I am so disappointed in Governor Patterson's revised Executive Budget Proposal for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
Released yesterday, the new plan has proposed to cut the New York State Council of the Art's funding from $41.6 million to a dismal $25.2 million. The NYSCA is dedicated to preserving and expanding the arts in our community; they have proven time and time again to be vital to the survival of both large and small arts organizations. By cutting funding nearly in half to NYSCA one can only imagine how much our local arts organizations will inevitably suffer. Not to mention how much our economy will suffer!
By cutting a huge source of funding to the arts not only is Governor Patterson cutting down on our children's education, their chance to reach their greatest potential, and the opportunity to realize a passion, but he is also reducing jobs and sources of income in our communities. While the arts have indisputably suffered their fair share of financial blows they are still a strong economic engine and have given our local cities and our state as a whole an effervescent identity. I've said it before and I'll say it again-cutting the arts should never be an acceptable solution to any budget crisis.
It is time to voice your disapproval and work to ensure that your favorite arts organizations and arts organizations across our state will be saved through appropriate funding to the NYSCA. I urge you to contact your State Assembly Members and Senators now to advocate against this cut. Use this tool to find the appropriate contact.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Rush Henrietta Rotary
Oh, Rochester weather you never cease to amaze me! One month ago it was unseasonably warm and I was wearing a tshirt and shorts. Today I woke up to snow. Yes SNOW in the end of April!!!!
I made my way on this lovely Winter-er Spring?-morning to the Rush Henrietta Rotary. I walked in to a welcomed and warm reception with plenty of breakfast goodies. I was honored to lead the start of the meeting by singing the national anthem. Did I mention the meeting began at 7am? I think it's safe to say that was the earliest I've ever sung the Star Spangled Banner! :)
I thanked the Rush Henrietta Rotary for their generous support to the Miss Monroe County Fair Pageant and Miss Greater Rochester Organization. I talked about what exactly the Miss America Organization does and how it is a fantastic organization to support. I explained my platform, "Inspiring Young Minds Through the Performing Arts," and told the Rotary members about the importance the performing arts plays in the shaping of young minds. The Rotary is such a generous, giving, and socially conscious organization and I hope they agreed with and will remember my message of the importance of the performing arts when looking for new organizations to support!
Thank you so much to the President, John, and the rest of the Rush Henrietta Rotary for allowing me to come and spend time with you today! It was a pleasure meeting you all and I hope to work with you again in the near future!
I made my way on this lovely Winter-er Spring?-morning to the Rush Henrietta Rotary. I walked in to a welcomed and warm reception with plenty of breakfast goodies. I was honored to lead the start of the meeting by singing the national anthem. Did I mention the meeting began at 7am? I think it's safe to say that was the earliest I've ever sung the Star Spangled Banner! :)
I thanked the Rush Henrietta Rotary for their generous support to the Miss Monroe County Fair Pageant and Miss Greater Rochester Organization. I talked about what exactly the Miss America Organization does and how it is a fantastic organization to support. I explained my platform, "Inspiring Young Minds Through the Performing Arts," and told the Rotary members about the importance the performing arts plays in the shaping of young minds. The Rotary is such a generous, giving, and socially conscious organization and I hope they agreed with and will remember my message of the importance of the performing arts when looking for new organizations to support!
Thank you so much to the President, John, and the rest of the Rush Henrietta Rotary for allowing me to come and spend time with you today! It was a pleasure meeting you all and I hope to work with you again in the near future!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Vote for the Rochester Red Cross!
Erie Insurance is celebrating its 85th year in business as well as its 10th year partnering with the American Red Cross, working to serve those in need. To celebrate both anniversaries Erie Insurance is generously donating $2,500 to one of the four partnering locations. The Rochester Red Cross does so much for our community and I know they would put the money to very good use!
Click HERE to vote for the Rochester Red Cross!
Start your voting! And send the link to all your friends!
Rochester Athletic Club Fitness Sponsor!
As Miss Greater Rochester I am so lucky to have the support of the community behind me and am enjoying the many sponsors that have been afforded to me! I recently spent time with Jeff Harrison, the General Manager of the Rochester Athletic Club Brighton/Henrietta Location . Jeff introduced me to some of the knowledgeable staff members and showed me around the fantastic gym. I am SO excited to work out at the RAC and know that they will play a huge role in my efforts to kick my work outs into high gear for the swimsuit competition at Miss NY!
