COLLIN COLLEGE
Celebrate Irish Culture at Collin College’s ShamrockFest
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ou may be able to visualize the cerulean blue water and vibrant green grass of Ireland’s coast and countryside when you listen to three Collin College students playing Irish jigs, reels, and polkas at the inaugural Wylie Campus signature event — ShamrockFest. Free and open to the public, festivities will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 24 in the campus courtyard located at 391 Country Club Rd. Enjoy a DJ, cornhole tournament, henna artist, cartoonist, airbrush tattoo stations, zipline, eliminator, maze and bowling inflatables, and much more. Perseus, Cyrus, and Justus Aryani are looking forward to sharing their talent on the Irish fiddle, tin whistle, wooden flute, and Uilleann pipes, which are like Scottish bagpipes but instead of blowing air into the instrument you pump air in with your elbow. The musicians are sons of Wylie Campus-based Economics Professor Gian Aryani, who teaches dual credit classes, and share Irish ancestry from their mother’s side of the family. “Collin College is one of the best community colleges in the nation,” Gian said. “My wife and I decided to send our kids to Collin because of the quality professors who are my colleagues.” Twenty-year-old Perseus who plays the Irish fiddle, graduated with a Collin College associate degree this summer and is studying neuroscience at The University of Texas at Dallas while continuing to take science classes at the college to prepare for a career in the medical field. “I appreciate the small classes and the time the professors have for their students,” Perseus said. “They care about me and my education.” According to Perseus, the majority of Irish music was learned and shared without being written down. “It is exciting to play melodies passed down through generations. You get a feeling of community when you play these fun tunes. The nice thing about Irish music is that anyone can learn it.” Seventeen-year-old Cyrus and 15-year-old Justus started taking dual credit classes in Fall 2021. They both 14 |
Photo by Nick Young, Collin College photographer.
by Heather Darrow
Cyrus, Perseus, and Justus Aryani
recently took an online music appreciation class. Cyrus, who plays the Irish tin whistle and flute, is considering earning a business degree and teaches tin whistle lessons. “I love playing these instruments because music is a way to connect with people,” Cyrus said. “Collin’s dual credit classes are also a great way to connect with other students, and they provide a jump start in a friendly, affordable environment for any motivated high school student.” Justus is pursuing an Information Systems Cybersecurity Associate Degree and considering earning a Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cybersecurity degree at the college. He plays the Irish tin whistle, but his favorite instrument is the Irish Uilleann pipes. He said it is one of the few instruments you only find in Irish music. “Collin has great courses and professors, and dual credit classes allow you to get the feeling of what higher education can offer before you graduate from high school,” he said. If there is inclement weather, ShamrockFest will be moved to the conference center in the Student Center. • For more information, visit www.collin.edu/campuses/ wylie or email ShamrockFest@collin.edu.
| March/April 2022
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