Tag Archives: suny oswego

The Triangle of Life

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Man, this may be the most accurate portrayal of school college. When I use to play the “you only get 2 games” I always got fustrated because I could never decide which I wanted. Yet here I am , again always stuck trying to decide between the three. Could this have been the source of my recent frustrations?

Maybe, but chances are it has more to do with these 4 major classes I am taking and trying to stay afloat in. Whatever the reason , it all leads back to this triangle. There has been a lack of consistency on my part this semester. At times, I’ve laid under the covers and said “rest!” then only but a few times, I have decided to go out and party and or drink(soda) all night long. Truest in its location however right at the top, hanging over my head has been the reminder that I want those great grades (not good). At times this has meant I went beast. Just running all around, staying up till all times of night, making a home of the library. Mostly though I have stressed myself to miserable levels and abandoned my promise to self to make sure I am taking time to enjoy life a little.

The sad truth (to me at least) about this triangle is that there is no one right way to approach it. In my eyes there is only room for one other choice. Getting good grades are not an option, nor should it be optional . But again to each their own, “Live let Live”. This leaves the conundrum of choosing between sleep and social life. For a couple of weeks I decided to choose sleep but that did me no good. It left me tense and ready to blow over like a pressure cooker. You see if you do what is required of you academically, you owe it to yourself to take a few moments if not hours to just enjoy the simpler or more carefree parts of life. Beware however it comes with a price, that price being precious time outside of your twin size bed  and head under the covers.

So I guess there is no way to truly win or to come out successful is there? I’m lost and still trying to figure it out. Maybe you have the answer though. If so , don’t act stingy share it with the rest of the world!!! Me 0_0!

Good Friends

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Its no secret that life is hard. It starts off pretty rough when you really think about it, the first thing you do fresh out the womb is cry. What makes life enjoyable are those three things above though. Friends really is primary the other two come when you have close friends. It always amazes me how the worst possible situations can be made to at least be a bearable experience if not memorable “remember that time” story.

I am truly blessed because these are first hand experiences I’m speaking on. I have the best friends in the world and that’s why I’m happy so often. This weekend was more of the same. My friends came to Oswego so of course I had to show them to a good time. I was the host trying to do the most, making sure that they had as much fun as possible. The weekend was about them , but err then it wasn’t. What ended up happening was that they made my weekend.I’m so happy these dudes were here to join us and turn it up. The camaraderie , the jokes , the failed night turned into the joke of the weekend. Yeah, I’m grateful that I can say those guys as my friends. The LEAST I could do is let them know how much love I have for them. The LEAST!

-NYR Nation baby!

My Last Semester

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As I am about to begin my last semester in Oswego I am sitting down and reflecting on the long journey that I have embarked on. It has definitely been an interesting one, I have made countless friends, seen beautiful and wonderful things, exposed myself to new cultures, learned about myself, learned how to multi-task, stepped out of my comfort zone, explored new boundaries and became a responsible adult.

I can remember my very first time stepping foot onto the SUNY Oswego Campus. I came all the way from the Bronx with my bags heading to Oswego to move in. I never had the opportunity to visit the campus before I got here but somehow I knew deep down Oswego was the place for me. So I got on the greyhound and arrived in Syracuse New York. I walked inside the regional transportation center and asked when the next Centro bus would be going to the SUNY Oswego Campus. I soon found out that the last bus left close to six o’clock. I looked down at my watch and realized the time was past 7.

I was in complete shock and could not believe that the bus system shut down so early. I grew up in the Bronx, NY and was completely oblivious to the fact that things did not work the same way upstate. Stores, Buses, and pretty much everything that I was accustomed to being open all night closed down earlier than what I was prepared for. As I stared at my watch in amazement a million thoughts raced through my mind such as What Will I Do? Where Will I sleep? What Will I Eat? Will This Station Shut Down and Force Me to Sleep Outside? Will I Be Safe In this Area?

I then thought to myself I have one thing working to my advantage, At least it’s not raining outside. I went to take a seat before I heard a loud crack of thunder and the rain begin to pour. The only thing I could do was look at the sky and ask “Are you kidding me”? I could not believe the situation I was in. Luckily there was another student from SUNY Oswego in the bus station whom I overheard saying that the last bus to Oswego had already left. I approached him and asked if he attended the school, he was indeed a student and had friends coming to pick him up. He told me I can catch a ride with them and then the first thing that came to mind was that God Works In Mysterious Ways. Once his friends arrived we were off on the road to Oswego which seemed like an eternity to me just for the fact that I had never been to the campus and I didn’t know how far away it was.

