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College Life

Guitar player Kaki King may be touring in large cities in Europe and Asia, but she will make an appearance in Oswego in March.

Now Online at OswegoCollegeLife.com

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Brazilian students at Oswego see snow for first time. “We could definitely see ourselves living here in Central New York.” Also, find out what all that winter language means: jet stream, black ice, blizzard, ice storm and more

Searching for the Best Cup of Coffee in Town Professor Scott Roby, planetarium director at SUNY Oswego. Photo by Jim Russell/SUNY

Oswego.

Molly Martindale graduated from Oswego a year ago. She discusses the reality of life after college.

Korean Connection

Getting Involved Equestrian Team, Community Service Club, Pride Alliance, Ski & Snowboard Club, Vocal Effect, you name it. Ways to get involved abound at SUNY. Get paid to write. See our ad on page 21 1 Spring 2014

View Galaxies Without Leaving Campus

A new planetarium at SUNY Oswego gives students and the public a window into the world beyond earth.

Oswego State professor serves as an ally for international affairs and confidant for South Korean students, who comprise the largest international student population at SUNY Oswego.

College Life

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Spring 2014 2

C Shh! Become a Secret Shopper College Life

Get paid to do a variety of things, including eating and shopping By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

et paid to eat out with a friend for free, get an oil change, inquire on a new checking account, buy clothes and other outings through secret shopping: a fun and easy way to nab a few bucks. Businesses you patronize every day contract with secret quiz or at least read a few shopping companies to help pages of shop specifications. them covertly evaluate their For many shops, you evaluate employees. Secret shopping the business’ setting, cleanlicompanies, in turn, hire people ness, service and employee who pose as ordinary customappearance. ers. They’re paid to shop, dine Keep a sharp eye for deand run errands. It’s a great tails. You may need to rememgig for you to plan around ber if an employee wore the your academic and extra-curcorrect color pants, if the locaricular calendars. tion posted any hand-lettered But beware of signs (usually too-good-to-bea no-no), if How to true emails that the employee promise hundreds Find Secret helping you of dollars for greeted you Shopping little effort or free cheerily and designer goods to Companies many other parkeep as a secret ticulars. A few reputable shop shopper. LegitiUsually, companies include Kern shops require mate companies Scheduling Services don’t require you ordering specific to pay them to get (kernscheduling.com), goods or services GfK Mystery Shopping a list of shopping and keeping the (gfkmysteryshops.com), receipt. High-end opportunities, ICC Decision Services either. store shops allow (iccds.com), Sutter Mar- merchandise Most real keting (suttermarketing. returns after 30 companies pay com/covert), Ritter Asso- minutes. around $10 to ciates (ritterassociates. $20 per secret The receipt com) and Bare Interna- proves when shop event, plus tional (bareinternational. you visited the expenses. It takes about two hours to com). location and complete a “shop,” ensures reimincluding a visit bursement by to the location and answering the secret shop company. Most an online survey afterwards. shops want you to wait for the Some higher-end assignments employee to offer you services pay $100 or more for completsince that’s part of the evaluing two visits to a location and ation. answering a longer survey. All Some shops require covert income must be reported to photos to prove you were there the IRS by the shopper. or to note mistakes, so you’ll After accepting an assignneed to use your cell phone ment, you might complete a creatively to avoid suspicion.

College Life

College Life — For Students at SUNY Oswego and Cayuga Community College — is published twice a year by Local News, Inc. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126. Phone: 315-342-8020. Email: editor@oswegocountybusiness.com Visit us at OswegoCollegeLife.com. Copyright 2014 by Local News, Inc. All rights reserved.

3 Spring 2014

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And of course, you can’t walk in carrying a folder with the shop requirements in it. Employees realize they’re being shopped but not by whom. Occasionally, shops include a “reveal” at the end and sometimes a reward for employees who pass (such as a gift card) or a written statement about the mistakes they made. Some companies offer recorded phone shops you can do anywhere. Most shop companies require a firm commitment and expect shop surveys turned in on time, usually within 12 hours. The online surveys often ask about wait times and a run-down of your interaction with the employees. Use complete sentences, no slang and correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. You’ll be paid and reimbursed for expenses within two months. Many companies offer shops nationwide, so you can shop when visiting home or traveling. To keep apprised of what shops are available, sign up for secret shop companies’ email list and frequent their sites. Note: Deborah Jeanne Sergeant has shopped for all of these companies. She has been paid to visit an amusement park, shop for designer merchandise, bowl with friends, buy fast food, test drive cars, purchase gasoline, ship packages, and many more secret shopping scenarios.

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College Life

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inters are long and cold in Oswego, filled with award-winning snowfalls and blustery lake effect snow. For many, the best way to combat the cold of winter is having a good cup of hot coffee. Students willing to venture out off campus will find many places to enjoy the perfect cup of coffee in Oswego. The Coffee Connection at 148 Water St. is a quirky shop with two levels, including several nooks and crannies to cozy up alone and read a book, try a chess game or hang out with friends and try a special brew of the day in one of their booths overlooking the Oswego River. Baked goodies are also available. It’s a favorite among both Oswego State students and locals. Hours vary, so check out its Facebook page, but they are open every day. Another favorite in Oswego is the Oswego Tea Company. Known for its home baked breads, including a gluten-free selection and “amazin’ raisin bread”, it also serves a wide selection of teas, of course, and a good cup of coffee. Located at 157 East First

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St. in the old armory building, it’s easy to miss even though it’s a large brick building right as you enter town. Open at 6 a.m., it serves breakfast all day and offers a lunch menu, too. Another great spot for coffee is the Taste of the World located in the Canal Commons, 193 W. First St. The place has a wide variety of coffee and a great atmosphere (this is College Life editor’s favorite place for a quick espresso coffee). Taste the World has items that are not on the shelves in the average small town grocery store. It also offers many options for the cook who wants to add some pizazz to their meals. Shoppers can purchase items like fine oils and vinegars from Greece, French artisan cheese, and good old American Tex Mex BBQ sauces and spice rubs.  The shop features free performances by local musicians from 7 – 9 p.m. on the first and third Fridays of the month. If you’re in Syracuse, you will find many options for good coffee. One place is Provisions Bakery at 216 Walton St. (Armory Square

area). Open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m – 3 p.m., it serves breakfast and lunch as well as baked goods. It’s run by people who are recovering from mental health issues, so your coffee (and snack!) dollar is doing more than just filling you up! A favorite local chain in the Syracuse area is Cafe Kabul. This free-trade cafe has four locations, including the Syracuse University campus, Hancock Airport, in Eastwood at 3501 James St. and a shop downtown at 401 South Salina St. Founded in 2004, Cafe Kabul also serves baked goods, breakfast and lunch. The shop’s motto is “Coffee for the Soul,” and they take it seriously with a heavy interest in where their coffee beans come from and in community involvement, partnering with several nonprofits on a continuous basis. Hours vary depending on the location, so check out their website at cafekabul.com. Another favorite Central New York chain is Freedom of Espresso. There are four locations: 403 First St. in Liverpool; 128 West Genesee St. in Fayetteville; 115 Solar St. in Franklin Square, Syracuse; and 144 Walton St. in Armory Square, Syracuse. They are open from 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday. They have a lot of coffee and espresso and tea choices, both hot and iced and promise that all beans are locally roasted.

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Spring 2014 4

College Life

New Semester 10 Ways to Make This Your Best Semester Ever

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Dig in during class. Go beyond scoring great grades and actually learn and grow through the academic experience. Ask lots of questions. Listen when other students ask questions. View college as your opportunity to soak up as much knowledge about your chosen field.

Network with students. Norm Weiner, distinguished service professor emeritus at SUNY Oswego, said, “Joining clubs can help students network. It helps them meet other students beyond the narrow interests of their major, which can lead to a wider range of friendships.”

Pick an off-beat elective. If your academic plan has the wiggle room, try an elective that interests you but isn’t necessarily related to your degree. You may find a fun future hobby, a great friend or a memorable experience.

Get to know your professors. “I’ve talked to a lot of students who never get any external dialogue going with faculty members,” said Meg Osborne, interim director of student engagement and associate professor of college success skills at Cayuga Community College. “These are people who might give you a reference later on or insights into the field. For instance, if they want to go into business, the business faculty member could share the opportunities they see or the experience they’ve had.”

Try something triedand-true or something new. Join a group doing something you already like. You’ll gain confidence and leadership opportunities. But try something different, too. Always wanted to get on stage or play ball? Why not now? Once you graduate, you may not have the chance again. “Take a chance,” Weiner, the SUNY emeritus professor, said.

5 Spring 2014

“You have nothing to lose, and you might develop a new interest.”

Volunteer. “Take advantage of every opportunity to get experience in your field,” Osborne said. “Most colleges have internship offices or ways they can do service or volunteer work. Students can apply the skills they’re learning in college. It helps build their resume and they can meet people. It can have longterm value to them.”

Attend campus events. Get out of your dorm room and enjoy the social, athletic and cultural happenings your school hosts. Many charge no admission. You’ll meet more like-minded people that way than by holing up in your dorm.

