Raymond DeLaney
Graduation Year: 2010
Major: Theatre with a concentration in Performance
Hometown: Tribes Hill, NY
WHY ONEONTA:
Ray came to Oneonta as a Music Industry major. However, when he came to know the Theatre Department, he realized that he had found where he wanted to be. “I'm looking into professional theatre as a career. I really want to be on stage and to sing.”
MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE:
Ray recalls getting the leading male role in the Spring 2009 musical, Sweet Charity. “I never saw it coming.”
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:
Ray is a member of the Mask and Hammer theatre club, Hooked On Tonics a cappella group, Chamber Singers select choir, Terpsichorean dance company, Apollo Music Club, and Alpha Psi Omega national honorary fraternity in theatre. He’s been in a variety of plays and musicals including Trial By Jury, Into The Woods, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Sweet Charity. He has also competed in the Oneonta Junior Idol competition sponsored by radio station WSRK.
What is the most influential class you have taken at Oneonta so far?
I would have to say my Theatre 178 class, Play Analysis, taught by Dr. John McCaslin-Doyle. Going into it, I was nervous about the course workload and curriculum. As the semester progressed though, I came to realize that I was learning and retaining more information from this class than any other I had taken before. The subject matter was something that interested me, so I had no problem sitting down and doing the work.
What have you achieved at Oneonta?
As of now, I don't have too many accomplishments in specific areas…just a few little things that make me happy. I am going into my third year at SUNY Oneonta but have senior status because I took a lot of credits. I received a lead role in a musical, which is a pretty big deal based on the competition. Also, I was selected as a first-semester freshman to join vocal groups with extremely high standards. My most favorable accomplishment, though, has been finding the best friends I could have dreamed of. The Theatre Department at Oneonta is a very tight-knit group of individuals who love and care for each other like family. Even better, they are always open and welcoming to new members. It's really something special and something I didn't think existed. I couldn't be happier with my decision to attend SUNY Oneonta, and I believe that in itself is an achievement of the greatest measure.
What three words summarize your experience at Oneonta?
Everything I Wanted.
