Flirting With Photojournalism

Event 2: Water Polo MAAC Championships

The women’s water polo team gets pumped up before their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game on April 25 against Iona College. This is the fifth straight season that the Red Foxes have advanced to the championship game of the conference tournament.

Senior goalie Jessica Getchius makes a save during the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game on April 25 against Iona College. Getchius had 16 saves, one steal and one assist in Sunday’s game.

Senior Michelle Faber and housemate of water polo players Hilary Schroeder, Rachel Sunday and Samantha Swartz celebrates their win with her friend Alex Shippee. Faber wore face paint with her housemates’ numbers to show her support.

The women’s water polo team celebrates in the pool with their head coach, Ashleigh Jacobs and assistant coach, Maureen Wertz after they win an unprecedented third consecutive MAAC championship title. They defeated the Iona Gaels 18 to 5 and Samantha Swartz was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. The team later went on to be named number 20 in the nation and will now advance to the NCAA Women's Water Polo Tournament at San Diego State University from May 14 to 16. The bracket for the NCAA Tournament will be released on Monday, May 3.

Event 1: Unity Day

The Lesbian Gay Straight Alliance jokes around whiel blowing bubbles at their Unity Day table. Members of the executive board include (from left to right) Kristen Mitidieri, secretary; Ellyn Brancato, treasurer; Rebecca Rotondo, president; Matt Grieco, webmaster; and Donnajoe Vega, vice president.

Junior Matthew Esposito, the production/performance club representative on the Club Affairs Council of Student Government Association, enjoys Unity Day on April 14 on the Marist green. The Students Encouraging Environmental Dedication table featured a tie-dying station. Of the event, Esposito said, "I enjoyed the variety of activities that the clubs put on display. There was a great mix of food, information, and hands-on activities."

Steve Sansola, Associate Dean for Student Affairs stops by the Literary Arts Society table at Unity Day. Executive board members Nicholas Sweeney, co-editor of the Mosaic; Florencia Lauria, president; and Amanda Mulvihill, vice president explained the origins of written language and offered Unity Day attendees the opportunity to make cuneiform tablets.

Decisive Moment

Professor Kiernan, who teaches ethics and philosophy, is startled by a string of student photographers on his way into the Dyson Cafe to grab his signature morning coffee to help him get through the long day ahead of him.

Sports: Water Polo

Senior captain Samantha Swartz, her father and step-mother make their way through the tunnel of her teammates giving thumbs up as part of their Senior Ceremony on Sunday evening. Swartz has led the team to a 6-0 record in MAAC play this year. "It has been a really great year so far and I am looking forward to the MAAC Tournament," Swartz said.

Seniors Jessica Getchius, Samantha Swartz, Angie Rampton and Rachel Sunday join hands to jump into the pool for their last home non-tournament game, played against Siena College on Sunday. With ten seniors, including seven key players, graduating this year, their class makes up the largest ever senior water polo class at Marist. The hole left by the seniors will be tough to fill next year.

Senior Emily St. Omer Roy scores against the Siena College goalie during an eight straight goal streak in the third quarter of the game. Marist went on to win the game 13-4 to bring their MAAC league record to 6-0.

 

Senior captain and driver Angie Rampton sets up a pass in their morning senior day match against Iona. The seniors fittingly scored 14 out of the 15 goals in this game and defeated Iona 15-10.

 

Senior captain Samantha Swartz blocks a goal attempt by Siena College attacker Monica Chavino. Swartz's intensity has helped her team's success greatly this season. Senior goalie and five-time MAAC Defensive Player of the Week this year, Jessica Getchius had seven saves, two steals and one assist in their game against Siena.

Spot News: New York City Easter Parade

It was 80-year-old Phee's thirtieth time at the annual New York City Easter Parade this Sunday, April 4. He said he keeps coming back because he "loves to make people smile." Phee joined hundreds of people who paraded around Fifth Avenue in outlandish bonnets and elaborate costumes. The parade has been an annual tradition since the middle of the 1800s.

 

Manhattan costume designer Rosemary Ponzo parades on Sunday dressed as Judy Garland, wearing a black hat with hot pink ostrich feathers. Garland starred with Fred Astaire in the film that immortalized the New York City tradition, 1948's Easter Parade. Ponzo obliged a young tourist by holding up the sign "I Love Robert" and posing for a few pictures.