Befriend the unlikely. Sometimes, great friendships form between two very dissimilar people. Focus on what you do have in common and you may find a terrific friend.

Try off-campus fun. Explore your college’s town like a tourist, from museums to eateries the locals love. For most of the year, this is your hometown, so get to know it better. Try outlying areas’ agritourism farms, historic sites and driving tours. Visit the website of the town’s chamber of commerce or tourist board for ideas on where to go, or search on www.iloveny. com to look by location, activity type, theme or season.

Stay connected. Sure, separating from your family and friends back home is part of the college experience, but you should try to stay in touch in a personal way. Mom can always read about your latest news on Facebook posts, but a personal message means a lot, too. Keeping in contact with other family and friends strengthens your personal support network and that can help you through rough patches when you least expect it.

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College Life

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Brazilian students react to seeing snow for the first time By Molly Martindale

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ometimes researchers like to get knee deep in their explorative pursuits. Scientists and students from across the country recently gathered along the shores of Lake Ontario to collect data about lake-effect snow in a project titled Ontario Winter Lake-effect Systems. Data collected will be used to better understand lake-effect snow processes and is designed to lead to better predictability of these events. It wasn’t just scientists and students from this country that participated in the project. Two Brazilian meteorology students, Leandro Macedo and Carlos Psneto from the Federal University of Alagoas in Brazil, visited central New York to work on the OWLeS project. Both Macedo and Psneto agreed to take part in the project so they could learn everything they could about working in the field before graduating and receiving their degrees. Not only was gaining meteorology experience in the field a motivation to work on the OWLeS project, but seeing snow and its lake-effect version was an incentive for both men to participate. “This was our first time seeing snow and it was incredible. We didn’t know what to expect. We just wanted to see how it was and it was really beautiful,” Psneto said. “Everything looks prettier with snow.” Psneto and Macedo had some free time while working on the OWLeS project. During this time, they did a few winter activities such as making a snowman and playing in the snow. “Our first impression of the snow was amazing. We were like kids playing in the snow,” Macedo said. The OWLeS project focuses on Lake Ontario because of its size and orientation, the frequency of lake-effect events, and the impact the large amount of snowfall has on the surrounding community and the proximity of several universities. Psneto and Macedo stayed on campus in Hart Hall during their time working on the OWLeS project. They stayed in Oswego for about three weeks while working on the project.

Meteorological mavens

Humberto Barbosa of The Laboratory of Analysis and Processing Satellite Images in Brazil that participated in the OWLeS project chose Psneto

Leandro Macedo, left, and Carlos Psneto, two Brazilian meteorology students from the Federal University of Alagoas in Brazil, visited central New York recently to work on the Ontario Winter Lake-effect Systems project. and Macedo to be involved in the project due to positive outcomes of their work-based learning throughout the school year. “They bring expertise in the application of satellite data to the OWLeS study. In this study, they may gain some skills, make contacts, and see what a career in science means,” Barbosa said. Psneto and Macedo said meteorology is more of a recent field of study in Brazil and that they’re interested in all aspects of weather, but specifically lake-effect snowfall. “The upper part of Brazil is almost the same temperature every day. There are no defined seasons like there are here,” Psneto said. “We just have the dry and wet season, so it’s very different.” “In the United States, everyone seems to have a basic knowledge of the weather,” Psneto said. “People in Brazil are just now becoming interested in meteorology. We want to be really knowledgeable about the weather and learn all that we can.” Lake Ontario lake-effect snow is responsible for some of the most intense snowfall events. There is an average snowfall of about 100 inches annually in areas around Lake Ontario, while some locations such as the Tug Hill Plateau can get up to 250 inches a year. Macedo and Psneto said they are fascinated with the subject of meteorology. Psneto recalls hearing about meteorology from a physics professor and says that he was hooked ever since. “Weather phenomena really interest me,” Macedo said.

“It’s amazing to me how easily weather can change in a small amount of time.” Jacob Mulholland, a SUNY Oswego senior, was involved with the project and worked with Macedo and Psneto during their time on campus. “Carlos and Leandro are both very friendly and open to learning,” Mulholland said. “At first it was a shock for them to go from a tropical climate to the snow, but they have adjusted very well.” “We could definitely see ourselves living here in Central New York. In the southern part of Brazil it’s cold too, but we aren’t prepared for it like New York is,” Psneto said. “I’m very comfortable here and of course, the snow is a completely different thing to see with my own eyes.” “We really enjoyed being involved in the project. Being out in the field and seeing it up close and personal was amazing,” Macedo said. The equipment utilized during the OWLeS project was an instrumented research aircraft, three Doppler on Wheels mobile radars, several weather balloon sounding systems, and a vertically pointing radar wind profiler to study the lakeeffect snowstorms. OWLeS is funded by the National Science Foundation and nine universities and one nonprofit organization worked on the project. Scott Steiger is the principal investigator at SUNY Oswego for the project. Results will be presented at the Northeastern Storms Conference in Rutland, Vt. in March. For more information, visit www.owles.org.

Spring 2014 6

College Life

Flurries, Squalls, Snow Advisory: Behind the Words

ere’s a rundown of some of non-four letter terms commonly used to describe the weather in Central New York or the global patterns that may affect it.

Arctic Air Mass: As the name implies, it’s an air mass that forms over the Arctic. As you might expect, it’s a comparatively cold mass. It can be pushed southward when pressure is high over the North pole region, bringing frigid air into the northern states. Black Ice: Refers to nearly invisible ice that forms on roadways and sidewalks, which may appear wet rather than icy. Blizzard: You’d know one if you saw it, but the word technically refers winter snow storm with sustained winds or frequent gusts over 35 miles per hour. Because of blowing snow, visibility is reduced to less than a quarter of a mile. Cold Front: Cold air is denser (high pressure) than warm air (low pressure). When a mass of cold air displaces a warmer air mass by creeping under it precipitation usually forms at or behind the boundary. After the front passes, the weather will frequently be colder and drier. Cyclone/Anticyclone: Not as foreboding as it sounds, a cyclone is a counterclockwise circulation of wind around a low pressure area. An anticyclone is a clockwise circulation of wind around a high pressure area. In the Southern

hemisphere, the circulation is the opposite of cyclones and anticyclones. Freezing Rain: While snow can slow things down, freezing rain produces some of the most hazardous conditions in the region. When rain from a warmer layer of air falls to freezing surface temperatures, it can coat surfaces in a thick layer of ice. Gale: Winds blowing with a speed of 32 to 63 miles per hour. Heavy Snow: Seeing this in your forecast means that snowfall will accumulate four inches within 12 hours or six inches within 24 hours. High Wind: Winds of 40 miles per hour or greater that last for one hour or more. Alternately winds of 58 miles per hour or greater of any duration. Ice Storm: Describes a freezing rain storm that is expected to or has caused damaging amounts of ice accumulation. Oswego County residents may remember a particularly nasty one several years ago. Jet Stream: A narrow band of strong winds that flows continuously around the world from west to east. It tends to be located where cold polar air and warm equatorial air meet, somewhere in the middle latitudes. Why should you care about it? When it’s located south of Central New York, the weather will be colder than when it’s up in Canada. Lake Effect Snow: A regional specialty! When dry, cold, continental air passes over a large, warmer lake, it picks up moisture and heat, forming small but sometimes persistent snow storm systems on the far side of the lake. If the lake should freeze, as shallow Lake Erie often does, the lake effect system shuts down. The deep Lake Ontario, however, rarely freezes.

Online Classes By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

ho needs online classes? You’re at college, right? Well, online studies can help you save time and money. Here’s how to make online credits offer a real advantage to you. In general, online schools’ credit hours cost less than those of brickand-mortar schools. They don’t have to provide classroom space, for one thing. SUNY Oswego offers online classes, so you can rest assured that the credits will transfer. If you take classes from a different school, confirm with the registrar’s office that the online school’s credits will transfer with equal merit. If you knock out a few general core classes or electives online during each summer, you can save a few bucks and perhaps get ahead of your academic schedule for graduation. On-campus students can save on room and board expenses, too, by graduating a semester early. The absence of a physical classroom doesn’t mean online classes dole out easy As. If you’re taking classes through an accredited, recognized school, expect your coursework to be just as rigorous as what you experience in the classroom of your traditional college. Most recruiters view online credits with equal merit as those earned at brick-and-mortar schools, but not all. “It may come down to if the school is one they’ve heard of,” said Terrie Osborn, owner of Resumes Etc., a job hunting strategy firm in Syracuse. “It should

be from an accredited school. They should have internships in actual places, for example.” Since you’re transferring your online credits to your brick-and-mortar school, this shouldn’t be a problem anyway, unless an employer wants to see your entire transcript. Online classes tend to rely more heavily upon reading comprehension, online posts, and writing papers than things like projects. Some schools include the online posts’ merit as class participation, so online learners shouldn’t blow off chatting with their classmates and professor. Just as with brick-andmortar classes, you’ll need to keep up with the class. Procrastinating won’t pay. Complete reading assignments on schedule so you can intelligently contribute to class discussions. If you don’t, your virtual classmates and professor will discover your lack of knowledge quickly. Post only comments that you would say aloud in a face-to-face class discussion. This isn’t a time to get snarky or sarcastic,

since emotions don’t translate well through type. Consider deadlines for papers and tests as firm dates. It may seem like online class tests would be rife with cheaters. Who’s going to know if you’re looking up answers in the book, right? But online schools time their tests, hampering students’ ability to cheat. Plus, the test grades don’t comprise the entire subject grade. Copying papers isn’t any easier (or closer to ethical) for classes taken online as in person. Most online professors use software to ensure your paper is really yours, just as offline ones do. Learning through online classes can limit your ability to share resources such as textbooks with other students; however, the overall savings compared with traditional classes fill far surpass the expense. Popular online classes can fill up fast, so start looking at them long before the semester is over. If you’re working this summer, let your boss know in advance if you have to be available for live chats.

