Carlos Robson Performs Spoken Word

By Jacel Egan

Standing in the spotlight of the Cabaret, 24-year-old Carlos Robson, renowned poetry slam national champion, waved to the applauding intimate crowd in attendance on Feb. 20, humble and half-smiling at the ground. Hands in the pockets of his military jacket, he started his routine with a welcoming gesture.

“Just want to let y’all know that this is an open atmosphere,” Robson said. “If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I’m being open with you by sharing my poetry, so feel free to share what you think.”

Small refreshments were set up to the side, as Robson delved into various poems about his personal experiences: many were about his family, war, love, and his hate for flying. Each poem brought his body to move in rhythm with his words, his body language expressing his poetry more explicitly.

“I found some of his stuff powerful because it was based on his life experiences,” sophomore Brittany Gallagher said. “There was a lot of emotion and that helped me get really into it, like that war poem about his uncle.”

Carlos Robson, spoken word artist, performed at Marist last Friday in the cabaret. Photo courtesy www.auburnmoonagency.com.

Robson’s storytelling style brought a personal touch to his poetry, touching the audience as he spoke of his past love and his grandmother. A wave of silence washed over the crowd as he performed the poem ” Ten Dollars for Sunshine,” about a woman he paid to tell her somber tale of loss and heroin addiction.

The poet’s distinctive style appealed to those in the crowd not normally in attendance at such shows.

“It was really interesting, considering I’ve never really been to anything like this before,” said Mark Bemish, a visitor to Marist from Erie Community College in Buffalo. “It was definitely not what I would expect when I hear ‘poetry slam.’”

Singing was also incorporated into some of Robson’s poems, which added another level of depth to the poet’s material.

“Robson has a wonderful voice,” Gallagher said. “It was a nice change of pace in his work to include some singing from songs we all knew. They complemented his poetry well.”

The artist came to Marist representing the south, as a 2007 graduate from UNC Charlotte. His inspiration came during his time at school.

“I was a choreography minor in college and created a hip hop dance team,” Robson said. “For a class, we had an option of writing either a poem or a rap, and Idecided wrote a poem. Things sort of just went from there.”

His big break came in April of ‘07 when he created a team, SlamCharlotte, and won the national championship for slam poetry; they came back again in ‘08 to keep the title. Apart from competing, the artist has travelled across the continent to perform in Vancouver, Austin, Madison, etc.

“I’m really lucky that I get to do what I love and live off of it for a living,” Carlos Robson said. “I just teach and tour. Very rarely do I get up before noon for anything.”

Having the same agent as poetry slam individual world champion, Buddy Wakefield, Robson looks up to his fellow poet as a mentor and inspiration.

“His work is breathtaking, and he’s definitely someone who I look up to,” the poet comments. “Although the poem usually closest to my heart is the last one I write, if there was one poem that truly defines me as a person, it’s his [Wakefield's] poem, ‘Convenience Stores.’ The first time I heard it, I was blown away.”

After the hour-long performance, Robson stayed back to talk to attendees and discuss his work with students.

“He seemed like such a down to earth kind of guy, very willing to hear feedback from us,” Bemish said. “I was just so impressed by his talent at such a young age.”

Internships: A Taste of the Business World

 By Jennifer Hill

With a downturn in the economy and a job market that is becoming increasingly more competitive, internships are becoming a necessity for students.

“Internships are a chance to see and do what professionals do every day,” said Gerry McNulty, the Communication Internship Director at Marist.

Although the type of internship experience and the way an internship is obtained varies by major, they teach students how to act in the business world. Although college helps to prepare students for the life after school, it cannot provide students with the same experience as actually working for a company.

“College is like vanilla ice cream,” McNulty said. “Taking different classes and having different experiences here is like adding sprinkles or strawberries, but you can’t change the flavor of the ice cream until you enter the real world.”

Marist, as well as other colleges and universities are tools for preparing students on how to get a job and be a good job candidate. However, each student is in control over which type of job they get and where it will lead them.

“There comes a point when a student has to be self-reliant,” McNulty said. “The student decides where they apply and how many options they have.”

