Hana Bushara ’21 is the president of the Laurentian Singers, the student chamber choir with a 74-year history at St. Lawrence. She recalls the moment she and her fellow singers had to transition to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic last spring.
“It was devastating.” says Hana. “The Laurentian Singers were preparing to start our tour to San Francisco which obviously got scrapped, alongside our final performance scheduled for the end of the semester—our seniors took that really hard.”
For performing artists like Hana at St. Lawrence, the pandemic posed unique challenges. But once the disappointment of cancelled spring events subsided, students and dedicated faculty and staff members across campus did more than just accept the challenges in front of them—they confronted them with creativity and innovation to sustain a rich tradition of music and dance at St. Lawrence.
The Sound of Creativity
Despite their dismay, Hana and her fellow singers knew they had to move forward.
“For me, there’s always danger with the word ‘plan’—I mean look at what 2020 has been like for all of us,” Hana says. “It’s more about taking advantage of digital spaces.”
She credits the dedicated leadership of Laurentian Singers Director Barry Torres, Associate Professor and Chair of Music David Henderson, Lecturer in the First-Year Program Larry Boyette, Production Manager Terry DuBray, and Instructional Specialist Barbara Phillips-Farley for forging solutions during the transition to remote learning.