Campus questions upcoming structure of merged Enrollment Management Office, International Student & Scholar Services

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The International Student & Scholar Services will be moved from the Academic Affairs Office to the Enrollment Management Office in June 2017. With this change, the Enrollment Managment Office hopes to improve the process of recruiting students. Some members of the campus community are concerned about the impact of such a change on the actual programs and the quality of programs provided. (Ash Dean/Photo Editor)

The Enrollment Management Office has added International Student & Scholar Services to its division, removing the office from the Academic Affairs Office. The plan will take effect in June as a means of developing a comprehensive approach for strategic student recruitment. 

“The plan will allow us to be more efficient,” Vice President for Enrollment Management Meaghan Arena said. “We’ll be able to craft one recruitment strategy for the whole college and so everyone who is recruiting freshmen students will be on the same page.”

The ISSS staff and physical location will remain in Erwin. 

The division of the ISSS Office from Academic Affairs drew curiosity from staff in the International Programs Office as to how the new structure will affect international student programs. 

“I was hired to create an international student program for the office. The power of students connecting with one set of people and having that one set of people know them deeply cannot be replicated with another structure,” Director of the International Student & Scholar Services Mary Hope said.

ISSS currently accommodates to the needs of Geneseo’s international students, providing programs based in orientation, immigration services and cultural integration. 

The push to join ISSS with Enrollment Management stemmed from the vision to unite Geneseo’s recruitment efforts. 

“The Office of Admissions and the ISSS each have their own separate plans, and when you think about the power and the impact you could have by merging those and working as one team—it seems to be a more efficient approach and that was the motivation behind making the change,” said Arena. 

The decision to restructure the offices raises questions on how the Study Abroad Office and the ISSS can continue to work together in providing a home away from home for international students as well as offer certain services for students, such as an explanation provided to these students about the social security process. 

“One of the things that’s been really valuable about being here with the Study Abroad Office is that when you combine the three parts of international programs—ESLL, ISSS and Study Abroad—what you have is people who come into their career because they are deeply passionate about other cultures,” Hope said. “So the bottom line is that there’s a group of people here that have a shared philosophy.” 

ISSS expects to see a change in the reporting that currently exists within the department.

“ISSS is an integrated office, which means it goes from recruitment to admissions to orientation to immigration advising. If an international student is in the hospital, it’s that office that goes and makes sure that they’re not alone,” Assistant Provost for International Programs Rebecca Lewis said. “How the focus, in terms of budget and performance programs is allocated, is where a reporting line can make a difference.” 

These performance programs are expected to remain the same, but questions as to how the new structure will support what programs persists.

“Our office is extremely student services focused. Our hope is that we continue offering the same caliber of high quality student services,” Associate Director of ISSS Carly O’Keefe said. “That will continue to be my top priority.” 

The office agreed that the focus of the ISSS needs to remain on the students.

“All the services we provide are integral to retention,” O’Keefe said. “You can recruit and enroll international students in droves, but if the services aren’t in place, they’ll leave. That’s why all of that needs to be tied together.” 

A written plan for the structural change is still pending. The focus of both offices will remain on providing international students with the same experience. 

“My hope is that current students continue to see the same level of service,” Arena said.

Assistant news editor Zainab Tahir contributed reporting to this article.

Village Board members wary of Cuomo’s shared municipality services proposal

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Village Board members are concerned about the impact Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s initiative to share municipal services between villages and towns in New York State will have on the Village of Geneseo. Mayor Richard Hatheway(pictured above) believes that the Village of Geneseo already shares a significant portion of its services with the Town of Geneseo, and would prefer to have increased support from the state in place of Cuomo’s proposal. (Ash Dean/Photo Editor)

Around three dozen mayors rallied together on Feb. 13 in Albany voicing their disapproval of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed plan to combine services of small towns and villages in hopes of decreasing local government spending. Geneseo Village Board members are concerned about the impact such a proposal would have on the village. 

Village Board Trustee Mary Rutigliano believes that the underlying goal of this piece of legislation is to eliminate village governments entirely. 

“I think perhaps the ultimate goal is to not have villages exist anymore,” Rutigliano said. “While this specific program doesn’t advocate for this, there is conversation going on locally, statewide and nationally on whether state towns need to exist or if they’re redundant.”

