The Albrightian – November 2017

By TAYLOR GRAYSON, The Albrightian

Photo courtesy of LaShae Eaddy

On Saturday, Nov. 14 AAS presented their annual Dynasty Fashion Show. It was an experience event hosted by senior O’Shea Taft. 20 models and two poets performed. The Omega Psi Phi chapter at Kutztown University also made an appearance.

Last year, the fashion show had a theme, African prints.

This year, there wasn’t a distinct theme, and every line expressed something different. Donatella Donkor and Ibrahim Diakite oversaw the show and made sure that it ran smoothly from start to finish.

The “Niya Crochet” line was created by Kaniya S. Howard. The “Lillian Doll Designs” line was created by Justine Cooper. The “Bando Boy Collection” was created by SupportDaTrap.

The “EXPOSURE” line was created by Tiana Simon. The “50 Shades of Azul” line was created by Gianni Tucker. The “High Street” line was created  by Donatella Donkor Designs.

The show was very successful and had a great turnout. The audience beamed with energy throughout the whole event. LaShae Eaddy photographed the event in lieu of Dr. Pankratz being unable to attend. All in all, the Dynasty Fashion Show was a dynamic experience that moved many onlookers. It is something that made freshmen look forward to returning next year. It brought culture to those of us who needed to see it on this campus. It gave inspiration to those who want to get involved in fashion and the arts. It was an empowering moment that brought cultural pride to Albright’s campus.

By NICOLE FORKTUS, The Albrightian

Alpha Delta Pi, one of the three sororities on campus, held their annual Rock-A-Thon fundraiser from Nov. 8 to Nov 11.

Toward the end of the fall semester, as the temperature plummets and the desire for Thanksgiving break increases, the sisters of Alpha Delta Pi sit  in rocking chairs for 72 consecutive hours to raise money for their philanthropy, the Ronald McDonald House.

Held on the grounds of the White Chapel, the sisters were stationed under a tent with four rocking chairs, a small heater, and a table adorned with baked goods for sale. The event’s kick-off, which occurred on Nov. 8 at 4 p.m., featured live performances from Hot Dad Calendar, Mane Men, and  Albright Angels.

As the sisters danced to the surrounding music, members of other Greek organizations gathered around to show support and donate to the cause; thus, resulting in not only a dynamic kick-off, but a benevolent event as well.

Each sister is required to sign up for a total of six shifts: two during the day, two during the night, and two alternative shifts.

While the overnight shifts tend to be strenuous due to the extreme frigidity, they are often the most rewarding. Alpha Delta Pi Sister Sarah Cotton, a senior, agrees with this notion.

Cotton stated, “This year my overnight shift was from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. Although it was extremely cold, I really enjoyed getting to bond with my sisters overnight. Despite the late hours, people would still drop off hot chocolate for us, which was really nice and demonstrated the strong bond of the Albright community.”

As the 72-hours progressed, the sisters continued to adhere to an optimistic attitude. Annie Berroa, a senior sister of Alpha Delta Pi, exemplifies this mindset.

She stated, “Everything we are doing is for an amazing cause, so it is hard to not be cheery. I feel that everyone should view giving back as a positive experience.”

Although Rock-A-Thon has officially ended, the sisters of Alpha Delta Pi are still in the process of raising money for the Ronald McDonald House. By the end of the month, they hope to donate over 2,000 dollars to support their philanthropy.

By (Former) DEAN CRANCE, Featured Columnist

Next week, in the United States, people will celebrate Thanksgiving. A quick Google search landing on History.com tells us that the first Thanksgiving was a celebratory feast among the first Mayflower Pilgrims and the Indian Wampanoag tribe. The celebration was to commemorate the pilgrims’ survival and the assistance the Wampanoag tribe gave these new settlers as they worked to survive in a new land.

The tradition of giving thanks continued. George Washington issued a Thanksgiving declaration commemorating the ratification of the US Constitution. New York became the first state to make Thanksgiving an official holiday in 1817.

For 36 years the female author of Mary Had a Little Lamb lobbied to make it a national holiday. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln scheduled Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday of every month in a proclamation addressing the victims of the Civil War and setting the day hoping to heal the wounds of the nation.

Healing the wounds of the nation. This resonates with me. One hundred and fifty-four years later and as students, scholars, and citizens we are
ever reminded of the wounds of our nation.

In “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” (first aired in 1973) Linus explains Thanksgiving, and he included the comment that “elder William Brewster, who  was a minister said a prayer that went something like this: “We thank God for our homes and our food and our safety in a new land. We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice.”

And now, it’s 2017 at Albright College. We come from many faiths and traditions or none at all.

Some of us will celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends and express thanks for our blessings and opportunities. Some of us will return home for the first time since August and experience the changes among our friends, our families and ourselves. Some of us will not have homes to go to. Some of us will watch football, some of us will work, some of us will study and some of us will sleep. Some of us will eat turkey, or tofurky, or turducken.

And, there might be pie.

I hope, this Thanksgiving of 2017, all Albrightians will take a moment to reflect on what they are thankful for, no matter their circumstances.

Reflect on the real, continuing opportunity to learn and grow in our special community of scholars where truth and justice are longstanding core values.

And, reflect on the care of a community that creates alumni who, as citizens, for almost 200 years strive to contribute to the healing of a wounded nation.

I am thankful for this special place and the students, faculty and staff who make it so.

With best wishes for a restful break and gratitude for our time here together, I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving!

PRESS RELEASE, Albright College

Scott Keaton of Lansdale, Pa., was recently appointed to the Albright College Board of Trustees. He will serve a three-year term.

