PAPARAZZI PERFECTS PRESENT " THE PERFECT MOVIE PREMIER"

               On May 9,2014 at a sold out showcase the doors opened at 6:30 p.m. and the show started promptly at 6:30 pm. The Armah at Frostburg State University Lane Center was filled with 500 people and 28 frostburg students modeling in the organization Paparazzi Perfect Modeling Team is an organization that aims to promote confidence, build team work and expose individuality. The fashion show theme centered around famous movies such as " Proud Mary , Friday, Idle Wild" . The show contained 6 scenes with a 15 minute intermission. The show was filled with creativity and excitement. From the colorful lights and sounds and mixture of all different types of music to the unique clothing designs, choreography and acting, it was truly entertaining. The crowd yelled and cheered for their loved ones as they walked down the runway ; posing, turning, twisting in solo and group routines. The show had so many different elements to it , there was never a time you wanted to look away.
                                                                         
                                                                 (3rd year Model:  Danielle Mitchell - VP 2014-2015 )


          Earlier in the week prior to the show Paparazzi Perfect modeling team had fundraisers and promotion methods in order to raise money and get people to attend their annual Spring showcase. Every year people travel to come see the show including ; alumni , friends , family and students. The show also had a intermission portion in which they allowed audience members an opportunity to come on stage and " struct their stuff" The host asked " who in here thinks they can model, come on stage and we shall see what you got" a few more than expected students came on stage and modeled for a few seconds. The crowd was very loud and rowed up about the show and the music, also looking forward to the after party which followed the show a few hours later.


      Toward the end of the show  all the models where invited back on stage one final time by current president Jasmine Bullock who considered the members of the team to be her " babies" she spoke to the audience about how homered she was to be apart of the organization, how she will miss it after being involved for 5 years and gave thanks to all those who participated in making the show a success. Jasmine let the vice president Aisha Thomas speak after her as they turned over their positions to the upcoming 2014-2015 board members. It was a very bitter sweet moment for everyone.

 If you have never attended a Paparazzi Perfect Modeling showcase I highly recommend you consider attending one in the future, this organization truly puts on a show!

April Event: Late @ Lane

Late at Lane is a fun filled event for the students, staff, and community of Frostburg. The hours usually range from 11 p.m. - 2 a.m. or 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. This event was held on Saturday May 3rd. There were a few hundred people that attended.

Entering the Lane University Center, where the event is held, everyone is greeted by a few police to check for identification at the door. Upon entering there are also policeman standing around to also make sure no one has consumed too much alcohol or drank underage. Afterwards there is a coat check, and a metal detector for the student’s safety. Lastly, before entering the event, everyone has to get a wrist band and get their i.d. checked for validity. And then the fun begins.

First off there are people handing out raffle tickets with a chance to win things such as ipads, t.v.’s, tablets, other electronics, t-shirts, etc. To the right were people inside of the Appalachian Station (the food place) serving different foods such as taco’s, corndogs, fruit, and drinks such as soda, juice, and water. Outside of the food place is the lounge area for the students and faculty. There is a stage filled with people surrounding it. Karaoke was taking place on the stage when I walked in and the people around it seemed to be enjoying it. I was greeted by a few people who were obviously intoxicated and when I asked them how they liked the event, they all said they were enjoying themselves.

As I walked further I noticed there were many tables of little events and games for the students to play. There was also a cotton candy machine which most of the students seemed to enjoy. As I walked around and asked more people about why they enjoy Late @ Lane, most of them said it was fun to be around other students and friends and have something entertaining to do. One student Jordan Smith said “it’s not very much out here to do in Frostburg so whenever the school has an event that brings everybody together, I try to make it.” Another students added on to his statement by saying “it’s nice to be able to turn up in a school event and know that you’re safe.”

Late at Lane obviously offers a lot to the students here by not just providing events for the community, but providing safety for the community. It is an intelligent way of keeping everyone safe and on-campus. It provides a better way of handling the student activity seeing as though there are more dangers that the students can get into off-campus.

Lastly, downstairs there was a comedy show being held with 4 performers. This was also the main event of the night. It was headlined by comedian Mr.Soe as The Most RACES Show on Earth. The show consisted of a few funny racial jokes which the audience seemed to find humorous. I looked around to see if there was anyone that wasn’t paying attention, and most people were actually listening and interacting with the performers.

At the end of the night, everyone formed together at 2 a.m. to exit out of the Lane University Center doors. There was no violence but plenty of laughter. A monthly event has gone successful once again and the lives of the Frostburg community rest at ease.

 

Resident Assistant Banquet

Resident Assistant End of the Year Banquet

The end of the year Resident Assistant Banquet is a time to reflect back on a successful semester and to honor certain individuals who went the extra mile or were unsung heroes. The banquet was on Sunday, May 4th at 5:00 P.M at the Frostburg City Pavilion. All the RA’s from the traditional halls and Edgewood Commons were in attendance with their Head Residents and Assistant Directors. A Resident Assistant is someone who helps residents transition from high school to college by finding out what the needs of the residents are. The RA helps each resident socially, academically, and personally.

