Category Archives: Uncategorized

When thunder roars…

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…Go indoors! (But really, that’s how the saying goes. Practice your lightning safety, folks.)

Hello everyone, and Happy October! What has the wonderful weather of Oswego been up to lately, you ask?

Well, the month has come in with a literal bang, as campus experienced a rather noisy late-season thunderstorm on Oct. 2.

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Photo credit: Matthew Seymour

Around 5:15pm on Oct. 2, this massive-looking cloud formation, known as a shelf cloud, appeared in the western sky. This cloud is commonly found at the leading edge of thunderstorms, and can signify incoming strong winds. Sure enough, about 5 minutes later, the wind became gusty and rain began to come down in buckets. So, if you see a shelf cloud, better run for cover!

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Photo credit: Matthew Seymour

Today, Oct. 3, started out cloudy in the morning, with the sun shining by the time afternoon rolled around. But, something else was in the air – I almost mist it. (Ha ha) A thin layer of fog rolled in off the lake during the early afternoon. This fog likely formed due to a relatively humid air mass moving over the cooling lake waters. But more striking is the appearance of a faint white arc, known as a fogbow. Fogbows are formed in a similar process as rainbows, however in this case, the sun’s rays refract off of fog droplets instead of raindrops.

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Photo credit: Matthew Seymour

Additionally, the sunsets continue to impress. Shown is the sunset from Sept. 29, as I viewed from the second floor of Shineman Center.

Be on the lookout for my next post, which will tell you about some of my sunset experiences, and where to go to get the best views and best photographs alike. Until next time, folks!!

If You’re in the Mood to Eat Somewhere New

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Dining hall food is pretty great (“Chicken Patty Day” anyone?), but sometimes you want to try something off campus that isn’t a fast food joint. Especially if you are new to Oswego, you don’t really know all that is out there. That’s where I come in. I’m going to cover some reliable mainstays in Oswego that are always worth the visit.

Let’s begin with Rudy’s. Rudy’s is a lakeside joint all about fish, tenders, and other tasty foods close to the west side of campus and one of the most iconic eateries in this part of New York.

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Especially in the beginning of the summer, ask anyone there and there’s a chance that you’ll hear that people are from Rochester, Albany, and other places across New York. Rudy’s is only open seasonally, so make sure to stop in before they close after Columbus Day weekend. Bev’s Dairy Treat (known most commonly as just Bev’s) is right next to Rudy’s, and if you ever have a hankering for soft serve, it’s the place to go.

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Press Box and Old City Hall are also some really great restaurants to check out. They are right off Bridge Street and perfect places to take your parents when they come into town or if you want to go somewhere nice off of campus. They are bar and grill-type places. You can’t go wrong with anything at Press Box, and I highly recommend the wraps and fries at Old City Hall.

If you’re searching for Italian at a family restaurant, Canale’s is the place to be. The alfredo is excellent and anyone in search of a hearty pasta will certainly enjoy it and the warm atmosphere. You don’t walk out of Canale’s hungry!

For a cute cafe with a relaxed vibe, Port City Cafe offers salads, paninis, desserts, and other lighter fare. With soft lighting and your choice of booth or counter by the window for sitting, it’s definitely a place to try.

This post certainly doesn’t cover all of the restaurants in Oswego, and I encourage you to go out and explore all there is. I know I will!

Welcome to Autumn!

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Hello everybody! It’s that time of year again…

Autumn!!! Or fall. Or pumpkin spice everything season. Whatever you prefer to call the three months between Sept. 22 and Dec. 21.

Here in Oswego, that means a few things. Swimming season at the lake is coming to an end. Temperatures begin to drop, and windy days become more numerous by the week. The green trees will soon become adorn in red and orange fall colors. And before you know it, well I won’t mention the dreaded s-word just yet…

So far this season, we haven’t really experienced true “autumn” weather in Oswego. A warm pattern, a continuation of the hot and dry summer Upstate NY experienced this year, carried over into September. Here in Oswego, the daily high temperature reached above 70ºF everyday this month through Sept. 23, even on a few occasions eclipsing 80º. Doesn’t sound like autumnal weather to me!

Meanwhile, the low temperature has dropped below 55º only four times so far this month, and did not reach the 40s until the morning of Sept. 25.

