(GENESEO): The Myriad of Navigating Geneseo’s Binaries [1]

SUNY Geneseo was founded in 1871. In comparison to 2019 that means that the school has existed as an institution for over 148 years. In the next two years, it will be SUNY Geneseo’s 150 existing as a college that is “known for its exceptional faculty, its welcoming atmosphere, and its reputation for producing fiercely loyal alumni.” In fact, that is exactly what SUNY Geneseo is.

An exceptional institution.

Geneseo logo Geneseo’s Enhanced Logo

In fact, Geneseo has the rewards to prove how it is exceptional.  For instance, SUNY Geneseo in 2019 was awarded the Best in Undergraduate Teaching by the U.S News and World Report. SUNY Geneseo is also 15th in the best ranking of eastern public colleges by Business First.  Finally, for my primary major, Geography, we are recognized for our excellence and have been awarded by the American Association of Geographers (AAG). These awards are only the few that I note out the many Geneseo has received.

Yet with all of these reminders Geneseo still feels like a very lonely place. That in Geneseo’s 148 years of success, it continues to face institutional problems. These institutional problems often make me feel like a stranger at this campus. It is this strange feeling that drives me to analyze the Urban Garden.  Specifically, I want to use the urban garden and see what binaries exist at Geneseo and how do fit into them.

As such, I will, for future posts discuss the binaries that exist within Steve Prince’s artwork, whether it is “Katrina’s Dirge” or our “Urban Garden”.

Because while SUNY Geneseo is a well-credited school, it is not without its faults. For some, this may include the use of binaries that can be seen in literature or socioeconomic identities and childhood development.

This will be a process.

A process in the lines that both divide and exist at Geneseo through the work of Steve Prince, writers, thinkers, disciplines, and personal anecdotes from Geneseo students themselves. It is by understanding these lines, can I get to the root of this loneliness and strangeness that haunts me at SUNY Geneseo.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.