CIAA 2012: Old School Songs I Hope to Hear

The CIAA tournament is celebrating its 100^th year of existence during the last week of February 2012.  As the tournament approaches, I have been thinking about certain “old school” hip hop and r & b songs I would like to hear that weekend.  I began attending the tournament when I was in elementary school.  At that time, the tournament was held in my hometown of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  My mother volunteered to work games at the tournament and she was able to secure me a job as a ball boy during the tournament games.  One thing I remember about the tournament, even at my young age, was that it was a fashion show of sorts.    I vaguely remember a guy everyone called “Mr. CIAA,” who wore suits adorned with matching hats, pocket squares and even a cane to the games.  That experience was great.

I also remember attending the cheerleading competition that was held at Hanes Mall.  I was not interested in who won the competition—I was interested in looking at the beautiful cheerleaders.  I appreciated beauty even at a young age.  In all seriousness, the tournament has always represented a time I look forward to and as the years pass, I began appreciating the tournament on a much higher level.  Now, I appreciate the history of the tournament and the sacrifices many people endured to make sure the tournament has lasted for 100 years.  Although I appreciate the rich traditions and history of the tournament, I enjoy the nightlife the event creates.  For instance, I have not attended a basketball game for at least 15 years.  The tournament also marks one of the few times each year when I am able to hang with my college friends, who I rarely get a chance to see.

Last year, I arrived in Charlotte on Friday night around 10:30 p.m.  This was ironic because I planned to be in Charlotte by no later than 6pm.  One thing I have learned about plans is that they are made to be broken in many instances.  The funny thing about my arrival time was that I left Raleigh around 6:00 p.m.  The traffic was terrible as I left Durham and we rode through a torrential downpour as we passed through Greensboro, North Carolina.  When we finally arrived, we had to hurry into our room and change clothes before heading to the party.  We went to a party that was held at a restaurant in uptown Charlotte.  The D.J. did a great job spinning that night, and I had a great time.  This year my friends and I have not determined which party we are planning to attend, but wherever we go, I would like to hear the following songs.

     

Peace