If the Village of Geneseo was abolished, Rutigliano said that the town’s government would have to expand and increase its scope, as currently “all of the town’s laws apply to the village, but the village’s laws don’t apply to the town.”

Village Mayor Richard Hatheway outlined multiple services that the Village of Geneseo currently shares with the Town of Geneseo, including a shared fire department, services through the Department of Public Works and shared water treatment plants. The village spends the most amount of its money in financing the Village of Geneseo Police Department, according to Hatheway. 

The Town of Geneseo does not have its own police department and is instead covered by the sheriff’s office. As a result, Hatheway believes that the village would not save any more money if the village and town combined these services. 

Hatheway said that it is important for the state to recognize that the Village of Geneseo Police Department does not receive funding from everyone in the village due to the significant number of on-campus students who do not pay village taxes. 

“There are roughly 3,000 people in this village who are not paying taxes—the folks who live on campus—so there’s no income from any of that group that goes to property taxes from which the police department is paid,” Hatheway said. “I think that one thing the state could do is recognize the reason that we have the police department, and also help with the funding because there’s a significant number of residents who are not paying property taxes toward those resources.” 

Hatheway is also concerned about how the distance between the Village of Geneseo and other villages would impact the sharing of municipal services if such plan was passed by the state. 

“If you just look at sharing services with other villages, it’s not like we’re right next door. It’s 10 miles to Avon, 20 miles to Dansville and 6 or 8 miles to Mount Morris,” Hatheway said. “If you try to share fire trucks or something like that, it gets to be a real hassle in terms of jurisdiction. I do think people are trying to come up with ways to share things and, in our case, it ends up being sharing services with the Town of Geneseo.” 

Hatheway believes that the state’s legislative body is overstepping its authority when demanding shared services between municipalities.

“Overall, I think we should share resources, and we are sharing services—we do it as much as we can,” Hatheway said. “But I don’t think the legislative body should be dictating what to do when they haven’t lived here to see what’s going on the first place.”

Assistant news editor Mike Powers contributed reporting to this article.

Village plans to develop clean energy practices

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The Village of Geneseo is working to improve its energy efficiency in order to join the Clean Energy Communities program. The village may start to promote the usage of solar panels in the community in order to join this program and to receive money for future clean energy practices. (Jake Wade/Staff Photographer)

As part of a recent state-run initiative, the Village of Geneseo is developing energy efficient initiatives in hopes of joining the Clean Energy Communities program—run by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority—in efforts to be more environmentally conscious. 

NYSERDA has currently invested $60 million to reduce the energy used in certain areas. The initiative has created 10 High Impact Action items, which include steps to guide communities through energy reduction. When a community fulfills four of these items, they become eligible for grants—as funded by the NYSERDA—to pursue further items on the list. 

The village is in the process of implementing four of the 10 listed items in order to receive funding in the future, according to Mayor Richard B. Hatheway.

One of the items the village is looking to implement is called benchmarking, Hatheway said. Through this policy, the village plans to measure the annual energy usage of certain village owned buildings in the hopes of reducing their energy usage levels. 

Buildings that are eligible to be measured must be greater than 1000 square-feet, and they include the water plant, the sewer plant, the Department of Public Works building and the Geneseo Village Clerk’s Office. 

The village is also looking at adding more clean energy cars—such as electric, propane or hydrogen cars—to the community, according to Hatheway. In addition, the village may install charging stations for these electric vehicles and change streetlights to LED lights to fulfill four High Impact Action items. 

“There’s a program that will allow us to pay for the LED lights over several years and it looks as though at least an initial estimate on that—on the energy saved—would be about six years,” Hatheway said. 

Another High Impact Action item the village may undertake is the creation of solar farms, Hatheway said. These farms would consist of 10-20 acres of land set aside for solar panels, which would produce electricity to be sold back to the community. The village is also considering encouraging people to install solar panels on their houses, according to Hatheway.

“We would need someone to really get a campaign going on that,” Hatheway said. “The physics department on campus is pretty active with that stuff right now. We have not approached them about it, but that could be something we could get drummed up in the community.” 

Plans to implement the program in the future include expanding it outward toward the other villages and counties in Western New York, according to Village Board Trustee Matthew Cook. 

“I hope that it will first end up being countywide after we are able to implement it—that other villages and towns across the county are able to do this,” Cook said.

Along with pushing the program to areas surrounding Geneseo, Cook also believes participating in this initiative will promote collegiate involvement.

