OSWEGO, N.Y. – A fight across the street from the Shineman Center early Sunday morning resulted in a man being sent to Upstate Medical University Hospital. When University Police arrived at the scene they found an 18-year-old man had been assaulted and stabbed four times in the shoulder.

     Witnesses say that four males in dark clothing with hoodies pulled over their heads, came out of a dark colored 4-door Honda before attacking the freshman. A female was driving the car, and it was last seen heading east on Washington Boulevard.

     The argument is believed to have begun earlier in the night in front of the American Legion on Bridge Street.  The victim’s injuries are not life threatening and he is in stable condition.

     The incident is currently under investigation by State University Police and is asking anyone with information to contact them at 315-312-5555.

Reported by: Annie Flaherty

Two SUNY Oswego students have contracted the mumps this semester.  Vaccinations at the college are required for all students, but there is a 30-day period in the beginning of the semester before students have to provide the records of their immunizations.  The first case of the mumps appeared on campus during this period, whereas the second case appeared this past week.

School health officials took the proper precautions once they were notified the virus was on campus.

“We notified administration […] the student was placed in isolation, and isolation is just a private room on campus, and the student went home until results and symptoms resolved,” said Angie Brown, Director of Health Service at Mary Walker Health Center at SUNY Oswego.

Other students on campus had mixed reactions to hearing the diagnosis of the mumps in their community.

“I was going to get everything and do everything I could to keep myself healthy and safe,” said senior Joe Governale.

Since the school is taking precautions, other students had different things to say.

“I was kind of worried at first, but I don’t think it is as serious as some people think it is,” said student Lauren Nevil.
Officials at Mary Walker say that the symptoms of the mumps start out similar to the common cold, but the distinguishing symptom between the two are very swollen cheeks and glands under the ears.  If anyone is experiencing any of these symptoms, contact Mary Walker Health Center at (315) 312- 4100 or online at Oswego.edu/walker-health-center.

Reported by: Ilyssa Weiner

Scales Hall residents will be forced to move out at the end of the semester due to the hall’s renovation. Scales is the last residence hall in the Lakeside Community to be renovated after Waterbury reopened last fall.

Resident Assistant Gabby Green lived in Waterbury before it was renovated. She was initially worried about where she was going to live when Waterbury closed. However, she enjoyed the experience she had with it.

“That’s why I came here, to help people move out of this building and do it all again,” said Green.

The renovations to Scales will include new lounges, a new front desk and an elevator. Scales Hall Director Myles Clendenin is excited for the changes, but also believes the community aspect is what will stand out the most.

“It’s not just about how the building looks in the renovation. It’s about building that community, at the end of the day the students who make the make the community,” said Clendenin

Scales is currently home to about 150 students, consisting of international students only staying for the semester, new students and students who’ve lived in Scales for more than a year.

Senior Anthony Salvador has lived in Scales since his freshman year and will greatly miss the atmosphere of the old hall.

“I will definitely miss the old Scales to the point where I’m going to leave on the last day at ten A.M. when they kick me out,” said Salvador.

Those who are currently living in Scales since the beginning of the semester will priority in picking what dorm they want to stay in during the spring semester.

Scales Hall will reopen Fall 2017.

OSWEGO, NY — Oct 13, 2016

It’s a relief for SUNY Oswego students to get a day off from classes, but yesterday’s break in honor of Yom Kippur may have allowed them to avoid something besides their professors. On Wednesday morning, the college issued an alert that a black bear had been sighted on Route 104 by the college’s main entrance.

The University Police said the bear posed no immediate threat, though students and staff were advised to keep their distance and contact university police in the event of another sighting.

Although the sighting may have surprised students, these incidents are not unique to Oswego. Black bears have been a common sight across Oswego County over the past few months, with several seen in July alone. Bear sightings have increased across upstate NY, with some towns reporting over three times as many than usual.

Though the actual cause of this increase in sightings is unknown, black bears are not uncommon in upstate NY. Oswego may fall outside of their primary range, but that does not rule out the occasional sighting: according to the Department of Environmental Conservation, 10-15 percent of the state’s population of 6,000-8,000 black bears live in the central-western region of NY

Even with the increase, the odds of an actual attack remain extremely low. Black bears are responsible for the deaths of less than one person per year across North America.

For more information on what to do in the case of a bear encounter, visit the Oswego State University Police Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Oswego-State-University-Police-90985222236/.

