The college experience usually has two reputations: it is considered to be either an esteemed world of scholarship, extracurricular activities and networking as well as a chance to have a whirlwind of experimentation before heading out into the real world.
Stephen Korchynsky’s experience encapsulates both ideals.
A junior from Horseheads, N.Y., Korchynsky is a business administration major and communication minor. On campus, he is involved in the Undergraduate Alumni Association and The Lamron.
Korchynsky’s work with the UAA keeps him attuned to the legacy of Geneseo. “Something we’ve been working on is a tradition project,” he explained. “We look at traditions that have been lost in Geneseo’s history and study them, and maybe try to get new ideas for traditions we can do on campus.”
Korchynsky joined The Lamron staff last spring as an assistant, and was later elected to serve as the business manager. Though his position doesn’t require him to be involved in the writing or editing processes, he makes an effort to write something once a week.
“Pretty much every week I write something for the Fun Page,” Korchynsky said. “I save all my contributions to The Lamron, too. I cut them out and hang them on my wall.”
Korchynsky stays involved amidst some personal struggles. “My mom has rheumatoid arthritis really bad,” he explained. “With her relying on me, some weekends I go home and just take care of different things for her, like laundry or grocery shopping.”
Think he has enough on his plate? Korchynsky also has a 3.89 cumulative GPA. “I consider myself pretty well-organized. I know what needs to be done and how much time it’ll take,” he said.
The elements of craze and innovation in Korchynsky’s college career go beyond the campus. He spends most of his spare time with number of creative hobbies.
“I made a song,” he explained. “I downloaded this software and I played around with it over the summer. I started with techno because it’s easy. Then I came to school and starting testing some more hip-hop beats with my roommates.”
The result of this dabbling produced quite a result. “One day I designed a beat that I thought was pretty good,” Korchynsky said. “So I just started writing out some lyrics, and I made a song. It’s called ‘I Love This Place,’ and it’s about the IB. I rap in it,” he smiled.
Korchynsky planned on performing the song for the talent portion of the Mr. Geneseo Fundraiser, where it would have made its debut. The event, however, was rescheduled. For now, the song is available on his Facebook page.
Patrons of the Inn Between might even dance to it this weekend. “I took it up to the DJ one night at the IB and asked them to play it,” he said, “but they had to wait and ask the manager first … I haven’t been back since that night, so I don’t know, maybe they’ve been playing it.”
Is there an aspiring musician in this business student? Not at all. His dream job is working “obviously [as] a model.” He also aspires “to be a good mix of Michael Scott and Mike ‘The Situation.’”
Korchynsky’s real plan is slightly more feasible and will allow him to combine his interests. “I would love to own and run a nightclub,” he said. “And if not that, then to be a top executive in a marketing business.”
For now, Korchynsky will continue to enjoy being a student, where it is perfectly normal for him to work with alumni and manage advertisement sales while rapping on the side. As to his busy schedule, he’ll just take that one day at a time.
“I don’t overwhelm myself,” he shrugged. “It is what it is.”