Thank you so much to Jeff and to the RAC for my gym membership!
Thank you so much to Jeff and to the RAC for my gym membership!
Our Lady of Mercy Show Choir
Today I had the pleasure of speaking to the young women of the Our Lady of Mercy High School Show Choir. Knowing my platform, "Inspiring Young Minds Through the Performing Arts," my voice teacher, Elana Gizzi-Schmidt, asked me to come and speak to her students about my efforts as Miss Greater Rochester, my experiences as a musical theatre major at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and tips/suggestions I have for someone interested in pursuing the arts. Needless to say, I was more than happy to meet the girls and share my journey in the performing arts world.
I really enjoyed meeting the girls and was happy to talk with a couple of them after to answer some of their questions. And I was thrilled to enjoy the performance of some of their favorite numbers! What a talented bunch!
I really enjoyed meeting the girls and was happy to talk with a couple of them after to answer some of their questions. And I was thrilled to enjoy the performance of some of their favorite numbers! What a talented bunch!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
CMN Fundraiser Postponed Due to Rain!
I had a fantastic fundraiser planned for today in an effort to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network. Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not cooperate and I was forced to postpone the event due to cold and rain. It has been rescheduled for Sunday, May 16th so stay tuned for more details to come as the rescheduled date approaches!
Miss New York Workshop 2010
Workshop! Hooray!
The Miss New York State workshop was this weekend and boy was it a busy day!
The day started with turning in paperwork (which always makes me anxious...no more drafts! What's done is done! ahh!) and meeting the other contestants. This is my third year at Miss New York and I was thrilled to meet the many new faces.
We jumped right into activities for the day, sharing our talents and receiving constructive criticism. I performed my talent, a vocal of "Astonishing" from the musical "Little Women" with a new cut. As soon as I began performing I instantly knew the new cut was not going to work and have decided to go back to an old cut I was previously rehearsing. That's what is great about workshop-you have the opportunity to work out the kinks in a sense in a safe and supportive environment.
And while I am on the topic of talent at Miss New York may I just say that the 2010 class is such a talented bunch! WOW!
After our talent presentations the Miss contestants enjoyed a fantastic lunch. Thank you so much to the Miss New York board for putting together such a lovely meal!
After lunch we returned to work! Paul Brown, the Miss New York Director of Operations, had a very special announcement to make. He told the Miss New York community that there was a new executive director who was unanimously elected to serve over the Miss New York Organization. I am thrilled to extend a huge congratulations to Kenny Mack our new Executive Director! I have worked with Kenny the past two years at Miss New York and have enjoyed every minute of it. Kenny has worked so hard for this organization and is a true professional with a fun loving, friendly, and kind hearted spirit. I have no doubt that Kenny, in conjunction with the rest of the fantastic Miss New York Board of Directors, will do an absolutely outstanding job!
Paul and Kenny continued to fill in the contestants and directors on the busy schedule for pageant week. I am SO excited for pageant week! The Miss contestants have a ton of appearances and plenty of rehearsals to look forward to!
After we finished discussing pageant week the Miss contestants departed for some preparation on the art of Interview. We had the chance to watch Miss Georgia 2008 and 1st Runner Up at Miss America 2009, Chasity Hardman's Miss America interview. What an articulate and well rounded young woman! It was easy to see why she has been so successful. Miss New York 2009, Alyse Zwick, gave us her own opinions and pointers in interview preparation as well. It was a very informative session!
We returned to the theatre to meet with Kent Parhman who is the mastermind behind all things performance at the Miss New York pageant. Kent began teaching us the choreography for the opening number and giving suggestions on how to improve our walks and turns. I have enjoyed working with Kent the past two years at Miss New York immensely; his candid comments, constructive criticisms, and positive attitude have allowed the contestants to be shown in the best light possible each year. Our organization is so lucky to have him a part of the pageant! I am truly looking forward to working with Kent again this June!
After rehearsal we changed into our swimsuits to work on our fitness preparation and discuss healthy eating and active lifestyle habits. Alyse, who was a preliminary swimsuit winner at Miss New York 2009 and Miss America 2010, gave us some fantastic pointers.
