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SPECTRUM the

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Sacred Heart University - Fairfield, Conn. Volume 28, Issue 21

Student commons dedicated to McMahon Mike Peterson News Editor

The Spectrum/Samantha Purnell

Linda McMahon addresses the crowd in front of the newly dedicated student commons.

On Friday, April 13, Sacred Heart University’s new student commons building was dedicated in honor of Linda E. McMahon, a trustee at the university. With President John J. Petillo and Student Government President Mia James providing assistance, McMahon cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the 46,000-square foot building. McMahon then spoke about the commons and what it means to have it bear her name. “I’m humbled to stand here in front of this building,” she said. “I know it’s going to serve the Sacred Heart community for generations and generations to come.” During her speech, McMahon described the impact that the student union building had on her studies at East Carolina University. She believes that the student commons will be an integral place for campus connections. “The student commons is a place to come and have conversations,” she said. “Through these conversations, we learn about ourselves, and we learn about others.” For Petillo, the commons exemplifi es Sacred Heart’s devotion to the welfare of its student body. “This building is a testament to the commitment to our students,” he said. McMahon is the former president and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. She and her husband, Vince, developed WWE from a small company to a multimillion-dollar empire. McMahon’s alliance with Sacred Heart began in 2004, when Dr. Peter Maresco of the John F. Welch College of Business invited her to speak at a conference involving women in business. She joined the university’s board of trustees shortly thereafter. McMahon has been involved with a number of projects at Sacred Heart. According to the university’s website, she is a chair for the Discovery Gala, an annual event that honors community members and raises funds for the university’s most deserving students. She also donated $5 million to Sacred Heart for capital projects, including the student commons. The dedication ceremony included speeches from board of trustees Vice Chairman Jim Morley, Maresco and James. The Sacred Heart Choir also performed a rendition of “We Are The World.”

See DEDICATION on page 3...

Dance team places fifth at Nationals Ryan Hannable Editor-in-Chief On Thursday, April 12, the Sacred Heart University dance team competed in the annual National Dance Association competition in Daytona Beach, Fla. During the weekend-long competition, the team competed against 14 other Division I teams from across the country, ultimately earning a fi fth place fi nish. The team, made up of 20 girls, competed in the team performance category. This is a two minute and 15 second dance routine containing jazz, pop, and hip-hop sections. On Thursday, the team competed in the preliminaries in the Peabody Auditorium. All 14 teams competed, with only the top eight moving on to the fi nals. “The uncertainty and suspense after prelims was by far the most stressful part of the trip,” said senior captain Caroline Campo. “We put everything we had on the stage, and that

was all we could control.” Going into the fi nals, they were ranked fi fth with their Billy Joel-themed routine containing a variety of his songs such as “Pressure” and “Keeping the Faith.” The team’s fi nish was the product of a year long effort and preparation. “I am so proud of how far this team has come and the dedication and hard work it took to get here,” said senior captain Breanna McLaughlin. The fi nals were held on Friday morning on the Band Shell, an outdoor performance venue located right on the beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Friday’s site was much more exciting than the setting the day before. “It was surreal,” said junior Monica Malcomson. “All I could think about was taking in every moment.

See DANCE on page 3...

Photo courtesy of Michelle Capazzi

The Pioneers dance team competed at Nationals in Daytona Beach, Fla.


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