About Carolyn Kelly

Marketing and Public Relations, May'17
Email: ckelly8@oswego.edu

Posts by Carolyn Kelly

What I’m taking away from college

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IMG_8413As I’m sitting here trying to ignore how fast the clock is ticking, I’m reminded of all of the incredible experiences and memories I’ve had on this beautiful campus over the past four years. I’m taking away so much from my time here, and truly know that I am a vastly different person than I was at the start of my freshman year. I am proud of who I have become, but I know that I could not have become this person if I hadn’t made that initial decision to attend school here.

I am proud of all of the hard work that I have put into my degree and will be happily graduating in a few weeks with dual degrees in Marketing and Public Relations. Through the classroom lessons, professors, and internships, I am prepared to start a career in advertising. Let me tell you, it feels good to say that confidently. I am leaving college with a lot more than a degree. It truly is the lessons you learn outside of the classroom that matter the most.

I’m leaving with memories of the best four years I could have EVER asked for. There’s something amazing about this place. It’s more than the scenery of Lake Ontario and it’s more than the school itself. It’s really about the sense of belonging you gain here. I felt like myself at this school, only a better version of that person. I’ve learned how to be independent, how to stand up for myself, and appreciate who I am as a person.

I’m leaving with a sense of adventure. Sometimes, no matter how much homework you have, it’s important to just get up and be spontaneous, take a drive, or even host your own food eating contest (I may or may not hold a pretty decent chicken nugget record). Even if I may not be good at some things, I can at least say that I tried my best.

IMG_0353I’m leaving having met the greatest people on this Earth (shoutout to my O.G. 3rd floor Scales crew). My friends are amazing and I can’t wait to see where life takes them. My appreciation for them can never be vocalized enough. Last night, we played our last intramural sports game together. If you knew me four years ago, you’d know that I wouldn’t have been sad about this. Flash forward to last night and I’m standing on the court fighting back the tears. My best friend is the one who encouraged me to play a sport for the first time, and after playing in many many games, I’m happy to have friends like her to encourage me because I had more fun than I could have ever imagined. College is about finding the people who inspire you and love you even at your worst moments. To me it’s the memories of dancing like idiots, late night food runs, shopping through each other’s closets, hours of Netflix, and laughing until our stomachs hurt that I will remember the most.

So here’s to you SUNY Oswego. I may be leaving, but you will always be a part of me no matter where this crazy world takes me.

What to do when there’s nothing to do

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It’s a rainy day here in Oswego, like most of the days in April usually are here. So what is there to do around here anyways? Well let me share with you my top 3 favorite places to go have fun in Oswego!

  • Oswego 7 Cinemas – The best movie theater ever for two great reasons. #1 – THE CHAIRS ARE THE MOST MAGICAL CHAIRS IN ALL OF THE LAND. Yes, that was tad bit dramatic, but you must experience these chairs. They are large, soft, and they freaking recline people! Okay, again I’ll calm down… but seriously, go sit in one of these chairs. #2 – The movies are cheap. Like, college student budget affordable.
    • Early bird special (before noon) tickets are only $5.00!
    • Matinee showings (12:01pm-5:59pm) tickets are only $6.50!
    • After 6pm tickets are only $8.50!
    • Bonus: on Tuesday’s they have a bargain day where all movie tickets are only $6.50 and on Wednesdays, small popcorn is only $1.00.
  • Lighthouse Lanes – I love to go bowling with my friends at Lighthouse Lanes. They have several open lanes and great deals for college students. They also food to order, because who doesn’t want pizza and beer (21+) while bowling?! Cosmic bowling runs from 9:30pm-2am on Fridays and Saturdays. The college specials are:
    • Sunday’s, Monday’s and Wednesday’s (9:30pm-12am) – $1.99 games and $1 shoe rental
    • Tuesday’s and Thursday’s (9:30pm-12am) – $6.99 all you can bowl, shoe rental included
  • Greene’s Team Trivia – Every Wednesday at 10pm at Greene’s, they host a team trivia night. It’s a lot of fun, and if you are 21+ you can win prizes! They put the categories out on their social media platforms around 1pm every Wednesday, so you can know what to expect. The categories always start with trending on social media and end with movies but the middle categories are always randomly chosen. It’s a fun weekday activity to do with your friends and their food is really good! (My recommendation is the buffalo chicken tenders)

Adventure is Out There

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The best time to be in Oswego has finally arrived. It truly is the only place where you can experience 4 seasons in one week. Not sure what I mean by that? Just take a look at this week’s weather forecast. You’ll see within just one week we go from 62 to 33, from sunny to windy, rainy and yes even to snow.

