Hi readers,

The end of the semester is almost upon us, and yet I’ve felt its ominous presence since day one. This has by far been the busiest three and a half months of my life, and I’d like to tell you about it.

My previous three semesters here at Oswego I feel had been building up to this one. Those were practice, this is the real deal – vice president of a student organization, pulling it up from the ashes (with the help of 5 great friends!), 5 upper division courses, 3 QUEST presentations, and one vendetta to make a real change in school policy later, it’s almost over. I’ve made more Prezi’s and pushed more code to Github in this one semester than I have in my entire life before it. And through all of this work, I’ve seen an alternative perspective, the other side of the coin on an important life issue: balance.

It all started at the end of last semester, when Students for Global Change was in shambles. The officers had stopped coming to meetings, and worse, had entirely given up on the organization without telling anyone. I had been sitting at the club table that semester (since no one else wanted to), promoting my policy proposal for a change in how we handle public art on campus. All of a sudden, I was asked to help get the club organized and back on track. This was no easy task, but I managed to gather a ragtag group of friends to help me out and act as my officers. Since then, I (along with them) have been working nonstop to bring this club back to life. It exists for a good reason, and we showed that to a lot of people on campus this semester. We worked really hard with absolutely no budget to put on a weeklong series of events for Mother Earth Week, culminating in what was possibly the most anticlimactic tree planting ceremony ever put on for Arbor Day. But, what is important is that the tree was planted. It was difficult, but we got it done.

The week previous was QUEST week. Many students are unaware of exactly what QUEST is, which is a shame; thankfully, however, just as many not only are aware, but are active participants in that day-long celebration of knowledge that we share with our community every year. This year, I presented two class projects and my own public art project, and in between presentations I manned a table at the sustainability fair, which was also happening that day.

In between my long nights working on classwork this semester, I spent my days making connections and pushing for a real change in the way this institution treats the visual arts. After lobbying Student Association all last semester, I focused my efforts this time around on the faculty and the administration, asking them to think about making a change. And while significant progress has been made, the lesson I’ve learned is that I am only one person, and I can’t do everything – as much as I would like to. I quickly realized that I do have limits to my energy and ability, and I quickly became overwhelmed and exhausted for the first time since arriving at Oswego after being here for almost two years.

Before coming to Oswego, I believed my problem was that I didn’t want to work enough. Now I find myself a workaholic, and am stressed out in the same way, just for a different reason. I was one way before, and now I am on the opposite side of the spectrum. An interesting side effect is that by having experienced both ways of life now, I can more clearly see the center that I need to be at. So, my friends, if I can give you one piece of parting advice this semester, it would be this: find your own personal balance. Find a way to do some things that interest you, and do them well. If you focus your efforts, you will find a new kind of freedom that is better than any other: a mental freedom from yourself.

Thanks for reading, and may you find something insightful or meaningful from this post and from your studies at SUNY Oswego.

Good luck on finals, and have a great summer break everyone!

-Mark

Whether you are a fan of Syracuse basketball or not, it’s hard to deny the appeal of watching them play in one of the biggest annual  sports events in the nation. Many of you here in Oswego will be throwing Final Four parties for your groups of friends, and I hope to make the planning a little bit easier with a few suggestions for a great Saturday evening!

1. Local Pizza or Make-Your-Own

The obvious party food just got a little more obvious-er. Instead of ordering from the big chains, support the local guys or make your own pizza with fresh ingredients from the grocery store. If you can’t make the trip to the grocer, try out one of these pizzerias in town:

The Pies Guys - http://www.piesguys.net/contact-the-pies-guys-oswego-ny.htm

Cam’s NY Pizzeria - http://www.camspizzeria.com/locations/oswego.html

2. Potluck

Ask each person/group attending to bring one snack or appetizer. Share the workload, and share in the fun; it’s a win-win!

3. Party games!

Have some games themed around basketball or the tournament to keep the party going during the time-outs. Have each guest make a prediction including the winning team and the final scores, with the closest to the final outcome winning a small prize, such as a piece of NCAA or SU memorabilia.

