This article is the Aprils Fools 2019 Joke by the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and Department of Music at Stony Brook University. Many thanks to the School of Journalism, the Center for News Literacy, the College of Arts and Sciences and others for their assistance.
April 1st, 2019. Stony Brook, NY. At a sign-revealing ceremony this morning in front of Endeavour Hall, Dean Paul Shepson and President Samuel Stanley announced the brand new School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and Music (SoMUS) at Stony Brook University (SBU). SoMUS combines the Department of Music and the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences in an effort to strengthen Stony Brook University’s multi-disciplinary approach to the fine arts, biosciences, education, and shark research. Dean Shepson remarked that he is “excited about the opportunities represented by SoMUS” and it is a “veritable Horn O’ Plenty of opportunity” where we can explore “the rather obvious and exciting connections between Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, and Music through the sound of ocean waves to Ocean Acidification to Acid Rain to Acid Rock.”
“This type of research fusion represents a new paradigm in higher education.” says Michael Hershkowitz, Director of Concerts and Oceanic Education. “ For centuries scientists and musicians have remarked on the similarities between the breeding patterns of North Atlantic salmon and sonata-allegro form in early Beethoven compositions.”
Mark Lang, Senior Systems Engineer and late 15th century Medieval Music Specialist announced “It’s time to draw on the vast oceanic experience of our chamber musicians and the post-tonal sensitivities of our microbiologists to bring Stony Brook to the forefront of music-atmospheric synergy.”
Students in the former music program will now have priority performance access to the R/V Seawolf, while the young scientists of the former SoMAS program can use the Staller Center stages for live demonstrations of CTD casts, aquatic toxicology investigations, and storm surge. A Friday Night concert series at the Marine Sciences Center in Southampton kicks off Memorial Day weekend on the dock overlooking Old Fort Pond Bay. The public concert that weekend is expected to draw visiting boaters enjoying the show from the water.
Utilizing a joint grant from CMA and NOAA, SoMUS is focusing their attention on strategies to mitigate the lobster die-off in Long Island Sound by using subsonic performances of Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos and serial music sequences. SoMUS also plans to add high definition audio to their weather cameras to live-stream performances during News 12 weather segments.
From Whale Calls to Call and Response, SoMUS can engage you in the right program that speaks to you, sings to you, and takes you down the path to a brighter day. Dean Shepson invites you to come to SoMUS where “we will rock you like a hurricane. With your new degree and new opportunities exploring connections between the Earth’s environment and music, you will be on Cloud Nine! See you at SoMUS!”
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This article is the Aprils Fools 2019 Joke by the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and Department of Music at Stony Brook University. Many thanks to the School of Journalism, the Center for News Literacy, the College of Arts and Sciences and others for their assistance.
ABOUT STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Stony Brook University is going beyond the expectations of what today’s public universities can accomplish with April Fool’s Jokes. Our collection of April Fool’s gags includes the following: A Battle of the Bands Fundraiser at SoMAS. Using novel radar technology dialed up to 11 for mind control. The University offers students an opportunity to examine the increase in sharknados with its Sharknado Studies minor. The State University of New York announced DEEP BLUE, the 65th SUNY campus set to be the flagship campus for SUNY and the fleet of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences will provide escort duty for DEEP BLUE. Undergraduate Student Government brought airplanes to campus with the satirical “United Airlines Party.”
Visit Newsday and Business Insider for their suggestions for spotting fake news. And check out the Center for News Literacy‘s online MOOC “Making Senses of the News: News Literacy Lessons for Digital Citizens” to learn more about evaluating the quality of news and journalism in order to judge the reliability of information and make informed judgement.
