We may not have crashed Twitter, but we did generate a lot of buzz by re-doing the now infamous Oscars "selfie." What do you think of our attempt to recreate the epic shot that Ellen DeGeneres orchestrated at the Academy Awards with our staff?
(It definitely took some time away from our production night duties, but hey, we think it was well worth it.)
Ellen's photo is star-studded; ours, not so much. So, in case our readers were curious, we have created a "who's who" to shed some light on the truth behind our selfie. Read on for a crash course on our staff members and our celebrity alter egos.
- Mike Montalto as Jared Leto: Our Sports Editor is really a dead ringer for the Oscar winner in this photo, huh (at least, the part that you can see)? Like Jared, Mike is a guitarist in a band and possesses all of the actor's suave demeanor.
- Nicole Alliegro as Jennifer Lawrence: It's me! As Editor-in-Chief, I like to think I command the screen as well as J. Law does in all of her films. I must admit, though, I'm pretty sure I have better balance than our beloved Jennifer.
- Dan Sforza as Channing Tatum: This is a rare public appearance for our technical adviser, and though he didn't quite capture Channing's adorably wide smile, we think he does an expert job as the perfectly cool front man to our operation.
- Nicole Williams as Meryl Streep: Photo Editor Nicole is as timeless as Meryl… though several years younger. She's just as accomplished as the 18-time Oscar nominee, and what's more, she's spunky, sweet and knows how to get down to business.
- Kristen Garafano as Julia Roberts: As she dedicates herself fully to her job as Web Editor, Kristen truly committed to her performance as Julia by taking off her signature glasses and nailing that million dollar smile. She even got the hair down, too.
- Candace Mitchell as Ellen DeGeneres: Our News Editor, like Ellen at the Oscars, is the glue to our staff. Candace is quite the funny girl and can probably rock all of the comedian's outfits with ease (though maybe not the puffy, pink-sparkled Glinda the Good Witch dress).
- Steve Fallon as (a spaced out) Kevin Spacey: Who could have pulled off this "House of Cards" actor's hilarious face better than our Photo and Video Editor? All Steve needs is a bow tie and a Southern drawl and he's got this one in the bag.
- Brian Rocha as Brad Pitt: Brian had big shoes to fill as the effortlessly handsome Brad, but his sly smirk is unmatched. As Arts & Entertainment Editor, Brian is just as cultured and well-versed in film as Brad, and plus, as a digital filmmaking major, he's certainly following in his footsteps.
- Brian Frank as Bradley Cooper: Our Creative Director is always on the ball, and in this photo, that's no exception. He captured Bradley's heart-melting gaze into the distance, and in general, he's always one to put on that character charm.
- Yovanna Garcia as Lupita Nygong'o: Tiny Vanna needed a little boost to secure Lupita's exact spot in this photo, but other than height, our Chief Copy Editor shares a lot with Hollywood's newest it-girl. Her spunkiness, infectious smile and social consciousness are just three.
- Julia Horniacek as Angelina Jolie: Our Viewpoints Editor is as much as a powerhouse as Angie is. Julia devotes herself passionately to causes she cares about, like health and fitness, and we think she's got the whole mysterious hand placement down pat, too.
- Jordan Richards as Peter Nygong'o: Don't worry, he's a newbie on our staff, too! Jordan is a graphic designer who is just learning the ropes at The Ramapo News, but if his likeness to Lupita's brother is any indication of his success on our staff, we think he'll work out just fine.
It would be remiss of me not to mention Gelline De Guzman, our trusted Business Manager, who had the good sense to head home early (she commutes) before we all got delirious enough to stage this photo.
She has blossomed in her role as our built-in accountant and faithful advertising rep, and we think if she had been around for our selfie, she would most definitely be the Academy Awards' head honcho, keeping us all focused on the task at hand: actually producing the news.
Until next awards season!
—
nalliegr@ramapo.edu
