EuroChoir Sings Its Way Across the Continent

The Saint Anselm College EuroChoir, consisting of 34 students, spent the week of spring break performing in three European cities: Budapest, Salzburg, and Zurich.  The students, along with choir director, Fr. Bede and four chaperones, left February 29 for a whirlwind week around the continent.

The group touched down in Budapest and spent time exploring the historic city. They gave three performances at various churches, often becoming a tourist attraction themselves while posing for pictures in their formal concert attire prior to performances.

The group experienced some familiar weather while in Salzburg, where a snowstorm covered the city streets. Many students cite watching The Sound of Music while driving through the Alps after seeing the movie setting as one of the highlights of the trip. While in Austria, the EuroChoir sang in Salzburg Cathedral where Mozart was baptized. They also visited smaller venues where they used their voices to raise money in a benefit concert to support local music programs.

Then it was another six hour bus ride to Zurich where they gave two performances and attended a memorable farewell dinner on their last night in Europe–filled with reminiscing about the past and looking forward to future choir trips.

The trip was full of reconnecting with familiar faces, chance encounters, and happy surprises. Matt St. John, a junior Politics major, said that there were instances of people meeting relatives whom they had never had the chance to meet before. The group was also surprised by Saint Anselm students currently studying abroad in Europe—and for one student, by parents who surprised their daughter by showing up for a concert in Zurich.

Despite motion sickness, canceled flights, and sprained ankles, the trip was one to remember by all who attended.  St, John called the week a “phenomenal experience” and said that he came home with a deeper appreciation for both Europe and America.

Tinashe Mufute ‘09 Offers First Hand Account of the Crisis in Zimbabwe

Tinashe Mufute ’09 thought he was leaving for a brief visit home when his father picked him up at boarding school in late 2001.

Mufute was 14 years old and already active in opposition politics in his native Zimbabwe. Increasingly, however, the government of Robert Mugabe was fighting dissidence with prison, beatings, torture and death. Young people were not exempt from the violence. So instead of returning to his boarding school outside of Harare, Mufute found himself on a plane to New York to live with his older brother. He enrolled at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark and because of the kindness shown by the monks there, decided to attend Saint Anselm as a politics major.

Hear him discuss his and his families’ experiences Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 4 p.m. in the NHIOP Reading Room. The event is hosted by the Center for International Affairs and sponsored by the Black Student Coalition

Today, his parents live Fairfax, Va., and continue their opposition to the dictatorial rule of Mugabe, someone they once considered a hero for ending colonial rule. His father, an accountant, is a member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and returns to Zimbabwe from time to time.

Mufute still considers Zimbabwe home, although he has returned only once since leaving for New York. He majored in politics with the idea that he may someday return and help the opposition. But he is not sure when that will come to pass.

“To live in Zimbabwe today is to live in fear.” he said. “Millions of people are starving. Things are very tough.”

Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Win Big

The Saint Anselm College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Chapter won third place at the Boston College Duel on the Heights Competition on January 19. Read more

The Connections Between Hip-Hop and Social Justice

Hip-Hop music’s pounding beats and pumping lyrics have become highly regarded by nearly every student in the county. On a chilly January afternoon, Saint Anselm College students, staff, and faculty filled the Cushing Center to hear Dr. Erika Dalya Muhammad present a new spin on this popular topic.

Dr. Muhammad gave a lecture entitled “No Borders: Social Justice, Hip Hop, and Pop” in which she described the strong and enduring connections between hip hop and youth culture. She also discussed how the powerful relationship between them can translate into social activism among today’s youth. She credits her efforts to those who came before her, especially Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who himself often used contemporary cultural references in order to create change.

Calling herself a “cultural worker” and a “creative hybrid,” Muhammad has worked in the Mount Vernon, New York area for years. The town, located just north of the Bronx, has close ties to the hip-hop community; it saw the beginnings of hip-hop and pop culture legends such as Diddy, Mary J. Blige, and Denzel Washington. Therefore, it was the perfect location to “employ the arts as a catalyst for economic development in the area.” And so, the Mount Vernon Hip-Hop Arts Center was born.

Muhammad described her work at the center and her desire to use hip-hop as a medium to encourage more participation in the arts along with civic engagement. She stated that one of her goals is to show young people today that “the world is bigger than they can even imagine.”

Chauffeurs, Actors, and Window Cleaners

Students have had the opportunity to experience first-hand, every detail that goes into putting together a production like the ABC/Facebook debates. The students have done everything, from chauffeuring news talent and candidates around the local communities, to acting as stand-ins for the debate rehearsals, to cleaning the Fox Box window so that it is pristine. This podcast follows Michael Perkins ‘10, Kate Giaquinto ‘10, and Jerry Cournoyer ‘09 as they experience what it is like to make this fascinating event come together.

Good Morning Saint Anselm

Cory True ‘09 gives an assessment of the state of the campus of Saint Anselm College on the morning of Debate Day, Jan. 5. Cory was up bright and early at 7 a.m. to bring you this special report from various locations around the campus.

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