Don’t forget to keep a deck of playing cards on hand! People will find a way to have fun with them, but here’s a cool game suggestion just in case: http://www.pagat.com/invented/10cardbasketball.html

4. Save the environment!

For just a little more dough, you’ll be doing Mother Earth a solid by using recycled and compostable party supplies. Here’s a great source for such items: http://www.sustyparty.com/

Even if you can’t get your hands on these materials, it is good to know what is and isn’t compostable, so that you can designate separate disposal locations at your place of residence. Here are some tips for the uninitiated: http://www.wikihow.com/Compost

5. Be Safe

Don’t forget to designate drivers for those who are planning on consuming alcohol!

Above all, have a fun time this weekend and enjoy the games. If you think there are any essential party tips I might have missed, be sure to comment below!

Hi readers,

Maybe you knew, maybe you didn’t, but QUEST presentation submissions are due TOMORROW! For those of you not in the loop, QUEST is a fun filled day during which classes are cancelled and students and faculty alike go to presentations/workshops driven by the members of the SUNY Oswego community. Chances are, if you are a student and you completed a significant project for a class or internship, you can present it at QUEST. You might even just have a personal project or idea you’ve been working on, and this might be approved as a QUEST presentation as well.

When it comes to actually presenting, there are some things to keep in mind. As stated in the above quote, its very important to have the work to back up your case, but here are a few tips to really hook the audience that you might not have thought of:

1. Keep it Brief

Don’t overwhelm people with information! If you can present your ideas in a concise manner that ideally can be explained to a 5 year old, then you’re doing it right.

2. Include a Demo

People love to see ideas in action. Especially, quick sample-usage scenarios work wonders.

3. Dress for the Occasion

You don’t have to be formal, but style is always a plus. The first thing audience members see before you start talking is your outfit, and it might just give them something easy to remember your presentation by.

4. Make sure it’s Oswego related.

QUEST is a day to show off what Oswego does throughout its busy year, and this includes the town as well as the college communities. If your project is one that seeks to bolster some aspect of the local community, it will all the more easy for audience members to relate and enjoy your presentation!

5. Make it personal.

This, brought to you in video form, by the great people of TED.

My Projects

UniHub – A Social Networking based Classified Listing Service for the College Environment

The Oswego Art Initiative – A Mechanism for Outdoor Art on Campus

COG411 (Neural Networks) panel with Professor David Vampola

What are you going to present at QUEST? Give it a shout out in the comments below!

QUEST is coming April 17th – Are YOU Ready?

Hi all,

I recently spoke with the Ski and Snowboard club leaders Mike Lillis and Mac Dillman, as well as Ted Winkworth of the Lifestyles Center, who helped coordinate the event. Here’s what they had to say about this year’s celebration of all things winter sports:

What all was involved in putting the Rail Jam together? In other words, as a club, what steps did you have to take with the school administration and with outside people and organizations in order to set up such a big event?

Mike: The Rail Jam is a huge event and took months of planning.  As Mac said the majority of the approval process took place last year so this year was a little easier.  We just had to confirm with all the same College Officials and departments that we were putting the Rail jam on again and taking the same steps as last year.  This year we had to deal with a couple of new Officials so it was a little difficult getting them on the same page as us.  Once we were approved by campus we went straight to planning the day out.  Getting everything prepared and ready to go.  We worked closely with LifeStyles, WYNO, Red Bull and of course the Ski Club.  We really coordinated everything right down to the pinpoint.  Our club worked very closely together and we jumped through every obstacle together.  Mac’s answer really covers a lot of what we had to do.  Dealing with the school, insurance, clubs, money, grounds and much more.

