Most Outstanding Athlete of The Year

Kevin Townes

By Kiara Biroo ’20

Kevin Townes ’21, a student of

Hartwick College, has quite the

reputation on this campus for his talent in basketball. Mr. Townes was born in

Sleepy Hollow, New York. However, he moved to Poughkeepsie, New York in

2004. Mr. Townes was chosen by the votes of a committee of students to be

recognized as athlete of the year. They spoke very highly of Mr. Townes

because his passion for basketball burns brightly on and off the court.

Mr. Kevin Townes is an ambitious young man with a bright future ahead of

him. He is supported by his coaches and teammates at Hartwick as he prepares

for a future playing basketball overseas. In order to remain on Hartwick’s team,

Mr. Townes has to work twice as hard as an average student on campus.

Kiara Biroo (KB): How do you go about being an outstanding Athlete at

Hartwick College?

Kevin Townes (KT): I go to class everyday, and do all the work in order to

get good grades, so I can be eligible to play on the team.

KB: How do you balance your personal life, school life, and athletic life?

KT: I balance my athletic life, school life, and social life evenly. In the

beginning of the day, I do what needs to be done. I attend classes, I lift weights,

and I play basketball with the team during the day. Later in the evening, after I

do my assignments, I enjoy chilling with friends.

Student Editor: Kiara Biroo ’20 Office of Intercultural Affairs Issue Winter 2018

This Issue

Page 1-2: Most Outstanding Athlete of the Year

Page 3: Farewells and Award–winning students

Page 5-6: Cultural Page

Page 7: Upcoming Birthdays

Page 8: Food for Thought

Voices Magazine

my drive to be different. I then went on to become a

Resident Advisor, Vice President of Black Student

Alliance and a Founding Sister of Theta Phi Alpha.

In addition, I became a Community Development

Advisor, a well as the recipient of the Cyrus Mehri

Fellowship, all while working two jobs.

Combining my personal life and school life only

make sense as I pursue my ultimate goal to live a

better life than my parents. Everything that I do is

with a purpose to secure my ultimate goal. I

associate myself with friends and people that want

to see me grow in every aspect of my life. They push

me to be my best. They give me strength when I’m

too weak to believe in myself. My personal life and

school life showcases the growth of my Hartwick

experience. Time management and prioritizing does

play a key role in maintaining my sanity. I make

lists in order to keep on track and to ensure that I

hold myself accountable for my responsibilities.

Hartwick is what you make it, so don’t be afraid to

stand outside the lines of normalcy. It is a great

community that helps those who helps themselves.

Professors, staff, and faculty want you to succeed

more than you know; you just have to be open

minded and let your guard down to receive their

advice and help. Surrounding yourself with great

and aspiring people will take you further than you

know. Positive energy only.

KB: What advice would you give to Hartwick

students who might be interested in playing sports?

KT: My advice would be to manage your time. In

the beginning of the year I was not focused on my

academic success. This placed me in a challenging

situation, and I had to constantly work on getting

myself out of that position. My social life was close

to being non-existent. It was not fun, and I would

not want any student athlete to go through the

same.

Overall, Kevin Townes encourages upcoming

athlete students to stay on task. Townes also

mentioned he came to Hartwick uncertain about his

future. However, the basketball team became his

family and his support system on campus. Townes

believes now he sees a future for himself.

Farewell to Award Winning

Students

Shaminka Pollard ’18

Being an outstanding student at Hartwick College to

me is about taking advantage of the opportunities

placed before you. I accomplished that by pushing

myself outside of my comfort zone so that I can

become the best version of myself. I became the Pre-

Health President my sophomore year, Treasure of

Campus Ambassadors, and a C.O.N.E.C.T Mentor.

These opportunities built my confidence as well as www.tourist-destinations.com/2013/08/

georgetown-guyana.html

Jessica-Holly Clet ’18

KB: Where are you from? JC: I’m from Gloversville, New York, but my parents are from the Philippines so I am a Filipino American.

KB: In what ways did Hartwick change your life?

