Students can immerse themselves in any of SUNY Oswego's more than 200 clubs and organizations, which allow them to get involved, form connections and develop friendships that will last a lifetime.
"Joining different clubs and organizations starting particularly as a first year student, was really important because it broadened my horizons a lot but it also introduced me to a lot of people that I probably would not have ran in the same circles as if I hadn't joined them," said Taylor Griffin, a senior English major.
"The clubs and the orgs that I'm a part of, that I involve myself with, have been since my freshman year my entertainment, my engagement, my involvement, for the most part," said Tony Jones, a junior dual major in applied mathematics and economics.
"Before I came here I was not a team player," said Sally Familia, a senior creative writing major. "I liked doing everything alone, everything on my type of time. I didn't want anybody telling me anything. But when I learned that I can be part of a group that has the same goal as me, it really pushed me to want to become a member of it."
"They encouraged everyone to talk about, to be engaged, and to talk about things," said senior zoology major Tenaja Smith-Butler. "And so it's one of the places that I was able to learn that. That I don't just have to keep my opinion in my head."
"For those who may be wondering or are looking for that sense of comfortability, I feel like ASO (the African Student Organization) is something that you would feel really comfortable with because we target bigger pictures and bigger topics that can engage a lot of people," said Tarica Thomas, a junior cinema and screen studies major.
"So just having that support in knowing that you're not the only one, can go a long way," Jones said.
"I'm learning things that I wouldn't have known about my campus otherwise, and I cared, you know, I wanted to do things, but I always thought I wasn't doing enough," Griffin said. "But you can do enough, and you can find these opportunities and you can grow as a person. And I think that these organizations are a really great way to start with that.
"Just having that unity amongst people, and I feel like the campus is really doing a good job with making sure everyone feels involved, everyone gets a place to feel themselves," Jones said.
"It's making memories for people on campus because that's what organizations have meant to me," Griffin said. "And being the programming board, I think, that's kind of what we're all about. We encompass that whole ideal."
"They showed me that I can be a leader," Familia said. "They showed me that I can be a part of my culture. And that I can be comfortable enough with myself and my culture that I can share with other people."
"When you go to college, it's different," Griffin explained. "And here, in particular, I am glad that there are the outlets for people to speak about the things they care about, and be with other people who care about those things."
"Joining an organization, that's what opens all of those doors for me, as cheesy as that sounds," Familia said.
"At the end of the day, we're all Lakers and I think we want to see each other grow and succeed," Griffin said.