Brittany Blum, a sophomore fashion major at Marist, interned last summer at Haddad Brands in New York City. Haddad Brands owns the licensing for children’s wear for brands such as Nike, Jordan, Nike Team, Levis and Dickies.

“Working at Haddad showed me what it was like to work a nine to five job,” Blum said. “I woke up at five every morning to get ready and go on a bus. It definitely taught me time management skills.”

While it was difficult to get accustomed to a new routine, Blum said that the experience was definitely worth it.

“It was an opportunity to network with people from different companies, to learn what will make or break a deal and how to handle real life problems in the industry,” Blum said.

Interns helping to solve problems in the business world.

In an internship, it is also important for a student to remember that he or she is at the bottom of the work scale. Even if the tasks that the students are provided with are mundane, each job should be done well.

“You have to pay your dues to move up the ladder,” McNulty said.

“You can’t be picky,” Blum said. “I was very close-minded going into my internship because I wanted to be working for a bigger company, but my experience ended up being absolutely amazing.”

Geena Giaramita, a psychology and special education major at Marist, did her observation hours last semester for the third grade at Netherland Elementary School in Hyde Park.        

“I thought I knew exactly what being in the classroom with third graders was going to be like,” Giaramita said. “But the teacher I observed inspired me with new ideas and techniques that I never would have thought to use.”

Another important part of the internship process is to be prepared. “Be ready for both the interview and the internship itself,” Blum said. “Dress professionally and make sure to research the company so you can answer questions and have an idea of how the company works.”   

“Be on time or even early,” McNulty said. “Expect that getting an internship is a process but it will be worth it.”

For more information on finding an internship, try search engines on the Marist website.

No One Can “Swagga Like Us” at the 2009 Grammy’s

By Jacel Egan

With no host to introduce the show, flashing lights and high energy beats filled the arena as U2 brought the crowd to life with their newest single, “Get on Your Boots,” from their upcoming album, No Line on the Horizon.

The 2009 Grammy’s brought on a sordid mix of fresh faces and tasteful performances, which aired last night on Feb. 9. This year’s concentration on music performances instead of awards gave the audience a live sample of the popular music the past year has produced.

“Most of the artists that won are currently on my iPod,” said Renee Gennarelli, a sophomore at Marist College. “I have John Mayer, Coldplay, Sugarland, Lil Wayne, Carrie Underwood, Ne-Yo, etc. It was fun to see them all together at the awards.”

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss brought home the winning ticket for Best Album, while new talent Adele received Best New Artist. Coldplay predictably stole most of the show by winning Best Rock Album with “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends,” and Song of the Year, “Viva La Vida.” Other awards were not aired due to added musical performances. A full list of winners can be found here.

“It was slightly disappointing to see ‘Raising Sand’ win Best Album,” said Emily Fiore, a sophomore. “I’m a Robert Plant fan, but I wasn’t into much of his new stuff. Plus I feel like not a lot of people have heard it.”

Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl perform in between awards at the 2009 Grammy's. Photo courtesy of Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Various singers kept the crowd in awe during various rock-out routines in between awards. A range of tastes were adhered to when Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift performed together, Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters formed a duet to sing, “I Saw Her Standing There,” and Lil Wayne performed with others to pay tribute to New Orleans with “Tie My Hands.”

“My favorite part was when Radiohead sang ‘15 Steps’ with the USC [University of Southern California] marching band,” sophomore Alana Linsenbigler said. “Thom Yorke was so animated and on his own planet as he sang like usual. It was a nice break from the more mainstream acts.”

Surprising talents included M.I.A.’s collaborative gig with T.I., Lil Wayne, and Kanye West.

M.I.A., Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and T.I. knock out the crowd in their high powered performance at the Grammy's. Photo courtesy Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press.

“It was especially cool and a little weird to see M.I.A. perform on her due date with Lil Wayne, T.I., and Kanye West,” Gennarelli said. “She’s insane for doing it. I thought she would give birth right there in that weird outfit of hers.”

The night was closed with an interesting twist: Blink-182 announced their reunion, with full-on studio sessions and tours to come within the year.

“You never really realize what you miss until it’s gone for a while,” sophomore Tim Faustini said. “I can’t wait to hear what they have up their sleeves.”