After finally arriving on Campus I was in love with the environment. I lived In Cayuga Hall and absolutely loved the dorm life there. There were ping pong tables, pool tables, board games, movies, a Big screen Television, and various other things in the lounge. I could not believe my eyes. I said wow! People actually have fun while in College? I went to the dining Hall and could not believe all the food and drinks that were available. It just was a beautiful site.

During my college years I had Tons of Fun, learned so much information in and outside of the classroom, learned how to prepare myself for the real world, and just grew dramatically as a person.

I am now ready to take my last couple of classes and step foot into what people call the “Real World”. That is another journey that I can’t wait to begin.

Four Years, Millions of Memories

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I’m finally settling back into the groove of things in Oswego, and it’s starting to hit me that I’m a senior. What?! Yes, a senior! After four long, yet unbelievably fast years, there are only seven months left until graduation. Therefore, this is a blog of reminiscence. And if you know me well, you understand that I often live my life with a camera close by. Here are the most important lessons I learned at college, and the pictures to express them.

1. The friends you make here will give you the memories you’ll never forget.

I’ve come to know so many people, but there are a few that I know will be with me forever. These people take classes with you, go to lunch with you, hit parties with you, and eat absurd amounts of food with you (Subshop, Zonies, Enzo’s, Azteca’s, Rudy’s etc).

From top left, clockwise: Jeff, Dylan, Me, Kyle, Meghan!

2. Get involved in organizations — you’ll learn much more than in just the classroom.

After working at The Oswegonian for three years, I’m confident that I’ve developed the skills I need to enter into the journalism field after graduation.

The 'Gonian before we switched to broadsheet in 2009!

3. Find something you’re passionate about.

I joined Colleges Against Cancer my freshman year, even though it had just launched. This organization has people with so much heart, and I love working in Relay for Life each year to help work toward a day when cancer can be cured.

My 2009 RFL team!

Now I’ve launched Ed2010 at Oswego State, an organization that helps students break into the magazine industry. I want Oswego State students to understand that just because we go to a small school doesn’t mean you can’t make big dreams a reality! So if you’re interested in working in magazines, join our Facebook group here!

4. If you have a good roommate, stick with them.

People often dread figuring out who their roommate is going to be each year. Will they like me? Will I hate them? Are we going to have conflicting schedules? How do we set ground rules? Fortunately, I found a great roomie. Meghan Stewart and I have been living together for three years now and we currently share a house off-campus with another fantastic friend, Kayleigh Kimberly. Which brings me to my sub-point: be nice to your R.A’s! They could end up being one of your closest friends. Kayleigh was my R.A. and we’ve been inseparable ever since.

Meghan, Kayleigh and I

5. Get a job.

Believe me, it’s so much nicer when you have a continuous flow of money coming into your bank account. And you can’t rely on Mom and Dad forever (nor should you), so you might as well start weaning yourself now.  I’ve worked at the campus fitness centers for three years and my co-workers are like a family. Some of them even took me to Canada for my 19th birthday!

My gym family in Canada for my 19th!

6. Don’t force relationships…

Too many people go into college trying to sustain high school relationships. If that’s what’s really meant to be, then good for you. But don’t hang onto something that you shouldn’t! College is about growing and getting to know yourself. I was single for two and a half years and it was one of the best decisions of my life.

7. But if you find someone great, don’t be afraid to commit.

Notice I said number six was one of the best decision of my life. Knowing when to take a chance on love was another great decision. I met Dustin during my sophomore year and we started dating during spring semester (We’ve been together nearly two years now). We were just friends first and he’s become one of my best friends. So my advice is find someone you can talk to, that you love being around, that you can trust. Someone you can laugh with (and at), who listens to your biggest fears and encourages your wildest dreams. That’s when you know it’s worth pursuing.

Dustin and I in N.Y.C. for New Year's Eve

These are the most valuable life lessons that come to me immediately. What are some of the things you’ve learned in college?

ALANA Peace and Unity Walk!