Tired of being an average everyday student? Potterwatch is the gateway to a bright new magical world for you. Potterwatch is the newly founded club on campus that specializes in various fun-filled events inspired by the works of J.K Rowling.

The club is run by the headmaster, Marianna Butera. Activities this club specializes in are debates, trivia nights, pot locks, viewing parties and quidditch.

On October 12, the first big event for Potterwatch is quidditch, which will occur outside of Lee Hall between the two softball diamonds from 10 am to 3 pm.

The game quidditch consists of nine people on each team: one seeker, three chasers, two beaters, one keeper, and two substitutes who can sub in for any players wanting to have a break except for the seeker.

The point of the game is for the chasers to score through one of three hoops as many times as possible with a quaffle (volleyball) while the beaters throw bludgers (dodgeballs) at them. If a chaser gets hit by a beater, they must drop their quaffle and run to the end of the field. The keeper’s job is to defend the goals and the seeker is responsible for chasing the snitch. The snitch in this case is a person who runs around in yellow and if he is caught, the team receives thirty points. Remember this is all done by riding on brooms.

The first place team for the tournament receives a pizza party, the second place team receives a dozen doughnuts, and the third place team earns candy bars for each team member.

Money proceeds from events like this get sent to a charity called Lumos which was cofounded by J.K Rowling. Lumos works to help the millions of children in institutions worldwide regain their right to a family.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and show off some magic!

Contact Potterwatch – potterwatch@oswego.edu

Donate a gallon – https://wearelumos.org

Reported by: Morgan Rumpf

The month of October is always composed of haunting attempts and scares as Halloween approaches on October 31, however one trick that tends to stick around all year is phishing emails and other scams that invade campuses and effect students all across the nation. It is because October has been deemed Cyber Security Awareness Month. This is an annual campaign that is utilized in order to raise awareness about cyber-security. As technology has become so prevalent in our everyday lives, cyber-security is relevant and should be recognized by everyone in the Oswego community.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, National Cyber Security Awareness month is designed to engage and educate public and private sector partners through events and initiatives to raise awareness about cyber-security, the purpose is to provide people with tools and resources needed to stay safe online, and increase the resiliency of the Nation in the event of a cyber incident.

To bring light on cyber-security SUNY Oswego has launched its first annual Phishing Tournament through Campus Technology Services. The goal of this tournament is to raise awareness to the cyber threats placed on the campus through phishing emails.

The tournament rules are simple, every time a student receives a phishing email on their SUNY Oswego email account, they can forward that email to phishing@oswego.edu with the subject reading “Contest Entry.” Every time a new phishing email is forwarded, the student will be entered in a drawing for an amazon gift card. The winner will receive a $50 gift card, second winner will receive a $25 gift card, and third place will be given a $10 gift card.

Phishing emails often trick people into giving away private information that can be used in illicit ways. Campus Technology Services would never ask for personal information via email, however still advise everyone to check the sender on every email they get and hover over any attached links in the email to see where they go just to be safe. The best thing to do after accidentally interacting with a phishing email in any way would be to change the password to your email account.

The first annual CTS, Campus Technology Services, Phishing Tournament will run from October 1 through October 30, and the winners will be selected on Halloween.

OSWEGO, N.Y. – Clown sightings have been on the rise across the country after the first reported incidents occurred in North and South Carolina. The clown epidemic has reached Upstate New York with reports in Syracuse, Auburn and Rochester. Although dressing up as a clown can be creepy and make people feel unsafe, it isn’t a crime.

In a statement released by local authorities, police have advised people not to dress up as clowns and wonder throughout neighborhoods.

“The Oswego Police Department has been made aware of rumors circulating via social media of the potential for people to dress up as clowns (similar to what you may have seen in other areas) in an attempt to scare kids and/or adults in our community. Please note this act could be considered a crime. Oswego Police will be on the lookout and encourage anyone who sees anything suspicious to contact 911 immediately,” said Oswego police.

The Phoenix Police Department is asking people to not dress up as clowns on Halloween, in a Facebook post made on Oct. 4. “if someone hides behind a clown costume with the intent to cause fear, alarm or commit a crime; we won’t be clowning around when they are apprehended,” said the department in the post.

