Around the SUNY Oswego campus

The Latino Student Union performs at the annual ALANA Fashion Show on Sept. 21 in the Hewitt ballroom. The popular showcase of fashion and entertainment was among the highlights of the annual ALANA Student Leadership Conference, Oct. 18 to 23, which promoted empowerment, self-awareness and embracing diversity. (Photo by Megan Briggs)

Imani Tate, a junior dual major in business and finance and Black Student Union president, speaks to participants downtown outside City Hall in advance of the annual ALANA Unity Peace Walk on Sept. 22. The annual walk’s purpose is to promote unity among students, faculty and staff within the campus community and with Oswego’s residents. President Deborah F. Stanley (at left) was among the administrators, faculty and staff who annually join the students for the walk.

During the ALANA Alumni Student Leadership Panel on Sept. 18, Darlynda Brownlee (seated left), a 2012 and 2016 Oswego alumna, speaks to the audience in Marano Campus Center auditorium with fellow guest panelists, from left, Juan Fermin, class of 2015; Elaine Janae Flowers, class of 2016; and Christopher Collins-McNeil, class of 2016. At podium, left, are student moderators Malik Jones and Michelle Adeoshun. Brownlee, an educator with the Syracuse City School District, also served as ALANA keynote speaker earlier that evening. (Photo by Megan Briggs)

The first round of the college's LaunchIt student startup competition began on Sept. 26 with some passionate pitches from student entrepreneurs, including Ramatoulaye Sy (pictured on stage), followed by a gathering of teams to continue toward a $2,000 first prize. Enactus, the student organization who organizes the popular competition, and the School of Business coordinates the competition, which will next have teams meet with faculty expert mentors and then a final round of presentations and awards at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, in the Marano Campus Center auditorium.

Bill Testa, a 1987 SUNY Oswego graduate as well as CEO/president of Direct Mail 20/20 and Testa Group LLC, provided words of inspiration on stepping outside your comfort zone and learning as much as you can at the first round of this year’s LaunchIt student startup competition on Sept. 26. (Photo by Jennifer Broderick)

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha spoke on campus Sept. 25 on the Flint water crisis and her book "What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance and Hope in an American City," the Oswego Reading Initiative selection for 2019. The pediatrician-turned-advocate was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. (Photo by Megan Briggs)

Many students, joined by campus and community members, joined a worldwide effort to bring attention to climate issues on Sept. 20. Chelsie Scott (foreground left), a senior anthropology major and lead event organizer, here walks with the group near the Shineman Center. Sponsored by the SUNY Oswego Anthropology Club, the event culminated with performances and speakers, including students, faculty, staff, community members and college President Deborah F. Stanley, outside of Marano Campus Center.

Elena Jones, a junior zoology major from the Bronx, invites the campus and community to help compile and track flora and fauna around the area through the iNaturalist app. She discovered the app -- where users can take a picture of a plant or animal to find out what it might be or to add it to the database -- this summer during an internship with the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. She created a database project for the campus, called SUNY Oswego biodiversity, which has more than 3,000 uploads and about 1,040 categorized species to date, with Rice Creek Field Station an especially rich location.

As part of the college’s Alumni-in-Residence program, 1973 graduate Tim Cooper (seated right), an acclaimed composer and music producer, visited campus to meet with students, speak to an “Introduction to Music Technology” class and lead a Pizza with Professionals gathering. In the office of music faculty member Paul Leary (standing at left) Cooper met with students (from left) Clara Tribunella, Keria Gray Outlaw, Ethan Mitchell and Nicky Radford.

Marlon Peterson discussed  “What Does Justice Look Like?” in a Sept. 18 talk sponsored by the David F. Cutler ‘74 Public Justice Excellence Fund. The advocate for youth development, violence prevention, criminal justice, and race and gender justice is the founder and chief re-imaginator of The Precedential Group and was honored by Ebony Magazine as one of America's 100 most influential and inspiring leaders.

Sept. 17 marked Totally Teal Day for ovarian cancer awareness on campus. The late Mary Gosek, a longtime employee (and another mother to the men’s hockey team coached by her husband Ed), started the campaign several years ago before passing away to the disease in 2017. A large group showed up to honor her and others by wearing teal and to support others, helping raise funds for the Hope for Heather charity.

Richard Shoen (center, in gray shirt), HVAC supervisor in the college’s Facilities Services, talks about the geothermal facilities of the Shineman Center while leading a tour in the mechanical room in the building’s basement. It was one of a pair of Sept. 25 events promoted by community campaign HeatSmart CNY and the college's Office of Sustainability, showcasing one of the largest installations in the state in the Shineman Center’s geothermal heating and cooling system. (Photo by Megan Briggs)

The ninth annual Stride to SAVE Lives suicide awareness and prevention walk on campus on Sept. 21 drew a large turnout of campus and community, including Team Red, White and Blue helping lead the way along Washington Boulevard. SUNY Oswego alumna Jamie Leszcyznski, who lost her younger brother to suicide, spearheads the event, which benefits the local chapter of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education.

In a preview image for the upcoming theatre production of “The Fantasticks,” student actors Damon Fletcher (left, who plays Bellomy), Chaeyoon Kim (The Mute, who can see the future) and Salvatore Sperazza (El Gallo) try to read a crystal ball in this tale of lovers from feuding families. The popular and enduring musical will open at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17 in Tyler Hall’s Waterman Theatre, with additional dates Oct. 18, 24, 25 and 26. Tickets are available online, at any campus box office or by calling 315-312-3073.

Music faculty member Paul Leary performs next to a giant pendulum that he constructed and uses to create electronic music while music major Clara Tribunella works with a piano board to build on the sonic landscape during the Oswego PorchFest that brought a variety of music to the west side of the Port City on Sept. 22. Their group, Oswego Collective, also includes Zahra Bellucci (not pictured). Among the 60 acts performing on 30 porches for the free festival were a number of SUNY Oswego faculty, staff, students and alumni.

In the spirit of the campuswide Grand Challenge initiative “Fresh Water for All,” a ground mural titled Waterscape took shape last week to transform the concrete surface of the quad into a topographic waterscape. Echo, an art collective from Syracuse, worked with volunteers for this Artswego program.