Charlotte Whitton, the first female mayor of the city of Ottawa, once said, “Whatever women do, they must do it twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult”. As women in the 21st century incessantly work hard to change the status quo, they continue to surpass society’s expectations and women at York College are no different.
As Women’s History was celebrated throughout the month of March, York College students and faculty continue to acknowledge the great work done by phenomenal women who have changed society. On a local level, remarkable women such as Nicole Paultre-Bell, Sean Bell’s fiancé who recently ran for Queen’s City Council, Shirley Huntley, New York State Senator and Helen Marshall, the first black female Queen’s Borough President. At York College women making their mark; not just in politics and television but in arts and entertainment as well.
Three York students are actively following their dreams. Actress, Linda Mendivel, pianist, Dehnia Duplan and rapper, Maxcine Swaby are females looking to pursue a long lasting career in the arts.
Great female actresses from all nationalities and backgrounds have had a huge impact in today’s entertainment as well as culture. Linda Mendivel, senior, theater arts major, looks up to actresses like Meryl Streep, star of The Devil Wears Prada and Kate Winslet, star of Titanic.
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| Photo & Courtesy By: Linda Mendivel |
“Meryl Streep is versatile; she’s funny, she’s serious and she doesn’t do [just] any type of work. Meryl Streep does independent work, rather than doing a film for its money and commercial [aspects],” said the Yo Soy Latina star. “The type of work Kate Winslet and Meryl Streep does either inspires people or its thought provoking; that’s the type of work I want to do not just for money.”
Mendivel’s first choice of college was in-fact not York College; In fact, Mendivel had received money to attend St. John’s and Long Island University (LIU), but after seeing her first York College play, she was willing to take a chance at a different path on her road to success.
“My first play that I saw was Glass Menagerie here at York. That was 2006, I was a freshman and I didn’t know York even had a theater building, and its funny , because that day I said ‘I’m going to find myself [in] that theater building,’” said the Jamaica Resident. “ Luckily, the main actor was excellent, which later on became my boyfriend,” she said “At first, I was like ‘I didn’t want to go to York’, I had money to go to St. John’s and LIU. Now, I regret everything I said about York; because I found what I love to do, I found the love of my life and I love the people I have around me.”
Mendivel wasn’t the only one who was able to develop their talent at York. Pianist, singer and senior, Dehnia Duplan was also able to explore her talent and nurture it here at the York as well.
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| Photo & Courtesy By: Dehnia Duplan |
“I started learning the piano when I was young, but I had to stop because lessons were too much money. Then I had to self-teach myself until I got to my sophomore year in high school, but when I learned [it] in high school it wasn’t really teaching, they just handed us the music and told us to play it,” said the Music major. “ I didn’t start learning the right way till I got to college. Singing I have been doing all my life, since I was little.”
Phenomenal female musicians of all genres have had a great impact on musicians the music produced in today’s culture. Some of Duplan’s favorite musicians are Billie Holiday and the late Aaliyah Haughton.
“Some [musicians] that really inspires me when I was little was Aaliyah. When I saw [her] music videos or any of her performances, she just exuded this passion into her music and I could see she loved what she was doing both singing and dancing,” said the 21-year-old. “My favorite artists are Aaliyah, Jill Scott, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, India Arie, D’angelo, Maxwell. Top two [male artists] I believe its Michael Jackson and Maxwell.”
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| Photo & Courtesy By: Maxcine Swaby |
While females have consistently made strides as actresses and singers in the past few decades, women in Hip Hop music are still working to show that they are a key factors in the industry. Maxcine Swaby also known as Maxx Madden in the underground Hip Hop community is trying her best to fit in with the boys while still standing.
“On the rapping side of the music industry it takes a lot hard work and diligence for a female to put herself in a place where she can be respected,” said the Sociology major. “My favorite female rapper is Lil’ Kim. I think it’s the fact that she’s raunchy and she’s not afraid to say what she has to say and put it out there and that’s my style of music. When I’m ready to drop a track and say certain things and guys are saying ‘Oh my gosh, she’s saying that’ Lil’ Kim been saying that.”
Although Lil’ Kim is Swaby’s favorite rapper, Hip Hop and R&B isn’t the only genre of music the 18-year-old, junior listens to.
“I listen to it all; I listen to Reggae, Classic, Jazz, Smooth, Country,” said the Brooklyn resident. “I like Billie Holiday. [She has] poise, no matter what song she’s singing. I listen to Carrie Underwood, I love her. I love Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Swift because their voice is what makes them, they have a story behind their voice.”
Even though Mendivel, Duplan and Swaby take part in different areas of the arts, one common ground they share is the passion to perform.
“Hopefully [in five years], I’ll be on stage in front of people sharing what I love. Being on stage it has a great feeling and it allows you to be able to share your soul through music to everyone else,” said Duplan. “To just give them this feeling and show them these different types of emotions like love or fear and just putting it out there. It helps you, in a way, to get over certain fears, like stage fright, to push yourself out there more. It’s the feeling of [being] free and showing people who you are and allowing yourself to share that with them.”
While Mendivel is still working toward graduation, she got a dosage of what the real world, has to offer, she had to choose between her dream or her job.
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| Photo & Courtesy By: Maxcine Swaby |
“Five years [from now], I definitely just want to be able to be in a state that I am working, doing what I love and reaping off the benefits; but I’m not the one to go towards fame or anything, I just want to be happy and do what I love,” said Mendivel. “Right now, since I am a teacher’s assistant, which I am getting fired next week. I had the opportunity to stay, but I choose not to stay so I can fully pursue acting.”
Swaby looks to the future dropping a mix tape April 30th called Quality over Quantity. She also hopes to graduate with her degree in Sociology with a stable job, if her dream as a female rapper does not come to pass.
“In five years, I have to have a degree, I definitely have to be somewhere in the [music] industry. I definitely want to have a stable job. A car, house, everything. Five years from now I’ll be 23 years-old, I should have all those stuff by then,” said Swaby “My music career is going well right now is going lovely. I’m about to collaborate with Ricky Blaze, so it’s going [somewhere]. But I’m definitely sticking to school because I need my degree.”
All in all, these three York College students are taking chances to follow their passions. Whether it is in front of a group of 15 students to an auditorium of 1,500, they are committed to their goals. One quality Swaby says one must have is confidence. She also thinks it is important to stay true to one’s self.
“My advice is to have confidence. You have to have confidence being a female in the rap game. Guys will walk all over you if you don’t put your foot down; and to all the female artists, you have to write your own music,” said the junior. “You have to be at a level where you get involved. Be strong and don’t let anyone tell you what your image is. If you’re a tomboy, be a tomboy; if you’re sexy, be sexy. Be yourself, once you [can] be yourself, everything else is smooth.”
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