YSU President’s Gala flourishes at incubator
YOUNGSTOWN
Song and dance filled the ground floor of the Youngstown Business Incubator on Thursday night during the Youngstown State University President’s Gala.
The event included performances by more than 25 student groups and featured more than 100 students from YSU’s College of Creative Arts and Communication.
YSU President Jim Tressel said the event was a “resounding success,” praising the students, faculty and the collaboration between the YBI and the university.Tressel said he hoped to see further collaboration and integration from student groups and downtown entities in the future.
Phyllis Paul, dean of YSU’s CCAC, provided the vision behind the gala, but praised other university faculty members for their roles in the event.
“This was a major collaborative effort,” she said. “I had experience with an event like this from another institution, and the event really came together once our department heads adopted the vision.”
Paul also praised the CCAC students who performed during the event and the students who operated in support roles throughout the evening.
Student volunteers greeted guests at the entrance to the YBI campus’s newest building – the former home of The Vindicator’s newsroom and other departments, where guests were welcomed on a red carpet through a white awning. Students from YSU’s communication department live-streamed the event over the internet.
Mackenzie Moorman, a sophomore in YSU’s musical theater department, performed at the gala, and said the evening provided a much appreciated chance to perform locally.
“We don’t get a ton of opportunities to perform locally, so any time we have a chance to perform, it’s great,” Moorman said.
The musical theatre students performed songs from their recent rock showcase.
The YBI’s main floor featured a number of student art pieces, including photography, sculptures and installation pieces.
“The YBI generously let us host the gala here,” Paul said. “It’s a great space because it really represents the integration of art and technology that we emphasize at the college.”