Police in Syracuse are prepping up patrol in the city’s North Side after a 10-year-old boy was chased by three clowns on his way to school last week. In an interview with CNY, Central New York, Central, police said that people could be charged with harassment and loitering which are unlawful.

Clown sightings have started to pop up on college campuses across the country as well. Within the past week clowns have been spotted at Louisiana State University, LSU, Penn State and Oswego State University. There was a sighting in the Seneca Hall parking lot on Oct. 4 but nothing has been released by university police if it was a threat or not.

After two years of occupying the third floor of Penfield Library, Tyler Hall has reopened with a kickoff art exhibit titled “Restart.”

From October 4 to October 30 “Restart” will occupy the gallery space in the downstairs area of the newly renovated Tyler Hall. The exhibit encompasses artwork by different artists from throughout the nation, many with ties to Oswego State University.

“Tyler Hall has been a pivotal building on campus for 48 years,” said Cynthia Clabough, Chair of Oswego State’s Art Department

“The opening to the gallery is metaphorical in terms of providing openness and fluidity to the campus,” said Clabough. Tyler Hall Art Gallery Director Michael Flanagan added, “New beginnings and fresh starts are ideas that all artists contemplate.”

“Restart” includes artwork from artists nationwide, however the exhibit is built to emphasize the community. Art teachers, mentors, and students from three local high schools are invited to visit the gallery and interpret what restart means to them and submit artwork reflecting such thoughts.

In the Juror’s statement, Helaine Posner, the Chief Curator states that the inaugural exhibit of Tyler Hall reflects to diversity and vitality of creating art in today’s world.

“Many artists with contributing work on “Restart” take inspiration from the natural world, while others incorporate urban landscapes,” said Posner.

The artwork varies in terms of different media, with work dabbling in painting, drawing, collage-ing, sculpture and photography.

The selected works reinforce the ideas promoting fresh ideas on contemporary life, and serves as an inauguration to the reopening of Tyler Hall.

For many students, the reopening presents an opportunity to view art in a museum like setting without venturing off campus.

“I’m excited to see the new gallery in Tyler Hall,” said SUNY Oswego sophomore Amna Sadique. “I never visited the gallery when it was in Penfield, but I am looking forward to the changing exhibits as the semesters go on,” said Sadique.

Tyler Hall art gallery is a newly renovated room on the first floor of Tyler Hall. The gallery presents six exhibits annually, which are free and open to the public. In addition, the gallery serves as a classroom to teach and for students and community members to learn through direct encounters of professional quality artwork.

In addition to Tyler Hall, there is an off campus gallery located at 168 West First Street giving students opportunities to create both fine and preforming artwork with inspiration from previous art creating a collaborative atmosphere.

For students, faculty, staff, and community members alike there will be a free public reception featuring several artists on Friday, October 21 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Need to get back into “running shape” or just want to have a good time with your friends? You are in luck because next Saturday, October 15, both Cooper and Glimmerglass fitness centers will host a 5k run called The Great Pumpkin Run. This race is to benefit Blessings in a Backpack.

Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, people, and resources, to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry. In the United States, there are more 15-million children in this country who are at the risk of hunger.

“In previous years, this race has donated money to the Susan G. Komen foundation for Breast Cancer”, said Sarah DeGeorge, a Graduate Assistant for Oswego Fitness Centers. “This year we wanted to donate to Blessings in a Backpack because the proceeds will impact the local Oswego community.”

This 5k can be done as either a run or walk. The course starts and ends just outside of Hart Hall. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the race which includes best costume, the most participants from a club/organization/Resident Hall floor and many more. Trophies are awarded for those who have the top 3 finishing times (both men and women). Also, Cider, donuts and pumpkin decorating are included after the race.

Students can register at either Cooper or Glimmerglass Fitness Centers now until October 15 for five dollars. To those that did not register beforehand, from 12:30pm to 1:15pm, there will be a table outside of Marano Campus Center to register right before the race.

So if you have nothing going on for October 15, come out and walk or run for a great cause.

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Reported by: Matthew Moran

Reported by: Kaitlyn Genari

Students, faculty and campus officials gathered in Marano Campus Center Auditorium, Thursday September 29th, for the first town hall meeting with Deborah Stanley of the semester. The town hall meetings act as a platform where students can bring their questions and concerns about the campus to President Stanley to be addressed. Many students came prepared with questions and concerns for President Stanley and officials pertaining to both on and off campus issues. After Student Association President Emily Nassir, introduced President Stanley, Stanley opened the floor to student concerns.

