who has traveled through Europe, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, gets people hyped by spinning the radio’s Top 40 hits and some electro remix.

While there you can expect to see the valley’s hottest males and females, dance-offs in the back of the dance floor, Camel promoters who come through with free cigarettes (for those who smoke), and an overwhelming amount of bumping and grinding.

AFTERLIFE

Also in Old Town, on Drinkwater and Scottsdale Road, is quickly becoming an Arizona hotspot.  Recently, the club was voted Best After Hours by The Phoenix New Times.  Different from most clubs, Afterlife stays open till 4 a.m. because they don’t serve alcohol.  As you walk in the club you see the hostess, Viriviana Valadez, whose uniform consists merely of scant shorts and body paint.  Once past the entrance, in the lounge, you can get your body painted or sit and smoke some hookah.  If you came to dance, however, you’re going to want to make it to both the “water” room dance floor and the upstairs dance floor. 

The “water” room has blue booths along one wall, water tanks that have continuous bubbles flowing through them, and small tables you can dance on.  In this room, you will hear today’s Top 40 hits.  Then make your way upstairs, to find yourself on a dance floor that emulates a dungeon – where two girls in bikinis dance on a wooden platform directly above the D.J’s turn-table.  Here you’ll find hit songs remixed alongside techno and electro beats.  Sarah Little, who attended the club, says “[the music] isn’t the same stuff you hear over and over on the radio every day. It’s fresh.  I loved it.” 

When you head outside to the veranda, you are going to run into the food cart, the blackjack table and outdoor seating.  Jason Hubey, the clubs blackjack dealer, says they see about 650 people, 18 to 30 years old, come through on Friday and Saturday nights.  It’s all for fun.  There’s no real gambling, just fake chips, and real prizes like free admission and drinks.