This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Syracuse chapter.
Major: Advertising with a Minor in French
Hometown: Puerto Rico
How has joining The Mandarins impacted your time at Syracuse?
Joining The Mandarins made me realize how much I miss performing and being onstage. It gives me an outlet to destress after a long day of classes. It’s easy to get caught up with so much going on at ‘Cuse that, sometimes, you need that one thing to keep you grounded. That’s what The Mandarins does for me.
What did you do when you found out you would be singing the solo for your entry in the Sing For Survivors competition?
At first I was a bit nervous because lots of celebrities will be judging our video if we make it to the last round, but at the same time I was honored because it gives me the opportunity to sing out for victims of sexual assault that aren’t able to speak up for themselves. Every time we sing it together, it makes me feel powerful and in control, and I want that to come across in order to empower other victims as well.
I detected some definite hints of Lady Gaga in your singing style throughout the video. Who are your vocal influences?
Hmm I’m not really sure! I admire many artists for their work, but I’m not sure if I have a specific influencer on my style. I respect Bruno Mars a lot for the emotion he puts into each and every one of his songs, making them unique. I think the performance of a song can be just as important as the quality of the sound!
Why do you think this competition is important?
Sexual assault is a sensitive subject throughout college campuses all over the world – well, in general as well. People don’t like to talk about it, making it hard to bring awareness to it. But when you use music, more people are willing to open up to the discussion and listen to victims in order to understand that it happens more often than we know, and that it’s not an easy thing to go through or overcome.
How has this competition and the It’s On Us campaign affected you?
Being a part of this competition gave me a chance to be more proactive on this issue. I’ve had a lot of friends tell me that they’ve listened to our version of the song and that it gave them chills or that it made them emotional. This way I had a reason to talk about something that is hard to bring up with a casual conversation.
What is one piece of advice you would impart on incoming students on the topic of sexual assault?
Syracuse University has a good way of teaching the community what is and isn’t sexual assault. It’s hard to understand it when people are not educated about it, and it’s our responsibility, as educated students, to teach those that don’t understand that No means No. I enjoy going out with my friends because we’re all aware of this issue and keep each other safe, so find the people who you trust will be there for you!
Our Invitational is this Friday, April 1st at Hendrick’s Chapel at 8 p.m. It’s free so come support us and enjoy a few a cappella songs as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary!
Voting ends at 12 p.m. on April 1st, so make sure to vote for us if you haven’t yet: http://www.thehuntinggroundfilm.com/contest/the-mandarins/