For 77 years now, Stevenson University has proudly embodied a spirit of inclusivity, fostering a supportive community that inspires students to pursue their aspirations and achieve success—and to mark the passing of yet another Founder’s Day, the university wanted to share its spotlight with some particularly talented students.
On Tuesday, October 1, the university celebrated its 77th anniversary since its founding in 1947. The occasion was observed by the hosting of a plethora of events, such as a special breakfast and lunch, bingo and to conclude the day’s festivities, a talent show featuring none other than the very students that call Stevenson their “home away from home”.
The show opened with a group performance by third-year nursing majors Timothy Villaneuva and Stephanie Izaguirre, second-year biochemistry major Madison Parker, third-year interdisciplinary studies student Liam Smith, third-year business administration major Miguel Duran, and second-year biochemistry major Alyssa Reddy. The group performed the song “Die with a Smile” by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga featuring electric guitar, bass and saxophone instrumentals. A smooth and soulful song, the band’s melodies filled the Rockland Banquet Hall and thoroughly warmed up the audience for the following acts.
First-year biochemistry major Nadia Gaskins’ impassioned, flowing voice captivated the audience from the very beginning of her performance in the show, landing her third place overall. She confidently took over the spotlight to sing “The Truth” by India Avie—another soulful number that celebrates authenticity and self-acceptance, reflecting on the importance of being true to oneself and acknowledging the power of love and personal truth. The song is reflective of Gaskins’ own values, and the opportunity to perform allowed her to tap into what she cares about most. “Performing is one of my favorite things to do,” she said. “[It] feels like I’m floating. Like an escape from reality where I get to truly be me.”
Another memorable act of the night was given by first-year Medical Laboratory Science major Allyson Denver, whose passion for performing encouraged her to showcase her dancing talents in an original routine—earning her second place in the show.
“Being onstage and in front of an audience is something that makes me happy,” Gaskins said. “The song I picked, Get Happy by Ella Fitzgerald, is a very upbeat positive song that always puts a smile on my face. I loved getting to experiment with different arrangements of steps and creating the perfect routine to fit the music.”
Dynamic duo and first-place winners of the show Carl Short and Kristian Brown took the stage with both a vibrant performance of both song and step, all while sporting fashionable The Nightmare Before Christmas onesies.
Second-year fashion merchandising major and honorable mention Dylan Jones delivered an original spoken verse piece titled “Lady in Red” that stood out as one of the most unique acts of the night. His heartfelt words carried a poetic rhythm that was just as powerful as the writing itself.
“The process of poetry can be challenging at times — at one point I could not put out what the next word, let alone the next line, would tell. I truly doubted the strength of my poem…when I revisited, there were fresh ideas coming through. That is one element I love about my process of poetry: trusting it until I feel it is complete,” Jones said.
The show was an overwhelming success, with each student departing the stage with nothing less than rousing applause and uproars of approval from the audience following them back to their seats. The talent show saw the conclusion of another memorable Founder’s Day, and thanks to the students and faculty of the Mustang Activities and Programming, yet another anniversary will be commemorated in the hearts of those at Stevenson University.