A tranquil sunset on Sept. 21 at the campus lakeshore. [Photo credit: Matthew Seymour]

A tranquil sunset on Sept. 21 at the campus lakeshore. [Photo credit: Matthew Seymour]

Keep in mind that, on average, high temps drop from the mid 70s on Sept. 1, to the mid 60s on Sept. 30. Lows normally go from the upper 50s on Sept. 1, to the upper 40s by month’s end.

Just this past Friday, a strong cold front finally pushed through the region, putting an end to Oswego’s extended summer weather. Temps the past couple days have been right around where they usually are, if not a little below normal. What a relief!!

A large wave crashes into the lakeshore the evening of Sept. 23, during strong northerly winds that followed the passage of a cold front in the morning. [Photo credit: Matthew Seymour]

A large wave crashes into the lakeshore the evening of Sept. 23, during strong northerly winds that followed the passage of a cold front in the morning. [Photo credit: Matthew Seymour]

The autumn-like weather looks to stick around this time, with cool temps continuing for the next several days. Have a great week!!

4 Ways to Wake Up Without Coffee

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Coffee is absolutely a fantastic. If you are feeling tired, lazy and need that boost, all you have to do is stop at Fans and get yourself some coffee to give you that boost you need in the morning. I used to drink coffee every single morning, french vanilla with skim milk and one sugar to be more specific. I started to notice that I was not able to function without that morning stop to Dunkin and decided that I did not want one cup of coffee to determine my mood in the morning. Also I went from a small cup to the biggest one they had so I figured it is not okay to be drinking that much coffee in the morning. So I did some research and after all my browsing and experiments I narrowed it down to 5 ways to waking up in the morning without a cup of coffee.

1. Sunlight

  • Sleeping in a completely dark room is great but keeping those curtains open will bring in natural light and science says the sun’s rays will help you wake up. I do sleep with my curtains open and its true! As soon as the sun comes up I usually beat my alarm clock and wake up. Also, the sun light is kinda just annoying so I get up because of that.

2. Take a cold shower

  • This is a savage way to do it but a quick little cold shower will wake you right up. If you do not want to put your whole body through the misery, you can just give your face a quick splash of cold water.

3. Workout

  • Believe it or not a nice workout will start your day off great! Anytime I get a chance I like to get a workout in the morning, exercise will help your blood flow circulate and get you moving.

4. Make a great playlist

  • Create an upbeat playlist to help give you an instant energy boost. Plus dancing has been shown to help keep you alert and we all know everyone likes to dance in private.

Better Late Than Never

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Hi everyone! My name is Shanna (Shay-nuh) Mansfield, I am a Public Relations major with a minor in English. I’m from a town called Pearl River in Rockland County, just outside of NYC.

So, I’m going to take it back to my senior year in high school. Unlike most of my peers who had been applying to colleges since the beginning of the year I hadn’t applied to any. Nope, not a single one. I had absolutely no direction, no idea where I wanted to go, what I wanted to study or who I wanted to be.

A couple months before graduation, I applied to my local community college, RCC, and was accepted. Better late than never.

While at RCC my freshmen year I had tons of free time on my hands, which I used to visit friends who had been whisked off to different colleges. My first visit was to our very own SUNY Oswego! I fell in love, I’m talking head-over-heels love and there was no turning back for me.

I loved the atmosphere, the vibe, the campus, the beautiful and breathtaking lake. THIS. This is what I wanted. I couldn’t get enough and I never wanted to leave. But of course I had to, if I could’ve hid in my friends dorm room for the rest of the year, oh believe me I would have!

Throughout the year I had visited other schools, but nothing left me feeling the same way Oswego did. So I began my transfer application to SUNY Oswego and was accepted!

I transferred in my sophomore year (better late than never). However, I still lacked that direction that everyone else around me seemed just instinctively have. It wasn’t until last year that I had finally decided my major, once again, better late than never! It was with the guidance and help of a dedicated advisor and truly inspirational professors that I was able to find myself and my direction, and realize new dreams and aspirations.

It may have taken me longer than some to get to this point, but the best decision I have ever made was making SUNY Oswego my home away from home. Better late than never.