Mac: Most of the approval process really took place last year. It was one struggle after the next. First we had to really determine who we should be asking permission from, and we could never seem to end up in the right person’s office. It was as if nobody wanted to give the thumbs up to the event in case something went wrong. Finally we landed at Campus Life, and after many meetings with the director of campus life and the Student Association Director of Finance, we came up with a long list of things we had to do before we could throw the event (and we were running short on time). S.A. didn’t want to let us have the event on their insurance policy, so we had to purchase a one-day event insurance policy from an outside agency, which we did not have money for. We networked with WNYO and they ended up paying for the insurance and also providing the music for the event. We had to buy and make all of the rails and boxes ourselves, which was expensive and also another challenge to coordinate with the technology department on that. We had to pay for a U.P. officer to attend the event for “crowd control”, and we had to have SAVAC on standby in case something went wrong. The other major coordination effort was with grounds crew. Last year we were affected by one of the lowest snow seasons on record, so it was very challenging to find enough snow. Fortunately grounds grew helped us move snow around campus, put it in the pile where we wanted it, and helped us shape it. We absolutely could not have done it this year or last year without them. We also relied heavily on the Lifestyles Center for on-campus promotion. This year we did things in the same way, but we didn’t have to go through such a painstaking approval process. We still had to follow all the same steps, but this time we knew what to do, so it was much less stressful. We were able to put more attention into things like promotion and the kind of frills that made this years Jam better than last years. The most challenging part this year was probably just coordinating with people who were new to the event and did not know the extent to which their organization helped out last year. We split up the duties very evenly this year which took a lot of weight off of everyones shoulders and made a lot more possible.

Ted, what did you and lifestyles contribute to the Rail Jam, as opposed to the Ski and Snowboard Club guys?

Ted: We really just helped to make sure the rails were taken care of, we helped with painting them to make sure it all looked good. We helped with logistics stuff, we were really more in the background this year. Last year we helped [ski and snowboard club] navigate the system, and now that they know what is going on they can take control, which I like.

 What challenges or difficulties did you face this year in putting this on?

Mike: As always challenges are always waiting around every corner.  I would say that one of the harder things this year was taking over for Mac.  Mac devoted his life to this event last year and ran everything really well.  With him student teaching everyday we really had to coordinate with him and try to find time for all of us to meet and set things up.  The event just really takes a lot of time and planning.  Trying to work with people who don’t really understand your idea really makes things harder.  Also our school has processes which can make things really difficult when trying to put events on.  We ran into a couple of major problems with insurance this year but we were able to work everything out.  The event flowed really smoothly and without the grounds crew and our hard working officers this event wouldn’t of been possible.

Mac: The challenges this year were more about trying to coordinate with one another through all of our busy schedules. Last year it was usually me who was sitting in the meetings, writing up the documents, and coordinating with different groups. But this year we split up those responsibilities so we were always having to talk with each other and meet to make sure we were on the same page, and with me gone every day student teaching and the other officers on their own busy schedules that got to be a challenge. 

Ted: Honestly, this year felt so easy; it was completely stress free. When it was all done, I was waiting for that feeling of “thank god it’s over”, and I realized it wasn’t coming, because I was never at any point feeling that things were out of control, that things weren’t going like they were supposed to. And especially after last year – there were political hurdles, there were insurance problems, and once all that was solved we needed snow – this year all that stuff was taken care of. It was really cool!

 What recommendations or advice would you make to other students and organizations wanting to set up large events like this?

Mike: Just go for it.  Try to team up with other organizations and really use your connections to get things done.  Ski Club has such a large member base that we are constantly networking to coordinate and get things done.  This was a huge help when trying to promote the event and get the word out.  But like I said before, just go for it.  Make it happen and don’t take no for an answer.  We planned this event for three years before we finally got approval.  We worked harder and harder each year at it and really lifted it off the ground.  Anything is possible and with some dedication and hard work a person can achieve anything.  To think that just an idea starting with 4 officers turned into such a large event.  The coordination and the turnout was amazing.

Mac: Dig your heels in then you meet resistance, and jump through whatever hoops you have to. You will develop yourself so much as a group leader and an individual. Learning how to work within the college system is an incredibly useful skill to have. For all the work we put in, it is absolutely worth every second of it to see the results. Do what you have to do to bring the things you love to the rest of this college community. 

Ted: Don’t give up on it! I think that for this one, the biggest hurdle was that people didn’t understand what it was, and now that people know what it is, I think that it is going to be something that happens every year that is going to be celebrated. If the ski club had given up after being shot down the first time, it never would’ve happened, so that persistence is huge.

Plans for next year and for future events?

Mike: We want to go bigger and better every year.  More people, more clubs more features.  We want this event to be a hit across campus.  We want everyone to be talking about it and see what an amazing event this is.  We really need the school to realize the impact our club has on this campus and try to work with us to make things easier.  According to admissions, our club is the most popular trending club across campus.  We have the largest active member base over any organization and pay the most out of pocket expenses.  We put on one of a kind events and do a lot of the work on our own since the school doesn’t give us the largest budget.  I want our club to be recognized across other campuses and I want them to be like wow, look what they just did!