So, while the nice weather is here, go out and explore! There are so many amazing things to see and do in Oswego! Here’s a list of my top 8 favorite places to explore in Oswego (not in any particular order).

  1. Lake Ontario – There’s so much to do in our own back yard! In case you haven’t realized we live on a lake, and we are both incredibly lucky and a little bit unfortunate (I’m talking about you lake effect snow). The sunsets are an experience like no other. You can’t really capture them in a picture and you definitely cannot describe them, so get out and go watch at least one! From May-September, the flat rocks which are located just next to the campus, are the best spot to go swimming or even just hang out in the sun with friends!
  2. Fort Ontario – This historic site was built in 1755, during the French and Indian war and has also been used during the American Revolutionary war, War of 1812, American Civil War, and most notably during WWII to house Jewish Refugees. It has been destroyed and rebuilt 3 times during its history. It is now open as a state park. I personally enjoy the beautiful view of Lake Ontario and the grounds make for a nice spot to explore or take a walk. (P.S. there’s always dogs, and dogs are the best).
  3. Ontario Orchards – The orchard makes for a nice activity in the fall for apple and pumpkin picking amongst other activities. I enjoy taking the short 5-minute drive to the orchard because the area around the orchard is scenic. They also have some of the best baked goods, fruits, vegetables and cheeses in Oswego.
  4. Breitbeck Park – There is so much to do here! It is a beautiful park located right on the lake. There is a playground if you feel like being a kid and hopping on the swings or going down the slide. It is a great place to go for a nice walk or run, play basketball on the courts, or utilize the fields for softball or kickball. You’ll definitely see a few dogs here too. It’s a nice spot to de-stress with your friends and during the nicer months of the semester, it makes a great picnic spot.
  5. Fair Haven beach – While this one is a little farther away, it is absolutely worth the drive! It’s roughly 20 minutes from campus. The park offers a sandy beach with swimming spots, fishing, diving boards, playgrounds, campsites, grills to cook on, nature trails, more dogs, biking trails, kayak and canoe rentals, and playing fields. During the winter months, you can enjoy ice fishing, sledding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and x-country skiing. Some of my favorite memories of the warmer months here are getting out of class on a Friday and hopping in the car with my friends to spend time at the beach.
  6. Sterling Nature Center – On your drive to Fair Haven, you will pass the Sterling Nature Center. It is a well-maintained center known for its preserved and beautiful grounds, nature trails, and sites of various birds and other animals. The “bluffs” are also located off of the beach path at the Sterling Nature Center. The bluffs are high naturally formed cliffs that offer some of the best views of the sunsets over Lake Ontario.
  7. Riverwalk – On the east side of Bridge St. located behind the hotels on the river and behind Old City Hall is a nicely paved walkway that runs alongside the river up towards I-481. It makes for a nice place to take a stroll along the river and during the warmer months, local bands can be heard playing on the river.
  8. Lighthouse – The Oswego lighthouse can be seen as you enter into the city of Oswego from I-481 and down near the lake. It was used to guide boats into the harbor originally and is currently being renovated to restore it to its original condition. It is not advised to take the walk out to the lighthouse because it can be dangerous, especially on a windy day. However, the lighthouse will have boat tours that will allow you to tour the inside post-renovations.

 

fullsizerender

“Life was made for good friends and great adventures” – anonymous

Hello!

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fullsizerenderHello! My name is Carolyn and sadly I am a second-semester senior. I say sadly because pretty much the last thing I want to think about right now is graduating. Finding a job, leaving my friends, moving to a new city, and leaving Oswego is all too much to think about. I have been extremely fortunate to have had the experiences I have had in the past four years. I’ve been surrounded by the most amazing people and partaken in the greatest adventures.

Here’s a brief run-down of my involvement on campus over the past four years. I’m a double major in Marketing and Public Relations, a TA for MKT 250 and MKT 467, I’ve held on-campus jobs in both the Res Life and Housing and Campus Life departments, I’ve participated in three internships, I’m a member of PRSSA, I traveled abroad with a quarter class to London, helped build a house in Iowa with Habitat for Humanity and played on several intramural sports teams (actually my first time playing a sport was in college haha).

One of my favorite experiences, by far was through my internship experience this summer. I was an Outside Sales Representative for the AroundCampus Group in the SUNY Oswego Market. This meant that every day I was accountable for selling advertising space in the free student planners that are handed out to students each year (make sure you get one!). Not only are they free, but they include deals and coupons for businesses in the Oswego area. This is a great resource for students and the community. I was able to meet several amazing local business owners in the Oswego area and learn about the rich culture of Oswego. Over the course of the semester, I will be sharing these businesses with you and many of the best places to see/visit/and eat at in Oswego!