More About Friday's Dance

My ears are still ringing from Friday night’s dance but, despite that, I am still smiling. As mentioned in the previous post, it was an 80s themed party: in part a tribute to Michael Jackson, who shaped much of pop culture then. If truth be told, I was in the throes of diaper changing, keeping up with three toddlers, and severe sleep deprivation to remember much about anything else in the 80s. So, it was not so much cruising down memory lane for me but a memory jolt. Catherine, already a loyal contributor to Knight Scene said:

The 80s dance last night was so much fun. A lot of freshmen sophomores, and even juniors and seniors were there. The Jug Yard was decorated very nicely (lots of neon colored washable paint, strobe lights, and confetti) and the music (both 80s and current pop music mixed by a professional DJ hired for the event) made it fun to dance (which ncluded a Conga type line and individual solos) too, and everyone's outfits looked great (sort of like a scene from Saved by the Bell).

As one of a number of adult “flies on the wall”, I agree with her that one of the reasons that the party was so great (like most events at Loyola) is that it is a community wide gathering. There are not many schools where freshmen through seniors comingle, so willingly and happily.

Parent Contributions:

This brings to mind another unique aspect of the Loyola community: a sense that we are all committed to working together in the best interest of our students. Earlier this month an article appeared in Newsday,which was brought to my attention by a freshman parent. In President (Molloy College) Drew Bogner’s opinion piece, he voiced his concern that as educators, "We want to teach our students to put forth new ideas and challenge old ones, but to do so in a way that shows respect for everyone in the process” citing two recent incidents (Serena William’s meltdown at the US Open and Kanye West’s boorish behavior at the MTV awards) as examples of the opposite in pop cultural examples. In so doing, we will mold “citizens who will make a difference and work tirelessly to transform our communities.
Without a doubt, this is accomplished daily in the classroom, in extra-curricular activities, and on the field at Loyola. What I find particularly inspiring is that you can also witness this at a school dance, where young men and women from freshmen through seniors Dance the Night Away (1979-almost the 80s-Van Halen and 1984-Europe) together.

More than Just Dancing the Night Away

In addition to dancing, Loyola Knights have been busy with their numerous athletic pursuits. Check out the school calendar. Sam a member of the Track and Cross Country team reflects:

When we run with a Loyola singlet on, we are running for more than just
ourselves, we are running to help the team, and at the end of the race everyone is supportive, and (again) like a second family. I certainly love being on this team even though I live an hour away and the practices require me to manage my time for homework, studying, etc. It's definitely worth it!

To that Peter adds:

It's official: September 22 has come and gone, ushering in fall. And with fall comes Cross Country, a crucible of physical strength, a stressor of mental stability, and a playpen of mud. The team's been training since the summer (well...most of us), however there's still miles to go (Ha! Ha! A pun!) Our first meet was September 19, and it was a real wake-up call to what the sport is. I remember before the race, there were utterances of "I'm going to die" and "I'll be holding up the rear" and while none of us did that, we all did cross the finish line. Though breathing at that point was noticeably difficult, we crossed that line (You can see how we did at:

http://ny.milesplit.us/meets/55471/results/99035
for the boys and http://ny.milesplit.us/meets/57422/results/99463

[Yeah! Teresa- 67 outta 164! And of course, Liam speaks for himself...) We had another meet 9/24, which was the first race where all competitors ran a full 3.1 miles, not the 2.5 for varsity and (a generous) 1.5 for freshmen. Though we weren't at our full potential, holding out for our real competition this Saturday, where we're really gonna "empty our tanks" to quote Coach Donacik. Wish us luck, but we won't need it! Go Knights!

Peter also reflects thoughtfully on his involvement on the Speech Team:

Life's like a play; it's not the length but the excellence of the acting that matters - Seneca

Such is the case when you watch the Loyola Speech team perform,
gesture, enunciate, and dominate at any given speech competition. All our competitors have their pieces and are acquainted with them, ready for our first tournament at Regis on October 3. There are a lot of new members, which is great! In the class of '11 alone, we've gained some numbers and may be gaining some more before long! I know I can't wait to compete, humorously interpreting "Employees Must Wash Hands...Before Murder! (Check out the playwrights website: www.donzolidis.com)

September Birthday Shout Out to:

Shonte, Grace, Jonathan, Isabel, Kelly, Kacie, Kathleen, Julian, Chris, James, Cara, Tatiana, Renz, Bibiana, Kevin, Brandon, Anthony (and moi, who shares the same B’day), Morgan, and faculty and staff members: Mr. Lyness, Mr. Gregory, Ms. Nagy, and Mr. Harillal.

May this be the best year ever!!!!!!!

Final Faculty Highlight

Despite the time and dedication that teachers devote to their work with students, many still find time for passions outside of the classroom. Most recently, Dr. Bob Meade, English Department Chair and writer, had another work of his published http://bartlebysnopes.com/stories.htm and is in consideration for the best of the month’s stories. This story falls under the category of flash fiction (a particularly challenging medium to pull off successfully). I am sure that you will agree that he has done a most commendable job in “Game, Set, Match”. In fact, let’s all raise a glass of grape soda to him for such a fun story to read and good luck with the contest!

See you next week!