Light Focus

Before the set can be brought in,  Lighting Designer Chris VerSchneider needed to focus each and every light instrument on the grid. Chris, the Master Electrician Beca Schretzlmeir, and the light crew spent countless hours Friday night making sure that each instrument was focused where it needed to be in the space.

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Chris gives direction as to where the beam of light needs to be

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Mike makes communicates with the Master Electrician Below

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Chris makes sure that the shutter on the instrument block the light that is past the red and green line.

The Do’s and Don’ts of the Interview Process

So last week I made my way to Syracuse for an interview with a director of one of the Newhouse School graduate programs at Syracuse University. For those who aren’t familiar with Newhouse, it’s a school of communications that incorporates all types of media related learning. Held in similar regard to Oswego’s School of Business; Newhouse School the place to be for students serious about the future of media.

Through talking with my professors, my advisers, and friendly faculty, I’ve compiled a list of do’s and don’ts for any important interview. As many people have told me throughout my life, a strong first impression can hold limitless possibilities. There’s no reason to throw that away on not being prepared.

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-Make sure you have a portfolio that showcases your talent. Whether it is drawings, lesson plans, business proposals, or articles, make sure you have something that shows you can produce quality work.

-Research the position or program you’re trying to get into. If it shows you know what they’re talking about when they explain the program or position to you, it shows your dedication to what you’re trying to obtain and could give you a little advantage.

-Dress appropriately for the interview. That doesn’t mean wear a three-piece suit, but kakis or dress pants, button-up shirts, and a tie shows off your professional side. It also adds some seriousness to the interview and shows your interest.

-Be on-time. Usually for important interviews, if you’re just in time for your name to be called, you’re late. Give yourself ample time to get there also. Traffic and parking should never be an excuse.

-Keep good eye contact. There’s no need to make sure your eyes are completely glued to the interviewer since they might catch a creepy vibe from it, but make sure it seems than you’re interested in the conversation.

-Smile. Don’t make the interview process seem painstaking. Keep a good conversational tone, but still keep that professionalism that shows you’re serious about the interview.

-It’s helpful to have a list of questions for the interviewer. It further shows your interest and helps you get a better understanding of some things you may have been uncertain about.

-Be honest. Nobody likes a liar. It’s better to tell the interviewer you aren’t familiar with something than to lie and risk getting caught and embarrassed.

-Be yourself. Everyone has a personal trait that sets them apart from others. If it’s a positive trait, try to show it off a bit.

-Relax. Go with the flow of the interview. Don’t try to rush through anything.

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Hopefully these tips can help you as much as they’ve helped me in my life thus far.

Good luck to my fellow SUNY Oswego 2010 graduates. Let’s finish out this semester strong and in one piece!

ACT 1, SCENE 3: Make-Up Workshop

    This past weekend our actors had a make-up workshop with our costume and make-up designer, Kitty Macey. This is a chance for the actors to learn how to put on their specific make-up so that the task of getting ready runs smoothly. It also gives the designer and director a chance to see what the make-up will look like so both can decide on the right look for the actor. Since the actors will be extremely close to the audience, the actors will need to use  the technique of shading to show age.

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Kitty Macey gives instruction to Knate Roy, who plays Andrew Borden

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Kim, who is playing Emma Borden

Director, Keegan gives some tips…

Halloween as a Theatre Major

     This past Halloween was rewarding in more ways than one with the Blackfriars Theatre Organization, here on campus. Blackfriars is an organization that brings together not only Theatre Majors, but all of those across campus who are interested in theatre.

     Members of Blackfriars participated in trick-or-treat for UNICEF

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     We raised enough money to to provide school supplies for 40 children, and water for dozens more.

 

    Blackfriars also held a costume contest earlier that day, the following are a few favorites;

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Sam Austin, and his very hairy costume

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Rosie the Riveter!

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Melanie as a Strawberry Beverage

Earth Fair Success

Earth Fair – A fall fair trade festival was this past Friday, October 30th.

We held it in Hewitt Union from 6- p.m., and we had House on a Spring Dub Reggae band perform, vendors come from Fair World Marketplace, Kim’s Treasures from Afar, Riversend Bookstore, Guatemala and Que Colores, Nancy Townsend’s knitted gifts, and the Outpouring Church and Save Your Skin.

We had tons of carnival games and a pie throwing contest and Halloween costume contest. AND TONS OF FOOD!

We also had a lot of information on what fair trade is (which like I mentioned in the last post is to get fair wages for producers and prevent slavery and promote sustainability). Throughout the night we had about 60-70 people stop by. Overall, for our first Earth Fair, it was pretty successful.

Next year, though, we want it to be a lot bigger and better and get more people interested in it and fair trade. The vendors had BEAUTIFUL merchandise from all over the world and the proceeds of which went to good, just causes around the globe. It definitely helps to get the information out there about fair trade and its benefits.

Here are some pictures from the night. If you have any ideas or suggestions to interest people more in fair trade, please let me know!

Earth Fair! This is the information table.

Food!The lovely helpers Kristen and Randi! Without their help, we wouldn’t have had any delicious goodies!

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These guys came all the way from Antigua, Guatemala to showcase their backstrap loom weaving skills. Gabriel is the 10-year-old son and Horacio is his father. They had beautiful beaded accessories and intricately designed tapestries and banners and bags, etc. that was all handmade. They came as guests from Muriel from Que Colores downtown Oswego!

These guys were awesome, and they helped to make the whole night wonderful. It was thanks to all of the helpers from Students for Global Change who helped put this together, and House on a Spring for volunteering their time and music, and the vendors who came down to showcase their wonderful merchandise.