“I think that with the amount of activism that we have going on here on campus, a lot of clubs and student organizations will be pushing to have those be implemented,” Cook said.  

Staff writer Tyler Waldriff contributed reporting to this article.

Manapol named Letchworth Villages Gateway Program Director

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Nicole Manapol has been named the new Letchworth Villages Gateway Program Director. In this position, Manapol will focus on connecting the economies of Livingston and Wyoming counties

By the end of next month, the new Letchworth Villages Gateway Program Director, Nicole Manapol, will begin working to join the economy of villages in both Livingston and Wyoming counties. 

The initiative began with the objective of maximizing the recent influx in tourism to Letchworth State Park. Manapol was chosen from a pool of 16 applicants by Geneseo Tourism Committee, Mount Morris’ Partners for Progress and the Perry Main Street Association as well as Mayor of Perry Rick Howser and Downtown Coordinator for the Livingston County Office of Development Louise Wadsworth. 

Wadsworth said the need for the position has always been evident in the community.

“We’ve always talked about having a Main Street Manager for our own communities, but we could never afford it,” she said. 

Over the past year, the United States Agricultural Department awarded the communities a grant of $59,000 to develop and implement a plan to join the businesses of the communities.

“When we put all three communities together, then we have a really good group of probably over 150 businesses,” Wadsworth said. “We know that a lot of people are coming to the park and we want to capitalize on those people.” 

Such an initiative has never been carried out in New York State before, according to Wadsworth. 

“We’re looking at the communities that exist in Livingston and Wyoming counties that have industrial pasts and have lost jobs in the region,” Manapol said in a phone interview. “The most exciting piece is this sense of reinvention and seeing what the future holds for the region.” 

The position is meant to last one year, but both Manapol and Wadsworth said they are confident it will be extended for two years. 

The project is also looking at implementing internship opportunities for Geneseo students. There is some funding set aside for interns, so as they do their initial analysis of what is needed, they will be working closely with the school in order to get students involved with the project, according to Manapol.

Manapol explained that she has worked to foster communities internationally in a variety of ways.

“My background and my career over the past 15 years now has focused on international development, so a lot of what I’ve done over the years is to help build capacity at a community level, whether that be livelihood development, small business development, education and training programs,” Manapol said. “I call myself a social impact consultant.”

Through this work, Manapol said that she feels that she is prepared for this new position.

Most of the work that she has done has been looking at specific problems that a community is trying to solve and developing a program that builds capacity, according to Manapol. 

Wadsworth said that Manapol possesses valuable skills essential for completing the project’s goals.

“We chose Manapol for the collaboration skills she’s had. I felt like she had the skills to take something that didn’t exist and put it together,” Wadsworth said. “She’s also worked in the university environment and had a lot of technological skills we may not have had.”

Geneseo’s planning committee debates subsidized housing project approval

Geneseo’s planning committee met for their first consideration of a supportive housing proposal on Megan Drive on Wednesday Nov. 30. The proposed project—spearheaded by DePaul Properties—will consist of 60 apartments rented to tenants who are encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles. In attendance at the meeting were members of the board, including Susan B. Richardson and David O. Woods, as well as Gillian Conde from DePaul Properties, Gary Smith Perrone from Perrone Engineering and Dawn Epril, owner of the property on Megan Drive.

Price brackets for the apartments are projected to range, according to Mayor Richard Hatheway. The complex comes at a particularly attractive time for residents in Geneseo who have expressed concerns for more tenant-owned apartments, Hatheway added.

“People feel like we have a significant number of non-owner occupied homes and they are wondering when does this become too much,” Hatheway said.

DePaul was also interested in creating more housing options available to low-income professionals.

“People in the targeted income bracket have trouble renting apartments in Geneseo because of the dense student population of 5,000 people,” Conde said.

These apartments will not be available for students, according to Conde.

“The reason for that is because the federal government assists unbelievable amounts of student housing,” Conde said. “We don’t want to get students in housing that will take away from people who need it financially.”

Hatheway said that students most likely would not have been interested in renting these apartments due to their high costs and location, even if they were available for them.

“A one bedroom apartment would rent for $650 a month. I don’t think students would be interested,” Hatheway said. “The location isn’t very conducive. I don’t think they’d be looking at the student population at all.”