Jake Esposito, Head Resident of Edgewood Commons Apartments said, “every RA has to program… using the SMILE Model. SMILE is an acronym for scholastic, multicultural, involvement, lifestyle, and engaging.” Through these programs the residents build a community and engage one another. The Pavilion was decorated in a Mexican theme with various people wearing sombreros. The tables had Mexican themed table cloths with chips, salsa, piñatas, and candy on it. 

As the banquet began each person was eating food by D’atri’s Restaurant, which is located in Lavale, Maryland. As time went by each hall split up to give out their own staff awards. “I’m hoping to win the RA of the year award”, said Rasheed Howard. He also mentioned he won the award last year. As other awards has been given out everyone was on edge wondering who was going to be the recipient of the “RA of the Year” award. Everyone in the Edgewood staff looked around anxious while their HR Jake takes out the next award. He pauses for ten seconds then said, “The winner is….. Brandon Richardson.” Some people cheered, while others had reserved excitement. 

The Resident Directors called all the halls back to the pavilion to give out the rest of the awards. It was announced that Edgewood Commons received the best staff award. Aiesha Hooper, who is a Resident Peer Mentor in Edgewood was shocked to have won the award. “When does Edgewood win an award?” she exclaimed. Paige Hawkins, an Annapolis Hall RA received the “Unsung Hero” award. The unsung hero award is awarded to an individual who does certain things behind the scenes. A person that interacts with their residents and truly gets to know them, who assist other co-workers with programs while they do not receive the credit for the program. Her staff applauded her accomplishments, while a few RA’s from other 

staffs joined in and shouted cheers. 

As the graduating seniors were recognized for their service as an RA the evening began to become shift. For some it was starting to become real that they were losing a coworker but gaining a friend. As the evening wrapped up the winners of each award took pictures with the Assistant Directors of the Residence Life Office. Others took pictures just to save as memories. The night ended with a slideshow of all the programs put on by all the RA’s. 

Rain or Shine Cinco de Mayo Must go on!

April showers did not bring May flowers on May 5^th but that did not stop the University Programming Council from hosting their “Cinco de Mayo” event at 7pm in the Lane Center. Casey LiCausi, a member of UPC stated “I am so glad people still came today. I was worried the rain would scare people off.” Senior Frank Taylor mentioned there was a line waiting to get in before the event even started!

Walking into the ARMAH, Spanish music surrounded the room and round tables on risers greeted those in groups and by themselves.

There were activities like decorating your own sombrero and even your own set of maracas! There was also sand art and not to mention the most important part of any event… the food.

“When I saw there was no more food, I said jeez the weez!” junior Ryan Jones [pictured] started laughing as he said it. His friend Sierra Mesas mentioned the rest of the event was fun but the food was gone really quick.”

Lately, food has been an issue Frostburg State University events. With ARMARK leaving, some things have changed.

“I ordered a specific amount of chips and salsa and the lady said that was 4 gallons… it did not even look like half of what I ordered!” senior Kelly Bean exclaimed.

This Cinco de Mayo event was hosted by Kelly Bean, a member of UPC and will be her last event hosted by her before she graduates.

The atmosphere soon changed and everyone’s thoughts about their rumbling stomach’s soon vanished. A dancer with long brown curly hair and a vibrant colored polka dot dress begins to dance and clap her hands together. All at once, she starts dancing and making her way around the room. Marsha was her name [pictured,] and another instructor that arrived with her was Barbara Bernstein. They together work at Dance and Time in Maryland and DC. For more information go to dance in time

The remainder of the evening, everyone heard “Cut the music!” “5,6,7,8” “Dame!” These were the phrases

shouted while Barbara taught and demonstrated different styles of Spanish dances to the guests at the event.

“I can’t do it, really. She does it really good. My feet don’t double tap,” Meredith Miller says laughing.

Surprisingly enough, including Meredith, mostly guys

were the ones that volunteered themselves on the dance floor!

With race, gender and ethnicity aside, the students came together to learn, laugh and dance with each other to a salsa dance for the Cinco de Mayo event of 2014. 

Women's Lacrosse Senior Day

Saturday afternoon the Frostburg women’s lacrosse team played their last game of the season against rival school, St. Mary’s. The stands were packed and everyone had already begun chanting things at the players. There were tie-dye banners hanging on the bleachers in honor of the two seniors, Megan White and Brittney Miller.

Before the game started the two seniors were walked across the field by their families while the announcer announced their statistics and the highlights of their lacrosse careers. Both girls sobbed as it started to hit them that this was their last lacrosse game ever.

The girls were yelling, hitting each other’s sticks and giving chest bumps trying to bring out the intensity. The whole team was playing for their seniors that day and having a bad game was not an option.

Team captain’s Mom, Mrs. Hart said, “I know they don’t have the best record, but they need us today girls so cheer your heart out today”! as she handed out pom-pom’s and cow bells to everyone.

Everyone walked out to their positions ready for the first draw. Within minutes the opposing team got three goals but the girls didn’t put their heads down yet.

