Senior Communications major with a concentration in Broadcasting and a minor in Digital Media Art, Cristina Fernandez, is probably best known for being a member of the Jasper Dancers. She started dancing at 7, and was on her high school dance team. Naturally, being on Manhattan’s dance team was the next step. These girls don’t just get us pumped during halftime. This Sunday, February 21st, they will be competing on Long Island at Smithtown East High School. In April, the team will travel to Daytona, FL to compete at NDA Nationals. This big trip was made possible through the support of Manhattan’s Student Activities and the campus’ neighboring businesses.
After four years with the squad, and the last three with the same coach, the Co-Captain is definitely feeling more confident about their performance in Daytona. Last year, Manhattan competed against other Division I schools, and placed 8th out of 16 for hip hop, and 14th out of 16 for a mixed dance performance. The bittersweetness of it all is definitely evident. As someone who has been dancing for so long, we have to ask what’s next for our girl? Will she finally cross auditioning for a NBA or NFL dance team off of her bucket list?
When she’s not dancing or studying for the next big test, Tina is working as a Writer’s Research/General Production Intern at Saturday Night Live (Yes, THAT Saturday Night Live). She assists the writers and film unit on just about anything that goes on in the controlled chaos behind the scenes. Tina has garnered a high level of respect for the passion, wit, and work ethic of comedians. Her biggest goal is to produce a comedy show. Tina says that she isn’t ready to be a writer, but instead loves the feeling of getting someone else’s vision right. Don’t we all just love it when everything clicks?
On her thoughts about her final semester at Manhattan, Tina (like the rest of us) is not going to miss the stairs. Though, she adds that “I thought I’d have an ass like Beyonce by now, but I don’t, so I’m disappointed.” What she is going to miss how much she grew up here. Manhattan is “so small and it feels like such a close knit community; I love going places and seeing people I know.” All we can say here at Her Campus is that Tina is a senior that will be sorely missed. Her great attitude, killer dance moves, and bright smile has definitely left a lasting impact on the landscape of Manhattan College.
For more Jasper Dancers photos, follow Jarvis from Locke’s Instagram (@jarvisbrown16)