Plans to build a new staircase that leads to the lake on the west side of campus were brought forward by a student. The student expressed their and other students’ desire to have a proper staircase that leads down to the lake on west side of campus, so residents on west side can also enjoy walking down to the lake. President Stanley and officials confirmed that the plans have gone into effect. President Stanley said that her main concern for building the staircase was safety and she is working with campus environmentalists and professionals to make sure the new staircase meets accessibility concerns and respects the environment. Safety was also the concern of other students who questioned why Desk Attendants were no longer required to check student ids from 11pm until 3am. The new rule went into effect in the beginning of the semester as per request of Residence Life and Housing. Students feel taking away Desk Attendants’ ability to check ids during the late hours, decreases overall safety for students on and off campus. President Deborah Stanley expressed that she did not agree with the decision and wanted Desk Attendants to continue to check ids effective immediately until further notice.

Students also came forward on Thursday evening expressing their concerns over the banking change from Higher One Account to Vibe Account. Because there was a change in companies, the ATM for Higher One Account was taken out of the campus center and as a result, students can no longer take out money without being charged a fee. The university is currently negotiating with the new company to have them install a new ATM for customers to use. Not only did students have concerns over their bank accounts, but they also brought up concerns over their email accounts, as many SUNY Oswego emails have been susceptible to phishing and email scams. Students wanted to know what was going to be done about the problem as email is the primary source of communication on campus between students and faculty. Before addressing the student’s concern, President Stanley jokingly said, “I think it’s Russia. Don’t you think it’s Russia?” After getting a laugh out of those in attendance the Technology Department said they were aware of the problem and we addressing ways to fix the issue. They have been trying to cut down on the amount of LakerNet emails that are in the system by contacting alumni, recent graduates and past faculty members to verify they still want their account activated. In addition to verifying email activations, the Technology Department is also encouraging students to change their email passwords to decrease the chances of having one’s email account hacked.

Many concerns were brought forward at Thursday’s meeting. All concerns were addressed by President Stanley and/or campus officials. The town hall meetings are the time and place for students to bring their concerns forward to be addressed and solved. All students are encouraged to attend the meetings to voice their opinions and make an impact on campus. Town Hall Meetings are held every Thursday evening at 6pm, in the Marano Campus Center Auditorium. The meetings open to the public and all are welcome to attend.

In a Common Council meeting, Mayor Billy Barlow’s proposal to increase the rental permit fee was approved; after a 5-1- 1 voting result.

Mayor Billy Barlow says the proposal will make the “landlords accountable and pressure them into maintaining their property and treating their tenants fairly.”

According to the proposal, the new fee is $150 dollars for a three year period, which is five times more expense than the current $30 fee. This new fee will become effective as of October 1st.

The last time the fee was increased was back in August 22nd, 2005.

The Mayor says they will be adding a new code enforcer next year; saying that with all of the new expenses and upgrades in the code enforcement department; he believes that it will improve the department and the inspection process.

Some property owners in Oswego have spoken out against the new proposal, saying it would have made more sense if the penalties for landlords that were in violation of the city code; were increased.

Mayor Barlow says there will be more amendments added to the city charter regarding code enforcement. He says this proposal is only the beginning of his campaign to crack down against negligent landlords.

        This past weekend, members of the Police Department along with investigators from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, SUNY Oswego police officers and local business owners; worked together to try and combat underage drinking and the use of fake ID’s.

        Over 24 people were issued citations for attempting to use fake identification on Friday night. All fake ID’s were confiscated by DMV investigators.

        The operation was conducted at three bars on West Bridge Street; Alley Cat’s on 23 W. Bridge Street, The Raven on 39 W. Bridge Street and The Sting on 49 W. Bridge Street.

        This initiative is part of Governor Cuomo’s “No Excuses” Campaign which has conducted sweeps called “Operation Prevent” across the state to prevent underage drinking in New York State and keep New York Roadway’s safe.

        Mayor Billy Barlow has been outspoken about the efforts made to prevent underage drinking, saying “The collaborative effort between local law enforcement, DMV investigators, local bar owners, SUNY Oswego and the city of Oswego, emphasizes the importance of these types of sweeps in our community.”