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Reality of Life After College

Expectation vs. reality of life after graduation. Thoughts from a recent graduate of SUNY Oswego

By Molly Martindale

Expectation: I can move out of my parent’s house.

Reality: Moving out of a parent’s house is more difficult than it sounds. It’s easy to fall back into the routine of living at home after graduation. Free rent, free food and free utilities. You can’t beat it. Despite all of that, I wasn’t surprised to find that I was getting frustrated with living at home with my parents after being on my own for the last four years. But with the way the economy is, it’s hard to find a job that pays enough to be able to support yourself. More and more graduates are moving home after college and sometimes staying for longer than they intended. Solution: To avoid getting stuck at home after graduation, create a plan. Even if you have to move home for a while, make an effort to save up money and make a timeline for yourself. If you have goals and are actively pursing them, you’ll have a much greater chance of moving on to the next chapter of your life.

2 study.

Expectation: I’ll have way more time to myself now that I don’t have classes, homework and tests to

Reality: After graduation, I was met with the harsh reality that I have less time to myself than I ever did during college. For the first time in my life, I’ve had to work two jobs. Like a lot of college graduates, you have to in order to make ends meet. Some days, I work my internship right up until my second job, which makes for a 12-hour workday. Solution: Plan your weeks. I suggest writing your schedule on a calendar. I plan trips home or dates with friends way in advance to make sure I can fit it in. It gives me things to look forward to and helps me plan my time wisely.

Expectation: The “real world” will be awesome.

Reality: It can be. But sometimes, it’s really not. There are bills to pay. Loan

payments start coming in. My parent’s, who were amazing by helping me financially throughout college, cut me off the summer after graduation. It was understandable, yet incredibly scary at the same time. There are so many “adult” things that I still don’t know how to do. As exciting as it is to move onto the next chapter of your life, it can be complicated as well. Solution: You’re not alone. Most recent graduates are struggling with the “real world” too. Whether it’s finding their place in a new town, a new job or learning how to be on their own for the first time, it’s not easy. Finding people who are going through the same things that you are going through creates a support system. Also, having your parents to answer any questions can really facilitate the transition process.

Expectation: I’ll finally get to do something I love and utilize what I learned in college.

Reality: This isn’t always the case. It can be extremely difficult to find a job that utilizes the skills that you learned in college. Take it from me, a former English and creative writing major with a bachelor’s degree in the arts. I knew going into college that I wasn’t going to school for something that was going to get me a high-paying job right after graduation. Realistically, I knew that the world isn’t looking for writers anymore and it’s hard to make a profession out of writing. Solution: Get an internship. Internships are a great way to transition into a possible job with a company. If not, you’re still gaining real world job experience. It really boils down to how motivated you are to find something you love doing. Honestly, it’s OK to not know what you want to do. Now is the time to explore. I’ve learned that your college major (that you probably chose when you were about 18-19 years old) may not even be what you want to do for the rest of your

life. Maybe it was an “unrealistic major,” like my dad says. It’s OK. I believe that some of the most interesting people in the world didn’t go to school for what they’re successful at now. Be patient, but know what you want. Your college degree doesn’t decide your fate, but if you want it to, you might have to fight for it and it might take some time.

Expectation: I’ll finally have independence and be able to make my own decisions about my life.

Reality: That one is very true. Being on your own after graduation pushes you to be independent and to rely on yourself. Many college students nowadays are on their own right after high school graduation and they already understand how it is to be independent. But for graduates like me, it wasn’t until college was over that I was on my own. It’s a crazy and wonderful feeling to be able to make my own decisions about my life. There’s a sense of gratification that comes from paying my own bills and working hard for what I have. I don’t have anyone else to blame for my problems either. I’m making all of the decisions about my life. Having that kind of independence is both terrifying and freeing at the same time. I’ve also realized a lot about myself since graduation. I’ve learned that I like to pay my rent early, just like my dad did for me when I was in college. I’ve learned that I like to cook homemade meals like my mom does. I’ve learned that I can’t deal unless I clean my apartment once a week. I’ve felt that sense of pride that comes from holding a check in my hand that I earned from working hard. I’ve learned that I’m not alone either; that other 20-somethings are struggling, too, and that it’s OK to not know what you want yet. And the most important thing that I’ve learned is that I can do this. It’s not going to be easy and it’s not all going to be fun, but I’ve realized that I can handle the real world, and so can you.

Spring 2014 8

College Life

National Day of Unplugging

Why you should disconnect, unplug and recharge

Study finds that Americans spend an average of 16 minutes of every hour they are awake on the Internet via their phones or computers By Melissa Stefanec

et me preface this article by saying I have no health credentials. If I stuck a Ph.D after my name, it would likely stand for “pass her a dessert.” I’m just an average person, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see what’s going on around me. We are all engulfed by technology. It has vastly improved our lives and in doing so monopolized much our free time. Most Americans, especially young people, spend a frightening amount of time on the Internet. In honor of the National Day of Unplugging, which will be held March 7 and 8, here are some motivators to get you to cut the virtual cord. People around the world are taking the pledge to unplug (to see my pledge, see the delightful picture attached to this story). If you think you don’t need to unplug, read on. If you are one of the following types of people, it’s time to consider a virtual fast. • My right hand has been replaced by a smartphone — Do you have a hard time recognizing your hand without a smartphone in it? Put the phone down. Engage with living, breathing creatures. Rediscover the world through your own eyes. • I go to places to interact with my phone — If you go to social outings and spend most of your time on the Web, why did you bother leaving your

place? Have an uncomfortable conversation. Say something stupid. Feel awkward for a few minutes. These experiences will make you a better person and allow you to [gasp] live a little. • It took me three hours to write a one-page paper because I couldn’t stop surfing the Web — the Internet is the great distractor. If you have to check your favorite sites, do so every 30 to 60 minutes. Keep two separate browsers open, one with work-related sites and one with distraction sites. Better yet, don’t check the Internet at all when you are working. I don’t recommend avoiding breaks, but get up and walk around when you need one. Your eyes and brain deserve the break, and your body wants the movement. • The religious gamer — gaming is a big-time industry. People from all walks of life game. Back in college, I knew people who allegedly would wear diapers so they could game without taking a break. This is frightening. Gaming is a lot of fun for a lot of people, but don’t let it replace all of your real-life interactions. There is a whole, beautiful, non-virtual world out there. • The social network stalker — Do you spend hours of your life tracking people’s online lives? Do you check social networking sites instead of ever picking up the phone?

Don’t let technology deprive you of a real, hands-on relationship. If you have to stalk online, follow up with a phone call. • I can’t get through a meal without the Internet — You don’t need the Internet to eat your food. Mindless eating is known to ratchet up your calorie intake. When you are eating, focus on your meal and enjoy it. The Internet can wait until you no longer have hot sauce on your fingers. • I go to family gatherings to hang out with the Internet — Spending time with your family can sometimes be stressful, but blocking things out isn’t the way to handle it. Most of us don’t see our loved ones enough. So, when we do get the time, we should give it undistractedly to our family and friends. • Work and school follow me everywhere — If you find yourself checking email at meals, during social recreation or in the lavatory, and at all hours of the night, you need to leave your technology out of your personal life. It has no business there. You won’t fail or get fired for not responding to a 2 a.m. email thread. People who never unplug tend to get nasty and stressed. Who wants that? • I can’t fall asleep at night — If you find yourself tossing and turning, check your technology use. Numerous studies

have shown television and Internet use right before bed interrupts many people’s circadian rhythms. Unplug for an hour or two before bed. It’s not good for our minds to be constantly engaged. • I have a bonafide problem — If your everyday life is suffering because of your Internet usage, you might have a real problem. There are disorders called technology addiction, Internet addiction disorder, problematic Internet use and compulsive Internet use. If the Internet is making it difficult to accomplish Melissa Stefanec, class of 2004. things in your daily life, it’s no laughing matter. A mental health professional can provide guidance and help to get your life back on track. an average reporter, check out So there you have it, a this down-to-earth article from list of people not to be. Don’t’ Forbes.com. It cites actual, be that guy or girl who can’t meaningful studies and stuff. unplug. Set the boundary It may be aimed at working between your virtual life and people, but college is a whole, real life. Let yourself focus lot of work. So, it totally apon one thing at a time. Don’t plies. force your brain into an endIf you need more motivaless cycle of multitasking. Let tion, you can also check out yourself disengage at the end the National Day of Unplugof each day. It will help your ging’s website at nationaldayomind and body prepare for funplugging.com the next. If you don’t believe