Keaton, a 1988 Albright graduate, is chief financial officer at Bracalente Manufacturing Group, a global supplier of metal components, which has precision machining facilities in Pennsylvania and China. He worked in financial operational management roles at Precision Castparts Corp. for  20 years, after starting his career at Ernst & Young.

Keaton earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and communications from Albright. He credits the interdisciplinary, international, creative and leadership experiences he had in college for inspiring him to pursue job roles requiring cross-functional responsibilities, and to work and live overseas.

Keaton serves on several community organization boards, and served on the Albright Alumni Association Board from 1999 to 2008, including two years as board president.

By DAVID VARGAS, The Albrightian

As important as it is to discuss American political and cultural affairs, it is also important to discuss concerns within your immediate community. As the holidays draw near, Albright students face a host of obstacles before the end of the fall semester: late-semester fatigue, the “Albright  Plague” (communal-spread sickness), and a slew of deadlines that will be crashing down to Earth.

The net result: students feel unmotivated, overwhelmed, and the clichés start to unreel: “I’m tired and hungry”, “This semester is killing me,” and, my personal favorite, “it’s just been a very long week” (every week).

However, from my experience, there’s a larger issue that underpins these feelings of demotivation and being overwhelmed. I call it “Albright Entanglement.”

To most Albright students beginning their college career, it’s like entering a mysterious and romantic forest. We seek to get involved in various extracurriculars that we haven’t seen or heard of before. We love to get involved in various clubs, as there are numerous social benefits in doing so: building a staunch resume, establishing a reputation on campus, and developing skills that we can carry on beyond our four years at Albright. Additionally, some of us love to be busy, especially in an American discourse which values, as James Gleick notes, acceleration. Namely, we live in the epoch “of the nanosecond”: a society which produces a steadfast need to move – socially, digitally, physically.

Suddenly, we may notice our walk through the forest to explore Albright’s new opportunities becomes a dash – a need to get involved in one organization, and  another, and another. We soon realize we’re paralyzed in the weeds and vines; we’re entangled in too many  extracurriculars. While being involved in various clubs and organizations cuts into our ability to carefully study and learn independently, slowly  cultivate relationships, deeply appreciate the time we have in a day, hour or minute, it also affects our ability to concentrate even when we do
have time.

We face this tragedy when we’re face-to-face with our school work: we have time and yet we still can’t concentrate. Why? It is because we’re used to constantly moving, shuffling, and scurrying from one location to another. Solitude and concentration yield discomfort.

Consequently, we sublimate our anxiety and stress in various ways: stress-eating, excess sleep, anger and hostility toward others. Worst of all, we  justify this behavior under the guise of being busy. Really, we justify our inability to do things that we’re capable of making time for because we don’t want to change ourselves.

So, what does the entangled Albrightian need do to relieve this anxiety? In speaking to numerous individuals about this, I’m usually met with a common answer.

“It’s easier to bite the bullet, fake it ‘til you make, because it’s easier to continuously appeal to extracurricular organizations or people rather than making the difficult decision of departing from them.”

From my experience, however, the most successful students are those who are realistic, those who realize what they can accomplish within a day. They don’t contort their schedule, their time, or their efforts to meet the needs of various organizations, clubs and individuals. The most successful students prioritize and set goals.

What do I need to do to get where I want? This, of course, requires brutal honesty with yourself. What are my short-term and long-term goals?

What do I need to do to meet these goals? How much time do I need to myself to reach these goals? To develop meaningful relationships?

It is with this mindset that the entangled Albright can find some much needed relief and success.

By TRISTAN ELLIS, The Albrightian

The Albright College Lions improved their winning streak to three games after a 28-14 win over bitter rival Lebanon Valley on Saturday.

Albright scored first with a one-yard touchdown run from Kyle Dickerson, but the Lions did not stop there, as they went on to score two more touchdowns in the first quarter.

The defense stepped up, and after causing an LVC fumble, Kyven Jones returned it 98 yards for a score. Later, Jimmy Lahay found Milton Cordero for a six-yard touchdown ending the first quarter, with a dominate 21-0 Albright lead.

No scores were recorded for either team in the second quarter, ending the first half with Albright firmly in control.

Lebanon Valley scored two touchdowns in the third quarter, and after recording another scoreless quarter, the Lions clung to a 21-14 lead heading into the final quarter of play.

Albright played tough on defense with a bend-but-don’t-break mentality during the fourth quarter as they snuffed out any chance at a LVC comeback.

The offense iced the game with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Alec Vignola to Mike Jordan.

With the heavy pressure from the Albright defense, Lebanon Valley was unable to create any momentum on offense, and the game ended with a 28-14 Albright victory.

Jimmy Lahay and Alec Vignola split time as quarterback, but both threw a touchdown pass.

Lahay ended with 160 passing yards, and Vignola with 71. Kyle Dickerson led the rushing attack with 45 yards on 10 attempts with one touchdown.

Mike Jordan had a big game, amassing 102 receiving yards on four catches with a touchdown, and Milton Cordero also played well, obtaining 64  receiving yards on six catches with a touchdown.

Malik Jackson had a noteworthy 43 receiving yards off four catches as well. The Albright defense was an important factor in the win as they forced five total turnovers (three forced fumbles, and two interceptions), and one defensive touchdown.

Grant Boehler played impressively, obtaining 11 total tackles, all solo, and multiple other Lions including Isaiah Baylor, Alex Isaac, Nate Steffen, and Enosh Motachwa had a multi-tackle performance.

The defense also held LVC to only 22 total rushing yards, leading to the Albright offense out gaining LVC in nearly every offensive category.

The Albright College Lions 8-2 (7-2) will look to close out the season on a high note as they play one final game hosting Susquehanna University 7- 3 (6-3) for the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series on Saturday, Nov. 18, starting at noon.