At a glance
Even in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Alfred State Pioneers are still finding ways to come together virtually to connect, bond, and lift each other’s spirits. One of these ways came in the form of a recent virtual poetry reading hosted by the English and Humanities Department.
Even in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Alfred State Pioneers are still finding ways to come together virtually to connect, bond, and lift each other’s spirits.
One of these ways came in the form of a recent virtual poetry reading hosted by the English and Humanities Department. Thanks to the technical knowledge of Assistant Professor Dr. Travis Matteson, the reading was able to take place on Blackboard Collaborate, the instructional videoconferencing platform that faculty have been using to teach since classes transitioned online in March.
SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Dr. Aniko Constantine noted that roughly 112 participants signed into the poetry reading, about 20 of whom were employees, while the rest were students. This turnout, Constantine said, was even greater than what the face-to-face poetry readings typically receive.
“With sequestering and isolation and the threat of COVID-19, it was an exquisite time to see the power of poetry to bring people together to share,” she said.
Kicking off the event was a slideshow of student artwork, which was accompanied by violin music provided by Sarabeth Matteson, the director of Alfred State Voices. Dr. Skip Sullivan, president of Alfred State, opened the poetry reading with a light and fun poem about remembering and forgetting.
Following Sullivan were poetry readings by Dr. Daniel Katz, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences; Dr. John Williams, dean of the School of Architecture, Management, and Engineering Technology; and English and Humanities Department Chair and Professor Calista McBride.
As for the students who participated, some had submitted prerecorded videos of their readings, though most of them recited poems “live” on camera. While some recited famous poems such as “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost or “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, others read poems that came straight from their own hearts and minds.
Mary Hribar, a human services management major from Olean, read a poem she wrote about the road taken and the one not taken, while her daughter listened online from Arizona. An excerpt from the poem reads, “The road you have taken was perfect for your destiny to unfold. Don’t worry about the one less traveled. Yours made you strong, and bright, and bold!”
Accompanied on camera by her 3-year-old sister, Olivia, Ashley Rosario, an undeclared major from Bronx, recited a poem by Joy Harjo called “Crossing the Border.” Another especially moving poem, Constantine said, was provided by Justin Minaya, a biological science major from New York City, who shared his pride of his Puerto Rican heritage.
“Another student acknowledged his reading with a comment in Spanish,” Constantine noted. “It was all truly lovely.”
Matteson said the virtual poetry reading “really fulfilled a need for human contact and a need for a sense of normality.”
“The campus poetry reading is a longstanding tradition and I am thrilled it proved pandemic-proof,” he said. “I think it is also a testament to the power of poetry to connect people at a time when we are all feeling disconnected.”
