Special Guest Conducts Valencia Choir

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Dr. John V. Sinclair was handed the baton at the Voices of Valencia rehearsal at Valencia’s East Campus on June 16. Sinclair, 54, is the director of music at Rollins College.

Sinclair has been conducting for 23 years and has been the instructor for Walt Disney World’s Candlelight Processional for over a decade. He directs the Moravian Music Festival, conducts 150 performances each year, and is highly praised in Central Florida.

Sinclair was invited to the rehearsal for the choir to receive a more intimate practice. “Good to have you,” said Sinclair, after the choir gave him applause, “This year, somewhere around the second week in December, will by my 500th,” referring to the number of Candlelight performances he has conducted.

Candlelight is a performance that gathers from the day after Thanksgiving to December 30. The songs are a combination of holiday songs. A CD must be recorded and submitted in order to be considered for acceptance.

Sinclair said when he was offered to do Candlelight, he didn't know what it was at first, but accepted and said, "'My goodness, sounds like fun, I'd like to do it.'"

Singer Joyce Musculus, said she was excited to have Sinclair. “He’s one of the best directors, one of the favorites also. Everybody loves working with Dr. Sinclair and to get a one-on-one with him is awesome because he doesn’t do it often. He’s very busy.” Musculus, 49, is a former Valencia student, and has been with the choir as a soprano for four years.

James C. Jones, the founder and director of V.O.V., said to the choir, “Let us lean on some of his expertise, as we get ready to do our 10th video.”

Jones, 53, a music professor at Valencia, has been singing since he was three, and said he “started from scratch,” when creating the chorale thirteen years ago.

“John and I are good friends, so of course I love having him out here,” said Jones, “For me, it’s a no brainer, and he is still directing Candlelight. It’s a win-win for us to have such a great ally.” Jones said they have guest instructors only from “time to time.”

The soprano captain, Barbara Murphy, has been singing in the choir since ’97, when she saw them perform at a local mall. “I think it’s great,” said Murphy, 74,”He’s one of our favorite conductors to have at Candlelight because he’s very, very precise, and you know exactly what he expects of you.”

A music professor at Valencia, Alan Gerber, had this to add: "Dr. Sinclair is most noted for his Bach festival that comes out of Rollins College. He is a fine conductor and musician. Anything he is involved with should be good."

Voices of Valencia is a community choir, not only open to students, but to seniors, as well. It's one credit hour and is $75 for enrolled students, but free for seniors. Practices are every Tuesday at 7 p.m.

West Campus Introduces New President

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Robert Stio, vice president of Valencia's West Campus, assumed the role of Student Government Association president. A news conference was held on June 16 for him to discuss the goals and future of SGA.

Stio, 35, said he has an “extensive background” in the entertainment industry, working as a location manager in post production, as a video editor, also working on websites, full length feature films, commercials, and television.

“With that knowledge, with that experience, that’s what I’m bringing to the SGA,” said Stio.

Stio ran unopposed in the election. He started as senator of governmental affairs, quickly moving up to chief of staff. He explained that the former president was unable to fulfill his duties because of “personal issues,” and resigned, but declined to comment any further on the matter.

Stio said he believes that "mass media is the future,” and his first goal will be student awareness. “Not a lot of students know what student government is,” said Stio,”There’s means of communication to raise awareness."

Jessica Hill, a communications major at Valencia, thinks that the administration should be more active in the school. “I think that this school should be more accustomed to the people that actually run the school,” said Hill, 19,”They should make their faces known.”

There will be meetings to discuss promotions, future events, to allocate funding, and the campus' budget, which Stio says is $38,000. Meetings begin taking place this fall, and continue annually, every Wednesday, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

“I will put aside five to ten minutes of each meeting for students to get up and talk,” said Stio,”We’re trying to get people involved, allowing that voice makes them feel they’re part of the system … making a difference on campus. We’re really going to listen, we’re really going implent their ideas.”

Hill also commented on the SGA provoking students to speak up. “It’d be cool if they could actually listen,” Hill said,”Instead of just talking amongst ourselves about it.”

“Everyone has an influence,” said Michael Scott, chief of staff, “If eveyone plays their part, we can actually have a change for the better for all students. I don’t just talk about getting involved, I really believe in it. It’s important to me.”

Scott, 27, said they’re still working on outlines and rough drafts. Stio said it’s described as the “mending the constitution” and is a “very lengthy process.”

A swearing in Ceremony will be held on June 30, to create a senate and executive board. Stio said once they do, they will start “nailing down” the event calendar. Stio’s term started in March and will end in March 2010.

Style Expert Writes Book

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Andy Paige held a book signing for her new book, "Style on a Shoestring," on Monday evening, at Barnes and Noble on Colonial Drive.

Paige, 38, is a style expert and TV personality, who has appeared on series, such as Style Network's "How Do I Look," "Starting over," and TLC's "Ten Years Younger." She was a former fit model and received a double masters degree in media studies and broadcasting journalism.

"Because I was tall, I got ... pushed into modeling," she said referring to the start of her career when she stood at 5 feet 11 inches, weighing at 112 pounds, when she moved from a "dirt road in Alabama" to New York. "For eight years, I worked for 47 designers and I was their fit model, so there's nobody in the industry that knows fit and precision more than me. That's what really sets me apart."

Paige explained what her book was about but first presented herself to the audience, and said, "I'm Andy Paige, ya'll!" Then she added, "We all have things we need to address, I'll be happy to answer questions personally. I am happy to sign books, then to talk to you independently."

This is Paige's first book, and explained that it's filled with fashion do's and don't, tips and advice on how to style yourself, and how to dress for less, she says she does this with the intentions of helping women.

"I get a lot of people wondering what makes my book different and I think that it's really important for you to know that it's made for you." said Paige, to the attentive group of women.

Mary Harmening, a mother of four, attended with her children. "We saw it in the newspaper and we thought it'd be interesting," Harmening, 39, said. "My kids love watching the shows."

"At this point, I have done 130 makeovers on television ... over five years and ... four shows ... and from that I had built a clientele who had me come to their home," said Paige. "I do ... a Beauty Boot Camp, where I go and live with you for three days and we overhaul everything ... It's a little pricey, you fly me somewhere so there's a lot of people who like that experience and want to know the formula who can't afford that but at the same time, you shouldn't be denied the skills or the training."

Chloe Perez attended this event with her mother. "We've always had a particular interest in fashion - more of a lifestyle. We heard of it and we thought we'd learn more from a professional," said Perez, 18, who majors in English, studying to be a fashion editor at Southern Adventist University, in Chattanooga, Tenn.

"There's a formula to getting dressed, there's a formula to building style, there's a formula to looking great, and a I spell it out," said Paige. Her book can be found at most book retailers and her website is http://www.centsofstyle.com/.