Mac: With a solid foundation and a couple of successful events under our belt, now we are stretching out each year to see what else we can bring to this event. A few ideas we are bouncing around are trying to expand the competition to include riders from other schools, bigger and better prizes, vendors and board shops and ski mtns representing at tables, possibly even doing the event at night with lights. These are all just ideas in the air right now, but with the right drive we could definitely try to bring them in the mix.

Ted: I think that we want to try and make it bigger and more challenging next year, have more features. There’s been talk with the ski club about trying to do a big air or aerial trick competition, which I think they would do out at Fallbrook, but we’ll see what they end up doing with that. We definitely want more people out there and we want to make it a big event.

Well, looks like we’ve got plenty of great stuff to look forward to in the future from these guys! Oh and one more thing… In case you missed it, they even did a Harlem Shake! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAw10IWeCtc

Whether you like it or not, there’s no denying the recent surge of Harlem Shake videos across the Internet. The dance started as a gang ritual and has been only very recently turned into a joke by bored YouTubers. It seems Oswego’s gotten in on the action, with multiple groups on campus creating their own versions of the meme. Here’s a few to pass the time and have a quick laugh:

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Boy this campus is boring, there’s nothing to do here!”? Well, if so, you’re in for a treat today and this blog post is just for you! You may not know it, but there are a TON of student run organizations on campus (many of which are free and just require attendance & participation), and no college experience is complete without being a part of at least one. Its a new year and a new semester, so maybe its time to make a resolution and be a part of something, no matter how small!  Without further ado, here are a few student organizations that you can join and become an active member of with relatively little or no prior experience:

Outdoor Club

http://www.oswego.edu/orgs/outdoorclub/index.html

Get back in touch with your wild side! The outdoor club sponsors trips to many of the natural wonders of the northeast. Expect lots of camping and hiking! They accommodate beginners as well as seasoned pros. They even have movie nights and often team up with other clubs to put on events, such as the ski and snowboard club’s campus rail jam. It’s a good stress reliever to get away from school and out into nature for a while, and this club makes it very easy, often providing trips for free! So check out their website and go to a meeting, you might just find it to be the perfect balancing out activity to your busy college lifestyle.

Arts Alive

The official student run Art club on campus, these guys are down to earth. No pretentious art gallery fancy pants judgment to be found here. All of their information can be found near or in Tyler Hall Rm. 201. They put on educational events almost every week, and beginners are as welcome as anyone else with a passion for creativity and aesthetics.

Story Teller’s Guild

Yes, they are nerdy. But they are all also great people with a passion for fiction of all sorts, whether it comes in the form of comic books, games, or anime (among other things). Probably one of the largest groups on campus, they welcome geeks from all walks of life, and encourage members to host their own game/movie/role-playing etc. events. They also put on one large convention every year called ARCON, featuring plenty of game tournaments, panels, and memorabilia booths. Anyone can join, and you don’t have to be obsessed with the lifestyle to have a good time (even if it may be encouraged)!

Students for Global Change/ Go Green Team

Now two separate clubs, formerly under the umbrella club Students for Global Change, S4GC and the Go Green Team exist to promote environmental, social, and political awareness amongst citizens, with the Go Green Team specializing in environmental concerns and local green initiatives. Students for Global change often supports many other organizations on campus and encourages members to reach out to the community with their concerns, whether that be through workshops, personal projects or fundraising for global outreach organizations.

Student Association

http://www.oswegosa.org/

Last but most definitely not least we have SA, the glue which holds all of the other student organizations together. Believe it or not, the students who choose to participate in SA are doing it of their own free will, actively working to make the social and cultural environment on campus great for everyone. They have a lot of influence in many of the policies that are made by the administration and work very hard with average students who want to make something happen, but perhaps don’t have the tools or the know-how to go about doing it. In joining SA, you could gain a lot of experience working with people, which is something employers love, but they don’t necessarily teach in the classrooms. Their are many positions, from being a senator to a financial officer, and finding which is right for you would be a great step in learning how to be a leader in not just the SUNY Oswego community, but later on down the road of life as well.

