Pitcher Jaclyn Kateridge ’22 (College of Staten Island) dominated the 2019 final championship game of the season to propel the Dolphins to a 9-6 win over Hunter College. Jaclyn was named Most Valuable Player for her strong showing.

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We wanted to know more about what it’s like being involved in a student club, so we asked Sarah Dunford ’19 (City), Director of the Macaulay Theater Club a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…

What pushed you to join/ tryout for the Theater Club?
Theater has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up watching Broadway shows and listening to cast recordings with my family, and I’ve been performing in school and community productions since elementary school. When I got to college, Macaulay Theater Club seemed like a natural fit.

How has the Theater Club made a difference in your college (and Macaulay) experience as a whole?
I’ve been a part of the Macaulay Theater Club since my first semester and participated in every Macaulay Theater Club performance since then. I’ve assistant-directed for two semesters, and this semester I am directing my second show. It’s been an extremely rewarding experience for me because it’s truly a collaborative effort. The club is open to all CUNY students, no matter their major or prior experience with theater. We are able to use each cast member’s skills in a unique way, and it’s especially fulfilling as a director to watch how all of the pieces come together.

What major events has the Theater Club participated in over the course of this past year?
Macaulay Theater Club typically does a musical in the fall and a play in the spring. Last semester, we performed “Fairy Tale Courtroom” by Dana Proulx. It’s a twist on common fairy tales, with the Big Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch being put on trial. It was a very cute show, and lots of fun to work on. This coming semester, we are performing “Godspell”, with a book by John-Michael Tebelak and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. The cast has been putting lots of hard work into it, and we’re super excited to put it in front of an audience this November!

What was the Theater Club’s (or your own) biggest accomplishment?
Our biggest accomplishment hasn’t been one particular event, but the trajectory of the club overall. When I first joined as a freshman, Macaulay Theater Club was just starting out the former directors, Jessica and Anthony, had founded the club the semester prior. There have been plenty of challenges that the club has overcome since then. We’ve had situations where we didn’t have enough cast members to fill all necessary roles; we’ve also had to make do with a limited budget and resources. But the club is really growing. We have a cast of 14 this semester, which is more than we’ve ever had in the past. And we have been building up our collection of props and costumes, so we have more options to pull from for any given show.

What are your hopes and aspirations for the club’s future?
This is actually my last semester with Macaulay Theater Club, since I am working on some set design projects at my home campus in the spring. My assistant director Robin has a clear vision for how she wants to proceed with the club. She wants to focus on building up a creative team — designating people as choreographer, music director, tech director, social media/advertising director, and so on. I trust that the club is in good hands, and I’m very excited to come back and see future productions!

Macaulay students spend most of the day on their home campus. Coming together for clubs and activities, students can build body and mind, become leaders, extend networks, and strengthen the Macaulay community. One example is Macaulay Marauders, the college’s quidditch team. President Ashley-Mei Torrenti ‘19 (Baruch), explains how the group has enhanced her time at Macaulay.

What pushed you to join/ tryout for the Macaulay Quidditch team?

I originally met the Marauders at the Club Fair at John Jay two years ago. I was immediately drawn to the group because there were so many of them and they all looked like they were having so much fun (the jerseys were also really cool). One of the first people to talk to me, Samara Lugo, ended up becoming my captain, my treasurer, and my close friend. After learning about the sport, they invited me to their first practice and I went on a whim. It was super exhausting that first day, but when I went home I realized I really enjoyed it and I couldn’t wait until I could see these crazy people again.

How has the Macaulay Marauders made a difference in your college (and Macaulay) experience as a whole?

The Macaulay Marauders has had an incredible impact on my life for so many different reasons. I don’t even think words are enough to express how much I love this club and this team. I found a community where I felt that I could be myself, grow out of my shell, and become a club leader for three years now. I gained a lot of confidence when it comes to trying new things; I learned to take things less seriously, but also take responsibility when needed. Quidditch challenges you in so many different ways, not just the sport, but the whole idea of it. I learned to have fun and I gained a family out of it. Whenever I’m struggling with anything, I feel like I can turn to my teammates for support. Additionally, if I am ever having a really rough week, our Sunday practices are like my refresh button. I can go to practice really upset, but within an hour I feel like I can do anything. It’s the sport, but also the people that have made this difference. My current treasurer, Kay Kelly, once said, “The Marauders made a community out of a commuter school,” and that really resonated with me.

What major events and/or tournaments have the Macaulay Marauders participated in this past year?

The Marauders have participated in a lot of tournaments against schools such as Hofstra, Stony Brook, NYU, Emerson, Texas, and a lot more. Overall, we did amazing last year and we even made Day 2 at the USQ Cup 11 which is equivalent to Nationals. This is the first time we have done this in about 5 or 6 years and we accomplished this with a lot of new members as well.

What was the Macaulay Marauders (or your own) biggest accomplishment?

Making Day 2 was potentially one of our great accomplishments. Additionally, we were able to meet our own personal goal as a club by co-hosting the Yule Ball. This was the first time that our club managed to host such a large event and we learned a lot through the process. We’ve enjoyed it so much that we have begun planning for this year’s Yule Ball and even our own version of the Macaulay Olympics (Triwizard Tournament) in addition to continuing our service initiative to teach young students how to play Kidditch which is the more downplayed form of Quidditch.

What are your hopes and aspirations for the team’s future?

We have so many hopes for this team. I think something that is really unique about our club is that every year’s leadership, both Executive board, and captains, we all continue to build our team while reinforcing our foundation because we want our club to last. Every decision we make as a team, we consider how it will impact the future and always plan as though our club will continue on for years. We are competing at the Northeast Regionals Championships in Rochester this year against Boston University, Hofstra, and Clark University in the hopes of earning a spot to USQ Cup 12 (Nationals). We hope to run Yule Ball again, to plan our Triwizard Tournament, to host a Macaulay-wide clothing drive in honor of Dobby the house elf, we hope to continue to teach people our sport, and we hope to continue as a team. The Macaulay Marauders has built a network like no other, whenever I meet people who are also in the quidditch community, it creates an immediate bond. I have made some incredible friends and built amazing relationships.