Critic Page 4
1
Eric Blaisdell Peter Nute Critic Editors After much objection from those involved, administration has decided to take a new look at two classes that connect Lyndon State College to the surrounding community. The community chorus and orchestra classes offered at LSC are not going away, but what is going to happen to them is still unclear. The options are to offer chorus and orchestra once a year, instead of once a semester, or to completely remove them as credit courses and pay the direc- tors of the respective programs a stipend. “Just because a program like chorus or orchestra is not avail- able for credit in a given semes- ter does not mean to me that it cannot be available,” said LSC President Steve Gold in an e- mail. “In fact, I would support providing a stipend if necessary to the directors of both of these activities to support them being offered each semester.” Members of the programs see the changes differently after the recent discovery that the courses would not be offered next semester. “I was going to take (chorus) next semester, but not getting credit for it and me being a senior trying to get all the credits that I can, it might be hard,” said David Carmichael, a senior Television Studies major. The orchestra’ s director, as- sociate music and performing arts professor Elizabeth Norris, wants the courses to be taken more se- riously. “Our ensembles are not clubs and they are not extra-curricular activities,” said Norris in an e- mail. “They are courses in which serious, college-level teaching and learning actually occur.” Chorus and orchestra are not required for a major, but that does not mean that they do not have a role within LSC and the surrounding community. “I know it is a one credit class and some people might think of it as fluff, but it really does help us and help the com- munity members make a base with Lyndon and it really is a way for students to take a break and sing and learn different pieces of music,” said Jennifer Morin, a junior Electronic Journalism Arts major. “It really just helps us all.” The community, including LSC alumni, have heard about the issues surrounding these courses and have voiced their opinion on keeping them around. “It’ s often the smallest things in life that make us the happiest,” said LSC graduate and member of the chorus Timothy Ulrich, a full-time math teacher at Lyndon Institute and part-time faculty member at LSC. “ And chorus is one of those things. Lyndon likes to pride itself on the fact that they are strong community mem- bers and the chorus and the or - chestra are two integral parts where you make community con- nections.” The students enjoy the con- nections they make with mem- bers of the community in these courses. “I’ve made friends who are much older than I am and I learned how to sing better work - ing with them,” said Carmichael. “It really gives (students) the op- portunity to meet with commu- nity members and that is something that you can’ t really do in a lot of classes here.” The chorus has been around for 21 years and currently has 18 students enrolled this semester while the orchestra has eight stu- dents and has been around for over five years. Though the news may have come as a shock to the members of the courses; this change had been a year in the making. “Within the department of music and performing arts they had come to the conclusion that those two things, chorus and or - chestra, were only going to be of- fered once per year,” said Dean of Academic and Student Affairs Donna Dalton. “One of them would be in the fall and one of them would be in the spring for credit.” However, the impact on the community was not taken into consideration. “Clearly there ought to have been given some alternative thought to if there is a way of sus- taining this,” she said. “Is there a way of maintaining this in those semesters when it’ s not being of- fered specifically as a credit bear - ing experience?” The college’ s recent financial difficulties are the reason for the changes. “We’ve had to make some very difficult decisions over the past couple of years because of the decreased funding that is available for our academic pro- grams and for the college overall,” said Dean of Institutional Ad- vancement Bob Whittaker. “Un- fortunately, we don’ t have the lux- ury any longer to offer as many of the courses as we would like to offer. At the same time, we are going to continue to find creative ways to be able to continue to keep this type of programming in place, if that is possible.” Cutting back on the arts is something that many at LSC would hope to avoid. “I think the arts in all their forms are an extremely important part of liberal arts education en- vironment and Lyndon is very much a liberal arts AND a pro- fessional studies college,” said Gold. Nothing is final regarding the future of these courses. “I think they can plan on it for next fall unless something changes,” said Dalton. “ And stay tuned for the spring.” Find us online! Like us on Facebook! Follow @LSCCritic on Twitter! lyndonstatecritic.com First Copy FREE (adtl. copies 50¢ each) Friday, November 4, 2011 Lyndon State College Volume 58.8 A Quote to Note “The only correct actions are those that demand no explanation and no apology.” - Red Auerbach Campus Calendar Sat. 11/5: Flag Football Tournament Mon. 11/7: Monday Night Football in ASAC 100 Wed. 11/9: SGA Meeting Thu. 11/10: Lend Me A Tenor IN THIS ISSUE... Angry Ani Page 3 Faculty Book Page 4 President’s Corner Page 4 Lyndon Listed Page 6 Student Loan Debt Page 8 LSC Seniors Look to Future Page 8 Twilight Players Preview Page 7 Saturday > Sunday > Monday Courtesy of James Sinko and The National Weather Service 45 O 50 O 54 O Photo by Mary Sloan Men’s Cross Country runners Kenedi Hall and Jimmy Bielli run for the finish line. See page 5 for the story. PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS GETTING TUNED OUT XC HAS STRONG SHOWING IN NAC CHAMPIONSHIP
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Transcript of Critic Page 4
Eric Blaisdell
Peter Nute
Critic Editors
After much objection fromthose involved, administrationhas decided to take a new look attwo classes that connect LyndonState College to the surroundingcommunity.
