Meet Alex Jurczynski, Scott Buniak, Jordan Giller, John Rauseo and Eddie Charles… Read more »
Well, some of the baseball team.
A questionnaire for 30+ players is a bit much, so I was forced to narrow it down a bit. Without further adieu, meet Adam Bishop, Dan Karleski, Mike McMullen and Dan Erne… Read more »
Our work is the presentation of our capabilities. -Edward Gibbon
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?
SUNY Oswego offers a variety of intramural events, club sports and recreation opportunities. Here are a few details regarding these activities at Oswego… Read more »
Sometimes, your classes can get the best of you.
Have you ever put off a huge project until the last day before it’s due? Ever let your homework pile up over the course of the week? These two things can work together to make you feel overwhelmed, stressed, and buried in work. Contrary to popular belief, a pot of coffee and an all nighter are not the solution to this problem. This bolg post is aimed at time management, seeking help in topics you may be struggling in, and how to survive the semester without stressing over being behind in classes.
When it comes to time management, there are many courses of action you can take to help keep organized and work in a productive, timely manner. Here are a few methods you can use to help manage your time:
- Make a schedule for yourself!-When a professor assigns a project that is due in a month, it may be a good idea to utilize all of the time that you have been given to complete the assignment. This usually means that you’re expected to put a lot of work into the assignment. In order to keep on track, make a schedule for yourself. Use a loose leaf piece of paper, calender, etc. to remind yourself what part of the project you should be working on at a given time.
- Buy yourself a white board!- This is a must have for any college student. A great idea is to keep the white board on the wall next to your bed so you can see whatever reminders you’ve written yourself as soon as you wake up. That way you won’t forget about an assignment that is due. Plan your week out on the board–it will be extremely helpful!
- Have a smartphone? Use it!-There are some great features in most smartphones that can work wonders when it comes to managing time. Most phones have a notepad, which can be used to write notes to yourself regarding a project or homework assignment. Another great feature is the alarm. Set alarms for yourself to remind you that you should be doing your work. That way you won’t get distracted by whatever you may be doing and lose track of time.
- Buy a planner!-Planners are a great invention–especially for a college student. Use them to keep track of all of your assignments and their due dates. This way, you can get things done before they start to pile up.
- Others- Other great ways to stay on track include leaving sticky notes for yourself, or having a trustworthy friend remind you to stay on track.
Sometimes for a student, procrastination occurs because they do not understand the material in class. If this is the case, and you are struggling in a class, here are a few methods to help you bring up your grade and do better on exams, homework, or papers:
- Office Hours-Most professors on campus have open office hours–which is a specified time on a given day where they are open to students who may wish to come in and seek help on a project, paper, homework assignment, or seek additional instruction in a specific area. Usually office hours are posted in a courses syllabus. If not, consult your professor to see when they are available. This is a great way to establish a good relationship with your professor as well as receive one on one help with whatever you may be struggling with. Professors are always happy to help!
- Tutoring Services- SUNY Oswego’s Office of Learning Services provides numerous resources t students who wish to seek extra help with their classes. A great service provided is their tutoring service. If you visit the OLS office (Located in room 171 in the Campus Center), you can request a tutor to help you. Tutors are available for most lower level courses, as well as upper level courses. These tutors are usually undergraduate students, graduate students, or professors who make themselves available to help you.
- Need someone to proofread your paper? Go to the WRITING CENTER!-Located on the third floor of the Penfield Library, the Writing Center is a great service offered to those who wish to seek help with a writing assignment. If you wish to have somebody read over your paper and help you improve your writing skills. To make an appointment with a writing tutor, go to this web address and follow the instructions. http://www.oswego.edu/academics/support/OLS/wc.html
- When studying, DON’T CRAM!-Spreading out study sessions over a period of time before your exam will help you to retain the information better. Study one portion of the material at a time. Cramming is stressful and ultimately is not a good way to study. Taking breaks between study sessions is healthy and gives the information time to sink in.
- Study with a group of friends- Sometimes, working in a group is much better than working alone. If you have a big exam to study for, study with a group and take turns testing each other on the material.
- Go to the library!-If you feel as if you may be studying in a distracting environment, go to the library to do your work. There are plenty of places in the library that promote productivity and help you to focus on your work and your work alone. For me, just being at the library makes me study harder and focus more.