The day was coming to an end and it was time to draw our contestant numbers! I am contestant #10 (out of 20) and will be the last contestant to perform talent before intermission at prelims. Hopefully I will be able to deliver a strong closing to Act 1!
My Executive Director, Calista, and my sister Queen, Miss Genesee Valley Chelsea Prophet, and I all got in the car for the drive home to Rochester. We chatted and discussed the day's events and remarked at how tired (and hungry!) we all were.
Needless to say, it was a very busy and exciting day! I really enjoyed meeting all the contestants and am looking forward to getting to know each of the girls better during pageant week in June.
And I am SO excited for the Miss New York Organization because I think it is safe to say there are 20 remarkably talented, intelligent, and beautiful young girls all vying for the Miss New York 2010 crown-the judges certainly will have a tough choice on their hands!
The Miss New York State workshop was this weekend and boy was it a busy day!
The day started with turning in paperwork (which always makes me anxious...no more drafts! What's done is done! ahh!) and meeting the other contestants. This is my third year at Miss New York and I was thrilled to meet the many new faces.
We jumped right into activities for the day, sharing our talents and receiving constructive criticism. I performed my talent, a vocal of "Astonishing" from the musical "Little Women" with a new cut. As soon as I began performing I instantly knew the new cut was not going to work and have decided to go back to an old cut I was previously rehearsing. That's what is great about workshop-you have the opportunity to work out the kinks in a sense in a safe and supportive environment.
And while I am on the topic of talent at Miss New York may I just say that the 2010 class is such a talented bunch! WOW!
After our talent presentations the Miss contestants enjoyed a fantastic lunch. Thank you so much to the Miss New York board for putting together such a lovely meal!
After lunch we returned to work! Paul Brown, the Miss New York Director of Operations, had a very special announcement to make. He told the Miss New York community that there was a new executive director who was unanimously elected to serve over the Miss New York Organization. I am thrilled to extend a huge congratulations to Kenny Mack our new Executive Director! I have worked with Kenny the past two years at Miss New York and have enjoyed every minute of it. Kenny has worked so hard for this organization and is a true professional with a fun loving, friendly, and kind hearted spirit. I have no doubt that Kenny, in conjunction with the rest of the fantastic Miss New York Board of Directors, will do an absolutely outstanding job!
Paul and Kenny continued to fill in the contestants and directors on the busy schedule for pageant week. I am SO excited for pageant week! The Miss contestants have a ton of appearances and plenty of rehearsals to look forward to!
After we finished discussing pageant week the Miss contestants departed for some preparation on the art of Interview. We had the chance to watch Miss Georgia 2008 and 1st Runner Up at Miss America 2009, Chasity Hardman's Miss America interview. What an articulate and well rounded young woman! It was easy to see why she has been so successful. Miss New York 2009, Alyse Zwick, gave us her own opinions and pointers in interview preparation as well. It was a very informative session!
We returned to the theatre to meet with Kent Parhman who is the mastermind behind all things performance at the Miss New York pageant. Kent began teaching us the choreography for the opening number and giving suggestions on how to improve our walks and turns. I have enjoyed working with Kent the past two years at Miss New York immensely; his candid comments, constructive criticisms, and positive attitude have allowed the contestants to be shown in the best light possible each year. Our organization is so lucky to have him a part of the pageant! I am truly looking forward to working with Kent again this June!
After rehearsal we changed into our swimsuits to work on our fitness preparation and discuss healthy eating and active lifestyle habits. Alyse, who was a preliminary swimsuit winner at Miss New York 2009 and Miss America 2010, gave us some fantastic pointers.
The day was coming to an end and it was time to draw our contestant numbers! I am contestant #10 (out of 20) and will be the last contestant to perform talent before intermission at prelims. Hopefully I will be able to deliver a strong closing to Act 1!
My Executive Director, Calista, and my sister Queen, Miss Genesee Valley Chelsea Prophet, and I all got in the car for the drive home to Rochester. We chatted and discussed the day's events and remarked at how tired (and hungry!) we all were.
Needless to say, it was a very busy and exciting day! I really enjoyed meeting all the contestants and am looking forward to getting to know each of the girls better during pageant week in June.
And I am SO excited for the Miss New York Organization because I think it is safe to say there are 20 remarkably talented, intelligent, and beautiful young girls all vying for the Miss New York 2010 crown-the judges certainly will have a tough choice on their hands!
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