Introducing Matthew

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Hello everybody! My name is Matthew Seymour. I am from the Ithaca, NY area, and I am a sophomore studying meteorology here at SUNY Oswego. Some of my interests include photography, hiking, hanging with friends, and watching the Oswego sunset.

My journey at SUNY Oswego began in May 2014, when I visited the school for the first time. I immediately fell in love with the school. I applied to a number of other schools, but Oswego had me sold. Some of my favorite aspects included the brand new Richard S. Shineman science building, the scenery (and crazy weather conditions) provided by Lake Ontario, the multitude of clubs and activities offered around the school, and most importantly, the amazing meteorology department.

Currently, I find myself a part of the Meteorology, Photography and Outdoor clubs, as well as serving an E-board position in Waterbury Hall.

I have not considered myself to be one to write a blog someday, but it was bound to happen. My entries will mainly focus on the various weather phenomena Oswego experiences day-to-day. Additionally, I hope to incorporate some of my best pictures that perfectly describe Oswego’s beauty during any season.

That’s it for now – I cannot wait to share my experiences here at SUNY Oswego with you!

Introducing Ilyssa!

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Hi there, current and potential SUNY Oswego students! My name is Ilyssa Weiner. I am a senior at SUNY Oswego studying Broadcasting and Mass Communication with a minor in Political Science. I’m from The Catskills area of New York, just a little more than two hours away from New York City.

My Oswego story began in mid-2012, when my family and I went up to visit a friend who was going to school there. I immediately fell in love with the campus when she initially gave us the tour and loved it even more when we back for an official tour in 2013. Although I applied to a few other schools during my senior year, I had my sights set on SUNY Oswego.

When I initially came to the school, I barely had any experience with broadcasting. Now, I feel like a pro. The broadcasting program is incredible with helping students both inexperienced and experienced learn the ropes. Whether it was getting involved at WTOP-10 and WNYO 88.9 FM or taking classes about how to create videos and write for television news, I felt like I was learning exactly what I needed in order to succeed.

Aside from the amazing broadcasting department, one of my other favorite things at SUNY Oswego is the definitely the lake. I mean, I’m right on Lake Ontario. I can literally go down to the lake and dip my feet in there on a hot summer day. The sunsets by the lake are also breathtaking. Take some time to admire the beauty of the sun setting with your friends if you get the chance.

That’s all from me right now. I’m so excited to be sharing my experiences with all of you!

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Introducing Nicole

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Hi guys! I am Nicole Lightfoot. I am a Junior at SUNY Oswego and I am going for my BFA in graphic design with a minor in photography. I am eventually going to go for my masters in art education. I would really like to move down to Florida after school and be an art teacher. I would also like to have my own  photography studio on the side of teaching. I enjoy photography a lot and I am currently Vice President of photography club. I don’t blog very much but, I am super excited to get the opportunity to discuss different topics with everyone!

Why Oswego?

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When I decided to leave the Army and go back to school I had a very big decision to make, where college should I go to? So I did the normal thing and applied to a bunch of big schools like Syracuse, Rutgers, ASU and so on. I only knew about Oswego because of a girl I was dating at the time. I will not lie, the big schools were pretty awesome but at the time were very overwhelming. I still had a decision to make and decided to take a tour at Oswego and right off the jump I met great people who are still my best friends till today and met many more people along the way. Oswego is the perfect small college to go to, everyone is approachable and are willing to have a good time with you no matter what. I chose Oswego because of the students who go to Oswego, all it takes for everyone to enjoy it is to go out there and socialize. So next time someone makes that weird face when you say you go to Oswego State, tell them to come out for a visit because I at one point was making a weird face when people told me they went to Oswego State. Go Lakers!

Introducing Myself

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Hello, fellow bloggers! This is my first SUNY Oswego Blog. I would like to take this opportunity to briefly introduce myself. I am currently a senior at SUNY Oswego studying business administration. Considering my major is pretty broad, I have no real boundaries on what I want to do as a profession. My goal is to move out of New York state and find a job the best suits my personality.

I have never really considered myself to be someone who blogs but I can honestly say I am very excited about it. There are numerous things I am eager to discuss and shed my opinion on regarding college life and things outside of that. I look forward to discussing these various topics and hearing different opinions from all of you!