MELISSA FUCHS
Staff Writer
Amy Gruttadauria is a senior at Fredonia, and her schedule is anything but empty. She is captivating in her ability to seemingly do it all without showing evidence of faltering.
When you first meet Gruttadauria, you will notice her lengthy chestnut-brown hair with one side shaved. The next item might be her thin black framed glasses, or it might be the infectious smile that shows off her warmth and caring nature.
Gruttadauria credits much of her creative spirit to the Rochester, N.Y., area.
“Originally I didn’t care much about Rochester, thinking it was just another ‘small town’ place I couldn’t wait to get out of,” she said.
It wasn’t until she entered high school that she, alongside her friends, started to seek out the music and art venues Rochester had to offer.
Gruttadauria credits her own upbringing as a pivotal piece of who she has become today. Her parents are huge supporters, especially her father.
“He always was the one who taught me to work for what I wanted, teaching me that things are worth what you put into them,” Gruttadauria said.
Initially, Gruttadauria came to Fredonia as a communications disorders and sciences major before taking her mother’s advice and switching to theater.
As a BFA theatre arts major, Gruttadauria was impressed by the department’s dedication to supporting students seeking their own creative paths.
This is something she has experienced firsthand, with her biggest learning opportunities working as a stage manager with the productions “The Illusion” and “Peter and the Starcatcher.”
“Being a stage manager isn’t easy, it sacrifices your free time and resources . . . that being said, as a stage manager you are one of the only people involved who is there and involved in 100 percent of the process,” said Gruttadauria. “Being able to see the show blossom and transform in front of your eyes — nothing beats it.”
Samantha Ticker, a BFA theatrical production and design major, worked alongside Gruttadauria on “The Man Who Came To Dinner.” She credits Gruttadauria with being a supportive sounding board when she needed inspiration for her designs.
“Amy is able to sympathize and relate with the people around her . . . this level of empathy is key for a stage manager,” Ticker said.
Ticker reminisced about memories working on the Performing Arts Company’s production of “Eurydice” together with Gruttadauria.
“There was a dance to ‘Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree’ . . . From then on we have always tried to find a way to sneak the song or renditions of the song into other shows,” she said.
Gruttadauria also keeps herself busy as the current program director at WCVF-FM. The station was recognized for the second year in a row at the Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems as having the Best College Radio Station for a college with under 10,000 students.
“It doesn’t feel real — Sometimes I have to take a moment and look around at everyone in the station and remind myself how lucky I am to be where I am . . . it is the dedication of everyone around me: every jock, every ops, every archivist, and every eboard member (past or present) that made this award possible,” Gruttadauria said.
One of her assistants, Sydney Mulkey, hopes to further WCVF’s legacy as Best Station in the Nation once Gruttadauria graduates this May. Mulkey, a political science major with an international relations concentration, attributes the lessons she has learned to having a great mentor.
“Amy has showed me not only how to handle the basics like automation and scheduling, but how to work with what we’ve got and keep a positive outlook (even when we’re super frustrated with automation) . . . in a way she’s also taught me not to be so hard on myself and that it’s OK to have a bad day once in a while,” she said.
Gruttadauria started off with an assistant position in the station’s archives and worked her way up. Her experience with FRS led her to adding the audio major her junior year.
“I always say that WCVF is like a child — sometimes it misbehaves but most of the time it doesn’t so you learn to love its bad quirks and good quirks all the same,” she said.
While she may downplay her ability to be manage such a full schedule and still keep everything in pristine shape, she notes the important role of the support available.
“I think the most important thing one can do when taking on the world is recognize what you have available to assist you . . . I know personally that I lean on those around me and often seek the advice of others,” she said.
Knowing that her time at Fredonia is coming to a speeding close as she prepares for graduation, she ultimately wants to leave her mark before she walks on that stage in May.
“Fredonia has given me a lot,” she said. “So it’s up to me to give the most I can back to the school and those I love in it.”