Definitely stayed tuned for next year!

Have a great week!

Happy Halloween!

Well, I’m finally starting to feel a little bit better, and needless to say, this past week has not been easy. All of a sudden, all of the work that I need to do is going to hit me like a ton of bricks right in the face, and that will be a wonderful feeling, and I also have to worry about whether or not my professors are going to be merciful in excusing my absences. As I said before, though, there was no way I could have made it to class if I wanted to. I could barely think let alone even walk, and I certainly couldn’t talk. I’m still not all the way there yet, but I sure do feel a lot better than I did last night. I’m not sure what caused the sudden transformation; I guess that I’m just thankfully starting to get over it, thankfully.

On a much happier note, however, today is Halloween, which is always exciting. Of course, it would be a lot more exciting if the weather wasn’t so lousy. I don’t mind it being cloudy, because that helps set the mood, but it’s raining, and it’s also rather chilly, both being reasons why I’m hesitant to go anywhere tonight. I have a group of friends that want me to go trick-or-treating, which sounds like fun, but first of all, as I said, I really don’t want to go out in the cold, and second of all, what would I do with all of that candy? I’m certainly not going to eat all of it. I have a couple of other friends who are going to a friend’s comedy show at the campus center, and I kind of want to go to that, because something tells me that on Halloween night, they’re going to be starving for an audience, so that might end up being what I do, but half of me is tempted to dress up for it, because otherwise, my Lady Gaga costume is going to kind of go to waste.

I’m kind of randomly ranting from one topic to another, but I guess right now, more than anything, I am nervous about my professors. One of them sent me an email and seemed very understanding, telling me not to come back until I felt better (I plan fully on returning to classes on Monday since I foresee myself making a full recovery by then), but I have one who didn’t answer me at all, and he’s the one that I’m kind of worried about. I did receive a message from someone, though, that if I go to the Point, they might be able to help me out, so I may just have to do that. It seems to me like if you’re so sick that you don’t even want to eat, then you shouldn’t be expected to attend classes, especially since that just increases your chances of spreading it and also especially since if you can’t even think, you’re not going to be learning anything anyway. More than anything, all I did, all I wanted to do, was sleep.

Returning to the trick-or-treating idea, however, I was told today that cops will be clearing the streets at 9 p.m., which is another reason why I don’t think it would be all that much fun, anyway, even if I was feeling okay. I’m sorry, but that’s so ridiculous. I understand the fact that they don’t want kids out late at night, drunk and likely to hurt either someone else or themselves and that they don’t want kids out wreaking havoc, but 9 p.m. seems a little strict to me. At least make it 11 p.m. I mean, essentially, I say “kids,” but we really aren’t; as college students, we are adults, and ultimately, we have the right to be out. Something tells me, however, that they’re just going to be sending people home who look like they’re either drunk or up to no good, because what if it’s just a group of people going to the movies or going to the store to pick up something? What if whoever they see isn’t even a college student? How would you go about making that determination? Like I said, it just seems ridiculous to me. I guess that’s about it, though. I hope that everyone has a fun but safe Halloween!

Perceptions of USA and a new President

Ok, so when you think of France what do you picture?  Maybe  Berets, cheese, wine, baguettes, or perhaps people smoking and sitting at cafes drinking coffee.  We all have stereotypes which are formed by publicity and the media.  Generally these are not always true, they are just clichés that we have been programmed to believe are true…which leads me into quite an interesting story.

The other day in one of my classes, we had a break half way through class(since the classes are 3 hours long) and I was having a conversation with several other students in my class and our professor.  We were talking about some recent French news, nothing really out of the ordinary when the student standing next to me said, “Ahh the American girl.  I have a question.  Is life different now that Barack Obama is president?”  At first I wasn’t sure what to say, but of course you wouldn’t be surprised to know that the French LOVE Obama.  They are so fascinated with him that in book stores there are whole sections of books about Barack Obama.  Anyway back to my story, I thought for a minute and I said, “Well personally for me life really isn’t different, but then if you think about it, when you get a new president of France, does your life really change?  Does it really affect your life personally?  When in reality it generally doesn’t.”   I was really caught off guard because I guess that is a legitimate question to ask if you have never lived in the United States, but once again it’s just another one of those cultural things.  Needless to say after he asked me that the entire group of people joined in on the conversation dissecting it and discussing, but the French are so passionate about Politics that I just let them talk.  The joy’s of being an American in a foreign country, but its always interesting!

ACT 1, SCENE 2: The Skeleton Block.

Due to our crew hanging lights this week in the lab theatre, the director has moved rehearsals to a classroom in Tyler Hall. I am pleased to announce that as of last night, all skeleton blocking is complete! Tonight we will begin running each act, the director will make any necessaryadjustments to blocking, and the actors will continue to shape and develop their characters.

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Knate Roy (Andrew Borden), looks over his script

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Sarah Sterling (Abby Borden), listening carefully to her fellow actors

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SM, Aaron, and ASM, Todd focus on adjusting blocking notes

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Director Keegan leads a discussion, Knate and Danny thinking about the upcomming scene

The Theatre Department Tea

The Theatre Department recently hosted the annual “Department Tea” at Fallbrook here in Oswego. The Tea is a chance to socialize with faculty and peers outside of class. Each member of the faculty and staff brings goodies (fruit, cookies, cheesecake, etc.), tea and coffee are served, and anecdotes are shared.

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Dr. Jessica Hester’s story grabs the attention of majors Logan, Todd, and Courtney

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Erik and Olivia in discussion while Stephanie enjoys her cookie.

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Jessica and Craig in deep thought while Aaron is in deep thought.