Who has the winning #YUSpirit?

Of the more than 100 images submitted to York University’s Red & White Day Spirit photo competition and after considerable deliberation, the judges have selected the winning photos. The images were submitted as part of Red & White Spirit Day events -- York University’s celebration of school spirit and its Varsity athletes.

Categories for submissions included the Best in Team Spirit and Best in Class categories, and the Best Spirit (Staff) and Best Spirit (Student) categories.

The Best in Team Spirit category judges were Professor Sue Vail, associate vice-president teaching and learning; Carol Atilia, executive officer, Faculty of Fine Arts; and York student Zabeda Oumar-Haji. The Best in Team Spirit category winner is Team SCLD (Student Community and Leadership Development) with Team McLaughlin College receiving Honorable Mention.

The Best in Class category winner is the class taking the "Reflecting on and Interpreting the International Educational Experience" course taught by Faculty of Education instructor Svitlana Taraban-Gordon. The Best in Class category judges were Sumentha D'Souza, administrative assistant, Office of the Vice-Provost Academic, Faculty of Health psychology Professor Maggie Toplak and York student Anya Ekram.

In the Best Spirit category for staff, the team from Physical, Sensory, and Medical Disability Services in the Counselling & Disability Services Office snagged the top prize. The judges for this category were Professor Alice Pitt, vice-provost academic; Morgan Russell, secretary to the president; and York student Danielle Munoz.

For the Best Spirit category for students, the photo provided by students in the Dance Program won top prize. The judges for this category were Professor Alice Pitt, vice-provost academic; Morgan Russell, secretary to the president; and York student Danielle Munoz.

The Red & White Spirit Day photo competition saw participants submitting photos celebrating York University’s tremendous spirit through social media by sharing them using #YUSpirit and posting them on Instagram or Twitter or sharing with the Red & White Spirit Day photo page found on the Office of the President website. The contest ran on Nov. 27.

York University’s annual Red & White Spirit Day is well on its way to becoming a time honoured tradition. This year's celebration was the best attended and most energetic to date. Twice a year, York University’s Student Centre plays host to a spirit rally that pays tribute to York’s athletes and the University’s students, faculty and staff. In addition to the cheers, spirit contests and athletes, this year’s event introduced the second “this is my time” free tuition for a year contest winner, Luke Durward, a student in the Kinesiology and Health Science program in York’s Faculty of Health.

The event began with a free breakfast for students courtesy of the York Federation of Students. York University's York is U Student Spirit group organized a host of fun activities. The University Bookstore did a booming business in York clothing and the Keele campus was awash in red and white with faculty, staff and students dressed in their York gear.

Red & White days are a way of bringing all of the spirit and energy into one place. The promise of food truck fare, deep discounts at the University bookstore, a spirit prize patrol and a free breakfast were just some of the spirit day activities that brought students, faculty and staff out of their classrooms, the library and offices for some fun prior to the end of the fall semester.

The York Lions varsity athletes honoured at this year’s Red & White Day celebrations were:

Women’s Rugby

• Fedelia Omoghan – Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Russell Division all-star
• Zoe Smith – OUA Russell Division all-star
• Aisan Fazeli – OUA community service award, OUA Russell Division all-star

Football

• Samir Boulazreg – OUA all-rookie list
• Errol Brooks – OUA first-team all-star

Tennis

OUA Women’s Team Bronze Medallists

•  Sonia Gluskovsky – OUA rookie of the year
• Julia Kedrzycki – OUA all-star
• Valerie Ushanova – OUA player of the year, OUA silver medallist, OUA all-star

Women’s Soccer

• Shannon Wood – OUA West second-team all-star
• Taylor Lyons – OUA West second-team all-star
• Sarah Wong – CIS first-team all-Canadian, OUA West first-team all-star

Field Hockey

• Shanella Fernando – OUA rookie of the year
• Anna Easty – Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) player of the year, CIS first-team all-Canadian, OUA player of the year, OUA first-team all-star

Men’s Soccer

OUA Champions

• Joseph Cicchillo – OUA West first-team all-star
• Carlos Nogueira – OUA West second-team all-star
• Carmine Isacco – OUA West coach of the year
• Casey D’Mello – CIS second-team all-Canadian, OUA West first-team all-star
• Mark-Anthony Kaye – CIS second-team all-Canadian, OUA West first-team all-star
• Sotiri Varlokostas – CIS second-team all-Canadian, OUA West first-team all-star
• Jonathan Lao – CIS rookie of the year, CIS first-team all-Canadian, OUA West player of the year, OUA West rookie of the year, OUA West first-team all-star

As well, the full roster of the York Lions men’s champion soccer team turned out for Red & White Day along with their coach Carmine Isacco:

• Colm Vance
• Casey D'Mello
• Blake Rich
• Arthur Casupanan
• Daniel Fabrizi
• Tyrone Downes
• Giancarlo Rella
• Carlos Nogueira
• Mark-Anthony Kaye
• Dylan Sacramento
• Joseph Cicchillo
• Nicolas Mejia
• Daniel Alonzi
• Jonathan Lao
• Malcolm Loukides
• Matthew Arnone
• Darren Gertiesingh
• Josh Portillo
• Domenic Gullo
• Paulo Alves
• Sotiri Varlokostas
• Edgar Ferreira
• Benjamin Futoriansky
• Matt Stinson