Tenants living in the apartments will be allowed to take classes, but cannot exceed part-time hours. DePaul offers its tenants mental health support and legal assistance among many other programs to promote healthier lifestyles, falling under the label “supportive housing.” Potential residents will undergo background checks in order to be accepted into the complex, according to Conde.

At the meeting, concerns were raised about the type of people that the complex would attract to Geneseo.

“The Chief of Police had some concerns about affordable housing bringing in troubled folks,” Conde said.

She reaffirmed that it would not be a problem because the apartments targeted mid-market people in the workforce.

“He and I talked at length and he clearly was under a different understanding of what it was. It’s for higher level income owners,” Conde said.

Questions about the stability of the incoming tenants were also raised at the meeting.

“If these people are transitional, how will they have permanent jobs?” Richardson asked.

Conde responded by explaining that tenants will be required to obtain jobs when living in these apartments.

“Some people work part-time, some people are working, but most people have an income. They have to,” Conde said. “They have to have double the amount of rent as income a month.”

Construction for the site is currently dependent on the funding DePaul receives to start the plans, as well as an extensive negotiating process between the planning board and the company.

“It’s all dependent upon getting funding in order to build the complex. It’s all through the state,” Hatheway said. “There is another place across from the Wegman’s plaza, in the town, where another complex has been proposed for retired people. They’re seeking the same funds DePaul is seeking.”

Applications for funding requests are due on Thursday Dec. 1. If plans are approved, based on the required funding, an apartment complex that houses three buildings and a 60-car parking lot will be constructed on the 30.6 acre area on Megan Drive.

Geneseo earns high ranking on “U.S. News & World Report” list

Geneseo was ranked first in the “U.S. News & World Report” Best Undergraduate Teaching among regional universities in the north for the sixth time in the yearly guide “Best Colleges.” The title is given to colleges that focus on faculty and student learning and contributions. Alongside the specific ranking, Geneseo also won second in the “Top Public Schools” and 14th in the regional north’s general rankings, which includes both private and public institutions.

The rankings are determined based on a number of factors, including “small class size, the percentage of full time faculty and the percentage of students who graduate and then give back,” Vice President for Enrollment Management Meaghan L. Arena said in a phone interview.

The rankings are calculated based on these categories, which determine the level of commitment a school devotes to higher education and the success of their students. Students do not have an impact on these rankings, according to Arena.

“It’s weird because I don’t think they survey students, but taking advantage of the things that go into the rankings is really important,” Arena said.

Geneseo’s goals as a higher education institution are not reflected in the rankings, according to Arena.

“They are national rankings, so they don’t totally encapsulate what the school embodies,” Arena said.

The focus areas Geneseo has been improving upon are outlined in the recently published strategic plan, Arena said. The plan and its initiatives revolve around pursuing curricular innovation and improving access and success. The focus areas target improving the quality of education and increasing the amount of qualified applicants that represent diverse populations.

“We’ve got a new strategic plan for the college and we’re now refining our value statement and identifying our thematic areas and our overall goals,” President Denise Battles said.

Battles said the college could achieve higher rankings if there were more resources available.

“There are always ways of enhancing whatever you’re involved with, and usually the challenge is not one of enthusiasm or talent, it’s one of resources and being able to do more with what is often not as much money as you’ve enjoyed in the past,” Battles said.

The take-away lies in what the college is being recognized for achieving, according to Battles.

“The story overall is one of recognition of what we as an institution hold most dear, which is giving an outstanding educational experience to every student who comes to Geneseo,” she said.

Arena added to the testament of the work that Geneseo does for each of its students.

“The rankings can be viewed as a byproduct of our success,” Arena said. “We provide a high caliber education with great faculty at a state school price.”

The rankings serve as a tool for prospective applicants and their families, which Arena said is why she encouraged paying particular attention to the information gathered by U.S. News.

“Rankings are only one aspect and we shouldn’t get too caught up on them, but it is something that people look at and we should have our eye on them,” Arena said.

These rankings show Geneseo’s commitment to higher education, according to Battles.

“I think my takeaway is the fact that we are so well placed consistently,” Battles said. “[It] speaks to the priority we place on quality of the academic and co-curricular experience here at Geneseo.”

