SAAC and Gryphons Gear-Up for Homecoming

The 2013-2014 Sarah Lawrence Basketball Team. Photo courtesy Paul Blascovich via gogryphons.com

The annual Sarah Lawrence homecoming event will take place on Friday, Nov. 21 at the Campbell Sports Center from 7 - 10 p.m. There will be a variety of events including a men's and women's swim meet which will begin at 7 p.m., the men's basketball team's first home game of the season starting at 8 p.m., and a half-time performance by the SLC dance team. There will be a recognition ceremony for all senior student-athletes from the six fall teams: women's tennis, women's volleyball, women's and men's cross country and women's and men's soccer. Popcorn and cotton candy will be available for purchase as well as a tag sale featuring gently used Varsity sport equipment. All proceeds from the homecoming event will support the Students for Students Scholarship Fund (SSSF). Homecoming is organized by SLAC, SAAC and SSSF. SLC students, faculty members and staff are invited to gather as a community to cheer on Gryphon athletes as they compete and perform.
                    
The SLC men's basketball team comprised of 16 players who hail from many locations around the United States as well as three international students from Canada,Greece, Turkey, and Serbia. This squad is young, considering nine of the players are first year students, and only one senior remains on the team. Head coach Chris Ehmer notes that fresh faces are exciting to have on a team because it creates more options for the future, but at the same time, “it will take a few games for us to generate some positive chemistry.” This season will be the basketball team's first in the Skyline Conference, which will demand a higher level of competition. Ehmer expects this basketball season to be bright with an “exciting future.” The basketball team appreciates the support from the SLC community and intends to share their hard work and talent at homecoming.
                    
The men's and women's swim teams began practicing in late September and this homecoming will be the their fourth meet of the season. The women's swim team has five first-years students, in addition to the nine returning athletes. The men's swim team has two first-year students who will compete along with the seven returning athletes. This is the first year the men's team will compete in a conference.The women's team has already earned their first conference victory. On November 10, three swimmers, Hannah Lawson (‘18), Cameron Martinez (‘16), and Albert Riley (‘18) were honored by Skyline for their efforts in the last meet. The men's and women's swim team have a promising season ahead.
                    
The SLC dance team was created last year by three students: Anjette Rostock (‘17_, Kayley Shimmin (‘17), and Monet A. Thibou (‘1&). This year, the SLC dance team has 19 dancers, nearly double the dancers from last year. According to Lindsey Guion (‘17), this year at homecoming, the SLC dance team will perform to a “Beyonce mash-up.” Last year, the troop performed at half-time for the first time. And as first year students, they were, according to Guion “very nervous.”
Guion adds that as first year students, “we didn't go to sporting events because it wasn't common, so going to this event, to support the Gryphons, was exciting.” 

This year, the team practices three times a week and they are excited to share their dance moves at homecoming. 

by Sadie Zavgren ‘17
szavgren@gm.slc.edu