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Getting Involved

Campus offers myriad of opportunities to participate in organizations, clubs, community By Alyssa Mammano

xactly 7,328 undergraduate students enrolled in classes at SUNY Oswego during the fall 2013 semester. Those students chose one of more than 110 programs of study, lived in one of 13 residence halls, ate at one of five dining halls and had the option to join 182 campus organizations. All of this information is available to prospective students on SUNY Oswego’s website: www.oswego.edu. But what really convinces high school graduates to choose one school over another is not a fact sheet. It’s hearing about the real-life college experience from those who have lived it. Sure, it is nice knowing that Oswego students were divided by gender nearly equally, or that almost 42 percent were aged 20-21. To some, relevant information might be that about 82 percent of students were categorized as Caucasian, or that almost all called New York counties home. Some people might also like to know that the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences had more than double the number of students in its program than any other school at SUNY Oswego. It is also interesting that more than 1,500 students had declared minors that semester. But does that information convince prospective students to choose Oswego? Does it tell them what kind of people they will be studying alongside? Will these numbers help them choose a major or persuade them to join an organization? Probably not. What potential students of SUNY Oswego want to hear is what those who came before them got out of the experience.

The Community Service Club provides opportunities for students on campus to impact the Oswego community. Its goal is to introduce new ideas and programs that will interest and impact the students participating. The club won the Student Involvement Award for the Presidents Award of Achievement in 2011. “I have learned so much about myself through all of my volunteer experiences on this campus. Through traveling I have gotten to meet so many new people with various backgrounds and it has made me want to travel more. Being a leader on campus has made me excited to continue spreading the importance of giving back and being a good role model for the community,” said Avery. Joining the Community Service Club influenced Avery to change her career path from childhood education to pursuing nonprofit management in order to work in nonprofit with children, she said.

Equestrian Team The Oswego State Equestrian Team is one of the reasons Samantha Kirby chose to attend SUNY Oswego. “Before I decided to go to Oswego, I came to visit the barn and absolutely fell in love with the way the coaches ran the team and dedicated so much of themselves to the team’s success. Once I was finally at Oswego, the team members sealed the deal for me. I felt so welcomed and accepted right from day one,” Kirby said.

The Equestrian Team provides students with an opportunity to learn about riding horses and to compete in local and national competitions. The team has a history of producing national, zone and regional champions. Last year the team won the regional champion title for the fourth consecutive year, which will allow them to proceed to the semi-finals. “While we have many talented students who compete and succeed at the national level, some students would rather just horseback ride. We make sure to cater to them, as well,” said Kirby. The team does not require any experience to join. For some, their first lesson is the first time they have been on a horse. Members can determine their own level of dedication according to what they hope to get out of the experience. But those who wish to compete know many of their weekends will be spent away at competitions. Just like any sport or hobby, the competitive eques-

trian team members put in the time, practice and passion in order to succeed. “The great thing about a team like this one is that everyone is always doing something that they love, and when we all share that passion, we are able to develop much stronger bonds,” said Kirby. From holding a leadership position for her team, Kirby said she has gained an immeasurable amount of experience and knowledge about horses. It has helped her to grow as an individual and as a teammate, providing morale to her friends and for herself.

Her Campus Kathryne Davis, editor in chief of Her Campus Oswego, got involved because she liked the laid-back atmosphere and flexibility of the online magazine. In writing for Her Campus, Davis said she learned more about the students she goes to school with and gained

Community Service Club Take Alexis Avery, for example. She is the president of the Community Service Club, and is now going on her fourth community service trip to the Dominican Republic. “I joined this organization because I wanted to make a positive impact on the community that I spend so much time in during the year,” Avery said.

Spring 2014 10

College Life

time management skills along with making new friends. “We’re still a pretty young group. Her Campus has only been at Oswego for four or five years, but we’ve earned a bronze level for our chapter, which means that we’ve done a good job growing since Her Campus started,” Davis said. Her Campus Oswego writes to get students involved with their campus, help them to relate to one another and to recruit new contributors. Both males and females in any major are able to write for the magazine. “We send out an email once a week and whoever wants to do an article for the week just emails us and says what section they want to cover. Then they write it up and send it to us,” said Davis. She joined Her Campus her sophomore year because she liked that she could relate to the blogs, and has since enjoyed contributing to the campus celebrity section of the magazine.

Math Club Joining a club also has professional benefits such as networking, which is why Jackie Maguire joined SUNY Oswego’s Math Club. She is reaping the benefits of connections with staff in the mathematics department and applying her education to the real world. “As I progressed from a member to vice president, and into my current role as president, I was truly able to develop strong ties within the organization. I met professors I never had classes with and became closer with those I had already known,” said Maguire. Math Club members attend bi-weekly meetings and partake in activities such as movie and game nights and Math Fun Day, an event that involves scavenger hunts, trivia games and various competitions between students and faculty. They also bring in guest speakers who offer a great deal of insight.

11 Spring 2014

“The various guest speakers I listened to and events I attended have truly opened my eyes to the number of opportunities that exist in the field of mathematics,” Maguire said.

The Oswegonian Adding to her résumé was also a priority to Aimee Hirsch, now editor in chief of the college’s newspaper, The Oswegonian. Hirsch said she first joined the paper because she felt she had to as a journalism major, and through her involvement grew to love writing. “Actually, when I first came to Oswego I was already thinking of changing my major because journalism seemed too hard. But once the sports editor at the time started asking me to write stories, I couldn’t refuse. It didn’t take long after that for me to realize that journalism was something I loved doing,” Hirsch said. The Oswegonian shoulders two main goals: to provide the campus and community with a quality news medium and to act as a tool for journalistic education. The newspaper strives to produce content that is interesting and pertinent to both students and residents of Oswego. The organization also allows journalism students to gain the necessary experience and writing samples required for the professional world. It has managed to remain relevant in print version during a time when print journalism is on the decline, and has also kept up with the evolving market with the recent introduction of its website, oswegonian.com. The paper has made the move toward more Web and multimedia-based content, and has launched a new allcolor print version. Hirsch said the organization allows students to be as involved as they please, but most choose to put in the time and effort. The paper’s editors spend about 30 hours per week doing their jobs, but writers and photographers

can choose to contribute on a weekly basis. “From this experience I have personally gained many things, but above all I have gained valuable experience as well as a tremendous sense of respect for people in this industry. Journalism isn’t easy. It’s a lot of work, and running The Oswegonian has definitely given me a sense of perspective in terms of how much work is actually necessary from each person to put out a quality publication,” said Hirsch. The Oswegonian reaches nearly 30,000 readers with its weekly content. Its website has allowed the organization to provide news at a much larger capacity.

Pride Alliance Though organizations can be extremely beneficial toward a student’s career, many organizations serve a different purpose. Pride Alliance strives to bring acceptance of all genders and sexual orientations to Oswego’s campus. They act as a support group to aid the process of “coming out,” and turn to each other during the after effects. Pride Alliance includes members who identify themselves as straight, gay or otherwise. They work together with faculty and staff to keep the campus informed about LGBT+ events and maintain a safe, accepting environment. President of the organization, Marian Holmes, said being a member of Pride Alliance helped her to come out to friends and family once she arrived at college, and has helped her to grow and develop interest in the queer movement. “I came to Oswego as a freshman who was still in the closet. After a few weeks here, I came out to several of my friends and was met very quickly with widespread acceptance. However, before that, I had never even spoken the phrase ‘I’m gay’ out loud. It was an eerie feeling and I

felt that I needed some support from other members of the LGBT+ community, so I headed to a Pride Alliance meeting,” said Holmes. She made several friends in the group, including one who became her first girlfriend. Holmes describes the experience as a positive one, which lead her to garnering a strong interest in queer topics and movements. During National LGBT+ History Month in October, the Pride Alliance hosts its two largest events: National Coming Out Day and the annual Halloween Drag Ball. The club purchases and distributes T-shirts to the campus to be worn Oct. 11 in support of National Coming Out Day. Wearing the shirt allows all, regardless of sexual orientation, to participate in spreading equality. The Drag Ball coincides with Halloween, at which local drag talent from Syracuse and Rochester are invited to perform. While entertaining in nature, and hosted in celebration of the end of National LGBT+ History Month, the Drag Ball also promotes the acceptance and further education of gender expression and gender identity.

Ski & Snowboard Club The Ski and Snowboard Club’s claim to fame is having the most members of all campus organizations, according to President Mike Lillis. “To have the most members compared to any other club, and to have such a large influence on the school and new students is amazing. Admissions told us that we are the most trending club across Oswego,” said Lillis. The club hosts many trips across the county and even to Canada, providing students an opportunity to experience the world and escape Oswego’s cold winter months. They offer inexpensive stays at worldclass resorts, which brings its

members together. “If you go on a trip to Canada with 60 people, you come home with 60 new friends. Our club is so close and, even being so big, everyone treats each other with respect. I have met some of my best friends through this club,” Lillis said. He got involved because he loved the sport, and felt he could lead the club to do great things, Lillis said. He has gained knowledge in management from a leadership position and learned to organize trips and events. He has also learned how to work in teams and large groups, and has opened his eyes to different cultures. “Becoming a leader in this club has been my life and I am dedicated to it. I would do anything for the club and they would do anything for me,” said Lillis.