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EVENT: “Peace and Unity Walk”

DATE: Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010, 9:30 a.m. gathering, 10:15 a.m. walk

PURPOSE: The African, Latino, Asian, and Native American coalition’s (ALANA) “Peace & Unity Walk” aims to build positive and lasting relationships (personal/professional) among college students (of multicultural backgrounds) at SUNY Oswego and the Oswego community.

TIME: We will gather Sunday, September 19, 2010 at approximately 9:15-10am.
Speakers will address the crowd from 9:30 – 10:00 a.m.

The walk will start at 10:15 a.m. and will end at 11 a.m.

ROUTE: The walk will begin at Oswego’s City Hall (W. 1st St) and will end at SUNY Oswego’s Campus Quad. The walk will be the length of Route 104 West (Bridge St.), up the hill, either Rte. 104 or Washington Blvd., as designated by the city.

WHO: Will include the SUNY Oswego College campus (students, faculty, administrators, etc), Oswego community members and any others.

(Oswego, N.Y.) – People of all backgrounds and ages are invited to assemble in Oswego on September 19 for a peace and unity walk. The walk, put on by the SUNY Oswego African, Latino, Asian and Native American coalition (ALANA), is designed to foster lasting relationships across multicultural boundaries. The march will start at the Oswego City Hall on West First Street and will end at the SUNY Oswego academic quad. All are invited to come celebrate diversity in Oswego during this powerful walk for peace and unity. For more information contact the Black Student Union (BSU) at SUNY Oswego: bsu@oswego.edu.
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Contact information: Quindell Williams at bsu@oswego.edu for information on the event. At event: 315-278-8951.

How is it senior year already?

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Graduation is imminent!

The summer has flown by! I can’t believe it’s halfway through summer! I wish that I had more time to work for the summer, but I also can’t wait to go back to school. I’ve been having the weirdest dreams about being late for journalism classes with Professor Gilligan, who I’m not even taking classes with next semester! I think that comes from being late for Investigative Reporting a couple of times and freaking out until I realized that Prof Gilligan was later than me, luckily.

In thinking about the summer flying by, I think the past three years have flown by, actually. For me college has been a blur of staying really busy and doing a million things, and now, all of a sudden it seems, it’s senior year! In less than a year, I’ll be out of college and into the workforce. Holy cow!

My first year, I started out as a freshman at Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondacks. I remember moving in all anxious about meeting people, but excited to start studying (I’m such a nerd). I had already been to boarding school my junior year of high school in Arkansas, so I wasn’t afraid of being away from home, but there were those moments of “am I going to fit in?”

The nice thing about PSC was that there were 800 students there. And there was a ratio of 7:2 guys to girls; that was very beneficial 🙂 Overall, people were very warm to me because of the size of our community. I loved it there. The students are fun, and the teachers are great. I miss it there sometimes. I left because the program wasn’t the strongest – environmental writing. I had my fun, but moving on to Oswego was a good decision.

Sophomore year came and went. I got used to the bigger size of Oswego and the weather. The classes are my favorite part of Oswego (nerdiness once again). Also, I really enjoy the ability to connect with other people on campus, whether they’re faculty, staff, or students. I feel like with the size of Oswego, there’s the opportunity to build close-knit groups, despite the thousands of students. You find your niche with people of like interests, and you gravitate toward each other, but that takes a little more time than I expected.

I feel like Oswego has been cliquey, though. It’s a lot harder to make friends at Oswego than it was at PSC because people aren’t as open with each other. Where I knew nearly everyone’s name at PSC (no joke), at Oswego my sophomore year, I felt a little lost in the masses at Oswego. It wasn’t until this past year, junior year, that I finally felt like I found my own niche.

The problem I think that I had was that there is only a relatively small group of student activists who have similar causes as I do, despite the thousands of students. Oswego has a lot of divisions from fraternities and sororities, who can tend to seem solely exclusive for members of Greek organizations, to sports groups, who seem to be exclusively for athletes, to the members of Humans v. Zombies, who tend to be just for those who enjoy LARPing (live action role playing).

Maybe it’s just my Southern background that makes me feel like the people at Oswego are a little more separatists than unitarians (in the literal sense of the words_, but, maybe that’s just college life. Anyway, tangent aside, I feel like my time at Oswego has been really great. I’ve made some friends and done A LOT of activities on campus. I’m just looking forward to life after college for a little bit. The time of living for partying on the weekends has been over for a while. I’m ready to start doing what I love as an occupation, and then go back to school in a couple of years.

