The contributions of post-graduates don’t stop on the field or in the gym, but stretch into the classrooms, the dance studios, and many of the clubs around campus.
This year, Intro to Dance is a hotbed for post-gradutes, including Mike Bevino ’18, Niko Kvietkus ’18, Keegan McHugh ’18, Cabrel Happi ’18, and Elizabeth Hernberg ’18. This class is a traditional favorite of postgraduate students, so Dance Teacher Ms. Jennifer Whitcomb, has a lot of experience in making athletes into great dancers. Tailoring the introductory dance class to athletes is what helps these highly talented athletes use their talents to expand their comfort zones into the arts.
DeAndre Byrd ’18, Parker Luber ’18, Nick Osarenren ’18, Mike Bevino ’18, Keegan McHugh ’18, and Niko Kvietkus ’18 posing.
Ms. Whitcomb commented, “These guys are amazing lifters, so they’re perfect for partnering. They bring a whole lot to the program that we wouldn’t otherwise have … The great thing about PGs getting involved in the dance program is they get involved in the community in ways they wouldn’t otherwise.”
The athletes in the class benefit equally as well. Happi noted that, “The stretching and strengthening that Ms. Whitcomb has us do to better our dancing in class each day actually helps me be better prepared for soccer in the afternoons as well.”
In the showcase over Family Weekend, the Intro to Dance class will preform their dances comprised of their sports moves. Bevino comments, “In the fall showcase, I’m going to show all those parents out there in the crowd that I’ve changed the dancing program here, and I’m pretty sure it’s changed me.”
The PGs appreciate that they are taking a 5th year to further their academics as well. Not only do all of these new students actually know where the library is, but a large group of them have also claimed room B209 as their study space during study hours.
They play music ranging from Justin Timberlake to Jay-Z to 2 Chainz, dialing them in for another night of homework. One might wonder how they can work in such an environment, but upon arrival, one soon realizes the air is different in there; each one of them is grinding calculus, English, or the infamous Intro to Dance journals. They know how important academics are and recognize the truth in the “student” coming before the “athlete” in “student-athlete.”