Skip to main content
  • August 21, 2015
  • Jonathan Woolson

“Hair” Was Groovy
“HAIR - The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical,” was presented as part of the Walter Gloor Mainstage Series. More than 100 students were involved, including a cast of 24 and a 13-piece stage band. The show frequently breached the “fourth wall,” with characters venturing out among the audience. Director Jessica Hillman was joined by musical director Raymond Stewart, associate professor of music, while student Colin Braeger was sound designer. Scenic designer was Czerton Lim, assistant theatre professor; student Noel O’Day was costume designer, and student Justin Petito, lighting designer.

Ladies First
Singer/songwriter Savannah King, ’14, (seated left) and former Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland (seated right) joined students and faculty from Fredonia’s Music Industry program in March to announce a hunger relief initiative. King and 10,000 Maniacs vocalist Mary Ramsey, ’95 (not pictured) — part of Fredonia’s not-for-profit musician collective ‘Ladies First’ — came together under its student record label, Hail! Fredonia, to record their own rendition of the classic Badfinger hit, “Sweet Tuesday Morning,” released exclusively on iTunes. All proceeds go to WhyHunger, a global organization dedicated to ending hunger and poverty. 

Chancellor’s Award Winners
Three seniors followed different academic paths within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, but Meghan Devine (center), Kaitlyn Crossan and Courtney Loiacono shared a prestigious SUNY-wide honor, the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher (left) presented the awards on April 2 with Fredonia Provost Terry Brown (right) in attendance. The award recognizes students who have best demonstrated, and have been recognized for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement, or career achievement.

Tracy Martin Speaks
As part of the observance of Black History Month, Fredonia hosted “The Trayvon Martin Story,” by Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s father. King Concert Hall was nearly filled to capacity for the event, which was free to the campus and community. Mr. Martin shared a message of how important it was to let children know how much they are valued and loved, no matter how they were depicted in society. He also emphasized the importance of proper conflict resolution techniques, suggesting tools that his audience might employ in both their personal and professional lives. 

Broadway Star Visits
Three-time Tony Award nominee Judy Kuhn conducted a master class on campus in February. Participants included, left to right (front row): Maggie Austin, Anna Chicco, Ms. Kuhn, Michaela Tramuta and Shannon Cunningham; (back row) Kiernan Matts, Justin Burr, Mark Montondo, Jordan Fischer and Alex Kosmowski (photo by Maggie Gilroy). Sponsors included the Carnahan-Jackson Fund for the Humanities in the Fredonia College Foundation. Coordinators were Paul Mockovak of the Department of Theatre and Dance and James Welch of the School of Music.

Record Setting Recycling
As part of its April-long Earth Month activities, Fredonia held its annual electronics recycling day on Saturday, April 18. State Senator Cathy Young (second from left) joined representatives from Time Warner Cable, Sunnking, Inc. and dozens of Fredonia student and employee volunteers. In all, nearly 1,200 vehicles were unloaded, filling eight tractor trailers with outdated electronics. It marked the highest number of vehicles at the event since the campus began the annual endeavor in 2008. In fact, it represented a more than 71 percent increase over the previous record.

Tags:

Share on: