Oracle The
MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2013
HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 26
Yoga and vocals combined by countertenor Lindsey Sims Staff Writer Yoga and singing are not something you would intentionally put hand-in-hand, unless you’re Justin Montaigne, countertenor, yoga teacher and founder of the SingAsana workshop that was developed in 2010. Montaigne travels the country to many different groups of vocalists and instrumentalists and teaches them the technique of blending the postures of yoga with the art of singing. Montaigne has been practicing yoga for 12 years and teaching it for six, and throughout the whole experience, he always sang. Eventually, he wanted a way to mix the two. “I learned to weave these two acts together,” Montaigne said, “and so I wanted to start teaching what I discovered.” The largest workshop he has ever done included a couple hundred people, and many of them were vocalists. “Since many of the people who attended were vocalists, I could see them really getting into it and it felt great,” he said. Dr. Laura Storm, professor of voice, met Montaigne at a children’s choir camp in Northern California, where they both discovered they had a common interest in singing and yoga, and so she arranged for his coming to Henderson to meet with the choral vocalist students. Montaigne went through several different terms and techniques with the students and informed them of special areas of energy
Photo by Ryan Klare
NAMASTE
Several students attended the SingAsana workshop led by Justin Montaigne, the countertenor who visited campus last week. on their body. Then, toward the end of the session, he allowed a number of students to come to the front of the class and sing a song for him. He personally helped them with how to improve their voice and energy. “I hope to help the students relax so they’re able to sing more freely,” Montaigne said. One specific move he informed each performer of was the chair pose, which is the act of bending your knees so that you have access to the energy from all parts of your body.
“The chair pose pulls the downward power and strength in to make you aware of your core,” Montaigne said. All the students who went up to sing and began using this technique could not only hear, but feel the difference in their voices and their singing qualities. “When I sing, I can feel the numbness in my legs, but when he got me to bend my knees I could feel the energy shoot up and hear the difference in my voice,” Jordan Murdoch, soph-
omore vocal music education major, said. With students such as Murdoch, the yoga pose where he bends his knees made him feel as if he could sing anything. “If I put some pressure on my left foot, I could sing a high E,” Murdoch said. “Who knows?” SingAsana not only helps with postures to improve a singer’s voice, it can also help performers be aware of how to behave when singing a song or choosing one to sing. “I want to help the students
with the choice they will make in their music,” Montaigne said. The workshop also demonstrates ways of life that many students had not formally heard of. Many know what yoga is, but the true meaning and what goes into being someone who regularly practices it are two different things. “It gives us a lot of things to think about that we haven’t thought of before,” Dylan Cavender, freshman vocal music education major, said. Cavender was also very appreciative of the opportunity to learn new techniques to broaden his horizon and experiences that helped him over all with his singing. Along with the vocalists, he also helped the pianist who played the accompaniment to the singer’s songs. “He helped me think about how to watch my motions, and that helped, especially since I am a pianist,” Hunter Mabery, freshman piano performance major, said. It also impressed Mabery how his techniques, which usually help vocalists, could also be a big help to those who play with their hands. “I think it was neat how he helped not only the vocalists but also an instrumentalist like me,” Mabery said. Montaigne is always open to speak with those who contact him. “Singing isn’t a mystery, it is a process that can be explained,” Montaigne said. More information can be found at singasana.com.
Meal plans gain more provisions Joshalyn Murray Staff Writer
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The new dining hall is nearly finished and has inspired the reevaluation of meal plan options and rates for the students who frequent the cafeteria. As of next year, student meal plan options will be packaged differently. In previous years, students selected the amount of meals they received for a meal plan, but the new options constructed allow students to enjoy eating without the extra worry. According to an email by Dan Mabery, assistant vice president for student affairs, the changes to the meal plans include all access passes on specific days and DCB’s (declining cash balances) included with the plan, or blocks of meals. All Access 7 w/ $50 DCB [unlimited access to the cafeteria, when open, 7 days a week] All Access 7 w/ $100 DCB [unlimited access to the cafeteria, when open, 7 days a week] All Access 5 w/ $125 DCB [unlimited access to the cafeteria, when open, 5 days a week] All Access 5 w/ $175 DCB [unlimited access to the cafeteria, when open, 5 days a week] Block 175 w/ $200 DCB [175 meals to use, as you choose, during the semester]
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Commuter Meal Plans are also available in Blocks of 75, 50 and 20 and also come with DCB dollars These new changes allow students to visit the cafeteria multiple times a day with no restrictions and no need to check the remaining meals left for the week. The block meal plan compensates for the amount of meals a students has during a semester and gives students the option to treat a guest to a meal using one of their own. DCB dollars are included with this plan, but unlimited access is not. Any meal plan choice cannot be decreased throughout the semester, but they can be increased if needed. The new meal plan is getting mixed reviews among the student body. Many students feel that the new meal plan options are good and long overdue. Even though the unlimited, all access is offered, some students feel that the way they frequent the cafeteria won’t change, but they feel better knowing they can stop in for a drink without being turned away. Verneissa Hawkins, freshman nursing major, agreed that the new meal plans are a good option because sometimes she just wants more to eat during the week. Lindsey Goodman,
freshman psychology major, stated that the new options “are good for athletes because they need to eat a lot during the day.” However, students like O Onipede, junior aviation major, do not like the new meal plans because it limits some people’s options and doesn’t give them a choice about what happens to their money as far as constructing their own meal plan. DCB being included with the meal plan is another new feature that has been added. In previous years, DCB could be purchased separately. Adding DCB takes all the fuss and guess work out of buying it at different times, by having it included. “More variety” is what students are looking forward to when they receive their preloaded DCB, Hawkins said. Onipede disagrees with preloaded DCB. “With DCB, you get what you give,” Onipede said. Goodman likes the option to have DCB added to her meal plan “The vendor’s hours are better and the food tastes better,” she said. In addition to DCB making the student dining experience a lot easier, it creates eating variety by giving students the opportunity to experience the
Down to the wire
Photo by Ryan Klare
CARRIED THROUGH
Maegan Estes belts a line from “I Need You” at the Henderson Idol competition.
new vendors offered next year. In an effort to choose the right plan, students may consider the amount of time they spend eating on campus. Students who visit home on the weekends may opt to choose the all access five-meal plan, which allows unlimited access to the cafeteria during open hours Monday through Friday. Commuters, frugal students and non-committers may choose from the various block meal plans. Students who spend the majority of their
time on campus may indulge in the all access seven-meal plan, which allows unlimited access to the cafeteria whenever open all seven days of the week. While the rates have not been set, the board of directors should make a decision by midMay, Scott Freeman, director of student accounts, said. It’s fair to assume that choosing the block meal plan over the all access seven would be less expensive, but in the long run students should consider their options.