Vocal Effect SUNY Oswego’s Vocal Effect is taking its performances to the next level and beginning to travel outside of Oswego this year. Now, in addition to annual performances at the Suicide Prevention Walk, the Make-a-Wish Foundation’s function and Oswego’s Farmer’s Market, Vocal Effect will be putting on traveling shows. Members of Vocal Effect dedicate five afternoons a week to singing and dancing. President Christina Grehlinger said her members work incredibly hard to represent Oswego’s only show choir, and aim to entertain the campus. “All the hard work pays off when you get to perform on that stage,” Grehlinger said. She joined the organization in 2010 when it was founded, and was surrounded by students who shared her passion for performing. She said since then Vocal Effect has become more than just a club, it has become a part of her life. Grehlinger group’s members have become a second family to her, and she de-

continued on p. 13

College Life

Spring 2014 12

College Life

Getting Involved from p. 13 scribes them as people with an immense amount of talent. She has gained leadership experience and learned how to help build an organization up from nothing.

WNYO 88.9 FM WNYO is SUNY Oswego’s student-run radio station. The organization aims to better the experiences of students by creating a fun learning environment and providing real-life experience to its DJs. The station broadcasts at Oswego’s annual Harborfest Celebration, the Farmer’s Market and all of the Oswego Lakers hockey games. They bring musical performers and guest speakers to campus, and work with the Eric Cole Dream Big Foundation. President Andrew Nicholson said he got involved with WNYO because he has always been fascinated with radio, and has gained professional skills and close friends. “I learned a lot of life skills, such as being a competent communicator, professional email etiquette, how to work well with others and management skills. More importantly, though, I met the people who will be with me for the rest of my life. All of my closest friends I met through WNYO,” Nicholson said. He has also made professional connections through WNYO’s yearly New York City trip. Every year select e-board members travel to the city to meet the heads of the broadcast industry. They network and learn the tricks of the trade alongside college students from many other schools. By getting involved at SUNY Oswego, all of the leaders of these organizations gained invaluable experiences and valued friendships. They gained leadership and connections, and added to their résumés. To them, it did not matter where the members of their group were from, how old they were, or what major they chose. Though every student who chooses SUNY Oswego is unique, members of these organizations found similar interests in each other and built lasting friendships.

Editor’s note: Most of the reporting for this story was made in the fall of 2013.

13 Spring 2014

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University in Beijing signs degree-completion accord with SUNY Oswego

UNY Oswego and a well-known communications university in Beijing recently signed an agreement that could send as many as 20 Chinese students a year to Oswego to complete their undergraduate degrees in broadcasting and mass communications, journalism and public relations. While students from Communication University of China will apply to come here for degree completion, the door also is open for SUNY

Oswego students to study at the university known as “a cradle of China’s radio and television talents.” Lorrie Clemo, provost and vice president for academic affairs; Fritz Messere, dean of the School of Communication, Media and the Arts; and Joshua McKeown, director of international education and programs, signed the memorandum of understanding during a November visit to China. “The CUC agreement is an important part of our over-

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all strategy to become more internationally connected and to develop partnerships that offer reciprocal benefits for students and faculty across institutions,” Clemo said. “We are purposefully seeking university partners like CUC that are inviting to international students and are able to offer more international research opportunities to our faculty.”

Agreements in Asia

The five-year renewable pact with CUC represents the latest in a growing number of links with universities in Asia, particularly in Korea and China, as well as a new exchange agreement in India. Oswego’s chemistry program has a degree-completion agreement with Zhejiang Gongshang University in Hangzhou. Another pact offers students of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, also in Hangzhou, and Oswego the opportunity to complete degrees at each others’ institutions in business administration, human resource management and marketing. A similar agreement with Nanjing University of Science and Technology also exists. “Through CUC and our other Asian university partners, Oswego students and faculty will have deeper engagement with issues in a part of the world that is currently the most populated and dynamic in shaping the global environment that we all share,” Clemo said. As many as 50 Chinese students a year attend SUNY Oswego among the more than 200 international students, McKeown said, and their focus largely has been in business and the sciences. “We have so many academic strengths in other areas, we consciously have sought out other types of programs for articulations,” he said. This spring, two exchange students from CUC will enroll

in Oswego for a semester in communications disciplines, preceding the first round of degree-completion candidates later in 2014. Messere and McKeown said the college hopes to expand the agreement with CUC to include more opportunities for each other’s students. “This (articulation) agreement will facilitate the transfer of high-quality students—the best communications students China has to offer—to come to SUNY Oswego to complete

their degrees,” McKeown said. “This agreement has the potential to open up a wealth of opportunities for their students and ours.” Messere agreed, noting that CUC also has programs in graphic design and music. “I’m hopeful this is the beginning of a number of relationships,” he said. “I would like to see relationships such as this one extended throughout the School of Communication, Media and the Arts.” Submitted by SUNY Oswego

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Spring 2014 14

College Life

View Galaxies, Without Leaving Campus A new planetarium at SUNY Oswego gives students and the public a window into the world beyond earth

This is everyone’s community.

By Melissa Stefanec

hat strange-looking section in the atrium of the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation (Shineman Center) isn’t a funky new café. It is a new, state-of-the-art planetarium. This theater for the stars opened in the beginning of October 2013 and draws plenty of visitors. More than 1,500 people have viewed celestial shows in the planetarium since its opening. There will be weekly shows at the planetarium from September through June, except for a two-week period around the winter holidays. Shows are Sundays at 7 p.m. There will be a different show each month, and that topic will have four showings. The shows are free, open to the public and handicapped accessible. Seating is available on a first-come-first-served basis. There is seating for 35 people and the planetarium has a 49person capacity. Although the main purpose of the planetarium is to provide astronomy students with an educational tool, the planetarium serves a lot of other useful and entertaining purposes. According Scott Roby, associate professor of astronomy at SUNY Oswego and director of the planetarium, the planetarium is part of a larger science technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) picture at the college. “Our main goal is to have a nice facility for astronomy students and public, but we look forward to it being a STEM facility.” What you can expect at a planetarium show Every three months there will be a stars-of-the-season presentation. This presentation will help people navigate the night skies as seen from earth. The constellations change with the seasons, and this show will help people identify constellations and know when to look for them. Roby is considering numerous other topics for the winter and spring schedule. None of the shows are set in stone, but some of the likely topics are as follows: Tour of our solar system —The planetarium’s software allows viewers to be on ground level in each of our

15 Spring 2014

Please, be respectful of your neighbors and their property. Professor Roby, planetarium director. solar system’s planets. The presenter can also use the software to land on each of the planet’s moons. Searching for Earth’s twin — This show will cover exoplanets (planets outside of our own solar system) that could have potential for life. There are more than 700 known exoplanets, and this presentation will explore other small-mass, terrestrial, rocky planets that have water. “We’re looking for places other than Earth where life might exist,” said Roby. The secret lives of stars — This presentation will demonstrate the life, death and creation of stars and will be especially helpful to understanding how our own sun came to be and its inevitable end. “It’s good to know information about stars, because it affects our own lives,” said Roby. What makes this planetarium state-of-the-art? SUNY Oswego’s previous planetarium closed in June of 2010 after more than 50 years of shows. The previous planetarium was projection-based and required a lot of time to make changes in the projections. The new planetarium uses high-tech software and offers full-globe viewing. It features a dual-lamp digital projector and highly customized computers. In mere seconds, it can portray skies from 3,000 years ago to 3,000 years from today. The new planetarium allows viewers to look down through our solar system, which, according to Roby, is a big difference when compared to the previous planetarium.

Sponsoored by the CampusCity Relations Committee Other features of the new software include being able to hide the moon, turn stars on and off, and being able to move anywhere in the universe with a few clicks of a mouse. Roby learned the difficult and intricate software to use the planetarium. He also trained three other professors to give shows. There is a learning curve, but Roby is confident he and the other professors will increase their knowledge of the software and continue to offer riveting shows to the community. “We’ve just done the tip of the iceberg. We’re on a learning curve, and there’s room for growth,” said Roby. “It’s very cool. We are very happy about it, and it’s a very powerful facility.” So you want to see a show? Besides being open to students and the general public, the planetarium can also accommodate private groups. Local schools, scouting troops, homeschool groups, and senior citizen groups are just some of the groups who can receive special showings. Select parking lots will not be ticketed during planetarium shows. Visitors can park at Parking lot E 17 near Poucher Hall and lot C 8 near Wilbur Hall (view map of the campus by searching for “campus map” at www.oswego.edu). For more information you can contact Scott Roby, at 315-343-4294.  Tim Leclerc, the technical assistant for the planetarium, can also arrange private shows and can be reached at 315-312-2805.

