Around the SUNY Oswego campus

Samantha Boyle and Madison St. Gelais (holding check, left and right) win the finals of the inaugural Launch It competition showcasing student entrepreneurs Sept. 15 in Marano Campus Center auditorium. Their proposed app, Bunk, would allow students looking for off-campus housing to safely connect with potential roommates and verified and rated landlords, as well as view video tours of the properties. Led by past president Jordan Shutts (in back, second from left) and current president Eli VanOrman (right), the college's chapter of Enactus shared Launch It sponsorship with the School of Business and the Office of Business and Community Relations. Also shown are judges Dennis Shuler (far left), consultant at Bain Capital Ventures and a SUNY Oswego alumnus; and (starting fifth from left) Austin Wheelock, deputy director at Operation Oswego County; Chena Tucker, director of OBCR; and Oswego alumna Paloma Sarkar, assistant vice president of credit risk at Pathfinder Bank.

School of Business students (from left) Kyle Zeller, Shakhar Dasgupta, Nick Michel, Ahmed Albajari and Alex Kouthoofd make their entrepreneurial presentation Sept. 15 at the Launch It finals. At the preliminary round, alumnus and entrepreneur Jeff Knauss, co-founder of The Digital Hyve, gave the keynote address.

SUNY Oswego's Office of Business and Community Relations and the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce celebrate their partnership and new offices Sept. 13 with an open house at the Business Resource Center (pictured) at 121 E. First St. and at the adjacent new home of the office's community relations team, 34 East Bridge St. The college partnered with the chamber, Pathfinder Bank and business- and community-oriented agencies to develop the new spaces.

A large multimedia conference room in the new Business Resource Center invites conversations Sept. 13 during the open house. From left are Barb Bateman of NBT Bank; Ellen Wahl, former director of the Retired and Senior Volunteers Program (RSVP) of Oswego County; and Teresa Ferlito, a member of RSVP's advisory council, speaking with the current RSVP director, Meave Gillen.

Splendid in their ceremonial costumes, members of the Caribbean Student Association stride the stage as the ALANA Fashion Show unfolds. The 31st African, Latino, Asian and Native American Student Leadership Conference also featured such educational events as the annual Collections of Expressions multicultural presentations starring rapper and music producer Oveous Maximus, a networking reception, a leadership panel discussion and more. (Photo by MacKenzie Hungerford)

An African Student Organization dance-and-drums troupe lights up the Waterman Theatre stage Sept. 16 during the sold-out ALANA Fashion Show. The evening's jubilant multicultural celebration featured not only fashions, but also entertainment from music to dancing to comedy. (Photo by MacKenzie Hungerford)

David Etse and the Adanfo Dancers, a Syracuse-based troupe performing in the Ghanaian tradition, entertain a packed audience Sept. 16 at Waterman Theatre as part of the ALANA Fashion Show. Other entertainers included ALANA regular and Oswego alumnus DJ Tumbo and comedian Kiry Shabaz. (Photo by MacKenzie Hungerford)

Led by ALANA organizations and designed to bring together students from all walks of life and to demonstrate diversity within the Oswego community, the 7th annual Unity Peace Walk makes its way along Bridge Street en route from City Hall to campus on Sept. 17. The multicultural contingent included college President Deborah F. Stanley and members of President's Council, deans, faculty and staff.

Milena Toribio (right) makes a point during the presentation of "I, Too, Am Study Abroad: Identity Overseas" Sept. 14 in Room 133 of Marano Campus Center during the ALANA Student Leadership Conference. Toribio, a junior adolescence education and Spanish major, took part in quarter courses in Buenos Aires and in Paris, while Mia Peralta (left), a junior psychology major, studied in India through a SUNY Cortland summer program. The award-winning I, Too, Am Study Abroad program engages students with study-travel experiences to serve as mentors and ambassadors to SUNY Oswego students of all ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in the effort to convey that studying abroad is a reachable and beneficial goal. Other panelists were Brittani Cunningham, Gabrielle Bennett and Stacy Baum. (Photo by MacKenzie Hungerford)

