The Reporter

www.stetsonreporter.com Thursday, February 11, 2010 Hearts for Haiti Benefit Hopes to Make A Difference by Kaitlyn Schulz On Saturday, February 6th at 7:30pt students, faculty. and Volusia: County community members qathered.jn the Lee effort to fa Haitian n< After an introduction from President Libby, the evening included performances by: Boyd Jones, organ; David Bjella, cello; Stephen Robinson, guitar; Michael Rickman, piano; Jean West, flute; and members of the Stetson University Concert Choir, directed by Andrew Larson. Among the excellent music performances, Chaplain Michael Fronk reflected on the event, encouraging listeners to aid Haiti and send prayers with hopeful hearts and messages. Business lecturer Peggy Stahl also delivered a brief speech on monetary donations to Haiti. Haitian poetry was read in Creole by Annick Bazile and in English by Kaitlyn Schulz, with selections provided by English professor Mark Powell. The evening in Lee Chapel ended with a slideshow of photos from the aftermath of the earthquake provided by Marines in the Volusia County area, who provided aid in Haiti. Following the main event was a concert in the quad, celebrating life, with performances by Stetson student Michael Slowey, and KG & The Band (an originally Kenyan group, now based in Orlando). All proceeds collected from the Hearts for Haiti Relief Benefit will help aid the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Those who chose to donate to the effort were allowed to designate their choice between three featured organizations to which to give their money: Doctors without Borders, Oxfam, and the American Red Cross. A special thank you goes to all who participated in the event, and those who donated to the fund. "I know this is a small gesture, but it's our gesture. And hundreds of colleges and universities across the US are holding benefits and hopefully the result will be a lot of money pouring into Haiti," Mark Powell said, and that is exactly the hope of all who joined in the benefit. If you were unable to attend the event and still wish to lend a helping hand, please contact the Cross Cultural Center, or local charities and church groups for more information on how to donate. Keep your eyes open for more Stetson events benefiting the victims of the earthquake. Every little bit counts. Opinions A tired, curious Christian Page 5 Life Da Vinci's Re-opens Page 9 Sports Softball Slides into Season Page ii Top Hats Dance Team Begins Season by Natalya Jones Top Hats, the university dance team, kicked off its season with a performance during halftime at the basketball game Thursday. According to Top Hats choreographer Lyndsay Fuller, the team has been going through some changes in direction, including changing their name to Top Hats last year. "Shannon Regans [dance team director] renamed them the Top Hats last year," Fuller said. "She was on the team for 3 years but then decided to make her own team." The dance team will be performing during the basketball halftime shows this semester. "We mainly keep to popular music that crowd pleasing because we perform at The basketball games and [the dance style] is mostly jazz," Fuller said. Fuller said that having a dance team is a real asset for Stetson. "I think it's important," Fuller said. "I've danced my entire life. I almost went to Rollins because they have a dance program and Stetson does not." According to Fuller, one of the main focuses of the group is retaining membership throughout the year. "The team traditionally has a problem keeping up membership," she said. "Last year they had 25 members and now they are down to seven, all freshmen and sophomores. A lot of members are lost when they join sororities." Improving technique is also a focal point for the team this year. "This year we've been focusing more on jazz technique," Fuller said. "We want to become approved by the ADA [American Dance Association] so that we can be part of Athletics." The team does not plan on entering in competitions because of the expense. "We discussed competitions but because of the economy we decided against it," Fuller said. "Competitions can get pretty expensive - as much at $200 per girl." Fuller has other aspirations for Top Hats performances though. "I want them to perform around the community, like the homecoming ^Please See "Top Hats/' Page 3