Reported by: Kristen Beyer

On Tuesday evening the Student Association held their weekly meeting of the Senate, making it the twelfth one of the semester. Quorum to begin the meeting was met and following the approval of the minutes and the agenda, the meeting was well under way.

Seeing as there were no guests to the Senate and no public comment, the meeting moved into executive reports. Emily Nassir, SA President was the first to deliver her report. Nassir announced that all of her Directors have been hired and their positions filled. The Directors were introduced during this evening meeting and include Jill Kranz incoming senior appointed as Chief of Staff, Sarah Wood appointed as Director of Student Advocacy, Alex George appointed as Director of Legislative Affairs, Xochitl Santamaria appointed as Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Allie Stango for Director of Graphic Design, Emily Stasko for Director of Public Relations, and finally Keith Jacobson appointed as Director of Academic Affairs. The directors have all been involved with the Student Association prior to accepting their position and they will continue to work next to Nassir in the upcoming 2016-2017 academic year. Nassir happily announced more tickets for OzFest have been purchased, though they would still like to see these numbers increase. The Oswego Food pantry was the focus of this semester’s “Miss-A-Meal” which was a great success and those who donated help to fund the food pantry begin developed on campus. Nassir stated that she is currently trying to request and receive more funding for SUNYSA to allow more senators the opportunity to attend the event.

Shelby Gallaro, Vice President of SA, was the next to deliver her executive report. Gallaro revealed that she is currently working on the budget for next year which may involve breaking up the pay scale for senators. Gallaro is also working on getting dinner for the senators for the last meeting of the semester. The focus then shifted towards Matthew Peters, Director of Finance for his executive report. Peters stated he is looking into increasing the student activity fee steadily each semester, however it would only be an increase of one dollar. The Senate voted on the idea of increasing the student activity fee and the proposal passed. Peters will begin working on the budget and proposal for that. Matthew Peters closed his executive report and was then reappointed to his position as Director of Finance for the 2016-2017 academic year.

Following executive reports, committee reports was next on the agenda. Rules and Judiciary presented the Senate with the referral binder they have been working on which will be handed out to the clubs and organizations on campus. Involvement Committee has been working on their Pageant event which will take the place of King and Queen during homecoming week. The pageant will be separated by gender, and those who wish to participate will be required to send in a video submission. From there rules and requirements will be drawn up to eliminate contestants following a series of rounds. The goal is to have this during homecoming week.

In Hall Council Reports, Johnson Hall is going over the final edits for their constitution and they also have new floor representatives. Cayuga is working on brainstorming ideas for prizes which will be raffled of at their end of the year raffel. Riggs Hall is hosting their laker night this Friday. It is a “Spring Fling” 5o’s themed event.

Due to the fact that there were no special orders, the meeting moved to general orders for the evening. The increase in Student Activity fee was referred to the Finance and Involvement committees for the week. They will discuss increasing the fee at their meetings and the matter will be voted on at the next meeting.

The meeting came to a close following the general orders for the evening. The Student Association holds their weekly meeting of the Senate Tuesdays in Lanigan 106 and 6pm. All meeting are open to the public and students are encouraged to attend to express any concerns or opinions they may have.

April is sexual assault awareness month. Reporter Jessica Mulder explains how the organization Two and A Half is spreading awareness on campus.

The Student Association held their eleventh meeting of the Senate for the semester on Tuesday evening, The meeting got off to an exciting start when SA President, Emily Nassir, was officially sworn in as the President of the Student Association for the 2016-2017 year. Following the swearing in of the new president, roll call was taken which indicated quorum was met. The meeting minutes and agenda were then approved which allowed the meeting to officially begin.

