WTOP10 Reporter Shanna Fuld interviews 2-time Tony Award winner Brian Ronan.
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Hewitt Hall Set to Become New Communications Building
This spring, Hewitt Hall is expected to shut down in preparation for its renovation to become the new communications department building. This new space is set to give students more access to the tools they need.
The Chair of the Department of Communication Studies, Jessica Reeher, explains what is planned to be included in this new space. “The new building is going to house all of communications studies as a department, and as well as the Dean’s office for SCMA and the graphic design faculty component of the art department.”
The Hewitt building is home to many of SUNY Oswego’s departments, including the Department of Sustainability and the Department of Auxiliary Services. It also currently includes many counseling services, and the health center.
The renovated Hewitt building is expected to be a space for students to utilize 24 hours a day. Once the renovations are finished, this new space is set to include open areas for students to relax and eat.
There are also plans for team rooms where small groups can get together to work on projects or scripts. There will also be more studio spaces, more computer labs, and more opportunities for students to get ahold of the technology they need.
Reeher stated, “We envision this as a 24-hour building. So students can access if you need to get into the editing suite, if you need to get into a studio, you can get access to many of the facilities 24 hours.”
According to Reeher, once the space in Hewitt is up and running for the students, Lanigan hall will then move into a phase of renovation. All of the renovations happening are being done with the students in mind, so they are able to make the most of their time here at Oswego.
The renovation plans were made pre-COVID so the dates for opening the new building are subject to change. But, Reeher seems to have high hopes that the project will be completed and that the building will be open for students by spring 2024.
“It’s just a beautiful space, the renditions are, if it looks half as good as the current computer renditions it’s going to be really amazing.” -Jessica Reeher
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SUNY Oswego: One of the Nation’s Top “Green Colleges”
The expression “Going Green” is not new to students at SUNY Oswego. The campus has been rated as being one of the top green colleges in the nation for another year in a row by “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 361 Green Colleges.”
A variety of environmentally friendly and energy efficient utilities are very much visible when walking around campus. The presence of facilities for bike commuters: bike storage/racks or lockers can been found near almost every building.
“I think the accessibility of the bike racks are a great part of the campus,” said senior Christopher Britts. “This year I live off campus and don’t want to waste my gas driving here everyday, like who wouldn’t want to be outside, it’s beautiful out this time of year here.”
Shuttle buses, sharing service cars: Zip-cars, and car charging stations on campus have tremendously helped the school, not only become more environmentally responsible, but give more mobile opportunities to students and faculty.
“The shuttle bus saved me from a lot of trouble during the winter when I had to travel from Seneca Hall to Shineman,” said junior Matthew Upright.
Oswego State is also one of few colleges that has a formal sustainability committee and a sustainability officer. The college also spends 13 percent of its food budget on locally grown or organic products for students.
SUNY Oswego also offers a minor in sustainability studies, and in recent years constructed buildings such as Richard Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation; Rice Creek Field Station; and the Village has achieved LEED Gold certification: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The college has been designing their new facilities to meet this LEED standard since 2005, have definitely succeeded, and continues to do so.
