Scott Brubaker

Hewitt at its current state before renovations have begun.
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Hewitt Hall Set to Become New Communications Building

By Scott Brubaker — 5 years ago

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

The new oz spots that contain different tables that are 6 feet apart
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The New Way To Meet With Fellow Students: Oz Spots

By Scott Brubaker — 5 years ago

With the spread of the Coronavirus now under control on campus, SUNY Oswego has opened up 16 Oz-Spots for students to use for their convenience.

SUNY Oswego’s Chief Communication Officer Wayne Westervelt describes the purpose of Oz-Spots.  “As we move from the nice weather at the beginning of the semester, although it’s beautiful today, to the end of fall weather, our desire was to create something that we had created with the outdoor tents, indoors for our students.”

The Oz-Spots were created so students could study, eat, or meet with their peers in a safe and clean environment.  

There are curtains sectioning off the Oz-Spots from the rest of the building, and desks and tables are socially distanced. However, these spaces are not to be used by student organizations to hold meetings.

Westervelt stated, “We wanted to really make sure this is not seen as an opportunity to socially gather.”

There are many COVID preventative measures put in place at these Oz-Spots including a limit to 6 kids at a time, a 90-minute time period, sanitizer to be used before and after, and the requirement of masks.

Westervelt hopes these spots will be up and running for the rest of the semester, and even into the spring.  The availability of these spots all depends on local and state health guidelines and the state of COVID cases on campus.

Westervelt added, “A lot of the credit for even just having Oz-Spots is a result of the hard work our students have exhibited over the entire semester.”

“We really want to open up opportunities for our students because they’ve done so well.” said Wayne Westervelt

The Oz-Spots are open Monday through Thursday from 7 am to 9 pm and Fridays from 7 am to 5 pm.  Reservations can be made by scanning the QR code located outside each space.

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