Around Town:

DeAndre Cortez Way is a 17-year-old kid from Atlanta.

Last year, when he was only 16, DeAndre wrote, created and self-produced a hip hop dance single called “Crank That Soulja Boy.”

He also marketed the single under his own label.

He did this with just his home PC and a good Internet connection.

In September, “Crank That Soulja Boy” hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts. No one was surprised.

Kids everywhere, even Midshipmen at the Naval Academy, had begun to dance the stylized choreographed hip hop steps, as demonstrated online by young DeAndre, now known as Soulja Boy Tell’em.

In October, Soulja Boy Tell’em’s first album was released.

It is No. 18 on the charts. Videos of the dance have gone “viral.”

In plain English, this means that You Tube, My Space and Facebook are replete with copies, parodies and dance instructions — uploaded videos produced by other young people all over the country.

I first heard “Crank That Soulja Boy” right here in the Foothills. And then I heard it again last Sunday.

It was right after the Navy-Notre Dame game. Someone sent me a video.

To put this in context, the Naval Academy beat Notre Dame (46-44) in triple overtime.

The video showed the Superintendent of the Naval Academy, Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, and the Commandant of Midshipmen, Capt. Margaret D. Klein, celebrating with 4,000 cheering Mids.

They were dancing to “Crank That Soulja Boy.”

To put this in further context, the current Academy administration came under criticism earlier this year (mostly from worried parents) when they toughened up the program.

Our nation is at war, explained the superintendent. The Academy’s military mission is its main priority.

The goal is to train junior officers who are fully prepared to lead as soon as they graduate.

Adm. Fowler increased mandatory study hours and cut free time for extra-curricular activities.

He said it was time to focus on training.

Our town knows this. Many of us knew the young people whose names are on now on plaques in La Cañada’s Memorial Park: Lt. Todd Bryant, Lt. J.P. Blecksmith, and Spc. Carla Stewart.

But there’s a time to work and a time to play. So after the Notre Dame game, Adm. Fowler and Capt. Klein celebrated with their Mids.

Capt. Klein said, “This is history. It’s been 43 years since Navy won this game, so it seems appropriate to do something special.”

With that, Capt. Klein canceled classes for Monday and gave the Mids the day off.

Work hard.

Play harder.

An old tradition.

ANITA SUSAN BRENNER roots for Navy, UCLA and Flintridge Prep. For one week only, she invites you to watch Mids “Crank that, Soulja Boy” at www.anitabrenner.com.