Senior philosophy-psychology major Angelica Perez, who minors in French and biology, uses a map to assist her in sharing her experiences studying this summer in France. Alumni, faculty and other students also spoke during the session -- which keyed on studying abroad in France -- Sept. 13 in Room 242 of Marano Campus Center. They conveyed information about internships and teaching assistantships with the French government. Susan Bertonneau of the modern languages and literatures faculty and Barbara St. Michel of Campus Life's events staff organized the session. (Photo by MacKenzie Hungerford)

Tiraya Conyers, SUNY Oswego class of  '15, a personal trainer, private yoga instructor and founder of Vanity Unedited Yoga, makes the keynote speech for the ALANA Student Leadership Conference on Monday in Marano Campus Center auditorium. Howard Gordon, co-founder of ALANA 31 years ago and now executive assistant to college President Deborah F. Stanley, introduced Conyers.

Artists and choreographers Anastasia Sedykh (left foreground) and Roberto Perez lead a class in Salsa Rueda de Casino, a salsa round dance developed in Havana in the 1950s, on Sept. 13 in Marano Campus Center's food and activity court during Hispanic Latino Heritage Appreciation Evening. Cultural foods and refreshments at the ALANA event helped fuel the dance lessons, in preparation for Afro-Caribbean band Tiempo Libre's club-style appearance last night in Hewitt ballroom. (Photo by MacKenzie Hungerford)

College President Deborah F. Stanley (left) and Graduate Studies Dean Kristen Eichhorn (right) recognize graduate student Christopher Bartlett -- enrolled in biomedical and health informatics as well as the health information technology certificate program -- on Sept. 12 for completing a Festa Graduate Leadership Fellowship this summer. Bartlett had a multi-part internship, including experience in an interventional radiology suite, mentored by Summer Decker, director of imaging research at the University of South Florida's Morsani College of Medicine.

Curriculum and instruction faculty member Maria Murray (right) and School of Education Dean Pam Michel display Murray's Perry A. Zirkel Education Faculty Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Teaching in Education. Zirkel, a class of '66 alumnus and expert on education law, also established the award as an "enduring way to recognize Oswego's institutional value," he told Oswego, the alumni magazine.

Senior biochemistry major Kacy Baum (center) speaks with biological sciences faculty member Peter Newell and junior business administration major Mackenzie Friesner on Sept. 8 during the annual Summer Scholars Symposium in Hewitt ballroom. Baum worked with Kestas Bendinskas of the chemistry faculty on the E. coli research project with several other students.

The annual Summer Scholars Symposium takes over Hewitt ballroom Sept. 8, as students who worked on faculty-mentored research this summer explain their work during a poster session. Among the programs represented were the Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee's Challenge Grant program, the Global Laboratories summer research-travel program, High School Scholars at SUNY Oswego, the NSF Step Grant program and the Possibility Scholars. 

Brent Axe of Syracuse.com and ESPN Radio in Syracuse talks Sept. 6 in Marano Campus Center auditorium at an Oz Speaks panel on sports and activism titled "Taking a Knee," which examined points of view on former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision not to stand up with his teammates for the playing of the National Anthem. Other panelists (from left) are faculty members Brian Moritz of communication studies, Bonita Hampton of curriculum and instruction in the School of Education, and Kenneth Marshall of history. Oz Speaks is not a forum for debate, nor a place for hate; it is an inclusive session that is safe for expression, organizers said. (Photo by MacKenzie Hungerford)

Flags spell out 9/11, thanks to an annual memorial by the SUNY Oswego members of College Republicans, adjacent to Marano Campus Center on Sept. 11, the day in 2001 when airliners hijacked by terrorists brought down the twin towers of the World Trade Center and crashed into the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, killing nearly 3,000 people.

Turning out in droves to honor the memory of Mary Gosek and to support a cause she championed, members of the campus community gather Sept. 12 before a walk around Glimmerglass Lagoon to raise awareness for ovarian cancer through the Totally Teal Day campaign. Gosek, who worked in Campus Technology Services, took a proactive, help-others approach to her personal, years-long struggle with the disease before her death in June. Totally Teal asks people on campus to wear teal each Tuesday in September and, through the work of building representatives on campus, to make contributions to the not-for-profit organization Hope for Heather.