The first and only guest to the Senate for the evening was President of SUNY Oswego, Deborah Stanley. Stanley tries to attend at least one Senate meeting per semester to discuss with students the new things happening on our campus. At this meeting, President Stanley took the time to inform the Senate of the student demographics on campus, budget updates, and some of SUNY Oswego’s policies. SUNY Oswego students both undergraduate and graduate, come from all over New York state and beyond. SUNY Oswego has spent more time and resources recently, to recruit more students from downstate, which President Stanley feels they have been very successful in doing so. This past year’s group of first year students totaled to 1,500. Of those students, 30.5 percent of them identified as being culturally diverse. Stanley mentioned this to the Senate because she feels it is a very important part of our campus’s atmosphere. The number of students who identify as being  culturally diverse, has increased in the past few years, but Stanley wants and expects that number to grow. In fact,  in the group of 2016 first year students, 49.5 percent of students have identified as being culturally diverse. These statistics Stanley said, have not been and are not discussed much with students, but she feels students should be aware of these important facts that impact the dynamic of our campus. President Stanley also revealed some measure SUNY Oswego is taking to help better represent the diverse population of students on campus. Stanley is currently looking for a Chief Diversity/Inclusion Officer, who will make sure that all voices on campus are heard and that all students are represented. Students also expressed their concerns on increasing the diversity amongst the staff and faculty at SUNY Oswego and President Stanley said these concerns have been and are being  addressed as the search for new faculty is underway. The President also mentioned the college wide commitment SUNY Oswego has taken to improve student success. Student surveys have indicated that students feel the college could improve on advisement for students. Stanley has been and will continue to review academic advisement planning for students to help provide them with all the tools and resources they need to ensure their success as students here at SUNY Oswego. Closing her presentation, Stanley mentioned some changes that are beginning to happen on campus. Tyler Hall will finally be reopening in the fall and renovations are expected to come to an end soon. Scales Hall is the next renovation taking place on campus which will be completed by August 2017.  

Public comment was next on the meeting agenda following the special guest to the Senate, President Deborah Stanley. Senators were reminded that Miss-A-Meal is taking place tomorrow, Thursday April 14th. Students are encouraged to give up their meal at dinner time and doing so will help fund the SUNY Oswego food pantry that will soon be located on campus.

Emily Nassir, SA President was the first to deliver her executive report for the evening. Nassir announced that Director Position applications have been reopened and will stay open until April 15th. Nassir will be traveling to Syracuse to advertise OzFest on the radio station “Hot 107.9”. Nassir also reminded senator to encourage their peers and friends to purchase OzFest tickets, seeing as they are only $15 per student. Nassir stated that instead of focusing on the lineup/performer, students should see it as an opportunity to spend time with their friends for one of the last times before finals week begins and before going separate ways as summer vacation begins.

Director of Finance Matthew Peters, delivered the final executive report for the evening, Peters discussed the sales of OzFest tickets and his concern on the current number of tickets sold. He made it a major point that more tickets need to be sold in order for this to be not only a successful event, but also a financial success. Peters also mentioned his new project which is working on training sessions for the executive positions that are held in the various clubs and organizations on campus. Training sessions will be held and the executives from similar clubs such as sports and academics will meet separately and will be given training so they are prepared for the 2016-2017 year.

Following executive reports, the meeting moved swiftly to Committee Reports. Rules and Judiciary stated that folders containing records and guidance for senators and clubs are being designed. Involvement Committee revealed that the Student Assocation comment cards have been printed. They will available to students at the Welcome Desk in Marano and students can find the cards with responses posted outside the Point.

Senator Research Forum was next on the agenda. The Senate is looking to create a position for an Organization Liaison. One or two people would be available for student leaders of organizations and clubs, to talk to and seek advice from in many areas such as forming a proposal for a budget, how to request funding for their organization or what organizations can and cannot do in terms of funding events. The Liaison would be the point person for all things organizations.

The meeting came to an end following Senator Research Forum seeing as there were no general or special orders on the agenda for the evening. The Student Association holds their weekly meeting of the Senate Tuesdays in Lanigan 106 and 6pm. All meeting are open to the public and students are encouraged to attend to express any concerns or opinions they may have.

Reported by: Kayla Murphy

A brand new club has just started here at SUNY Oswego. Their name is Team One Love.  On campuses all across America, groups such as Team One Love have begun the conversation that is set out to recognized and provide resources for victims of dating violence.

This issue is one that a lot of people are not aware of happening, when in reality, it is happening all around. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men are going to experience dating violence in a relationship during their life time. 50% of those 1 in 3 women and 40% of those 1 in 4 men are going to experience it between the ages of 18 to 24. That is the age of your average college student.

I spoke to president and founding member of the Oswego chapter of Team One Love, Amanda Kenney to learn more about the group and their mission towards a dating violence free community. “Team one love is each campus becoming a team in this effort to end relationship violence… So it’s just people joining together to end relationship violence and to get the word out and raise awareness in hopes of changing the statistics”.

Team One Love was founded in 2010 in honor of Yardley Love, who was murdered by her former boyfriend. Yardley’s mother and sister started the organization to raise awareness about relationship violence in hopes to stop future women and men from being a victim. The Oswego chapter started just last week and already has upwards of 300 members on the team one love website.