CAS celebrates grand opening of convenience store Dash at the Commons

Campus Auxiliary Services had a grand opening for the convenience-style store Dash at the Commons beginning Monday Oct. 24 at the Saratoga Commons. The store offers easy-to-carry items for on-the-go students, according to CAS Marketing Manager Rebecca Stewart. CAS arranged a series of promotions to encourage students to stop by and shop during its grand opening week. This included offering a Dash branded coffee mug with the purchase of a hot drink on Monday and providing buyers with a free Dasani water or Coke with the purchase of a cookie on Wednesday Oct. 26.

CAS will also give away a Dash branded tote bag with the purchase of a pint of Perry’s ice cream on Friday Oct. 28 and  has been offering the chance to win one of five $100 Dash gift cards throughout the week.

The idea of a convenience store had been in the works for some time, according to Stewart.

“We had been talking with the company about creating a store that’s more of a convenience-styled store for a while,” Stewart said. “It was just trying to come up with a location and a concept that made sense for the campus.”

Plans were finalized during the summer and later executed to create the store at Saratoga Commons, located adjacent to the town houses on campus. Part of the reason CAS chose to open the store in this location was because there was a large meeting room available that had been underutilized, according to CAS Director of Culinary Operations and Executive Chef Jonna Anne.

“The location was of particular interest this year because Red Jacket on Southside is closed for renovation, making it useful for students on that side of campus,” Stewart said.

Dash at the Commons is unique from all other CAS facilities in its intention to provide students with quick access to meals, Stewart said.

“We’re able to provide things that are very unique that we don’t offer anywhere else on campus,” Stewart said.

Some of the products offered at the store include a variety of frozen products, pints of ice cream, kombucha, frozen appetizers and soups to-go. The store will continue CAS’s incentive to support local businesses, Anne said.

“We still have our focus of buying local, New York State items,” Anne said. “That’s still our thread through all of our restaurants and cafes, and you will clearly see that at Dash.”

The products offered at Dash at the Commons will change and expand over the next couple of years, according to Assistant General Manager at CAS Keith Rosengren.

“One of the things with Dash being so new is that we started with a set inventory, but it’s something that we’re looking to grow,” Rosengren said.

One of the main motivators for sparking this change will stem from Geneseo students.

“We’ve gotten a lot of feedback so far. We have a wonderful woman who works during the weekdays and solicits a lot of responses by asking customers what they think and what they would like to see,” Rosengren said. “What Dash will be in a year or two will be determined by what the students want it to be.”

The store has received mixed reviews based on its location.

“Dash is kind of like a mini-super market,” Student CAS employee freshman Emma Williams said. “It’s very compressed, but it’s closer. The location is very convenient for people on Southside.”

Psychology major freshman Karina Cornier believes the store will attract mostly freshmen because it is closer to Southside.

“I don’t think too many people will visit the store. Only the freshmen that pass by it every day and those who live in the townhouses will visit it,” Cornier said. “People who live further away might be too lazy to make the walk."

Geneseo recognized for excellence in service

Geneseo was awarded a spot in the President’s 2015 Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Geneseo has been on the honor roll since the award’s creation in 2006. The 2015 Honor Roll recognizes service activities from the 2013-14 year, according to Coordinator of Student Leadership, Volunteerism and Service Samantha Hebel.

“The cycle runs quite a bit behind,” she said. “This [list] is actually based on two years ago, so 2013-2014. We just applied for the 2014-2015 year this past spring.”

In total, 4,400 Geneseo students completed 270,000 hours of service, Associate Dean of Leadership and Service Thomas Matthews said.

The application process for this honor was rigorous and it would not have come together without the help of many individuals, Matthews said.

“We collect data from the entire campus. Lots of the departments and student organizations have to submit their hours,” he said.

Hebel elaborated on some of the data collection Geneseo undertakes.

“We report the total number of hours students have volunteered, as far as what we can capture. We know that we’re constantly underreporting that number because we know there’s a lot of stuff happening on campus that we aren’t aware of,” she said. “Usually we have just under 5,000 students, which means almost everybody at Geneseo has been involved in some service project at some point in their career here.”

The different service hours Geneseo students have participated in demonstrate their compassion and dedication, according to Matthews.

“We have a report on global service in Haiti, Nicaragua, Uganda and contribution through a lot of service learning courses,” he said.

When applying for this honor, Geneseo included specific stories of service, Hebel said.

“We talked about our MLK Day of Service and how we provide opportunities for leadership and service that way,” she said. “We’ve talked about the Geneseo Interfaith Service project and opportunities students have to connect faith and service together. We’ve talked about things the College of Education has done with programs to bring at-risk youth to campus.”

