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Can't-Miss Classes

Students recall 25 of the coolest courses they've taken at SUNY Oneonta

By SUNY Oneonta

November 11^th, 2019

In the run-up to spring semester course registration, we asked students about the best classes they've taken at SUNY Oneonta. Their answers ranged from the practical (Argumentation) to the quirky (Anthropology of Death) to the creative (Acting), with a little of everything in between:

• Anthropology of Death – “It’s totally different than I would have thought. It has given me a whole new outlook on death and dying. Definitely really cool and different from most classes you’ll take.” – Amanda Volk, Biology, Class of 2020

• Voice with Colby Thomas – “This class was so cool because she basically gives you private lessons. You meet once a week as a group, and then other than that she's teaching us songs individually. I love musicals, so being able to work with somebody who actually starred in "The Phantom of the Opera" is unbelievable. I'm not going to lie, she is my favorite person.” –Taylor Williams, Adolescence Education and Mathematics, Class of 2022

• Phonetics and Phrenology with Alejandra Escudero– “It’s so interesting and challenging to learn about the science behind languages, how people speak and why, the parts of the mouth, and how you have to put your tongue in a certain spot to make a certain sound. It’s fascinating.” – Kevin Colella, Adolescent Education and Spanish, Class of 2020

• Nutrition Education and Counseling – “It wasn’t just reading a textbook and memorizing things. We learned how to actually work with people. I did a mock counseling session with another student, so I could put my knowledge into practice, and I thought that was really helpful in giving us a sneak peek into what life might be like someday in this profession.” – Danielle Swierczyna, Dietetics, Class of 2020

• Audio Production 4 – “It’s one of the more advanced audio classes, and you get to do a lot of advanced stuff, like learning about 5.1 surround sound and how to mix with that as well as different microphone techniques. It’s fun working in the studio and really knowing what you’re doing.” – Lexi Koenke, Music Industry, December 2019

• Typography – “You learn the art of letters and words and fonts. It’s really fun and interesting.” – Kelsey Negron, Digital & Studio Art and Communication Studies, Class of 2021

• Apparel in Today’s Economy with Sarah Portway – “She’s amazing, I love her. The class is so fun. We talk about the financial side of things, and she starts every class by showing a fashion show.” – Sarah Masterson, Fashion and Textiles, Class of 2022

• Interviewing with Kathleen Dwyer – “I’ve never gotten more out of a class. I learned life skills and gained confidence from it. It was one of the best classes I could have taken.” – Emily Whitaker, Communication Studies, Class of 2020

• Diversity and Teaching with Kenneth Sider – “That was one of the most influential classes I’ve taken. It can really apply to every person and every major because it teaches you about different things going on in society. The professor is a third grade teacher at a local elementary school. It was really eye-opening and stuck with me.” – Raven Foote, Political Science, Class of 2020

• Wearable Art with Annacleta Chiweshe – “It was a lot of work, but it was very interesting to work with unconventional materials to make clothing. Dr. Chiweshe is a great woman.” – Lexi Tyo, Fashion Design, Class of 2021

• Criminology with Kirsten Kemmerer – “The way the justice system is today is crazy. I’m really intrigued in what I’m learning, like how environment takes a toll on certain people and can affect them. My professor is amazing, she gives study guides and explains the ideas in great detail. She’s really good.” – Tiona Come, Childhood Education, Class of 2022

• Writing for Radio, TV and Film – “That class was so cool. We learned how to write headlines and short TV scripts and did some on-camera work, which was something I had never experienced before.” – Jillian Marchese, English, December 2019

• Circuits with Michael Faux – “I think I learned the most in that semester from that one class because I was learning from doing. The professor had us pretty much invent and build something, whatever we wanted. If we needed the technical help he would help us, but other than that we were figuring out everything on our own.” – Adriana Perretta, Adolescence Education and Physics, Class of 2020

• Photography – “That was a very interesting class because I got to go the dark room and use chemicals to process the film. You’re not always going to find a dark room these days, so it was really cool to have that resource.” – Ichika Odani, Fashion and Textiles, Class of 2020

• Jane Austen with Bianca Tredennick – “I really love my English classes, especially one on Jane Austen that I took last semester with Dr. Tredennick. She's so knowledgeable, and I was so nervous, but I loved the books that we read and I sent her my essays before each was due. So she really helped with my writing, and I really ended up enjoying the class and doing really well.” – Kaitlyn Effaldana, Adolescence Education and English, Class of 2020

• Model UN with Rob Compton – “It’s such an amazing experience to be a part of because you get to go to New York City and be part of this simulation where you know it’s not real but you pretend it is. And you get to meet the most amazing people from around the world with the same career goals as you.” – Eileen Liang, Political Science and Sociology, Class of 2020

• Fed Challenge with Christine Storrie – “You meet all the time and it becomes your priority. Basically, you come up with a monetary policy and the whole class works together to create this presentation, and you go to New York City and present it to the Federal Reserve and they pick a winner. It’s a great experience. You meet so many classmates and get so close to them, closer than you would for a normal class. And I really improved my public speaking.” – Francesca Giannetta, Business Economics, Class of 2020

• Coaching with Mack Culpepper – “Everything he says is intriguing. He doesn’t teach it like a generic class, he goes by stories and experiences of what he’s done as a coach. He has so much energy and is so passionate about the topic. His energy is amazing and contagious.” – Doug Alliano, Biology, Class of 2020

• Learning About Music – “We start off watching a documentary or a movie about different styles of music, and then we also have live performances in class. I took it as a Gen Ed, and actually really enjoyed it.” – Jacob Urena, Business Economics, Class of 2022

• Gender and Communication – “We touched on a lot of social issues and interesting topics that I didn’t realize I was interested in until I took this class.” – Gabrielle Daigneault, Communication Studies and Sociology, Class of 2021

• Acting with Andrew Kahl – “He showed me a lot about what acting is. It’s not just about memorizing lines, it’s an embodiment of a concept. It was also really fun getting to act out scenes from “Good Will Hunting” and “Animal House” with my friends.” – Matt Skinner, Communication Studies and Theatre, Class of 2020

• Political Science – “We’re always having debates about modern day issues. Outside of that setting, those conversations don’t always go so well. But this was a safe space for it, and my teacher was very open-minded and encouraged us to do the same.” – Ryan Berkowitz, Business Economics, Class of 2023

• Stagecraft – “I got to design my own set with a little 3D model, so that was cool to have that hands-on learning and look at theatre in this new, really technical way.” – Gabe Membreno, English, Class of 2020

• Argumentation – “It was fun to go up against your classmates on different topics. You got to know them on a different level, and it helped me realize that I want to add Communication Studies as a major.” – Kristen Collins, Business Economics and Communication, Class of 2021

• Studio Production with Dave Geasey – “I’m learning a lot about the television industry and what it takes to make a TV show, which is really cool.” – Brooke Harris, Mass Communication and Communication Studies, Class of 2021