Student Engagement
Spirit Week: Seniors snag historic three-peat at Mount Olympics
Photos by Lee Ferris
The Class of 2026 has officially solidified its legacy.
During this year’s Spirit Week, the seniors claimed the coveted Mount Olympics trophy for the third time in their four years at the college. The atmosphere in the Kaplan Recreation Center was electric as students threw down in a battle of brains and brawn. From collaborative skits to a grueling tug-of-war, the seniors proved they still had the winning formula, having previously dominated as Freshmen in 2022 and Juniors in 2024.
The Olympics served as the high-octane centerpiece of a week dedicated to Mount pride. The festivities kicked off with Founders Day, a celebration of the Dominican Sisters of Hope. Following a keynote by philosopher Joshua Hochschild, the community gathered to honor the Sisters and pay tribute to the late, beloved professor emeritus of History, John Reilly.
After a week packed with powderpuff football and prize-filled Bingo, the celebration concluded in style with the Annual Bonfire. Warmed by the flames, students enjoyed fall treats, a performance by the cheerleading team, and the satisfaction of watching faculty get messy in the time-honored pie-a-professor game.
Biology campout connects students with nature, science
Photos provided
A trio of Biology majors recently traded their textbooks for the trails during a campout focused on experiential learning.
Organized by Douglas Robinson, associate professor of Biology and Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences, the campout was held in late September at a property associated with the Claire J. Hoyt Memorial Foundation in Walden, N.Y.
The participating students – Jae Lembo, Aleksandra Belugin, and Will Kara – spent a weekend learning essential camping techniques, including how to set up backpacking gear and crucial wildlife precautions, like properly hanging their food away from the reach of bugs, bears, and other creatures.
The trip incorporated hands-on biology lessons, turning the forest environment into a vibrant classroom. For example, students applied knowledge from their ecology course, identifying local species.
“We were identifying the different organisms that we came across,” Robinson explained. “So there were oaks all around us, there were different nut-producing trees, like the hickory trees, that were around us. We found an American toad, we identified a type of cricket, and a marbled slug, to name a few.”
More than just a science exercise, the campout served as a bonding experience. Conversations around the campfire were just as likely to be about life as they were to be about science, Robinson said.
“It was a great opportunity to spend time with students outside of the classroom and learn about their lives and the experiences that they’ve had,” he noted. “It helped guide me to think about what other opportunities could we provide to our students.”
The outing was part of the Knight Outdoor Pursuits and Education (KOPE) Club on campus. Overseen by Robinson, KOPE provides hands-on, outdoor education that instills a sense of environmental responsibility.
Music man teaches America’s oldest written song tradition at the Mount
Keillor Mose, an experienced singer and teacher from the Catskills Sacred Harp Association, taught students how to read traditional shaped note music recently.
Photo by Lee Ferris
Keillor Mose, an experienced singer and teacher from the Catskills Sacred Harp Association, recently brought the vibrant world of shaped note singing to the Mount.
Mose has been immersed in the shaped note tradition for more than a decade and is dedicated to preserving this unique genre through teaching and performance. Six of his compositions are included in The Sacred Harp songbook, which he used to teach the art to students at the Mount.
The performer came to the college courtesy of Caitlan Truelove, adjunct instructor of Music at the Mount. He guest-lectured in two of Truelove’s classes earlier this month.
During the two classes, Mose provided an overview of the tradition, which he calls “one of the oldest genres of music in the U.S.” The Sacred Harp, he said, was first printed in 1844, but the tradition goes back to at least the early 1800s.
Mose guided the class through a “mini singing school,” starting with the history of how people learned music before the wide availability of tune books.
“Before these books were around, people didn’t know how to read music, so it was really important for somebody to know the melody and for everybody to follow along,” he said.
Shaped notes were the solution. Instead of standard round notes, this kind of music uses four distinct shapes – a triangle for fa, a circle for sol, a square for la, and a diamond for “ti” (mi) – to make sight-reading easier. The entire major scale repeats a pattern of these four shapes: Fa, Sol, La, Fa, Sol, La, Mi, Fa.
Mose hopes to continue to help preserve the history of this music “through storytelling, singing, writing, and improving digital access to field recordings,” he said.
Mount celebrates Constitution Day
Photos by Lee Ferris
The Mount celebrated Constitution Day – marking 238 years after the U.S. Constitution was signed – on Wednesday, September 17.
The event encouraged students to express what the Constitution means to them, while also learning about specifics of the critical document and its impact on the United States today. Among other educational activities, it featured faculty-led discussions about the historic document.
The Board of Elections was also on site to offer voter registration and absentee ballot pick-ups.
Students from Bishop Dunn Memorial School, located on the Mount’s campus, also joined in the celebration by sharing facts about the Constitution, the branches of government, and the Bill of Rights.
Career fair connects students with top employers
Photos by Lee Ferris
A recent Business, Cybersecurity, IT, and Math Career Fair brought together dozens of students and alumni for internship, career, and networking opportunities near midterms during the Fall 2025 semester.
The event, hosted by the college’s Center for Academic and Career Success (CACS), featured a wide array of employers, industry experts, and graduate programs. It highlighted in-demand fields and attracted students from all academic majors on campus.
Attendees were able to connect their classroom learning directly with real-world applications, exploring full-time, part-time, and internship roles.
CACS is often credited by Mount graduates for providing powerful, proven, and practical tools to help shape their post-graduate portfolio. More than just a student program, the CACS provides students and alumni with lifelong tools for success and advancement.
