The Manhattanville College women’s Hockey team faced one of their most challenging obstacles of the season when they faced the College of Holy Cross at their home arena on Friday, January 19 2009. The most important battle of the night came off of the ice where they would host their first annual “Think Pink” night to raise money for the fight against breast cancer at Playland’s Ice Casino in Rye, N.Y.

Every thirteen minutes a woman will die from breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women between the ages of 15 and 54, and the second cause of cancer death in women from the ages of 55 to 74. A sold out crowd of all ages pledged to fight these facts and figures.

The proceeds that were collected from the 7pm game were all donated to the “In The Pink Foundation, Inc, a non-profit organization that provides physical and monetary support for young women fighting breast cancer.” The organization’s President, Monique Johnson, is a former student of Manhattanville College.

For one night only, all of the players on the Manhattanville College roster decided to sport pink jerseys, to let the Westchester area know that the breast cancer cause is something quite special to them. “This is a cause that the ladies on our team take very seriously,” said Hannah Muskego, a freshman standout defenseman from Neilburg, Saskatchewan. “The pink jerseys only make our support more visible to the community beyond the Manhattanville College campus.”
Along with the pink jerseys, the ladies of the Manhattanville team all agreed that raffling off one of their game jerseys at halftime would be another way to boost the funds for The Pink Foundation. All around the arena were student vendors selling items to add to proceeds. Many of these items included t-shirts, bracelets and hats.

“Games like this really show how much progress and support can come from a united community. This was a game that made me more emotional than most, and I decided to use these feelings out there on the ice,” said Holly Nonis, Manhattanville’s leading scorer and arguably the ECAC East Conference’s best player. “I hope that other Colleges follow our example and help in the battle to rid the world of breast cancer”

Aside from skating for a commendable cause, this game featured two of the most dominating teams in the ECAC East Conference. The first-place Lady Valiants 13-1-0, 11-1-0 ECAC East) stood toe-toe with the only team that had beaten them all season, The College of Holy Cross (14-0-1, 10-0-1 ECAC East). This premier match-up paired up two teams that were both unbeaten in more than 12 games.

Manhattanville looked good for most of the game, holding onto a 2-1 lead heading into the final minutes of the third period. Shortly after the clock signaled eight minutes left in the game, Holy Cross capitalized on a very rare defensive mistake by the Valiant backline, leveling the game at two. After an overtime battle, the Valiants were defeated by a late goal. Although the home team was bitter about their loss, they were still very glad to have participated in a special event.

“This event really has opened my eyes to the millions of women who suffer from breast cancer,” said Erica Garcia, a sophomore from Highland California. “This game has made me want to get involved within my community here at Manhattanville and in California so that we can quickly find a cure.”

The weeks of planning and mustering school support on behalf of the women’s hockey team was truly evident on that Friday night. Men, women and children of all ages were out in support of finding a cure. An event like this not only appealed to hockey fans, but to humanitarians throughout the tri-state area.

The women’s hockey Valiants have started a remarkable trend within Manhattanville College, sparking huge interest on behalf of other men’s and women’s teams to host their own breast cancer games.

Matters of the Heart

Love is definately one of the most difficult subjects/topics that exists in this universise. It is the most complex idea to grasp and something that I believe people will truly never really understand. Young adults my age boast of finding love every day, whether it is a significant other on campus, or someone they have waiting for them back at home. I walk around this small campus and very often seen couples walking hand in hand, or sneaking one last smooch before heading to their next class. I honestly think that this is all fine and dandy, but I do NOT think that these people have the slightest idea of what love really is.

I believe that I do not totally grasp the whole idea of what love is, but I think that if someone really takes the time out to examine it and what it entails, they have a slight edge over someone who has not. Love is not simply the attraction to one's opposite and the desire to be around them 24/7, but rather an understanding of the self, and how that other person fits into it. When someone has finally found love, it is probably the most gratifying feeling on the face of the earth. Achieving the feeling once you have found someone is not hard, but actually finding THAT PERSON is what most people have trouble with.

People in today's world try and live their lives according to what they hear and see on television and radio. Everyone wants a fairytale ending to their love lives, and are in a great hurry to get it. Because of this, people really do not take the time out to really gain an adequate understanding of the other person. They simply know that they are very attracted to the other person and that he/she makes them smile. This is not enough. Alot of time must be spent with this other person, and in my opinion years, to really love someone. During this time, one learns of the other's good qualities and bad qualities, great attributes and the not so great ones. People are in such a rush to achieve that 24/7 love drama they see on FRIENDS, that purposefully overlook the qualities that they would never accept in any other person.

Love comes with experice and hardship, as well as with communication and fun times. There is no possible way that young adults my age can really know what love is, because for someone of us, we have never known what it is like to fall for someone before, so the first time it happens, we are convinced that this girl or guy is the one they will love forever. Young people are delusional and this will never change. All of us want someone that we can lay with at night and share secrets with, or hold hands at a ball game, but we just go about it in the wrong ways.

I, along with countless others have been the subject of heartbreak, but I have come to the realization that it was because things were rushed. I was in such a need for a female to share experiences with, that in actuality, I was only hurting myself in the long run. When that person comes along, things will just feel easy. A smile will automatically creep along your face when you least expect it, and butterflies will float around in your stomach. These are all good things, but you have to see if they last. I you can honestly wake up everyday and feel those things constantly then you are on your path to finding true love. Love comes with experience and age. So if you think that you are very much in love now, wait it out and see if it lasts.