Junior midfielder, Malory Brunett answered back by winning the draw and passing it to senior, Brittney Miller, who got the first goal of the game. The stands were shaking from the fans jumping up and down. Brittney was the first player to get back in her position ready for the next draw; she was ready for the Bobcats to have a comeback. After getting two more goals against them, the freshman twins scored back-to-back goals. They ended the half with a score of 12-3 but still looked determined. During half time the team did not even have their usual talk with the coach, instead they got in pairs and did partner passing so they could keep their heads in the game and focus on their skills.

The bobcats came out on fire and the other team only scored 4 goals the entire second half. The game ended dramatically when Senior Megan White had the ball on the attacking end with 2 seconds left, She took the last shot and missed. She dropped to her knees in tears and the whole team ran to her for support.

Adria Graham, the athletic trainer graduate assistant commented, “It sucks Megan White missed that goal, but she should be proud of how good the team played together today”.

The game ended with a score of 16-7 but even though they lost, they were ecstatic because they played a great game. Brittney Miller walked off the field with a smile on her face, “Playing lacrosse was the best thing I ever did, I’m so sad that it’s over but I had my time and I made great memories, I can’t ask for anything else”.

Dialogue Series : Racial Relations and Racial Issues

             On Monday April 28,2014 was the last of the Dialogue series that took place at the lyric theater located on Main Street in Frostburg,MD at 5:30 p.m. Connected to most recent events of a what is labeled a " hate group" called the " KKK" hosting a rally in Cumberland a week or so prior to the dialogue, this topic of "Racial Issues" was very relevant and important to discuss. The Frostburg community, and those in surrounding areas,along with students and staff of Frostburg State University were present at this event. The sole purpose of this event was to break the racial barriers that exist within the community and essentially the world.

          Elisha Ruminski ( chair of the Communications Dept. At FSU) opened the event with a greeting and an introduction of herself, the event and allowed other colleagues to speak and introduce themselves as well. Most of the people hosting and facilitating the event worked alot with the local population, Frostburg State University, and surrounding businesses in the area to improve the community and the communication with residents , students, business owners etc. At the beginning of the event as people started to come in and find seats, there was a place to sign in and get a name tag to be able to fellowship with one another better. There were about 10 round tables set up with brochures, business cards, surveys and other information on the table at each seat. The event also offered light refreshments, snacks, and horderves.

           Discussion leaders briefly mentioned the " KKK" rally that took place, with some representatives which were involved, following this was a slide show of pictures from the event which showcased those protesting against those hosting the rally. Next, some representatives from specific organizations spoke about their organizations goals, missions, and what they offer for the local community. A few people from mediation centers, student organizations, SGA, and the police department all joined to bring peoples attention to a number of positive things taking place in the community and within their on specific organizations.


          After an array of, displays, slideshows, and representatives speaking to the audience about their organizations , it was time for the audience to get involved.Dr Marvin Johnson and Dr. Frank Dukes asked everyone to move around and get comfortable with people they weren't familiar with. It took a few minutes for everyone to re-adjust at their new seats , but once there the open discussion was able to begin.


        Once everyone in the room introduced themselves and said where they were born, from and currently reside than the discussion moved along into the topics of the dialogue. Everyone was asked to share their opinion, thoughts, views and experiences in relation to " Racial Issues".  Everyone went around the table and discussed things such as : being racially discriminated against, if he/she has ever benefited from living in a certain area, expectations from certain racial groups, any encounters that changed their outlooks about racial issues etc.

       It was interesting to hear people of different races, age, ethnicity's, backgrounds, locations, areas, values etc, all manage to join in and having a healthy discussion about a very important and relevant topic in today's society. Everyone shared their views and were able to learn and be enlighten by someone else , and being able to fellowship , network, and meet others help to expand the efforts to bring together students, staff, locals and the community as a whole. This dialogue was a very successful turn out and the conversations can truly make a difference in someones way of thinking,  understanding and life. I would encourage everyone to attend a dialogue one day!

FSU Baseball Thrashes Stevenson on Senior Day

May 4, 2014

On a cold, windy, Sunday the Frostburg State Bobcats defeated the Stevenson Mustangs 10-2 in their final home game of the regular season. The last domestic stand at their home field marks the Bobcats senior night where 10 seniors were honored. The seniors  were Rob Jennings, Austin Poretz, Will Warrick, Mike Virbickis, Kevin Kean, Brandon Remalia, Josh Jackson, AJ Rosenthal, Dylan Shupe, and Kenny Georgius.

         The Bobcats took lead in the 4th inning off of as Kevin Kean, Derek Shupe, and Ricky Brady all crossed the plate. The Mustangs got on the board in the top of the 5th from a Keith Pappas home run to center field. FSU answered right back in the same inning when Ricky Castro scored from a Kevin Kean RBI single up the middle. The. Bobcats held the lead and extended it when the Bobcats earned 3 runs on 5 hits in the 7th frame . In he 8th, the Bobcats finished the scoring when Kevin Kean walked and scored, then Stewart singled in a Dylan Shupe. 

Right-handed Pitcher Austin Poretz stands on top of the mound for the Bobcats.

Luckily the sun was out for this late season  matchup. The Bobcats finished their year with a 28-13 record.