The life of an activist is often thankless – endless criticism
and often scapegoating by naysayers and system defenders. Rarely do those who fight for a better world –
or in this case a better university – get praised and thanked. Well that was different for what is now Rider
Students Union who was invited to a pizza and piano party organized and hosted
by the Westminster Choir College Piano Department – whose survival – and perhaps
the survival of WCC as a music conservatory college - was threatened by the
announced (and then abandoned) cut to the piano major and graduate
program. The party occurred this past
Friday, November 20 and featured delicious pizza, awesome music and a hilarious
but ultra fun rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. It is rumored that the rendition of the
popular song is still being investigated as a Crime Against Harmonity by the
WCC Choir Cops.
The event also included an around the room introductions and
exchange of thoughts and ideas about the majors cuts, what it meant to each and
the fight to oppose them and then the damage done to the university by the
resulting concessions – the resulting adjunctificaion and cheapening of quality
of the level of instruction at Rider that will result.
Presentations were made by the newly founded Rider Student
Union about the need to continue to organize for a better university, student
rights and solidarity.
It was stressed by Ingrid Clarfield, Coordinator of the
Piano Department, that the word needs to get out throughout the nation that the
WCC Piano Major and Graduate degreed programs are alive and well.
Unfortunately the announced cut of the program might have deterred those
looking to major in piano from considering WCC.
All are suggested to copy the following and post it to all of your
social network outlets:
“Please know that ALL the Piano Major Degrees, undergrad and
grad, are alive and well at Westminster Choir College!!!! So please tell your
friends, colleagues and students who are interested in applying. I hope you
will consider sharing and reposting this good news!”
Please also make sure you like this page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wccpianodepartment
A flier was distributed and a proposal was made for a university wide
panel discussion on precisely what transpired with the announced cuts and then
the forcing open of contract items that had been settled last year when the
administration attempted to force a strike by overreaching demands against the
faculty.
But the student and faculty business did not get in the way
of having fun – as Rider Lawrenceville and WCC piano students partied, listened
to music, sang together and built unity.
It shows that while we must always continue to struggle for
a better world – and for students and faculty – a better university – but at
the same time – we can stop, enjoy our unity and have some fun.
Hats off to the Piano Department for its classy show of
appreciation for the hard work of what was the Save My Major Coalition but has
now been transformed into the Rider Student Union.
For day-to-day updates from Rider Student Union join the
Facebook group:
In addition to the below videos, awesome piano performances
were provided by Josh Gardner, Janie Zhao and Justin Brown.
The following is an amusing friendly piano duo by the Anek
cousins, John Fr-Anek and Robert Colby-Wit-Anek.
Here is a piano rendition of the internationally famous
(especially in Latin America) anthem of struggle El Pueblo Unido Jamas Sera
Vencido
Here is an awesomely funny and fun culmination of the party –
Bohemian Rhapsody.
Here are a collection of Facebook pictures from the event.
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