Several faculty members serve as tandem runners for disabled athletes in the ARC of Onondaga 5K fundraiser Sept. 9 at Long Branch Park in the town of Geddes. Volunteers included (from left in back) Amy Bartell of art, who organized the participation; Juliet Giglio and Amy Shore, both of English and creative writing; as well as (not pictured) English and creative writing faculty members Donna Steiner, who took the photo, and Laura Donnelly. (Submitted by Amy Shore)

On Sept. 11, members of Kappa Sigma fraternity stop by University Police offices to visit and drop off a thank-you goodie bag for police officers. This was part of their First-Responder Appreciation Day observance. From left are Richard Kolakowski, Kappa Sigma philanthropy chair; University Police Lt. Evan Proulx; Cooper Lee, the fraternity's president; Erik Andreassen, historian; and David Schmitz, brotherhood events chair.

Kevin Stickles, a 1990 alumnus and senior vice president of human resources at Wegmans, speaks Sept. 12 in an Enactus mentoring session in Rich Hall prior to the next day's final round of the inaugural Launch It, a startup business competition. Mirroring the popular ABC television reality show "Shark Tank," Launch It featured teams of students pitching their ideas to a panel of business leaders. Mentors for Launch It included Stickles' colleague at Wegmans, human resource manager Duane Hutt; Robert Colangelo, president of Colangelo Innovation Group; Kayla Doan '11, innovation program manager for Constant Contact; and Sarah Miller '15, innovation associate with AARP (American Association of Retired Persons).

James Rogers '76, senior contracts manager/consultant for engineering company WorleyParsons, speaks Sept. 12 to an "International Business Management" class about "Ethics, Social Responsibility and Sustainability: Meanings and Dimensions of Culture" in Room 118 of Rich Hall as part of the Alumni-In-Residence program.

United University Professions (UUP) holds its 22nd annual fall gathering Sept. 1 at Fallbrook Lodge, celebrating the group's first Milestone Years of Service Recognition Ceremony this year for professional staff members. Present at the picnic to receive their certificates/gifts from UUP chapter President Bill Canning were (from left) Dan Laird (Campus Technology Services, 10 years of service), Canning, Barbara St. Michel (Campus Life, 35), Winfield Ihlow (recently retired from the Office of Learning Services, 32) Judith McCabe (theatre, 15), Douglas Hemphill (Division of Extended Learning, 10), Jacqueline Wallace (Career Services, 15), John Halleron (Small Business Development Center, 15; Fred Scoles (chemistry, 35), and Jerome Oberst (Admissions, 39). (Submitted by Kristen Gublo)

Emcee of this year's Say Yes to Education Gala at Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, junior wellness management major Vinnie Reeder (third from left) pauses for a photo with (from left) Mayor Stephanie Miner, an unidentified assistant, and Matthew Thompson, brother of SUNY Oswego junior Collin Thompson. The event annually raises money to support the scholarship endowment for Say Yes to Education, a local community-wide partnership that pools resources and realigns assets to support Syracuse students in school and through college. (Submitted by Anneke McEvoy)

Sophomore forward Kendra Walker, shown Sept. 13 facing Elmira, earned SUNY Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week in field hockey for the week ending Sept. 17. Walker was integral in back-to-back wins for the Lakers last week, scoring the game-winning goal in a 5-4 contest with Elmira College, followed by a one-goal, one-assist outing in a 4-1 victory at Wells College on Saturday afternoon. With the pair of wins, Oswego is .500 with a 2-2 mark under new head coach Heather Moore. The Lakers next are scheduled at Keuka College this afternoon.

Junior forward Hassan Musa, dribbling in a 5-0 win over Houghton College to open the season Sept. 1, ranks tied for third in the country for total assists (6) with teammate Connor Lunduski, a senior midfielder. Musa, an Onondaga Community College transfer, is also eighth in the nation for total points (18). He has helped Oswego to its best start in nearly 60 years at 5-1-1 under new head coach Dan Kane. The Lakers have already eclipsed their win total from the 2016 campaign and aim to continue the momentum as the SUNYAC schedule begins at 3 p.m. Friday at versus New Paltz at Laker Turf Stadium.