Honorable Mentions:

Cut the Craft

Ultimate Frisbee Club

Philosophy Club

History Club

You can find information on all student organizations here, including many more specialized clubs for your more immediate interests:

http://www.oswego.edu/student/organizations/search.html

I hope this was informative, and if I didn’t get to any clubs or organizations on campus (new or otherwise!) that are accessible and anyone can join, give ‘em a shout out in the comments below!

Hey kids, whether or not you have a car on campus or plan on driving home for the break, its always good to be informed and and stay on top of yourself and your vehicle of choice. That’s why I’ve compiled this handy list of snowy weather tips – to remind you all to not only have fun this winter, but stay safe over the upcoming holiday!

1. Drive slow, stay under the speed limit (it exists for a reason).

2. Be a defensive driver, or in other words, always watch out for the other guy. You may be perfectly good at driving in harsh weather, but not everyone shares the same fortune!

3. Don’t slam on your brakes! Learn to pump the brakes to prevent sliding off the road, or into another lane of traffic.

4. Get snow tires if you can afford to. This seriously makes a huge difference.

5. If you get stuck, put the vehicle into a low gear and slowly rock back and forth to get yourself out. Things will only get worse if you accelerate too hard.

6. Keep the windshield wiper blades up and get snow/ice off in a timely manner (see: the day of). Not only will you will be set to drive quicker, but your car will love you for it.

7. Check the temperature outside and plan ahead before you leave so you make enough time to heat up your vehicle before takin’ her for a spin!

8. Turn your vehicle on once a day to keep the engine all warm and fuzzy and unfrozen inside.

9. Keep a shovel and/or blankets in your trunk – never know when you may run into an unfortunate situation.

10. Watch out for black ice. The county employees do a great job of plowing the roads, but they can’t always be perfect. This can be especially dangerous on highways like 481. Be aware of recent weather conditions and keep those eyes peeled!

We haven’t seen too much troublesome weather yet, but I suspect it is on its way here very soon, so stay safe friends! It’s been a good semester guys, and I hope you all have a great winter recess! If you have any safe winter weather tips of your own, sound off in the comments below!

Headlights

Christa Haley, Lara Ashley Bruce, Vala Kjarval, Jordan Bianchi

Winner – Judges Award, Best Picture

Self Control

Cameron Ebersold, Josh Parisi, Jared Gould, Christie Williams, Jessica Hebblethwaite

The Little Eyes

Brian Kastelan, Zachary Guthrie

Movie Night

Garvin Wells, Kristina Dopp, Tricia Morrison, Joshua Strauss, Kylee Greenleaf

Black Leaves

Tom DeVito, Amanda Durosa, Mike Fisher

Winner – Best Story, Amanda Durosa

A Night In

Kristen Kopper, Nate O’Brien, Matt Maggio, Jen Grossman, Lora Benjou

Lady

James Domachowske, Matt Kirkman, Max Cornillon, Keith Galluci

I’ll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time

Brian Liberty, Andrew Stulck, Brian Reilly, Christen Brambley, Greg Giannantonio

Hey all! The Panic Film Festival has come and gone, but luckily, for those of you who couldn’t attend, I will be posting all of the films that the students made in 48 hours for your viewing pleasure! Without further ado, here are 4 of the films (expect about 5 more next week!):

Malus

Winner – Best Performance, Morgan Rae Noone

Parallax

Audience Award for Best Picture

Judges’ Award, Third Place Picture

Best Costumes/Makeup, Ryan Farmer

The Fall

Timothy Rooney, Tom Loughlin

Boiling Point

Judges’ Award, Second Place Picture

Thanks for watching, and keep an eye out for round 2 next week!

Relevant Information:

Cost – $3.00

Sign-Up – 10/6 12:30 PM @ Campus Center Food Court Area

Proceeds – Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure (Breast Cancer Research)

Also this weekend and next: PANIC Film Festival! Student teams will be making short horror films over the course of this weekend and screening them next weekend at a special event. Hope to see you there! But don’t fear! I will make sure to post videos from the event here, so stay tuned!