Geneseo has also pushed toward becoming an economically ethical campus, Matthews said.

“We include the Geneseo Small Business Development Center, the community outreach with Campus Auxiliary Services buying locally and the Center of Inquiry and Development Program under Ambassador Programs,” he said.

Matthews and Hebel, along with biology major sophomore Mina Abdelmalik, attended the honor roll ceremony at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., according to the Geneseo website.

“It was really interesting to compare what we’re doing at Geneseo to other campuses and get some new ideas and think about other ways we could engage students,” Hebel said.

Hebel said that she believes that the recognition Geneseo has received reflects the large amount of work that the college’s students complete.

“We have been on the honor roll every year since it began. It kind of affirms what we already know about Geneseo,” she said. “A lot of the students who are coming in are selected because they are highly involved in other extracurricular opportunities, including volunteerism. It’s nice to see that against other campuses, we are recognized at a higher level for our commitment to service.”

Assoc.  News Editor Malachy Dempsey contributed reporting for this article.

Study abroad decision process taxing, ultimately satisfying

After entering college, I contemplated studying abroad for a long period of time. I had my fears—missing out on what was going to happen in Geneseo and whether or not my friends were going to forget about me. Questions like, “Do I have enough credits to study abroad?” and “Can I really afford it?” frequented my thoughts, too. I wasn’t sure how exactly I’d be able to do it—or if I really wanted to.

In the fall of my junior year, however, I asked myself if there was really any harm was in applying. One of the great things about studying at a SUNY school is that it’s a statewide program and New York is pretty big. I had the ability to choose from a plethora of study abroad programs spanning from the Western Hemisphere all the way to the Eastern—run through any SUNY institution.

Considering all of my options, I decided to apply for a program in Brazil. I felt it was the best choice for me considering my aspirations to become a foreign correspondent and my desire to address problems affecting Latin American countries. The only barrier that remained was learning the third most widely spoken language in Latin America: Portuguese.

Learning Portuguese motivated me to look for study abroad programs that offered intensive studies in the language. I was ecstatic when I found one: SUNY New Paltz’s partnership with Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro. The program not only had a focus on Portugese, but was incredibly affordable—matching Geneseo’s spring tuition bill with only a slight difference. I applied and four days later, I was accepted into the program. From there, I was given a list of forms and requirements. Even though I was sending forms in, I was still unsure of whether or not I really wanted to commit to the program; I did so with hopes that I would be prepared if I chose to go.

The moment I decided to commit to the study abroad program was when I realized the experiences I would gain. If I went to Brazil in the spring, I would add a language to my comparative literature major, learn about Brazilian culture and gain new ways of looking at life. Determining what I’d be able to gain from the experience made it much easier to commit.

A month after my acceptance, I learned that I had been awarded the Gilman Scholarship which would help fund my trip to Brazil. It meant that the worries I had at the beginning of my decision-making process were largely soothed. I had not had any expectations of receiving the scholarship. If the reason you’re worried about studying abroad is based on money, I suggest applying for as many scholarships as you can. You will never be afforded the opportunity to spend six months in a foreign country so frugally. Additionally, many programs are set at Geneseo’s tuition—you just have to look beyond the norm. 

My advice to students contemplating their study abroad decision is to make a list of the pros and cons of studying abroad. Think of it less as leaving things behind and rather as adding so much more. When I leave for Brazil in January, my entire world will tilt. I’m still a bit nervous about how I’ll survive in a country that’s immensely different than the United States, but I’m going into the experience with open arms. Do your research and apply; the world is literally at your fingertips.

Geneseo Genealogy: Bowling alley facilitates community fun

Since the early 1960s, Livingston Lanes & Pub—located at 4260 Lakeville Road—has provided members of the Geneseo community with access to sparkling bowling lanes. With inexpensive prices, the bowling alley provides Geneseo students and community members a fun and relaxing night out.

Part time instructor and worker Matty Samearing has been an avid client of the lanes since he was a child. “I remember them building the place when I was about six or seven years old,” he said.

Samearing has worked part-time at Livingston Lanes for 20 years. “I was introduced to bowling at a young age by my parents,” he said. From there, Samearing joined the pub’s junior league and participated up until he graduated from high school. After serving in the Navy, Samearing returned and began adamantly bowling four to five times a week at the lanes.

