“Dancing with Myself” — Questionable Authorities shout out quarantined Class of 2020

Questionable Authorities, SUNY New Paltz’s favorite all-faculty rock band, typically hosts an annual show in honor of students earning their degrees, but current stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19 prompted band members to modify their usual celebration.

The group instead created a music video in honor of the 2020 graduates, performing a cover of Billy Idol’s “Dancing with Myself,” and including well wishes for future graduates as well as solo dance montages.

“Questionable Authorities always wants to share our passion for live music and dancing with all students, faculty and staff,” said Raj Pandya. “We usually play a live show at the end of the semester, but this was not possible this year. We wanted to reach out and try to lift the morale of the New Paltz community.”

Questionable Authorities’ “New Paltz Got Talent” concert has become an institution at New Paltz, as each spring core members Glenn “The Caveman” Geher (Psychology), Maureen “Mo Betta” Morrow (Biology), Brian “The Reverend” Obach (Sociology), Anne “Roach” Roschelle (Sociology), and Raj “Dark Energy” Pandya (Physics & Astronomy) invite other faculty and staff to step behind the mic and help them move the crowd.

“This year, we obviously couldn’t celebrate in our usual way,” said Geher. “But we hope that folks are weathering this situation as well as possible and we’re looking forward to when things get brighter – for all of us.”

Watch the video special version of Billy Idol’s Dancing with Myself here.