By Ryan Fox
OSWEGO, N.Y.– Two years ago, 4,000 people held stock in the Syracuse Chiefs. This year, that number is down to 1,700. Syracuse.com reports that the Chiefs turned over 5,626 shares held by 2,300 people to New York state in 2015 and 2016 as abandoned property because the club had lost contact with their owners.
According to Chiefs General Manager Jason Smorol, the team had no choice but to turn over the stocks, as it was required to clear its shareholder rolls of “dormant” stock by the state’s Abandoned Property Law. Under this law, businesses in New York are required to transfer abandoned money or securities to the state comptroller’s Office of Unclaimed Funds in a process called escheatment. While the transfer of dormant stock is required by state law, Syracuse.com reports that the Chiefs had never transferred it before their 2013 change in leadership.
The Chiefs have been community owned since 1961, when the AAA Montreal Royals moved down to Central New York. The local community wanted to ensure their team would be in Syracuse without worrying about a satellite owner moving it to a bigger market. Shares of the team were sold in 1961 and 1967 at $10 a share. With the team’s impending sale to the New York Mets, an official Chiefs press release values valid shares at $1,440 a peice. Abandoned shares have been frozen at $19 a share.
Syracuse.com reports that Smorol is in talks with the Comptroller’s Office about reissuing stock to those who come forward before the sale to the Mets goes through.
Owners of purged shares can contact the state comptroller’s office to try and reinstate their shares at (800) 221-9311.
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SUNY Oswego updates students on new guidelines due to COVID-19
[et_pb_section][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text]BY: TOMAS RODRIGUEZ
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, SUNY Oswego will be transitioning all summer courses to distance learning, with some facing possible cancellations. A full updated schedule was made available to students May 1.
As a New York state institution and a member of the SUNY system, Oswego’s campus will have to comply with any mandates issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“While there are still many unknowns at this time, the leadership team and I are hard at work and vetting several possible plans for SUNY Oswego for the Fall 2020 semester, including face-to-face should government and health guidelines allow,” SUNY Oswego president Deborah Stanley said. “We will also institute all necessary health and safety measures.”
Due to the constant changing nature of the virus, Mary Walker Health Center will maintain its current appointment-only policy until the COVID-19 pandemic comes to a close, allowing for proper screening of students and added safety for both students and personnel.
Telehealth will also remain available until the current threat is no longer existent.
Students will still be required to complete COVID-19 questionnaires and will be screened by a nurse prior to their appointment.
“There will be a separation of sick and healthy students in the waiting area for those students that are seen face-to-face,” Director of Student Health Services Angie Brown said.
Additional precautions will include requiring students to wear a mask or covering while present at Health Services.
Currently, Oswego Health has made a mobile testing site available, although Health Services may have the ability to test under some circumstances should test kits become more readily available.
Penfield Library has been impacted by the epidemic as well, providing about 95 percent of its services online.
“As we plan for the fall, we will continue to provide all appropriate services to our students, faculty and staff, and adapt library operations and use of the facilities in concert with the guidelines from the Governor on social distancing and limiting human density in our academic buildings,” Provost Scott Furlong said. “As an example, we may need to limit the number of students sitting at individual tables or in small group study rooms.”
Orientation for both first-year and transfer students, which were scheduled to stretch between the months of June and August, will become available online, still requiring incoming students to activate their email and complete their academic and health history information.
Summer orientation has been broken into two different steps. A portion of the information made available during the orientation programs will be moved to the online world, while the remaining information will be delivered face-to-face during the Fall Opening.
“In addition to online summer modules we are building, we are in the process of developing ways to engage new students with Laker Leaders through videoconferencing, social media and other platforms,” college Vice President Jerri Howland said.
While aiming to build a quality first-year class this fall, the safety and health of the campus community remains the top priority, college officials say.
“Residence Life and Housing will adapt based on how many students are allowed back on campus following future guidelines received from the Governor on social distancing and limiting human density in our residential buildings,” Howland said.
In terms of sanitizing, SUNY Oswego has custodial coverage seven days a week that routinely disinfects residence halls, all rooms, offices and any spaces utilized.
Daily cleaning protocols also include door handles, light switches, faucets and door knobs, among others.
Dining halls will remain take-out or delivery only, pursuant to Gov. Cuomo’s Executive Orders.
Concerning study abroad programs, SUNY has canceled student study abroad for the summer session.
“SUNY Oswego and SUNY leadership are closely monitoring the evolving situation and have not yet made a determination about the Fall,” Furlong said.
When it comes to the Fall semester, SUNY Oswego plans on welcoming new and returning international students.
“We are proceeding as we normally would to recruit, enroll and retain our international student population and will continue to work within any new guidelines received from the state and SUNY,” Associate Provost for International Education and Programs Josh McKeown said. “It’s an uncertain time but staff in the Office of International Education and Programs is prepared, like the rest of the Oswego campus, to be flexible and adjust as the situation demands.”
In the event that SUNY Oswego returns to normalcy in the Fall, the college will have to adhere to CDC guidelines and in some cases those applying to the state of New York to ensure students’ safety.
