Tag Archives: community

Rokerthon Caps Off Tour at Oswego

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Did you happen to catch the familiar green and gold while sipping on your morning coffee? No, your 8 a.m. eyes didn’t deceive you, SUNY Oswego was on the Today Show. In fact, we were pretty busy breaking a world record. Rome may not have been built in a day, but we broke a world record in 5 minutes. Okay, that’s only technically true, but it isn’t the whole story…

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We managed to get 593 skaters to show up at the Marano Campus Center Arena at 4:45 a.m. in preparation for the national broadcast. Who knew you could get 593 to conga across ice to Gloria Estefan so early in the morning? The celebration was splendid, but more than what meets the eye went into putting on an event that sometimes felt like the circus- “The Greatest Show on Earth!”

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Aside from mandatory rehearsals for skaters, it was all hands on deck from virtually all departments on campus. If if wasn’t ice skating recruitment calls which took place in the dining and residence halls, it was working on the broadcast itself. The theatre department set up the lights and came up with the idea of snow machines for Al Roker’s zamboni entrance!

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(He rode in on a bigger zamboni. Team Mini still looked great!)

It would be misleading to say the event was easy. The amount of coordination and organization was Hurculean. It was exhausting, but man, if it wasn’t pretty darn cool. Some were there for Al, some were there for the fun of it, some (like me) got to geek out over the process of national TV (live-to-broadcast drones anyone?!?!). Our student media organizations were able to get interviews with Mr. Roker and develop great material. Del Sarte, the student dance club, brought signs that were cleverly themed to incorporate their recital and NBC. Everyone got to have a unique stamp on the day. Al even visited all of his old haunts around Oswego and campus on Friday!

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(If you go back and watch the recording, you can catch me darting through crowds to run the social media beat!)

The effort on behalf of the student body, administration, and community was incredible. Oswego absolutely has its moments and is a unique place. Why would we get selected out of so many large universities across the nation and Al Roker come back if it wasn’t?

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!

Mother Earth Week

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MOTHER EARTH WEEK APRIL 18 – 24, 2010

Mother Earth Week (MEW) is Students for Global Change’s spring week-long festival that focuses on sustainability, environmental awareness and ecological education. Filled with workshops, tables, speakers, documentaries and the culminating Oswegostock concert, MEW reflects the importance of sustainability today and the college community’s part in taking care of the earth.
Monday through Friday (not Wednesday due to Quest) there will be presentations during the day and documentaries at night, highlighting the theme of MEW.

Everyone is invited to put together some sort of presentation, be it a workshop during College Hour, a table in the Campus Center, a speaker, a brochure or an artistic display along the lines of the four topics of the week.

We also need help with planning our Oswegostock outdoor concert planned tentatively for Saturday afternoon. We’d like different bands to sign up to perform, as well having recitations of poems and environmentally-geared readings.

– Monday is the social aspect of environmental awareness (i.e. environmental justice, water crises, psychological effects, arts, music, lifestyle, etc.).
– Tuesday is the economic aspect of sustainability (i.e. consumerism, globalization, fair trade, ecotourism, etc.).
– Wednesday is Quest day. There will be a sustainability fair focusing on local businesses and their sustainable practices. Clubs are encouraged to set up tables to represent some aspect of sustainability that pertains to their organization.
– Thursday is the political day for environmental awareness (i.e. environmental policies, legislation, corporate control, grassroots, etc.).
– Friday is the scientific aspect of the week, the meat of sustainability and environmental awareness. The day will focus on climate change, weather disasters, local agriculture, green technology, pollution, etc.
– Sunday and Saturday, the beginning and end of MEW will focus on having fun and enjoying our earth! There will be lake clean-ups along the shores of Lake Ontario, as well as fun in the sun activities. Saturday will host the Oswegostock concert where everyone will be encouraged to hang out in the quad listening to music and enjoying food.

If you’re interested in learning more about the week itself, or if you’re interested in being a part of it (which we strongly encourage), contact me at s4gc.osu@gmail.com for more information.

Just a few pictures from last year:


Speech on the environment on Quest Day
Dave Sargent’s electric car
Air day!