Mosaic

Issue date: 3/2/08 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Kevin Canessa Jr.

Prompted by a recent "Mosaic" article, Kevin Canessa Jr., 1997 Salve graduate and professional blogger, wrote of his experiences as an undergraduate and how Sister Therese Antone's university involvement has strengthened his appreciation of his alma mater.

With majors in English Journalism and Administration of Justice, Canessa has made a name for himself in the media circuit. Co-founder of what is now Salve's student newspaper, Canessa rekindles old memories and recounts his days as a "Mosaic" editor.

Q: To start, why Salve Regina?

A: I started off my undergraduate studies at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J. Being a student there was awful. Students were Social Security numbers, not people. I knew of Salve because a history teacher of mine told me if he could do it all over again, it would have been at Salve. I never forgot that, and when I was considering a transfer, it was Salve or nowhere else.

Q: How did you first get involved with SRU's first student newspaper and where did the "Mosaic" truly begin?

A: The beginning of the "Mosaic" is extensive. In the summer of 1994, I was invited to a summer leadership conference that all members of what was then the Student Life Senate were asked to attend. It was strange - we were having lunch at Global Café at Wakehurst, and by pure fate, I ate with Sister Leona Misto. Somehow, we got to talking, and I told her that I was disappointed there wasn't a student-run newspaper. In the past, there had been a newspaper at Salve, called "The Nautilus." But it fizzled out over the years. Sister Leona told me that Sister Therese, who had just taken over as University President, would be delighted to have a student-run newspaper at Salve.

At first, I was on my own. Through Dr. Chris Kiernan, I secured funding to print 500 copies of the first student newspaper in 1994 late or 1995 - I can't remember precisely. To say it was awful would be an understatement. There wasn't a name for it yet, so the masthead simply said "A Student Newspaper," and it was printed on grey paper through the publications department at Salve. Steve Criss, '97, was the only other person to write stories along with me. And it looked like something you'd see in the late 1800s. There were no photos. There was nothing consistent about it. But it was there - and people picked it up. It was also stuffed in student mailboxes. Sue Letourneau and I spent an afternoon putting them in the boxes.

Continued...

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