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oving to a new country with a completely different culture can be overwhelming. Taejin Jung of South Korea knows this feeling all too well through personal experience. A professor at SUNY Oswego, Jung now works with South Korean students to help ease the transition to life in the U.S. SUNY Oswego has had an influx of South Korean students and these students now make up the majority of international students on campus. Approached by Joshua McKeown, director of international education and programs, Jung serves as a liaison between Korean colleges and SUNY Oswego. Because of his familiarity with Korean colleges, Jung was chosen to begin building relationships between these colleges and SUNY Oswego. “Taejin Jung is a decent and hard-working colleague from whom I have learned a great deal,” McKeown said. “He was always both able and willing to help the institution understand Korea better.” SUNY Oswego has a 1+3 agreement with Chung-Ang University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, both in Seoul, South Korea. Students come from Korea for three years to complete bachelors’ degrees in a variety of studies. Because of these agreements, SUNY Oswego has more than 200 international students, with a large majority of them from South Korea. “We seek two main outcomes when entering into relationships abroad,” McKeown said. “We seek a stronger, more vibrant international culture on our campus, and we also seek the positive and numerous presence of international students on campus toward a balanced, sustainable international enrollment.” A native of Daegu, South Korea, associate professor Jung not only helps to facilitate relationships among colleges, but also serves as academic adviser for these South Korean students. A professor at SUNY Oswego since 2006, Jung teaches in the communication department and has bachelor, master and doctorate degrees in communication. When it comes to helping South Korean students, Jung

finds it difficult to pinpoint exactly what he does to assist students because he simply helps when he is needed. Jung helps students with everything from the registration process, to academic advisement, to just listening to students and giving advice. Jung decided to move to the U.S. in 2002 to work on his doctorate in health communication at Florida State University. After completing the program, Jung was offered a position at SUNY Oswego. Jung said he informally advises about 40 to 50 South Korean students who come to him for assistance. “Jung is a selfless and tireless advocate for students. We are indebted to him for helping guide our institution and students through this process,” McKeown said.

Adapting to a new country

Culture shock was one of the most difficult obstacles for Jung and many students that he advises. “It took many years for me to be comfortable in the language and way of life in America. Being separated from my family during this process was another layer of difficulty on the process of adjusting to a foreign country,” Jung said. Jung uses his own experiences of moving to the U.S. to relate to South Korean students attending SUNY

Oswego. “Sometimes they just want to talk and tell their stories and I share my story with them because I had the same experience. Though this is my 11th year living in the U.S., when I first came to the states I was lonely and isolated,” Jung said. “I understand the transition.” Jung tells the South Korean students he advises that living in a different county is a never-ending process. “Even though they don’t realize it in their everyday living, students are constantly getting used to a new living environment,” Jung said. “I tell them to keep their high motivation and to be positive. I recommend making many friends and being open to diverse experiences to ease the transition.” Jung is also the faculty adviser for the Korean Oswego Student Association, or KOSA, a student-run organization that focuses on Korean culture, food, entertainment and all aspects of Korean life. Jung works with students in the organization to promote events such as Korean movie festivals and the association encourages Korean students to be more engaged in campus activities. “Not only does KOSA help Korean students promote their own culture, but also helps SUNY Oswego students to become more interested in Korean culture,” Jung said. Hyeji Kim, the president of KOSA, works closely with Jung and is one of his advisees as well. “Dr. Jung is really helpful to South Korean students,” Kim said. “He really understands us since he came to the U.S. from South Korea just like we did. He

SUNY prof Taejin Jung of South Korea helps South Korean students adapt to life in the U.S.

goes out of his way to help international students adjust to American culture.” Jung said the education system in Korea is intense and there is a lot of pressure from Korean parents to get into a good college. Many Korean students decide to attend a college in the U.S. because there is less competition and they will receive a highly recognizable diploma, Jung said. “Learning to speak English fluently is also a huge incentive for Korean students to come to a U.S. college. English is very important to be successful in a career,” Jung said. For Hyeji Kim, the president of KOSA, learning English was the most difficult part of getting used to a new culture. “Since all the classes were in English, I had to learn the language fast. Even though I studied English for a year as a freshman in Korea, it was still the hardest part about attending an American college,” Kim said. The spectrum of students’ abilities to speak English is wide, Jung said. Some Korean students pick up the language quickly, while some take longer to become comfortable in English-speaking classes. The future is bright for the international education and program department and South Korean colleges, according to McKeown and Jung. “We have not had such numerous Korean students on campus before and I feel their presence in campus life and in the classroom has been a positive for Oswego,” McKeown said. “There are other, perhaps less visible, outcomes like increased faculty teaching opportunities in Korea and our Korean students’ participation in the local community that also make me pleased and proud that we’ve taken these steps as an institution,” McKeown added. Jung said he hopes to continue working with McKeown and advising South Korean students in the future. “It’s a very gratifying experience to share in these students’ difficulties, frustrations and process of overcoming them,” Jung said. “I really enjoy helping these Korean students assimilate into a new culture and I hope to continue to do so.”

Spring 2014 16

College Life

Serious Business

How to Get a Great Summer Job Key is to start your search right away, say experts By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

t’s easy to focus on the here-and-now when you have so many areas vying for your time. But if you don’t dedicate a little time now to finding a summer job, you may not easily obtain one once your semester’s done. “The key to getting a summer job is to start looking early on,” said Vita Racko, student engagement counselor with Cayuga Community College. Especially if your return to college next fall depends upon summer work, try these tips for securing work in advance. Send resumes to companies where you’d like to work near where you will be living this summer. Most hiring agents would rather check out a sheaf of resumes already submitted than solicit applicants. Why let everyone else

step in line ahead of you? Research companies you want to work for so you can tailor your resume to reflect their company culture. It also doesn’t hurt to tastefully name a few facts about the company in your cover letter. Mention classes and experiences that relate to the job. Use your current contact information, but make clear when you’ll be done with school for the semester, ready for seasonal work. Speaking of seasonal work, don’t expect to be hired by companies that want to fill a position for the long haul. It’s a waste of their time and effort to train someone who can work for just three months. Instead, look for a position within your career goals that is seasonal, or slant your resume

to indicate you can fill any temporary needs the company has. You may reach a company who has an employee planning a maternity leave, for example. Once you have contacted a company, be persistent and follow up with a call or email. “Ask if you can have a meeting,” said Racko. “Possibly ask if you can do an internship or job shadowing before an opportunity comes up, if you don’t need the money.” Network with people in the area where you’ll be this summer. Your parents’ friends, for example, may be excellent contacts. Ask your folks to get the word out that you’re looking for summer work in your field. Network online as well, but face-to-face and word-ofmouth networking still helps

a lot. If possible, line up a few meetings for when you go home on spring break or at least drop off resumes in person. Despite the ease of electronic submissions, hiring agents and their staff still like to see how you present yourself since that’s part of the package. But don’t neglect your online presence. “A lot of recruiters look on LinkedIn,” Racko said. “Never have anything disparaging about your image on social media. Employers do searches on social media sites to see what kind of character people.” What may seem like a funny prank or harmless risqué photo can pretty much derail your employment plans

by earmarking you as irresponsible. Start a blog about your future career path. Faithfully post to your LinkedIn account about news and information related to your industry and yourself. For example, if you received an award for scholarship in your field, that’s worth blowing your own horn about. Specific grades probably aren’t noteworthy, but attending a conference about your industry or meeting an industry leader are. Polish an “elevator speech” about what employment you hope to gain and why so when employers call you, you’re ready.

5 Hiring Trends to Watch for in 2014 By Chad Brooks

imilar to 2013, employers are projected to remain cautious with their hiring plans this year, research shows. A new study from CareerBuilder revealed that 24 percent of companies expect to add full-time, permanent employees in 2014, down 2 percentage points from 2013. Like their larger counterparts, small businesses are also staying cautious as they assess market potential in the year ahead, with just 19 percent of those businesses with fewer than 50 employees planning to hire in 2014. Employers point to the debt issues in Washington as a reason for their drop in hiring. Nearly a quarter of the businesses surveyed said they will hire at a slower rate or will not expand headcount at all until the debt ceiling issue is resolved in the first quarter. “What we saw in our survey was reluctance from some employers to commit to adding jobs until the outcomes of debt negotiations and other issues affecting economic expansion are clearer,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of Career-

17 Spring 2014

Builder. “As these stories play out and employers find their footing in the new year, there is greater potential for the average monthly job creation in 2014 to exceed that of 2013.” According to CareerBuilder, hiring managers plan to recruit full-time, permanent employees for: • Sales – 30 percent • Information Technology – 29 percent • Customer Service – 25 percent • Production – 24 percent • Administrative – 22 percent • Engineering – 17 percent • Marketing – 17 percent • Business Development – 17 percent • Accounting/Finance – 15 percent • Research/Development – 13 percent • Human Resources – 10 percent CareerBuilder points to several hiring trends that employers and job seekers should be watching for in 2014, including: Part-time hiring on the rise: 17 percent of employers expect to recruit part-time workers

over the next 12 months, up 3 percentage points over last year. While various factors will influence this trend, 12 percent of all employers stated that they will likely hire more parttime workers in 2014 due to the Affordable Care Act. More companies “onshoring” jobs: One of the most popular imports of the new year just may be previously lost jobs. Twenty-three percent of companies who offshore jobs said they brought some of those jobs back to the U.S. in 2013; 26 percent plan to do so in 2014. Skills gap widening: Half of human resource managers surveyed said they currently have positions for which they can’t find qualified candidates. Forty-six percent said these positions go unfilled for three months or longer. Companies building the perfect employee instead of waiting for one: In light of the skills gap, 49 percent of employers plan to train people who don’t have experience in their industry or field and hire them in

2014, up 10 percentage points over last year. Twenty-six percent of employers are sending current employees back to school to get an advanced degree — and picking up all or part of the cost. Companies looking for recruits in high schools: More companies are connecting with future generations of workers to establish a pipeline of job candidates. Twenty-seven percent of hiring managers have promoted careers at their firms to high school students or, in some cases, even younger; 25 percent plan to do so in 2014. The study was based on surveys of 2,201 hiring managers and human resource professionals. Chad Brooks is a contributing writer with BusinessNewsDaily.com where this article was first published.

