How the McCann Center Dresses Up for Silver Needle Runway
Each spring, for one day, there is hardly any trace of Marist Athletics in the James J. McCann Center; it’s completely transformed to host Silver Needle Runway (SNR).
Then, 12 hours later, the building is back to normal.
The set-up and take-down process was essentially all hands on deck in the days leading up to SNR, as members of the fashion programs in all capacities frantically scrambled around the McCann Center. They’re not alone, though; Boulevard Carroll, a company that provides professional audio services and technical event support, has its own staff assists in setting up the gym.
Though the final week is the most hectic, the planning dates back almost a calendar year before SNR’s show date of May 8; first contact with the Facilities & Operations team in McCann began last fall, mainly with Darren McCormack, the associate athletic director of facilities & operations.
“I’m definitely involved, and that's maybe one of my flaws. Maybe I need to step back a little,” laughed McCormack. “I’m here any time there’s a McCann event. McCann is my home, if you will; I take a lot of ownership and make sure that I’m being a good trouble shooter.”
It’s hard to attend a Marist Athletics event on campus and not see McCormack, and it’s especially impossible not to see him in the McCann Center during basketball games. However, the arena was almost unrecognizable during SNR, as black carpets were rolled over the hardwood floor, and banners displaying past championships and retired numbers were removed.
The decision was successful and deliberate; the atmosphere and layout made the space feel as if it were designed to host a runway show.
The horseshoe-shaped runway matched the stands symmetrically, and the far seat-back section remained pushed up, as two projector screens stationed in front of it displayed the names of each designer as models showcased their collections.
“Being on the court in McCann in a different way for SNR for modeling was great,” said Jadin Collins-Roberts ‘27, a model in the show who is also a member of the Marist men’s basketball team. “My schedule doesn’t always allow me to certain people on campus, like the fashion program. The event brings multiple groups together; its a beautiful thing.”
Though McCormack and his team had a few years of experience hosting the massive event under their belts, they were thrown a curveball: Marist softball earned the right to host the MAAC Softball Championships from Tuesday to Sunday, and the men’s lacrosse team welcomed Stony Brook to Tenney Stadium for the Opening Round of the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday night.
The seemingly constant action on campus stretched the facilities & operations staff thin, especially on Friday ahead of the show, after rainouts pushed the tournament back. At the same time doors opened in McCann for SNR, the semifinal game between Iona and Quinnipiac began, forcing Assistant AD’s of Facilities & Operations Hunter Brandt and Randy Strickland to make constant trips back and forth from Gartland Field to the McCann Center
“There is a lot of coordination because we’ve got teams that are at the height of their competition season, and you’ve got to make sure that they’re not impacted as they try to focus on an NCAA playoff game or a MAAC Championship,” said McCormack. “But at the same time, you have students who have their own kind of championship game this Friday.”
All told, it was a successful week on all parts of campus; Marist softball claimed its third MAAC title in four years at Gartland Field on Sunday, the men’s lacrosse team won it’s first NCAA Tournament game in 11 years at Tenney Stadium and SNR produced another memorable evening at the McCann Center on Friday.