Beginning a Magazine Internship

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Hi, guys! My name is Samantha Shelton and I have just recently moved to New York City for the summer and I couldn’t be more excited! I am participating in the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) 2010 internship program, where I have been assigned to work at Fitness Magazine. Before I delve into the fantastic details about what’s going on in my life now, let me tell you a bit about myself.

I am going to be a senior at Oswego State with a dual major in journalism and creative writing. I have been involved in various clubs and organizations; I simply love being immersed in different activities. I am a public relations student manager and a personal trainer at the Cooper/Glimmerglass Fitness Centers, the Managing Editor at the student-run newspaper, The Oswegonian, and the Education Chair in Colleges Against Cancer. I also actively participate in intramurals. I used to play on the intercollegiate soccer team, but a torn ACL, miniscus and blood disorder have prevented me from making a comeback.

I’m from an extremely small town in upstate New York, also known as Oppenheim. I know, I’m sure you have never heard of it. I don’t take offense; there are more cows in this town than people. However, if you have heard of Herkimer, or Herkimer County Community College, then you’re right near my hometown! Herkimer is about 20 minutes west of Oppenheim.

Ok, so here’s a quick dose of the good stuff: I am interning through ASME, an extremely well-known and prestigious internship program located in New York City. I’m living at NYU and working at FITNESS. So far, I’ve met incredible people throughout the industry, from Editors-in-chief and Managing Editors to Consumer Marketing Executives and Photo Directors. I’ve been given so much advice and information on how to succeed at my internship and break into the industry. I toured the FITNESS offices today and I could not be more excited to begin work on Monday! Working at a magazine has always been my dream and I’m proud to say I’m really starting to live it!

Getting ready to celebrate the earth!

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Mother Earth Week is coming up NEXT WEEK AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

On a sidenote: I’m stressing out right now. Amidst my several articles due for JLM 310 and 309, papers for Eng 220, exams for Fre 202, homework for GLS 316, upcoming concert and voice lessons for MUS 497, events to organize/publicize for JLM 495, AND putting together a whole week of environmental awareness events = I am trying to remember to eat and sleep!

I overbook myself, but it’s an addiction because I love being busy from 7 a.m. to 11/12 p.m. every day. It’s a curse I tell ya. But, something tells me that this will all amount to something in the end, so I’ll keep at it.

Bitching aside, are you ready to love ya Motha? Mother Earth Week starts next Saturday at 10:30 a.m. by Mary Walker Health Center where we will be walking along the lakeshore east and west of the building, cleaning up loads of plastic and general trash. That’s just the start. Sunday is our prep/have fun with Indian color festival pigment battle day. That should be fun… the rest of the events are online at our Web site: Students for Global Change.

Two things I wanted to highlight, though were the environmental panel and Oswegostock.

The environmental panel (check the event page on Facebook) is on Tuesday, April 20th at 7 p.m. in Lanigan 104. The point of this panel discussion is to spread the awareness about particular, multidisciplinary sides of climate change and the move toward sustainability. We have professors from the psychology, chemistry and political science departments addressing issues from each of their respective disciplines.

Dr. Kestas Bendinskas, a very active scientist who studies the impacts of coal gasification and such, will address the science aspect of climate change.
Dr. Lisa Glidden is a political science teacher who will talk about existent and future energy policies and the different global policies on the environment.
Dr. Dave Sargent will address the issues of behavioral changes to adapt to a more sustainable lifestyle. He will address issues behind the psychology of climate change and sustainable life as a whole.

I will sit on the panel too as a moderator and move the conversation along while addressing and student questions there are.

The second event that I wanted to talk about is Oswegostock! This will be the most exciting festival you’ve been to ever, better than the orignal Woodstock!!!! Okay.. maybe not, seeing as how there won’t be any drugs or alcohol floating around the event. But, nonetheless. this will be an event to remember.

During Oswegostock, we will have several bands playing sets while we partake in arts and crafts, food, and games. There’ll be frisbee games, bubble making, tie-dyeing, eco-friendly craft making, and anything else you would like to do. THIS ISN’T A HIPPIE EVENT! It is meant to bring together the Oswego community where people will be enjoying good music and listening to speakers on the environment.

So, with all that said, I won’t bore you anymore! Come out and enjoy Mother Earth Week. E-mail me at kraymond@oswego.edu for more information or visit our Web site at http://s4gc.blogspot.com.

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!