May 6, 2016 the Racquette Editor-in-Chief
Jay Petrequin Publisher
Jay Petrequin Adviser
Dr. Susan Novak Managing Editor
Kirsten Meehan News Editor
Kirsten Meehan A&E Editor
Katie Daloia College Life Editor
Mark Guido Comics Editor
Michelle Trumpet Sports Editor
Katie Wilson Creative Writing Editor
Forest Ashley
Community Page Editor
Rebecca Augustine Financial Advisor
Imani Snowden Public Relations
Jean-Michael Huallanca Liana Ngai Kevin Agyakwa Staff Writers
Rebecca Augustine Forest Ashley Kevin Agyakwa Jean-Michael Huallanca Katie Dalioa Alexis Donnelly Olivia Broersma Paul Halley Grace Milusich Contributing Writers
Dan Bronson Jeanette Gosreau Potsdam News Dr Jennifer Mitchell Staff Photographers
Alexis Orlopp Katie Daloia Rebecca Augustine Copyeditors
Forest Ashley Kevin Agyakwa Sean Pent Fallon Comic Artists
Anthony Urda Melissa Downing
Opinion & Editorial
the Racquette
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I Don’t Have to Choose Between Schuette and Satterlee Alexis Donnelly Staff Writer
I do not think I could count the number of times someone has asked me the question “whose studio are you in?” throughout my two years attending SUNY Potsdam. Most Crane students can answer this question with a surname and it will spark an entire conversation. For me, it’s not that simple. Although I have been in Crane Chorus since my first semester of college, I don’t have a studio professor because I’m not actually enrolled in The Crane School of Music. I am simply an English and Spanish major who loves to sing. I have been singing in choirs since fourth grade. I love the energy, the dedication and the talent that goes into creating music corporately. When I was deciding which college I wanted to attend, I knew that I needed to choose one at which I could be surrounded by a love for music. Suffice to say, the Crane School of Music had a large impact on what sweatshirt I wore two years ago on Decision Day. Now that I am actually here, though, I feel as if there is a dichotomy that is subtly being enforced; if not academically, than socially. It is as if there is an agreement that someone can only be either a Crane student or a Potsdam student. Crane students aren’t supposed to spend time in Satterlee Hall. SUNY Potsdam students aren’t supposed to know where
Schuette Hall is, much less know how to pronounce it. Yet here I am, straddling Lake Placid Drive, the border between the academic quad and the Crane Music Complex. And I wouldn’t change it for anything. I have learned so much due to my experiences with Crane as a liberal arts student. In Crane Chorus, I have been introduced to obscure rhythms and time signatures, as well as warm-up ditties that get stuck in my head all the time. Dr. Francom acknowledges my existence if I pass him in a hallway, rather than seeing just another face. I have befriended many peers, without whom my college experience would not be the same, simply because I sat next to them in Hosmer Hall during rehearsal. Best of all, on May 8, I will have the opportunity to perform in Carnegie Hall at 8:30 p.m. for the first— and most likely last—time in my life, which would not have been possible without Crane Chorus and The Crane School of Music. I have observed Crane students who also really enjoy the classes that they take in the academic quad. I have shared lecture halls in my linguistics courses with Crane students and they all were able to add depth to the coursework due to their music experience. I have met Crane students who are working towards a double major in music performance or education and math or biology. I have even worked alongside music
majors behind the Circulation Desk at Crumb Library. The fact of the matter is that Crane students are indeed SUNY Potsdam students, which is something that each individual on campus needs to recognize. Crane students are at a renowned music school that happens to also be a part of a state school in New York. That doesn’t mean that they are any “better” than SUNY Potsdam students who are not in Crane. That also doesn’t mean that other students should feel the need to distance themselves from Crane. I understand that people may initially disregard the Crane Music Complex because it can seem a bit intimidating. There are no windows in the practice rooms, most of the main hallways are located in the basement and everyone seems talented beyond compare. However, once a person acclimates to these oddities, Crane is a wonderful place to spend time, either in an academic or a social situation. Inevitably, some of the stereotypes that students believe are true. There are Crane students who act entitled. There are liberal arts students who ended up at SUNY Potsdam because they didn’t have the GPA to go to a private school. However, neither of these things actually matter, because all of the students, no matter their majors, contribute to the school as a whole. Each and every one of us had to work hard to get to SUNY Potsdam, whether through
perfecting an audition piece or meticulously editing a scholarship essay. We all continue to push ourselves on a daily basis to balance our schedules and do the best that we can. It is not fair to say that one group of people has worked harder than the other, nor is it fair to ignore the existence of a different group of people on campus. In fact, it is detrimental to the college if such groups are separated. SUNY Potsdam flourishes when its students and faculty work together to create a supportive and enriched community. The arts, sciences and beyond must collaborate and share ideas so that our graduates can be well-rounded and ready for the real world. I believe that The Crane School of Music plays a large role in this, but so do the other departments and organizations on campus. Students should attend recitals and ensemble performances in Hosmer Hall. They should also observe student artwork in Gibson Gallery, root for the Bears at sports events and review scientific research projects at various learning fairs. Basically, if we support and respect our peers, SUNY Potsdam will continue to thrive and grow for another two hundred years.
Discovered in the Racquette Office
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