Hundreds looked on and photographed as the cardinal's mass let out of Saint Patrick's Cathedral on Easter Sunday in New York City. The cardinal's mass was celebrated by Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Saint Patrick's Cathedral held eight masses on Sunday.

Other pictures, not to be graded:

Wild Art

The new Walgreens on Route 50 in Amsterdam, New York may not be offering their customers exactly what they are advertising. Despite decreasing concern of contracting the H1N1 (or "swine flu") virus, many pharmacies are still recommending that Americans receive the vaccine in order to protect against the flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's FluView, flu activity in the United States is relatively low, but another wave could occur before the flu season is over.

Portrait Series: Hudson Valley Horrors

Pinky Swears, coach of the Hudson Valley Horrors for their Thursday night practice, laces up her skates and gets ready to lead some hardcore drills. Formed in 2006, the Hudson Valley Horrors is the world’s first non-urban, flat-track women’s roller derby league and is part of the grass-roots derby revival. Roller derby is considered one of the few truly American sports, booming in the 1950’s and all but disappearing in 1975. Attempts at resurgences in the 1980’s and 1990’s were unsuccessful, but in the past ten years, the roller derby revival has picked up.

The veteran Horrors set up their pack to run a series of drills, prepping them for their first bout, which will be on their home turf at Hyde Park Roller Magic on May 22^nd versus the Long Island Roller Rebels. Rough Gem and Berry Malicious lead the pack, followed by (left to right) Tera Joules, R`Ayn of Terror, Keri KreamHer (fittingly in a “Got Milk?” helmet), and Cherry Lifesaver. Pinky Swears and Puffy Bangs bring up the back, waiting for the tweet of the whistle from referee Peter Rabid.

Cherry Lifesaver and Puffy Bangs practice a whip, a signature roller derby move (and the meaning behind the title of the popular Ellen Page movie Whip It) that helps the team’s jammer get to the front of the pack. With eight other skaters on the track at a time during a bout, the jammer on each team (signified by a star on her helmet) has a tough job to fight through the pack in order to score points for her team.

Coach for the night, Pinky Swears, leads the “Vets” and the “Fresh Meat” in their cool-down stretches. Their hard work seems to be paying off, as the Horrors have recently been accepted into the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s apprentice program, which will give the Horrors the knowledge they need in order to apply for full Women’s Flat Track Derby Association membership. If they are able to secure this membership, they will be provided more opportunities to compete and collaborate with other teams.

Day in the Life of a Marist Student - 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

As the alarm goes off at 7:06 a.m., senior Amy Wheeler struggles to open her eyes and chooses to hit the snooze button for a gift of five minutes. Her sleep could only last for so long before she had to start getting ready and head to her early morning class.

Senior Amy Wheeler leaves a messy bed with no time to make it before rushing off to class. A communications major with a concentration in journalism and minors in global studies and psychology, Wheeler supplements her academics with a job at the Marist Poll, involvement in intramural volleyball and the Literary Arts Society, and tries to fit a social life in during her down time.

Senior Samantha Swartz is already out of bed and ready for her 8 a.m. water polo practice by 7:26 a.m. Because being on the team demands a great deal of her time, she squeezed in some extra studying time for her midterms before breakfast.

Seniors Samantha Swartz, Hilary Schroeder and Rachel Sunday are out of the house by 7:40 every morning in time for their 8 a.m. water polo practice. They made the trek to the McCann Center from Upper West Cedar begrudgingly, but devotedly.

Only a few upperclassmen who are blessed with 8 a.m. classes or practice have the opportunity to enjoy the early morning sunlight on this clear March day. As the sun rose over Upper West Cedar, the campus slowly came to life.

Fifth Assignment: Slice of Life

For this assignment, we had to take one photograph that encapsulates our life at this moment. Here's what I came up with:

Amy Wheeler, a senior communications major at Marist College, always seems to be rushed and on the go. After a quick meal while checking her email, Wheeler was off again to her Capping class meeting and then work at the Marist Institute of Public Opinion. As she walked out the door, her roommate, senior Rachel Sunday, called, "Nice seeing you again!"

Fourth Assignment: Natural Light/Flash

Had to snap a few pictures of my housemates this morning before practice. They weren't too happy, but it was one of the only times I was home at the same time as people when it was light out.

Natural Light:

Flash:

 

While this wasn't necessarily the best "natural light," the ones taken without the flash are still much better than ones with the flash. Notice the huge shadow on the heater coming from Rachel's face because of the flash. The natural light pictures look more realistic and softer.