College Life

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Living with Sallie Mae Was college worth it? To this recent graduate, the answer is yes By Jacob Pucci

ver since I graduated from SUNY Oswego last spring, I have been the host to a very unpleasant houseguest named Sallie. Her nearly daily presence creates both anxiety and a stark realization that she will be a thorn in my side for many years to come. I knew I sold my soul—or at least my wallet—away to this she-devil when I first enrolled in college in the fall of 2009. With a few signs of my name and a click on a box on some form I may or may not have read, I knew she’d want her money sooner or later. For such a summery, innocent name as Sallie Mae, she has put quite the damper on my post-graduation celebration and reinforced the idea that this money that I had so easily borrowed over the last four years with barely a thought was not quite mine anymore. Even worse, much of the mail I received from Sallie Mae has not been to repay the thousands of dollars I owe, but rather information on how to begin to take out student loans, as if I was a freshman all over again. In these cookie-cutter letters with excited looking college students grinning ear to ear on either side of the folded page, looking as if they won the lottery and unlike me, wouldn’t have to pay it back, the question is begged: Was college worth it? The most honest and complete answer I can say is, I think so. I graduated last year with a degree in both journalism and creative writing, a onetwo punch of slim job pros-

pects and even fewer full-time positions for recent graduates. Sorry Sallie, you might have to wait a little to get your money back. Despite all this, I couldn’t be happier with my choice in majors and if I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change it. Even the part when I initially enrolled at SUNY Cortland as a sport management major with aspirations of working in the front office of an NFL team, a dream that died a few weeks into that fall semester, the only semester I was a student there. No, even that part was critical. Looking back at the high school senior I was more than four years ago, I see a completely different student. Sure the college atmosphere and the freedom to take the classes I wanted with the professor I wanted alongside classmates I grew to become great friends with changes someone. But it was the fact that I was so steadfast in what I thought was my career path, blind to the fact that I was selling myself short; that I was not doing myself justice.

Change of heart

It’s impossible to know exactly when, but sometime between my parents dropping me off at my college dormitory in Cortland and when I received the final signature on my midterm grade report that I would soon send to SUNY Oswego, I had changed. What four years of high school couldn’t do had been done in the matter of a couple months. And so I arrived at SUNY Oswego, never before having written a newspaper or magazine article. Being published seemed like a pipe dream

at that point, but—as often occurs at college—blindly immersing myself in something that interested me soon paid off. My high school was small; I knew every member of my 75-person graduating class personally. Some not by choice, but such was life in a small town. For what we lacked in a school newspaper or student media of any form, we made up for in pep rallies and tractor days, when all the tractorowning students—and there were many—would drive his or her tractor to school. I loved my school, but it gave me little insight on the field I am a part of today. The biggest turn in my student career came at college; only it was not the college I graduated from. This is no surprise really, as college is not designed to churn out degrees and provide a line on a résumé, but rather to serve as a means for students to hone a skill or passion, or as a mirror for students like me to examine one’s self and decide if we were honing a passion we no longer yearned for. College is not even designed to be the one and only stepping stone to lucrative employment, but that could just be the underemployed recent college graduate in me consoling myself. This brings me back to my original question: Was college worth it? Was it worth the time? Absolutely. It is often said the college is the best four years of one’s life and while I certainly plan on having many more years to try to top

it, I found people and a place I love and eye-opening new experiences that the high school me could never fathom. I took a risk, a big risk, and wanted to try something completely new. It’s not hard to picture what my life would have been like had I not gone to college. I would have likely gotten a dead-end job, spent the occasional weekend night at the lone bar in town and seen the same faces week after week. Many of my high school classmates do just that.

Go with your heart

But where the challenge comes is not what my life would look like without a college education, but if I pursued the wrong college education and held fast to my improbable and ill fitting sports business dream. I would be a college graduate and from the outside, I would be seen as a success. But I would know better. So, while we are still collegeaged young adults, throw

some caution to the wind, take a chance and try something new. I say all of this before I have received the real letter from Sallie Mae. I imagine she’ll soon wise up and realize that I’m not looking to take more money out and finally decide to come collect what I have been fortunate to take for the last four years. At times I picture myself without a fulltime paycheck, saddled with bills and living expenses that come from living in “the real world,” a world I have spent a vast majority of my life apart from. But then I quickly realize that I’ve found people I have grown close to, tried new things, traveled to places far beyond my imagination and found a career path that I could not picture living without. It’s an amazing total experience I could not put a price on, even though Sallie Mae is trying very hard.

Spring 2014 18

College Life

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An employee of Mom and Pop’s Soda Shop in Oswego stands by their point of sales system. The business, located on East Utica Street, has received help from students participating in group known as Enactus. Members of Enactus work with faculty advisers and business partners to apply business solutions to community improvement activities.

Get Ready for the Real World, Join Enactus SUNY students help local businesses get ahead By Melissa Stefanec

ost people go to college to ready themselves for the rest of their lives. They want to gain the education and skills that it will take to make a mark on the world. There is one group at SUNY Oswego that emphasizes readying its members for life on the other side. That group is called Enactus, which is short for Entrepreneurial Action by University Students. Enactus is a group of students and academic and business leaders who integrate the power of entrepreneurial action with community involvement.

student’s major, there is a role they can play in community projects. “You are welcome to join the project if it’s something you are passionate about,” he said. Enactus students will have to bring a lot of passion and energy to the group. The SUNY Oswego Enactus group is implementing several initiatives throughout the Oswego community and beyond. This organization is for thinkers and doers, and projects the students execute demand a lot of dedication.

Enactus is a global, nonprofit organization that spans 39 countries and has about 60,000 members. The program is backed by multiple Fortune 500 companies and was started in Texas in 1976. Members of Enactus work with faculty advisers and business partners to apply business solutions to community improvement activities. The group is open to any student, regardless of his or her major. According to Tucker Sholtes, president of Enactus at SUNY Oswego, the only thing a potential Enactus member needs to bring to the table is an entrepreneurial spirit. No matter what a

The best way to explain what Enactus does is to take a look at a few of its projects. Enactus at SUNY Oswego is currently involved in seven projects. The club has about 150 members. One of the group’s main projects has been to partner with a small, local business in the City of Oswego. Enactus is working with a restaurant called Mom & Pop’s Soda Shop and Eatery. Members of Enactus worked with the owners of Mom and Pop’s to implement a new business plan. One of the difficulties facing the business was how to deal with credit card fees. The

About Enactus

19 Spring 2014

Enactus projects at SUNY Oswego

business was paying very high fees and wanted to change that. Students introduced the owners to Foursquare, which drastically cut the fees the business was paying for credit card processing. Enactus also received a grant from Sam’s Club and used some of the money to purchase and install a new point-of-sales system for the business. Mom & Pop’s is now completing credit card transactions, tracking inventory and tracking sales with an iPad. Enactus also brought in student IT experts to install a Wi-Fi and partition a router in order to secure the business’ network. Enactus isn’t stopping there. “Now we are working with them to better market the company. They are adding weekly specials and using Facebook and Twitter,” said Sholtes. “It’s rapidly developing. It’s very exciting.” To execute this multiphase project, members of Enactus had to fill multiple roles. There were project managers, planners, innovators, IT experts and marketing gurus. The students had a lot to offer. Another Enactus project is called MoneySmart. Enactus partnered with Pathfinder continued next page

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College Life

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Bank in Oswego to launch this financial literacy project. Enactus members conduct financial seminars for different members of the community. The programs offers information on basic financial concepts such as balancing a checkbook, using credit cards, average career salaries, budgeting, and applying for loans. Last year Enactus presented this seminar to more than 500 people. They also hope to develop a program for Pathfinder Bank to use and present to its own

audiences. They are currently developing an offshoot of this program called, “The Game of Life,” which they hope to present in local high schools. According to Sholtes, this seminar is a much-needed one. “High schools don’t have any financial literacy classes mandated by the State,” he said. Another of the group’s highly recognized projects was one that Sholtes himself initiated. He pitched and executed flood relief efforts for the

victims of the 2011 flooding in Binghamton. When Hurricane Irene hit Sholtes’ hometown in the Southern Tier, he knew he had to do something. He had attended a presentation given by Enactus during orientation, and he put his idea into motion. He secured donations from local business and made five relief trips to the area. Enactus students contributed more than 500 hours of time to cleaning and rebuilding the area. The group also secured donations of play sets for the children and families who were rebuilding their lives. A play set may not seem like much, but Enactus members knew it was an important contribution. “We thought the joy of seeing their kids happy would help them through this difficult process,” said Sholtes. Sholtes’ work on the project earned him SUNY Oswego’s Distinguished Service Award, an award that is traditionally given to a group of people and not an individual. “That was a really cool moment. For the first time, I realized how much I had done since high school,” he said.

