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Onondaga Community College Music Professor Dr. Rob Bridge started planning for a worst-case scenario more than a month ago, shortly after he held  his last in-person class with students on Friday, March 13. A Percussion Ensemble was scheduled for Friday, April 24. What if student’s couldn’t return to campus? Would they still be able to perform? “I reached out to them about recording a piece, ‘Clapping Music’ by Steve Reich. We were able to make a nice video fairly quickly,” said Professor Bridge.

Nidaa Aljabbarin has been selected to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s prestigious Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The highly competitive national scholarship will provide Aljabbarin with up to $40,000 a year to complete her bachelor’s degree, and up to $75,000 of funding toward graduate school. Aljabbarin is one of only 50 recipients nationwide and one of only five in all of New York State. The other four New York State recipients are all from the New York City area.

Colin Manwaring knows what the next few weeks will look like. He'll have plenty of coursework deadlines to meet in the Electronic Media Communications (EMC) major, and ultimately earn his degree in May. It's what will come next that he's trying to figure out. His dream was to become a sportscaster, but he's realized he's not willing to achieve that goal at the expense of missing out on life. "I've always grown up appreciating family and friends. Being away makes me notice that more. I want to be there.

Every April, OCC holds a ceremony called Curriculum Honors during which we recognize the top student in each of the College’s majors. It’s one of the highlights of the year. During the ceremony a faculty member introduces each student and details his or her accomplishments, the student receives a certificate and a light blue stole to be worn at commencement, and the student is photographed with OCC President Dr. Casey Crabill. Due to the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, we were unable to hold our ceremony this year.

Dr. Frank Skurpski's daily life looks very different than it did three months ago before coronavirus. Now his days consist of triaging patients in tents outside of the hospital, struggling with shortages of PPE (personal protection equipment),  and dealing with the harsh realities of the coronavirus. But for doctors like Skurpski, it's a fight they've been trained for and something he considers a personal duty as health professionals.

What do you miss about being on campus? OCC President Dr. Casey Crabill asked that question in her Monday email to colleagues. She reflected on what she missed - “the noise outside my window as buses drop off high school students for campus visits, an entire semester of delicious lunches at Stonewalls thanks to our Hospitality Management students, and the opportunity to get blown over on the bridge by the fierce winds of Onondaga Hill.” She asked faculty and staff to email her what they missed about being on campus. The reply was overwhelming!

• Major: Music with a specialization in Voice
• High School: Vestal, class of 2018

Lily Woughter knew since middle school she wanted a career in music. Figuring out what exactly that career would look like took a little longer. "During high school I wasn't sure which branch of music to pursue. By the time I had to audition I didn't feel quite ready for a four-year school. I heard really good things about the Music program at OCC and decided to come here."

Every April, OCC holds a ceremony called Curriculum Honors during which we recognize the top student in each of the College’s majors. It’s one of the highlights of the year. During the ceremony a faculty member introduces each student and details his or her accomplishments, the student receives a certificate and a light blue stole to be worn at commencement, and the student is photographed with OCC President Dr. Casey Crabill. Due to the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, we were unable to hold our ceremony this year.