According to Samearing, the place has changed with each successive owner. “The place has seen several owners and each one tries to upgrade a little bit to make it nicer or a little more modern,” he said. Samearing noted that the bowling alley recently changed their scoring systems. “We upgraded this past fall to a new system,” he said. “They have the original machines, but with good maintenance, they last.”

The addition of an arcade in the past couple of years, including pinball and basketball machines, has increased the influx of guests. The lanes, however, remain old-fashioned—maintaining their original wooden floors and blue and white 60s diner-esque décor.

The bowling alley attracts Geneseo locals and families that are looking to spice up the average night. Every Friday, the lanes host “College Night” featuring glow bowling and free shoe rentals with a college ID.

Many leagues frequent the lanes. Assembled of members from age four to 18, a junior league meets each Saturday morning for a day of learning at the alley. “We get a lot of families here and I like that,” Samearing said. “Saturday mornings, I instruct our league for young bowlers.” He added that there have been conversations at the alley about starting a college league with Geneseo.

Samearing expressed his disappointment with the diminishing state of bowling in today’s society, “You have so many other sports to compete with and it’s unfortunate,” he said. According to Samearing, the number of people who visit the alley has decreased over the last couple of years. He explained that the attraction grows as you keep practicing. “Once you progress to a certain point and learn a little more, you get a little better,” he said.

Even for people not interested in pursuing bowling as a serious hobby, it can still be a fun way to kick back with friends and enjoy an evening. “The alley provides something to do for the Geneseo community,” Samearing said. “We have a bar and we have a restaurant and I hope people come bowl and have a good time.” 

Spotlight: Professor celebrates humanities, encourages study abroad

Adjunct Lecturer in English and languages and literatures Wes Kennison ‘79 is a strong believer in Geneseo’s unique requirements. Kennison graduated from Geneseo studying English and medieval studies and has taught humanities at Geneseo for almost three decades.  He explained that he has high hopes for the future of the humanities curriculum. 

“I think that the course is a great part of Geneseo and it should continue to be, but in order for it to do that, it needs to change and respond to the changing times,” he said. Kennison has now taught Humanities in Greece, Germany, Austria and Nicaragua. In addition to teaching humanities, Kennison also teaches Latin—highlighting the integrative learning practices of the Middle Ages. “Latin is not a language,” Kennison said. “It is a superpower.”

Kennison explained that he is thrilled to be able to work and travel with students. “Traveling with Geneseo students is an extraordinary experience … Geneseo has the highest percentage of students studying abroad in the whole SUNY system,” he said. He added that he believes that this is indicative of a desire to learn and grown outside of one’s own culture, a quality he thinks Geneseo students in particular harbor.

Originally from the nearby town of York, New York, Kennison explained that he thought of Geneseo as the “big city” throughout his childhood. “When I came to Geneseo as a freshman in 1975, the happy surprise that I got was that Geneseo became a window to the world,” he said.

Not only is Kennison a Geneseo alum, but many of his family members also attended. “Both of my children have Geneseo degrees, my aunt graduated from Geneseo, my niece graduated from Geneseo, my nephew is at Geneseo, my mother went to Geneseo,” he said. “Everywhere you look in my family, folks have degrees from Geneseo.”

Kennison was determined to study abroad during his time at Geneseo, although it was a “really weird thing to do at the time.” After a year of studying in England during the summer of his sophomore year, Kennison hitchhiked through Europe in 52 days on a budget of $352.

“The following summer, I got some grant money and I did a research project on Dante in Siena,” he said. This is where his lifetime love affair with the city began. Kennison noted that he has spent six years in Siena, traveling back once every year since 1978.

Kennison’s stressed that students should seek to travel abroad not just to see sights, but to actively participate and engage in a new culture and way of life. “The sooner you stop being a tourist and instead become a pilgrim and a learner, the more fun you’re going to have,” he said. One of the significant changes Geneseo students have experienced over time is this cross-cultural, open-minded perspective that Kennison advocates for with humanities.

“I know that if I set up 17 hoops at different heights and ask my students to jump through, they will do that. What I ask them to do now is set up the hoops,” Kennison said. “The core of a liberal arts education is that you can look honestly into the face of mystery and figure it out.”

Kennison can be found in the Study Abroad Office, creating faculty-led study abroad programs and pushing the idea of integrative learning.