Creating the next generation of leaders Enactus focuses on preparing students for the real world by making them face today’s challenges. The organization operates in much the same way any business would. Enactus members have to recruit new members, develop and implement educational outreach projects, fund their programs, use mass media to publicize their efforts, and present their accomplishments at the Enactus Regional Competition. The parallels between projects in this organization and post-collegiate life are crucial to the program’s success and the success of students who are a part of it. Being part of a successful Enactus project is some excellent fodder for a graduate’s resume. At the end of the day, members of Enactus aren’t just laying the cornerstones for their futures; they are also making a real difference in their communities. “It excites me to see how the organization is growing and where its rising leaders will take it. I expect some great things to happen,” said Sholtes.

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For more information on SUNY Oswego’s Enactus program or to become a member or a business partner, visit their website at: www.oswego.edu/ academics/colleges_and_departments/business/student_activities/enactus.html or email Sholtes at tsholtes@oswego.edu.

Spring 2014 20

College Life

Oswego, College in India Agree to Range of Exchanges

new, long-in-the-works agreement between SUNY Oswego and highly regarded St. Xavier’s College in Kolkata, India, will open paths for student, faculty and staff exchanges for semester-abroad and visitingscholar programs, collaborative research, cross-cultural art opportunities and professional development. “St. Xavier’s is a top-notch institution,” said Lorrie Clemo, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Oswego. “I am delighted that through the partnership we will widen Oswego’s educational commitment and involvement in India. We aim to keep a constant flux of students and faculty between our colleges that will foster a greater appreciation of India’s people, culture, economy and politics.” Four years ago, Distinguished Teaching Professor Geraldine Forbes of Oswego’s history faculty began talking with the president of St. Xavier’s, and wrote a report recommending the college as a strong candidate for academic ties with SUNY Oswego. “St. Xavier’s is one of the best-run, best-organized and most efficient colleges in India,” said Forbes, who travels to the subcontinent once or twice a year for research, teaching and conferences. “I couldn’t think of a better place for our students to go.” The Jesuit-run, Englishspeaking college traces its roots to 1860, the year before Edward Austin Sheldon founded SUNY Oswego’s forerunner, the Oswego Primary Teachers’ Training School. Long affiliated with Calcutta University in the country’s British-style educational system, St. Xavier’s became autonomous in 2006. The college, in the state of West Bengal in eastern India, has undergraduate programs in business, arts and sciences, mass communication and in multimedia and animation. Graduate programs include computer science, biotechnology, microbiology, physics, business and education.

Rich collaboration

Joshua McKeown, director of international education and programs at SUNY Oswego, said the St. Xavier’s agreement is a strong step in a long-term development process for the college’s relationships in India. Over the course of 14 years, Forbes has taken dozens of students to India for study

21 Spring 2014

and research. In recent years, the college’s Global Laboratory has sent students there for summer research opportunities. Yet the State University system generally has few semester-length study-abroad options there, McKeown said. “India is a very complex country in which to run a study-abroad program,” McKeown said. He cited issues such as academic calendar alignment, curriculum, housing, local transportation and security. The new agreement with St. Xavier’s came after McKeown and Clemo made visits to St. Xavier’s, met with its president Father Felix Raj, and came away impressed and satisfied with the viability of an exchange relationship. In October, Ashis Mitra, chairman of the Indian college’s academic council, visited Oswego and signed the accord with President Deborah F. Stanley. Two Indian students from St. Xavier’s studied at SUNY Oswego this summer, Forbes said, and both “loved the experience.” Forbes said Oswego students should love the St. Xavier’s experience as well. For one thing, the college in Kolkata shares Oswego’s concern with social justice and service learning. “Every student every semester does service learning,” she said. Twice a year, St. Xavier’s buses in children from among the poorest villages in the region for a fair on campus, Forbes said. “The college students donate money to make sure every child wins a prize,” she said. Submitted by SUNY Oswego

Write for Us

Local News Inc., the publisher of College Life and other publications, is selecting interns who are interested in writing. This is a paid internship. Requirements: strong language skill and knowledge of news writing. Send an email to wdotto@gmail.com. Attach previously published articles and resume. We’re based on 185 East Seneca St. in Oswego. Transportation is necessary.

in an Area Church of p i h s r o W Your Choice! Passover Seder

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rabbi@jewishoswego.org 315-236-2116 56 Franklin Ave. Oswego NY 13126

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College Life

To go or not to go? There should be no question ARTSwego lines up two powerhouse acts during the spring semester: The Acting Company and Kaki King By Melissa Stefanec

y the time the towering snow banks recede into Lake Ontario, two bigtime talents will have braved the elements and performed in SUNY Oswego’s Waterman Theater. The Acting Company will present back-to-back features of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.” Later in the spring semester, Kaki King will take the stage with the ETHEL instrumental quartet. While many people will pay big bucks to see these acts in major cities, the Oswego community will have a chance to see them in a more-private setting for less than the cost of a movie.

SUNY Oswego students can attend the plays or concerts for $5 each.

The Acting Company The Acting Company will present two plays. “Hamlet” will take place Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m., and “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead” will be offered Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m. The first play will be a traditional rendition of Shakespeare, while the second is a more modern tale that features an alternative view of Hamlet from two of the play’s minor charac-

Members of The Acting Company perform a scene from Hamlet (photo by Michael Lamont).

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College Life

Kaki King may be touring in large cities in Europe and Asia for most of 2014, but she will make an appearance in Oswego in March.

23 Spring 2014

ters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Although “Hamlet” is a tragedy, the second play offers a comedic take. Both plays will feature the same actors, roles and costumes. “It takes the “Hamlet” story and turns it on its head,” said John Shaffer, director of arts and programming for ARTSwego. “I think it will be an amazing theater experience.” The Acting Company is an internationally recognized troop of traveling performers, which endures as the major touring classical theater in the United States. The group started in 1972 with the first graduating class of Julliard’s Drama Division. Throughout the years, its stage has given birth to careers for the likes of Rainn Wilson, Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone and many others. Performers in this group typically sign on for one year and spend that year touring the country and performing in varied communities. Each year they perform in more than 40 cities and reach an audience of about 70,000 people, including an average of 30,000 students. Besides presenting two plays, members of The Acting Company will have an openforum, question-and-answer period after the performances. This will give playgoers a window into the life of a traveling performer. Shaffer highly recommends that students try to

catch both of The Acting Company’s performances. He cited Hamlet as being a big part of popular culture. Seeing the two plays would make students look at popular culture from a fresh perspective. “[Hamlet] is such a significant part of western cultural history. Seeing these two plays back-to-back is a great way to look at the way classic literature is reworked in new forms and new media,” said Shaffer. To offer a little perspective, he cited numerous popular sayings that get there roots from “Hamlet,” including “there is a method to my madness (original “Hamlet” quote, “Though this be madness, yet there is method in ‘t), and “In my mind’s eye.” The play will be a great way to link popular culture with a classic. “It’s something the students will remember,” said Shaffer.

Kaki King and ETHEL Kaki King may be touring in large cities in Europe and Asia for most of 2014, but she will make an appearance in Oswego, a city with a population of fewer than 20,000 people. She will bring her individual style of guitar playing and take the stage with the contemporary instrumental quartet, ETHEL, on March 26

at 7:30 p.m. in the Waterman Theater. As the only woman ever named to Rolling Stone magazine’s New Guitar Gods’ list, King is sure to be familiar with many in the SUNY Oswego community. Her guitar playing has appeared in television and film scores, including the movies “Into the Wild” and “August Rush.” The ETHEL quartet was founded in 1998 and has been met with critical acclaim. ETHEL comprises Ralph Farris (viola), Dorothy Lawson (cello), Kip Jones (violin) and Tema Watstein (violin). The innovative styling of Kaki King and ETHEL will offer the Oswego community a unique listening experience. Although King will be backed by this string quartet, Shaffer shied from using that label. The quartet is known for its fresh and experimental sounds. “They don’t do anything traditional,” said Shaffer. “They are so energetic and dynamic.” So you want a piece of this theatrical action? Thanks to the innovative folks at ARTSwego and each student’s arts fee, there will be some top-notch acts taking to the stage in Tyler Hall. For more information on these events and many others, visit the ARTSwego website at oswego.edu/arts, email artswego@oswego.edu or call 315-312-4581.

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