Every year Juniata Presents brings a wide variety and interesting and entertaining acts to campus. Some of the events this year so far included musical political satire group the Capitol Steps, a concert by Grammy winning musicians Paquito D’Rivera Quintet, a recent performance of Mikel Rouse’s multimedia act “Gravity Radio.” Here Juniata students share their opinions on this year’s presentations by Juniata Presents:

Mollie Lewis, ’14, Pittsburgh, Pa.:
What did you think of the Juniata Presents events this year?
For the most part, I was very impressed with Juniata wide selection of cultural events. They were all very interesting.
What has been your favorite event this year so far?
My favorite was definitely the Capitol Steps. I laughed myself silly and really enjoyed the political satire.
What would you like to see in the future?
I would like to see more musical acts and more comedic shows in the future because I find music and comedy the most entertaining.

Ben Tansi, ’14, Wrentham, Mass.:
What has been your favorite event this year so far?
Personally, I loved the musical, but my favorite event was easily the Paquito D’Rivera Quintet. That was an amazing performance. In the future, I’d love to see more shows like it. I already had a bias towards Paquito, as I had seen him in the past and he’s possibly the best jazz musician in the world. I was thrilled just to find out that he was coming to Juniata. The shows performed by our students here were (also) magnificent, they put in a lot of time and energy to give us some
great performances.
What did you think of the Juniata Presents events this year?
I wasn’t thrilled with the other shows from “Juniata Presents.” None of them were bad, but to be fair, I was trying to be very critical of them since I had to write about them for CWS.

Laura Bitely, ’14, Independence, W.Va.:
What did you think of the Juniata Presents events this year?
Well, I’m glad that I did not have to write about the cultural events. It was more fun to just go to them and enjoy myself with no pressure.
What has been your favorite event this year so far?
I really loved the art exhibits, and I also enjoyed trying new foods at the cultural dinners.
What would you like to see in the future?
I can’t really think of anything I would like to see changed. They were all good.

Erin Kreider, ’14, Allentown, PA:
What did you think of the Juniata Presents events this year?
Cultural events are fun and provide a big variety for people with all interests. They are also very unique, different things that you don’t see all the time; they give people different experiences and add to the overall liberal arts education provided by Juniata.
What has been your favorite event this year so far?
I went to the Rioult dance presentation and Gravtity Radio so far.
What would you like to see in the future?
I think what we have is really good. I like to experience things that are different from what I am used to. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Sean Petrick, ’11, Du Bois, Pa.:
What did you think of the Juniata Presents events this year?
The cultural events this year have, from what I’ve seen, been very balanced and there has consistently been something for everyone. We see a lot of cultural events about tolerance from Beyond Tolerance.
What would you like to see in the future?
We don’t seem to have much in the way of cultural awareness of other countries. This year showed us a little bit about South Africa, but there is little cultural examination of countries like Japan, France, the UK, Italy, China, Russia, and other cultures along those lines. I would have loved to see some multi-cultural examinations of our neighbors across the seas.

-Kelly Russo ’14, Juniata Online Journalist