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Student Association Update: February 2nd
The Student Association held their weekly Senate meeting Tuesday evening. The second meeting of the semester began after the number of senators required to begin were met and the meeting’s agenda and minutes were approved.
SUNY Oswego’s Ecology Club was one of four guests to the Senate that evening, and began by requesting additional funding for the spring semester. The Ecology Club requested funds to help support the club’s growth. The funds would go towards the cost of gas, hotel stays, bird seed and feeders, as well as, material such as gloves and towels for their volunteer work in the community. The largest expense would be an end of the year trip to go whale watching. The funds requested include this trip and will help defer some of the cost to students. Three senators volunteered to write the bill for the budget, which will be proposed and voted on at a future meeting.
The second guest to the Senate was SUNY Oswego’s Table Tennis Club. They requested funding for the Women’s Team regional tournament trip, where 10 members will compete in the Great Lakes Regional Tournament. The tournament will take place the weekend of February 27th, 2016. The Table Tennis Club requested the funding to help pay for their travel expenses. The team’s entrance into the tournament came as a pleasant surprise to many. The bill for the budget will be written by three senators, and will be proposed and voted on later this semester.
The National Broadcasting Society was the third guest to the Senate and requested funding for a trip to the 2016 NBS Convention in Los Angeles. Last year was the first time the National Broadcasting Society attended the convention, and hope to send three students again this year. They requested funding to help pay for their travel costs. To help offset the total cost of the trip, they have also partnered with local restaurants, YoBerry and Fajita Grill in hopes of raising the rest of the funds for the trip. Three senators volunteered to write the bill for this budget that will be proposed and voted on, prior to the National Broadcasting Society’s trip.
The fourth and final guest to the Senate was the National Association of Black Accountants. In hopes of hosting a Business Gala this semester, they requested fund to help pay for the event. Funding was requested for catering, a keynote speaker, advertisements, and entertainment. The event will allow students, particularly business majors, to network, make connections and learn from successful businessmen and women who are working in the field. The bill for this budget will be written by three senators and proposed and voted on at a future meeting.
Following the guests, Student Association President Christopher Collins-McNeil, addressed the Senate for the last time in his executive reports. Collins-McNeil will be resigning his position after accepting a job with the Mosby for Mayor Campaign in Baltimore, MD. Collins-McNeil has been involved in SA since his freshmen year at SUNY Oswego. When he became SA President, Collins-McNeil revealed, he wanted to make his presidency about advocacy and feels he can respectively say he accomplished that task. Collins-McNeil requested his SA Presidency be assumed by Student Association Vice President Emily Nassir.
Nassir, when offered the position, accepted and upon swearing in, assumed the role of Student Association President. Nassir announced her first project as SA President was what she called, “SA Assembly;” a monthly meeting of both the Student Association Assembly board and representatives from student organizations. Nassir hopes these meetings will build a stronger connection between SA and the organizations they represent.
Senator Shelby Gallaro was nominated to fill the now vacant seat of SA Vice President. After a ballot vote, Gallaro was successfully voted in as the new Student Association Vice President.
Finishing off executive reports was Matthew Peters, Student Association Director of Finance. Peters announced that the OzFest Committee had met and discussed the 2016 budget for the end of the semester event. Peters stated that ticket prices for OzFest will need to drop, in order to draw more students to the event’s concert.
In committee reports, Senators Christ and Himberger nominated themselves for the position of Chair of the Involvement Committee. Senator Gallaro had been the prior chair, but due to her new role as SA Vice President, she had resigned. Following a ballot vote, Senator Christ was elected Chair of the Involvement Committee.
Hall Council Reports and General orders were suspended due to time constraint, so all general orders for this week were moved to next week.
Student Association meets Tuesday nights at 6pm, in Lanigan 106. All meetings are open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.
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Domestic Violence Awareness Month at SUNY Oswego
by Annie Flaherty, WTOP-10 TV
OSWEGO, N.Y. – October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and SUNY Oswego is taking action on campus through a variety of events. The One Love Foundation and SUNY Oswego teamed up to share the story of Yeardley Love. Yeardley was killed in 2010 due to a domestic violence altercation with her ex-boyfriend.
Yeardley’s mother, Sharon Love, aims to spread awareness through college campuses.
As a mother, Mrs. Love says, “my biggest concern was that she may be injured on the lacrosse field or, even worse, be hurt in a car accident. Relationship violence was never on my radar screen.”
SUNY Oswego “It’s On Oz” campaign held events this month. Lisa Evaneski, the Title IX coordinator at SUNY Oswego set up workshops this past week addressing sexual and domestic violence, specifically in college relationships, and how to make Oswego’s campus a safer one. Evaneski says these workshops are not just for students who have experienced domestic violence, but for everyone else on campus as well, so that they can recognize it.
This Thursday, October 20, SUNY Oswego students will be encouraged to “turn the campus purple” in honor of victims of relationship abuse and also to “shine a light” on the cause.
Other events will be taking place on campus throughout October as well, such as the “SUNY’s Got Your Back” event, where volunteers will put together comfort kits for victims and survivors of interpersonal violence.
If you are interested in getting involved with It’s On Oz campaign, contact Lisa Evaneski by email at Lisa.evaneski@oswego.edu.