Team One Love will be hosting an event “Yards for Yardley” on May 4^th. Different athletic teams / Greek life groups and individuals will be competing to cover the most amount of “yards” to raise awareness about relationship violence. More information can be found on their website – JoinOneLove.org/Oswego.

Tuesday evening marked the tenth Student Association Meeting of the Senate this semester. The meeting was called to order and following the quorum begin met, the approval of the meeting minutes and agenda, the meeting was well underway.

The Outdoor Club and Ecology Club were the first and only guest to the Senate for the evening. Outdoor club is a student run organization focused on outdoor adventures and Ecology club is a student run organization focused on studying and preserving the ecosystem. Both clubs gave a joint presentation requesting funds to help purchase four to six kayaks for next semester. The kayaks will be stored at Rice Creek allowing both clubs to have access to them, which they feel would be very beneficial because the Outdoor and Ecology Clubs spend a lot of time there. After presenting their budget to the Senate, they were informed that the Student Association does not have enough funds in their account to fulfill the funds that the two clubs proposed. The Senate however, encouraged both clubs to request the funds needed through their club budget for next year. Although their demands couldn’t be met this semester, the Senate is willing to work with their budgets for next semester to ensure they have the funds for the fall.

Following the guest to the Senate, Executive Reports were next on the meeting’s agenda. Student Association President Emily Nassir was the first to deliver her report in which she addressed the student concerns on the choices of OzFest Performers for this year. Nassir stated that she is aware that some students are unhappy with the choices for performers which include, Dej Loaf, Rich Homie Quan and Flo Rida. Nassir reminded senators that it is important to present a positive image about OzFest. A negative image, especially when coming from a senator, can discourage students from purchasing tickets and attending the event. Senators should be aware that they are representing SA and should be cautious about projecting their personal opinion surrounding OzFest because it can affect the public opinion and how students view the event. Nassir also announced that Lil’ Duval will no longer be hosting the event and there is no intention of replacing him for the vent.

Shelby Gallaro, SA Vice President was the next to deliver her executive report. Gallaro announced that on April 19th, President Stanley will be attending the SA meeting to address the Senate. Closing her executive report Gallaro announced the starting plans of getting more involved in homecoming weekend. Senators wrote down various ideas on activities or ways the Student Association could participate in homecoming week. Gallaro will review the ideas and discuss them at the next meeting.

Closing out executive reports was SA Director of Finance. Peters discussed the prices for OzFest tickets and announced that student tickets will only cost  $15 and tickets for the public will cost $25. If you plan to purchase tickets the day of, students will pay $25 and the public will pay $35. Peters announced that students can only purchase one ticket at the student price, any other tickets purchased after that will be the public price.

The meeting moved on to Committee Reports following the end of Peters’s executive report. Rules and Judiciary Committee announced they will be making folders for senators that will contain important information about the clubs/organizations and contact information for directors and those who would be of use on campus. These folders will be easily and readily available to senators and help new senators transition into their positions.  Involvement Committee announced that their Miss-A-Meal beneficiary will be the Oswego Food Pantry. They also revealed that they plan to place SA comment card boxes in the residence halls and academic buildings by the end of next week.

In Hall Council Reports Johnson announced that they will be changing their constitution and the changes will be presented to the residents at their next hall Council meeting. Johnson will also be selecting floor reps for each floor in their building.

Organization Reports was next on the meeting’s agenda. The African Association will be holding their annual fashion show this Friday at 6:30pm. Students from all over the state, aspiring to work in clothing design, will be given the opportunity to showcase their work. Tickets can be purchased for $5 in the Hewitt Union Box Office.

There were no special orders for the evening, therefore the meeting moved onto General Orders. The first and only general order for the evening was the proposal and voting of the African Student Association budget. The organization requested funds to help with the costs of their annual fashion show. The fashion show aims to encourage diversity and allow students to show the pieces they have worked hard on. The funds would be used to help cover the costs for the designers attending showcasing their pieces at the event. The proposed bill passed by general consent.

The meeting came to a close following the general orders for the evening. The Student Association holds their weekly meeting of the Senate Tuesdays in Lanigan 106 and 6pm. All meeting are open to the public and students are encouraged to attend to express any concerns or opinions they may have.