York U rolls out its red and white spirit

York University rolled out its legendary school spirit for Red & White Day celebrations. On March 22, the Keele and Glendon campuses were awash with students, faculty and staff dressed in red and white and York gear.

An array of activities planned for faculty, staff and students included: discounts on York gear, a #YUSpirit photo contest, gourmet food trucks on both campuses, a Red & White Day Spirit Rally at the Keele campus, a free breakfast for students courtesy of the York Federation of Students; water bottle giveaways; a York staff Alumni Breakfast; a screening of Absence is Present, an award-winning film by School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design alumnus Vladimir Paskaljevic (MFA '15); a Stress Buster Carnival; and, in the afternoon, a #YUTweetup with President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri and Faculty of Science Dean Ray Jayawardhana, plus many more events. York University faculty and staff participated in a YU Spirit Challenge and submitted photos showing their winning Red & White spirit for a chance to win coffee and treats for their office.

As part of the Red & White Day Spirit Rally, York's president spoke to several hundred faculty, staff and students about his many points of pride in the University. He touched on the new Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence and the soon-to-be-constructed Keele campus student centre, the University's ongoing efforts to create the best learning environments for students and his pride in the accomplishments of community members. He praised students for their spirit and spoke about the University's values of equity, diversity, respect and inclusiveness.

Following the president's welcoming remarks, students from the Caribbean Students' Association, the Salsa Club and the York University Hip Hop Club presented a lively series of performances.

The rally closed with a presentation of awards for York's intramural and varsity athletes.

At the #YUTweetup, students, faculty and staff who frequently connect with one another on Twitter had the opportunity to meet and mingle in person. A crowd of some 50 individuals talked #YUSpirit, social media and science over red and white doughnuts and coffee. Shoukri hosted the event in partnership with the Faculty of Science and Jayawardhana, and many of the Faculty’s brightest researchers were present to celebrate community on Red & White Day. York's science alumni, including members of the York University Science Alumni Network, also took part in the #YUTweetup.

 

 

Fall semester varsity athletes honoured:

Field hockey:

• Mikhaela Slavin – Ontario University Athletics (OUA) All-Star
• Rebecca Titus – OUA All-Star

Football:

• Colton Hunchak – OUA All-rookie Team – Offence
• Nathaniel Pinto – OUA All-rookie Team – Offence
• Jakob Butler – OUA All-rookie Team – Defence
• Jesse Amankwaa – OUA Rookie of the Year and OUA All-rookie Team – Offence

Women’s rugby:

• Tobi Owotomo – OUA Russell Division Rookie of the Year
• Marty Alaimo – OUA Russell Division All-Star
• Bobbi-Jo Cronk – OUA Russell Division All-Star
• Cheyenne Legerton – OUA Russell Division All-Star
• Joe Costello – OUA coach of the year

Women’s soccer:

• Tomika McIntosh - OUA West First-Team All-Star
• Marilyn Grammenoplolous - OUA West First-Team All-Star
• Sydney Hoareau - OUA West Second-Team All-Star
• Carmine Isacco – OUA Coach of the Year
• Shannon Wood – Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Second-Team All-Canadian and OUA West First-Team All-Star
• Sarah Wong – CIS First-Team All-Canadian and OUA West First-team All-Star
• Nour Ghoneim – CIS Chantal Navert Memorial Player of the Year, CIS First-team All-Canadian, OUA West Most Valuable Player and OUA West First-Team All-Star

Men’s soccer:

• Colm Vance – OUA West First-team All-Star
• Joey Cicchillo – OUA West First-team All-Star
• Jarek Whiteman – OUA West First-team All-Star
• Michael Cox – OUA West First-team All-Star
• Tyrone Downes – CIS Second-Team All-Canadian and OUA West First-team All-Star
• Jonathan Lao – CIS First-Team All-Canadian and OUA West First-team All-Star

Men’s tennis:

• Filip Obucina – OUA All-Star

Women’s tennis:

• Ivana Banovic – OUA All-Star
• Nikki Carnovale – OUA Player of the Year and OUA All-Star
• Chris Field – OUA Coach of the Year

Winter varsity athletes honoured:

Men’s volleyball:

• Arthur Szwarc – CIS Second-Team All-Star and OUA First-Team All-Star

Women’s volleyball:

• Callie Giaccone – OUA East All-rookie team
• Sarah Williams – OUA East All-rookie team

Women’s basketball:

• Sandra Nagowska – OUA All-rookie team
• Katrina Collins-Samuels – OUA All-rookie team

Men’s hockey:

• Chris Perugini – OUA West Second-Team All-Star
• Trevor Petersen – OUA West First-Team All-Star
• Derek Sheppard – OUA West First-Team All-Star
• Chris Dennis – OUA West Coach of the Year

Women’s wrestling:

• Alexandria Town – CIS Community Service Award, CIS Fair Play Award and OUA Community Service Award winner

Men’s track and field:

• Nick Fyffe – OUA First-Team All-Star
• Chris Preece – OUA Second-Team All-Star and CIS Second-Team All-Canadian
• Bismark Boateng – OUA First-Team and Second-Team All-Star and CIS Second Team All-Canadian
• David McKay – OUA First-Team All-Star and CIS First-Team All-Canadian

Women’s track and field:

• Holly Pitters – OUA First-Team All-Star
• Brittany Crew – CIS Field MVP, OUA Field MVP, 2-time CIS First-team All-Canadian and 2-time OUA First-Team All-Star
• Sheereen Harris – CIS Student-Athlete Community Service Award, OUA Student-Athlete Community Service Award, CIS Second-team All-Canadian and OUA First-Team and Second-Team All-Star

Championship teams honoured:

• Women's tennis team – Canadian University Tennis Champions
• Men's soccer team – OUA and CIS Champions

Red & White Spirit Days take place twice a year at York University. For more information, visit the Red & White Day website.