Definate Destinations

At the age of 21 I can say that there is much traveling that I wish to do before I ever decide to settle down. I think that it is very important for a young adult to get out into the world and travel outside of the United States. Exposing one self to other countries and cultures builds a greater understanding of how the world exists simultaneously with yours. Many people spend their whole lives where they were born and raised and new see anything more than their own house and neighborhood. The world is a vast and rich place and is just waiting to be discoverd by someone with an open mind. My desire to travel and see many different countries is to challenge myself to work through the language barrior. I have always been to places where I was able to communicate and get my message across without having to try so hard. Being of Italian descent, my family travels frequently from here to Italy and vice versa. The language has never been a problem as I was taugh the Italian language at a young age. Sometimes this can get boring and I wish for a new challenge. I would love to visit Greece and try and ask someone where the good resturants are, or visit Spain and converse with someone out on the street about sports. I was taught at a very young age to appreciate other cultures and how to submerse yourself in them, even for a short amount of time. I love cuisine from all parts of the world, and love trying new things that are native to those lands.

There is absolutely nothing worse than people who poke fun of other countries and lifestyles, ESPECIALLY if they have never experienced it first hand or even visited that particular country. As a young adult at a college, I here the ignorant comments on a daily basis from my peers about other ethnicities and ways of life. It is an ever-growing trend for people to talk wrecklessly about others when in fact they know nothing about what they are talking about.

Some places that I wish to vist are Greece, Spain, Prague, South Africa, Japan and Austrailia. These are deemed as some of the most spectacular places on earth and I am upset to say that I have not yet seen them. I am anxious to swim in the clear waters of Greece and see the bullfights in Spain. I want to witness the historical landmarks in Prague and witness the sunset in South Africa. Japan and Australia, the furthest of the places that are high on my list, intrigue me the most because of their distance. I want to eat real Japanese sushi and lay in the sands of the Australian beaches.

The world is a very large place and I can sit here and make a list of 100 places that I want to see while I still have the opportunity to do so. I urge all of you to feel the same. To want something more than to just look out of your window and see the same scenery that you have glanced at since you can remember. Get out and see the world, because who knows how long we will have the priviledge to do so!

Spring Break

My Spring Break vacation from Manhattanville College has gotten off to an interesting start. The last day of classes came and went, and before I knew it I was at LaGuardia Airport eagerly awating the departure of my flight to Kansas City, MO. Yes, it is a very interesting choice for a Spring Break destination, but I was there with one goal in mind. To play well! I was headed to Kansas City for a Professional Tryout with the Kansas City Wizards of the Major League Soccer Organization. I had planned to take this trip for some time and now the time came for me to showcase who I was as a player for a coaching staff that did not know me.

Through out the whole plane ride, I closed my eyes and filled my mind with things that I wanted to do out on the field, and how I was going to go about impressing a coaching staff that sees players like me on a daily basis. Three hours later, the plane had touched down at KCI and my little journey had begun. I had decided to arrive a day early so that I could mentally prepare and get some good meals in my stomach before the tryout. Looking out my window, I already had my mind made up about Kansas City. That it was a city much different from NYC and it would take some getting used to.

I woke up nice and early on Saturday, ready for a full day of soccer. I have been training for this day for quite some time, and I had only one thing on my mind, to dominate. Simply playing and being a part of the experience was not enough for me, I wanted something more. That feeling of knowing that you played well and were a step above the others, is a sensation unlike any other.

A whole day of soccer had passed and I was definately satisified with how i displayed myself to the coaching staff. I walked off of the soccer fied, cleats over my shoulder, and a smile on my face, knowing that there was nothing more that I could do. When you leave no doubts and play with courage, heart and desire everytime you're out there, there is nothing more you can ask for.

Sunday was another day to play, and the rest was to relax and prepare for the flight back home on Monday. I found the resturant that served the biggest steak and treated myself to an expensive dinner. Here I am, straight from the plane to my computer to let you all know how it went!

YOU ARE FAT!

It has become clear and evident that the United States of America is filled with people who just love to eat and are not concerned with the after-effects. If one really takes the time to really look around, they will see that ever other person in their community is over weight! I can not go anywhere and not notice that someone is above the suggested weight for their age or gender. As I sit on the train on my way to New York City, I sit in awe at how people have little regard for their bodies. It is not only how one portrays themselves to the world around them, but it is simply not safe if they wish to live a long life. The United States of America, in some way or another, promotes this laziness and complacency for heavy citizens. 24 hour fast food chains, the reliance on a vehicle to get everywhere, and the infinite number of Plus sizes in the stores get people comfortable with being overweight. If someone is hungry at 2am, they can just head to the McDonald’s down the block and binge until they feel full. Cars and buses have become such an integral part of American life that people have forgotten what it is like to ride a bicycle or walk! Lastly, these plus size stores are just making men and women ok with being as large as they are. The stores like Dress Barn Plus and such are making women say that it is ok to wear a XXL size shirt. News flash, it is NOT ok. Bigger is NOT more beautiful! These people need to realize that they do not meet healthy standards and action must be taken in order to safe their lives!

Obesity has no healthy effects and only leads to things like heart disease, diabetes, high blood-pressure, breast and colon cancer, and gallbladder disease. This is only a short list as there are an infinite number of harmful effects that being obese has on the human body. I do not understand why, knowing that they are obese, people still continue their bad habits. It makes me angry to see someone go into a Burger King, order a full tray worth of hamburgers and deserts, then say “Oh, May I have a DIET COKE?” Are you kidding me! You eat so unhealthy and disgusting and then you want to cut calories on a soda! Incredible.

If you are overweight, stop thinking that it is ok and beautiful. If you do not think that and are simply lazy, get up and hit the gym because your life is on the line. If you are disgusted and depressed and have given up, believe that there is always time for change. It is never too late!