JC: Hartwick has helped me discover my passion for art, while giving me the opportunity to meet many great people. During my freshman year I was very lost; in a sense that I didn’t know what to major in. I gravitated towards classes that interested me, which led me to meeting a lot of admirable people, especially those who majored in art. Not only did I connect to people who shared the same passions as me, I was able to gain a great amount of confidence in myself. I was able to find a major that I was proud to be a part of.

Also, being a part of the International Club has truly changed my life because I have meet incredible people who have truly inspired me. Their beautiful cultural backgrounds and their beaming personalities have pushed me to be their life long friends. I have become more confident in who I am while having exceptional friends because of my experiences here at Hartwick.

KB: What is your goal after Hartwick?

JC: My goals after Hartwick are still uncertain. Academically, I plan to get my Masters in Fine arts and Business Administration. Ideally, I hope to travel as much as I can before I get thrown into the “real world.” This J Term I travelled to Thailand and the Philippines alone for volunteer work. After that amazing experience I’ve been urging to travel the world and do more service projects.

I am originally from Georgetown, Guyana. I moved to

Queens, New York in 2004 when I was 9 years old. It was

a drastic change from 80 degree weather everyday to four

season weather with the cold being the worst. After a

year, I moved to Brooklyn which was more congested.

Then, moving to Oneonta for school was another

adjustment for me. Life in general is an adjustment so

you have to find the positives in every situation to grow.

My goal after college is to work and get my Master’s in

Management so I can become a Hospital Manager.

Hartwick made me a more confident, independent and

open minded woman. My experiences taught me that it’s

okay to ask for help, to lean on others and to be

vulnerable because you don’t always have to be strong.

www.djibnet.com/photo/ancestor/mountain-of-

rice-2306952873.html

Ask Fefin

Question: How many scholarships and

awards will be available next

year?

Answer: Hartwick ofri 104 bousdetide ak

prim.

Question: What can a scholarship do for

you?

Answer: Yon bousdetide ka ede ou koupe

sou depans lajan.

The Cultural Page

Drawing by Loverte Larkai ’18

The Yellow Elder flower is the national flower of the Bahamas. The Yellow Elder was chosen as the national flower of the Ba-hamas because it is native to the Bahama Is-lands, and it blooms throughout the year. They reasoned that other flowers grown there – such as the bougainvillea, hibiscus, and Poinciana – had already been chosen as the national flowers of other countries. The yel-low elder, on the other hand, was unclaimed by other countries (although it is now also the national flower of the United States Virgin Islands). www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/portal/public/-

Candace

A Visitor Approaches

Jump

Tree Transporter

Sika Dwa

Thailand-http://fusia.ca/thailand-in-all-its-beauty/

Ask Fefin

Question: Where should I go to get

prepared for J Term abroad

and internships?

Answer: Sant pasaj la

Question: What GPA is required for a

J Term scholarship?

Answer: 3.0 GPA yo egzije.

Hartwick College provides a variety of

destinations for students to travel for

J Term. I am positive all the students

who travelled outside the United

States enjoyed the adventures and

had a great time learning in foreign

environments. J Term allows

students to be open and aware to the

lifestyle of others. It also gives

Hartwick students an advantage for

future job opportunities . If you are

interested in taking a J Term class

abroad, speak to your professor or

Carolyn Cooper in the PSGE Center.

www.tripsavvy.com/-3266965

www.sporcle.com/blog/2017/10/what-is-the-capital-

of-south-africa/

www.Jamaica- www.planyourperfectvacation.com

Up Coming Birthdays in April and May

Diavian Mayne ’21

Born in America

Sunmi Awogbemila ’21

Born in Nigeria

Moriah Mitchell ’21

Born in America

HAPPY SUMMER ’18

The Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival: Food for Thought

Junkanoo Carnival is the most popular festival of the year. The vibe is described

as road fever because of the colorful parades and live music feeling the air with

excitement and pressure. The style of the unique culture heritage highlights the

local foods, concerts, dance shows, private parties, visual arts, art and

handmade crafts. This festival takes place in the month of May and April.

www.carnifest.com/events/bahamas/nassau/1663/bahamas-junkanoo-carnival-2018.aspx

Voices Magazine

Office of Intercultural Affairs

Hartwick College

Oneonta, New York 13820

www.hartwick.edu