Senior Anne Beinetti threads soccer balls through defenders as deftly as she wields a paintbrush. A member of the women's varsity soccer team, Beinetti is a studio art major with a painting concentration who transferred here after two years at Monroe Community College.
Both passions started early for Beinetti, who plays as a forward for the Knights, currently in the midst of their season.
"I started playing soccer when I was nine years old, but I've been creating artwork since before I can remember," Beinetti said. Once she started developing each talent, she said, she never stopped.
For Beinetti, soccer and art, though completely different in the eyes of many, can be approached similarly. "They are similar in that they both take a lot of focus and determination. They also both involve a lot of creativity; it's important to be as creative on the soccer field as I am when creating art," she said.
That said, Beinetti does prefer to keep the two separate here at school, putting either pursuit before the other when necessary. "I don't like to have anything but soccer on my mind during practice or games, just as when I'm creating art I focus on just that," Beinetti said.
At the moment, Beinetti said her main focus is soccer. The team plays its first postseason game this coming Saturday and a win means that the girls would make the upcoming SUNYAC tournament.
"We have a very talented team and have worked well throughout the season," Beinetti said. Well enough, she added, to win SUNYACs and to move on to the NCAA tournament.
"I definitely feel like our team this year has the talent, work ethic and heart to do well," she said.
As a studio art major, Beinetti is understandably less than pleased at the coming discontinuation of the program. "I think it is a poor choice by the school," she said. "Many great things have come from this program, and having it cut is going to take away from the diversity of Geneseo."
Though the future of the studio art program is grim, Beinetti says she has gained more than can be expressed during her time here at Geneseo. "I've had great teachers in the art department that have taught me a lot and have helped me grow as both an artist and a person," she said. "I've also had an awesome coaching staff and amazing teammates that have all helped me to become a better player."
Beinetti wants to continue pursuing both soccer and art after graduation. She hopes to take a year off to travel and play soccer overseas, then potentially attend graduate school for either art therapy or graphic design. Even though the studio art department might not be around and the soccer team will find new players, it seems as though the experience Beinetti has gained at Geneseo will stick with her.