Lauren Sawall, a music education major with a vocal focus from Howell, NJ told me a story
about how she decided on her major and the effect it’s had on her.
Her middle school teacher, Dr. Sezer, inspired her to get into the vocal focus and to continue on with music. She did not know what to expect from Rowan’s music program, as she came from a competitive high school. There was a new director for the music department when she arrived here as a freshman, and the experience was a disappointment. Not to mention, this was a time in her life full of confusion and transition, and she seriously contemplated whether she made the right choice. During her sophomore year new directors arrived, and again she was disappointed. She felt discouraged and let down. It seemed to be a waste of a year and she even thought about transferring from the choral department. It was a stressful time, and she was homesick to boot. Currently in her junior year, she auditioned again. Mr. Thomas, the new director, made Sawall realize why she is here and why she loves what she does.
The music program at Rowan University is only four and a half years old. The majority of Sawall’s classes are in
Wilson Hall, and when asked how she felt about being quarantined in one building on campus, she said, “Most of my classes require piano so there would be nowhere else to take classes because this is the
accommodation I need.”
Regarding how often she sees students from other majors and departments on campus, Sawall confirmed that the majority of her friends are also music majors. However, thanks to her job as an R.A., she has been exposed to other majors and has met lots of different people; she would otherwise not know anyone else from campus.
Gerry Janansky, a dual major in secondary education and English from Egg Harbor Township, said that she enjoys her major and that she honestly thought it would be something she would excel at. Janansky plans on graduating in 5 years and also plans on trying to get a reading endorsement.
Janansky’s education core classes are in Education Hall and her English classes are in Bunce Hall. She enjoys the space in Education Hall because she feels that other buildings are tighter on classroom space.
As for Janansky’s interaction with people from other majors, only a couple of classes are exclusively education
majors, but has made an effort to make friends, not initially knowing many people in the major. She considers herself a well-rounded person.
In terms of different majors and the interactions between them, it all comes down to what the individual student contributes, as far as becoming involved and putting themselves out there. If not for extracurricular activities, people would most likely not meet even half of the different kinds of individuals that exist on their campus.
For those interested in bonding with other students from a background similar to their own, there are several relevant student associations on campus. Here at Rowan, we have the United Latino Association (ULA), the Asian Cultural Association (ACA), and the Black Cultural League (BCL), to name a few.