Believe you can and you’re halfway there. -Theodore Roosevelt
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
Seeing as this is my first blog post for SUNY Oswego, I wanted to start with an introduction of myself and my time at Oswego. So hello! My name is Ryan Sperry and I am a senior public relations major with a concentration in marketing. I’ve been involved a lot on campus. I was a DJ at WNYO 88.9 FM, president of the Oswego State Singers select vocal ensemble and captain and player for broomball, volleyball, softball and a few other intramural sports. As a PR major, I’ve also been involved in Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and have interned for the Compass and the Public Affairs Office. I have also spent the last two years working as a resident mentor in Johnson Hall working with first year students. I even danced a little with Del Sarte Dance Club. The list goes on and on. I’ve always been the kind of person to seek out new opportunities and experiences. Which brings me to my next point.
At SUNY Oswego, YOU define your college experience. There is so much to do here, enough where you will graduate and no matter how hard you try, you’ll only touch the surface. So how do you choose? When I got here two years ago, I was overwhelmed by how much there was. There are hundreds of choices and if you don’t like any of them, you can create your own club or set up your own pick-up games or whatever it is you want to do. Since I’ve gotten here, I watched one of my friends start Cut the Craft and a few other friends start the fishing club and badminton club. They have everything here! So how do you figure out what you want to do to have the best experience? I have three tips.
1. Do something you love.
Find something you loved to do for fun at home. Or maybe even something you liked to do in gym class like flag football or going to open skate every day. It’s great if you love your major and the work you do, but find something outside of academics. You need some type of stress relief and what better way to get rid of stress than doing something you love and can completely immerse yourself in. You’ll probably find people with common interests and end up making your best friends there.
2. Do something you need.
In this world, just a college degree is not going to get you far, especially if you want that awesome dream job working for that high profile company that requires years of experience for even entry level employees. So find something that you need for that job. It doesn’t have to be miserable either, especially if you love what you are doing. Find an internship on-campus. Join a club that coincides with your major or prospective industry. Do some community service. The more you can put on your resume that proves you’re responsible and passionate about what you do, the better your chance will be of finding a job after graduation.
3. Do something new.
One of the best things about college is being surrounded by new opportunities. The possibilities are endless. So reach out of your comfort zone and find something that interests you. Play broomball, learn how to dance, learn capoeira, get a personal trainer, take music lessons…do something! Even if you don’t like it, just move on to the next thing. At least you’ll realize something about yourself and other people. Who knows, the next time you try something new could completely change your life.
To any new students, seniors, and anyone in between, lacrosse season has begun in Oswego! Saturday at 1:00 our men’s lacrosse team will kick off their year with an away game at SUNYIT. I figured I’d give a little break down of the situation.
SUNYIT just got a men’s lacrosse program last year (Title IX Restriction) in which they only managed to come away with one win. They’ve started this season 0-2 and have been outscored 41 – 4 in those two games. This should be a soft ball for the Lakers. As a lacrosse fan and former player, I can’t help but feel sorry for those guys; it isn’t easy getting a program started from scratch. Best of luck to them.
Oswego is looking to find the same spark that they had at the start of last season which saw them win 9 in a row, a feat never before accomplished in program history. Chris Porten, Casey Balzer, and Josh Roetzer are hoping to lead this years squad to the same booming start as they did last year. Although, losing 6 of the last 7 games was a hard pill to swallow. Fortunately for the Lakers, their top 4 scorers are all back and will be back for a few more years. Coach Ryan Martin has recruited a solid sqaud of young players who should mature in the next few years of his young coaching campaign.
This author was a benchwarmer on the Lakers’ squad once upon a time, and I wish them all the best. Only two of the names on the roster are familiar to me– I’m starting to feel pretty old. Also, their schedule is changing somewhat drastically with unconventional out-of-conference opponents, such as Adrian, Elmira, Misericordia, SUNY Canton, and SUNYIT. SUNYIT and SUNY Canton just began formal lacrosse programs in the past 2 years while Adrian is in its 6th year as a D III contributor.
Weather permitting, the Lakers will have their home opener on Saturday March 9th at 11:00 AM against Adrian in front of Laker hall. Go State!
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