Student Who Served

By SHEREE BROWN-CARTER Staff Writer

Joseph Handibode served in the Iraq war and has since studied at CMSV

My Date with Gym Class Heroes

By VERONICA VAY Editor-in-Chief

Here at the Mount there is a substantial amount of students who served in the military and Joseph Handibode is among the many of them. On August 7, 1990 Handibode was excited to put on his uniform for the first time knowing that he would be serving this great nation. He explained, It was nice to wear the military uniform; it made me

feel special. I felt part of the big picture for the country. Handibode comes from a long line of people who served in the military, mainly from his fathers side. All my uncles on my fathers side were in the military and at least 2 uncles in the Navy; my brother also served in the Army National Guard said Handibode. With an abundance of family members who served in the military, one would think that they had an influence on Continued on Page 4

On Friday, April 27, 2012 the Board of Programmers, and Student Government hosted the concert of the year. Gym Class Heroes came to campus and rocked it. Before they went I stage I got the opportunity to sit down with one of their band members. Disashi LumumbaKasongo, or as I like to call him, D, has been the lead guitarist and backup vocalist with Gym Class Heroes since 2004. Hes a native New Yorker with a down to earth attitude. Looking back Disashi doesnt miss struggling to make it in the music business, and really values the experiences that have allowed him to keep a level head given the misconceptions that are often associated with musicians. When hes not in the studio or on tour you can find Disashi spending time with his family or drawing. When asked about what artist hed like to hear more on the radio, Disashi talked about one of the best rappers hes ever heard, Axe, who happens to be from the Bronx. The talented guitarist also gave some words of advice for aspiring musicians, First, the most important thing is to make sure you really love making music. Make sure youre not just doing it to become famous, because that kind of mindset will do more to hinder you than help you. The other thing is to really believe in yourself. Although Disashi would like to see Gym Class Heroes play at large festivals like Coachella in California, but they still seemed excited to be at the College of Mount Saint Continued on Page 4

Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes Photo credit: Josmarie Perez.

As of three weeks ago the contract between The College of Mount Saint Vincent and Chartwells dining services was in the final stages of review by the colleges attorneys. Mr. Abed Elkeshk, the CFO for the college, has been the main correspondent between Chartwells and CMSV. According to Mr. Elkeshk, one benefit of the 15 year contract is that the school would receive a total of 5 million dollars for complete renovations of Spellman Cafeteria. The school will receive 4.5 million this year, then a followup $500,000 in the seventh year of the contract for updates and maintenance. However, as Father Chris kindly pointed out Its great to see their generosity in updating the cafeteria, but you cant eat the dcor. Food quality for many students on campus is a priority. Dr. Dale noted that the results in the past Chartwells surveys which clearly showed food quality did not receive sufficient scores. Some examples of this include Spellmans infamous undercooked chicken. Peter L. Bonacci (District Manager for Chartwells of the NY Metro Area) replied by referencing a benefit dinner he had recently attended. Each plate was $400 a pop and when I received my sea bass it was raw in the center said Mr. Bonacci. Other repetitive complaints include flies in the yogurt, watered-down soup, unappetizing food choices, sauces complemented by a layer of skin on top, and a messy salad bar often home to soaked lettuce and rotting tomatoes. Although this may sound like students simply being picky and complaining, it isnt true. Theres a reason that Benedicts caf experiences high foot traffic by administrators, faculty, staff, and students alike. Ultimately the reason is obvious; food quality is better just down the hill, but you have to pay for it. Mr. Bonacci noted that he personally favors retail over all you can eat. For students, the benefits of a declining balance, retail based meal plan are immense in regards to food quality. If you go out to a restaurant and purchase a piece of chicken, and it is uncooked, you send it back. Why? Because you wont spend money on food you cant eat. This is the premise for a declining balance meal plan. The only concern is whether or not Benedicts can be done on a much larger scale without losing quality. Everyone on campus is familiar with the poor quality pizza served at Spellman Cafeteria. Continued on Page 5

By TODD GABLE Staff Writer

MSV to sign 15 year contract with Chartwells for $5 million