The community chorus andorchestra classes offered at LSCare not going away, but what isgoing to happen to them is stillunclear. The options are to offerchorus and orchestra once a year,instead of once a semester, or tocompletely remove them ascredit courses and pay the direc-tors of the respective programs astipend.
“Just because a program likechorus or orchestra is not avail-able for credit in a given semes-ter does not mean to me that itcannot be available,” said LSCPresident Steve Gold in an e-mail. “In fact, I would supportproviding a stipend if necessaryto the directors of both of theseactivities to support them beingoffered each semester.”
Members of the programssee the changes differently afterthe recent discovery that thecourses would not be offered nextsemester.
“I was going to take (chorus)next semester, but not gettingcredit for it and me being a seniortrying to get all the credits that Ican, it might be hard,” said DavidCarmichael, a senior TelevisionStudies major.
The orchestra’s director, as-sociate music and performing artsprofessor Elizabeth Norris, wantsthe courses to be taken more se-riously.
“Our ensembles are not clubsand they are not extra-curricularactivities,” said Norris in an e-mail. “They are courses in whichserious, college-level teaching andlearning actually occur.”
Chorus and orchestra are notrequired for a major, but thatdoes not mean that they do nothave a role within LSC and thesurrounding community.
“I know it is a one creditclass and some people mightthink of it as fluff, but it reallydoes help us and help the com-munity members make a basewith Lyndon and it really is a wayfor students to take a break andsing and learn different pieces ofmusic,” said Jennifer Morin, ajunior Electronic Journalism Artsmajor. “It really just helps us all.”
The community, includingLSC alumni, have heard aboutthe issues surrounding thesecourses and have voiced theiropinion on keeping them around.
“It’s often the smallest thingsin life that make us the happiest,”said LSC graduate and memberof the chorus Timothy Ulrich, afull-time math teacher at LyndonInstitute and part-time facultymember at LSC. “And chorus isone of those things. Lyndon likesto pride itself on the fact thatthey are strong community mem-bers and the chorus and the or-chestra are two integral partswhere you make community con-nections.”
The students enjoy the con-nections they make with mem-bers of the community in thesecourses.
“I’ve made friends who aremuch older than I am and Ilearned how to sing better work-ing with them,” said Carmichael.
“It really gives (students) the op-portunity to meet with commu-nity members and that issomething that you can’t really doin a lot of classes here.”
The chorus has been aroundfor 21 years and currently has 18students enrolled this semesterwhile the orchestra has eight stu-dents and has been around forover five years.
Though the news may havecome as a shock to the membersof the courses; this change hadbeen a year in the making.
“Within the department ofmusic and performing arts theyhad come to the conclusion thatthose two things, chorus and or-chestra, were only going to be of-fered once per year,” said Dean ofAcademic and Student AffairsDonna Dalton. “One of themwould be in the fall and one of
them would be in the spring forcredit.”
However, the impact on thecommunity was not taken intoconsideration.
“Clearly there ought to havebeen given some alternativethought to if there is a way of sus-taining this,” she said. “Is there away of maintaining this in thosesemesters when it’s not being of-fered specifically as a credit bear-ing experience?”
The college’s recent financialdifficulties are the reason for thechanges.
“We’ve had to make somevery difficult decisions over thepast couple of years because ofthe decreased funding that isavailable for our academic pro-grams and for the college overall,”said Dean of Institutional Ad-vancement Bob Whittaker. “Un-
fortunately, we don’t have the lux-ury any longer to offer as many ofthe courses as we would like tooffer. At the same time, we aregoing to continue to find creativeways to be able to continue tokeep this type of programming inplace, if that is possible.”
Cutting back on the arts issomething that many at LSCwould hope to avoid.
“I think the arts in all theirforms are an extremely importantpart of liberal arts education en-vironment and Lyndon is verymuch a liberal arts AND a pro-fessional studies college,” saidGold.
Nothing is final regardingthe future of these courses.
“I think they can plan on itfor next fall unless somethingchanges,” said Dalton. “And staytuned for the spring.”
Find us online!Like us on Facebook!Follow @LSCCritic on Twitter!lyndonstatecritic.com
First Copy
FREE(adtl. copies 50¢ each)
Friday, November 4, 2011 Lyndon State College Volume 58.8
A Quote to Note
“The only correct actions are those that demand no explanation and no apology.”
- Red Auerbach
Campus CalendarSat. 11/5: Flag Football Tournament
Mon. 11/7: Monday Night Football in ASAC 100
Wed. 11/9: SGA Meeting
Thu. 11/10: Lend Me A Tenor
IN THIS ISSUE...
Angry Ani Page 3
Faculty Book Page 4
President’s Corner Page 4
Lyndon Listed Page 6
Student Loan Debt Page 8
LSC Seniors Look to Future Page 8 Twilight Players Preview Page 7
Saturday > Sunday > MondayCourtesy of James Sinko and The National
Weather Service
45O 50O 54O
Photo by Mary SloanMen’s Cross Country runners Kenedi Hall and Jimmy Bielli run for the finish line.See page 5 for the story.
PERFORMANCEPROGRAMSGETTING
TUNED OUT
XC HAS STRONGSHOWING IN NAC
CHAMPIONSHIP
