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Staff Get Their 'Oscars' along with Douses
of Appreciation at Luncheon
Ioana Patringenaru | April 30, 2007
Marilyn Monroe finally won an Academy Award Wednesday.
Well, sort of. Marilyn, as portrayed by Jamie Lloyd,
from the department of communication, won the best-dressed
award during this year’s staff appreciation
luncheon, dubbed “Hooray for Hollywood.”
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| Jamie Lloyd as Marilyn Monroe |
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About 500 staff members turned out for the occasion
at the Price Center Ballroom and were recognized as
“an Oscar-winning staff. They lunched on Sunset
Boulevard sushi, Director’s Cut sliced fruit,
Grauman’s Chinese Theater stir-fry noodles,
Phantom of the Opera torte and other delicacies. They
also won various prices, including massages, Hollywood-themed
books and baskets of snacks, overflowing with popcorn,
chocolate bars and bags of peanuts.
Gillian Hemingway carried one of these baskets to
her table after she answered correctly a Hollywood
trivia question. The chief of staff for the senior
vice chancellor of Academic Affairs said about 40
people from her office attended Wednesday’s
luncheon.
“This is always such a great event for staff,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to let them know how much they’re appreciated.”
One of the grand prizes Wednesday was an overnight stay at the Best Western Inn by the Sea in La Jolla. Lloyd got to take it home. Her Marilyn Monroe came ahead of Billie Holliday, Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow, Humphrey Bogart, Tom Cruise, Audrey Hepburn and a female Terminator-look-alike, who called herself the “Terminatrix.”
Lloyd walked up on stage in character, adopting Marilyn’s
distinctive tone of voice and mannerisms. She even
sang “Happy Birthday.”Off stage, still
in character, she confided to this reporter that she
hoped to win an Academy Award for “Some Like
it Hot.” She also insisted she never had an
affair with the president. But she then quickly whispered
“He was a fabulous lover.”By the way,
she loves champagne and diamonds, she said.
Out of character, Lloyd explained that Marilyn is
one of her very favorite actresses. “She was
very beautiful, innocent and sexy at the same time,
she said. The undergraduate coordinator for the department
of communication said she made her dress herself.
She bought a white fur wrap for $10 at a garage sale
and donned a broad sample of the vintage jewelry that
she collects. Oh, and she had a platinum wig.
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| Lynn Daniels-Smith portrayed the "Terminatrix." |
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Lloyd also said she and her co-workers always attend staff appreciation events. “They’re fun,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sandra Stewart, who works in gift processing, was the runner-up as the best-dressed female contestant. As Billie Holliday, she wore a shiny blue dress and sang. Some in the audience might have recognized her voice from the Chancellor’s 5K, where she sang the national anthem in past years.
Dave DeCaro, principal publications coordinator of UCSD Dining Services, took home the award for the best-dressed male contestant for his impression of Captain Jack Sparrow, of “Pirates of the Caribbean” fame. He sported a wig, a sword and a pistol for the occasion. He won a bottle of French Cabernet for his efforts. “It feels good,” he said. |
