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| AQ Difference |
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| Featured Alumnus: Robert Shangle '90 |
| By Doug Seites, Senior, Student Writer |
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Congratulations to Robert Shangle for finishing in the Top 25 of ArtPrize!
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| Robert Shangle ’90 has always enjoyed dressing up in costume. He has competed every year at the annual Halloween costume contest at The B.O.B (Big Old Building) in downtown Grand Rapids, and has won “more often than not.” Now, his ability to perform as a “living statue” has garnered him international recognition. |
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| Shangle has been performing as his alter-ego LiveStatue all over Michigan at events like the Ionia Free Fair, Muskegon Summer Celebration, Grand Haven's Coast Guard Festival, and Grand Rapids’ ArtPrize. In addition to local showcases, his talent and dedication has taken him all the way to the Netherlands to perform. |
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| The World Statue Festival takes place in Arnhem, Netherlands and is the world championship for living statue performers. Shangle was the only American invited to compete in August and was flown to the Netherlands. His hotel and meals were paid for by the festival, and he was paid an appearance fee which allowed his wife, Rachel, to join him. |
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| Shangle says the style of the European living statue artists was much different than his. Many of the European competitors would perform for a half an hour at a time and take periodic breaks. Shangle on the other hand, remained almost motionless for the duration of the competition. |
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| More than 350,000 people walked shoulder to shoulder for four hours around a two-mile loop in Arnhem. Awards were given out in categories including craftsmanship and entertainment, as well as the title of world champion. All though Shangle did not win any awards in the Netherlands, he competed well and was regarded as one of the top performers in the championship. |
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| Shangle came to Aquinas in 1979 after graduating from Sparta High School. He was a member on both the cross country and track and field teams at Aquinas. After two and a half years, he left Aquinas to start a family. He would return soon after to take night classes while holding a day job. During that time, he became plant manager for three different factories for Wolverine Worldwide and, in 1990, graduated from Aquinas with a business degree. Robert credits some of his success to his business professors who shared their real-life working experience, rather than relying solely on a textbook. |
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| Performing as a living statue can be physically demanding. Shangle spends most of his time motionless, including his facial expressions. He holds perfectly still for a long period of time with only slight shifts in balance and position. Time spent on the track and cross country teams at Aquinas helped him develop the discipline needed to perform. Shangle says he picked up a lot of mental toughness running for the Saints and his training helped him develop methods to keep his body and mind controlled during performances. He is fascinated with the human body and has researched ways to control heart beat and breathing. In order to hold his position for long periods of time, Shangle tries to get “in a zone” by finding a point to focus on. Years of practice and experimentation have helped him become one the world’s best living statues. |
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| Shangle’s popularity and success have been snowballing; he has received invitations to perform at private parties, company picnics and even a wedding on top of his already busy schedule of fairs and competitions. He enjoys giving back to the community whenever possible, and about once a month he does a charity gig. He performed during a West Michigan Whitecaps home playoff game, and requested that his appearance fee be used to purchase tickets to the game for people who had just lost their jobs. Shangle was able to set this up with the Whitecaps and a local charity. |
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| Shangle fondly remembers Aquinas’ family-like feel and a great support system. Along with his education, he was able to create lasting friendships with his teammates. “There was this sense that everyone knew you and was looking out for you” Shangle said. “I enjoyed the sense of community at Aquinas, and I don’t think I would have gotten that at a larger university where I might have gotten lost in the crowd.” |
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