by Jamie Aranoff

Oswego, NY- 11 new lactation rooms are being added to the Oswego State campus this semester, providing nursing mothers a place to comfortably and privately pump breast milk for their children.

“It started with a nursing mother who had no official place to pump for her newborn,” Campus Planning Coordinator Linda Paris said.

The 11 lactation rooms are dispersed throughout campus and are located inside certain academic buildings, residence halls and rooms in the Marano Campus Center. “The rooms have been transformed from storage facilities and offer mothers a quiet environment with at least two different types of chairs and work surfaces,” Paris said.  

According to the New York State Department of Health, employees have the right to pump breast milk in the workspace, and should have a private place to do so. Prior to this year, there were no official spots on campus for mothers to pump their breast milk.

“Before having these dedicated spaces, you might be lucky enough to have an office where you could pump in, but if not, you might be pumping in your car,” Paris said.

The collaboration of working mothers and the Campus Facility Project was one that took over a year and a half. For working mother and professor Dr. Kristen Eichhorn, the project was more than just getting a lactation sign outside of a storage closet. The initiative was about taking the needs of mothers and working together to be part of something larger.

“Working together to create the spaces for women was more than just that, it was about working with a team to better the community,” Eichhorn said.

Scales Hall, Tyler Hall, and Wilbur Hall will be the next three buildings on campus to receive a lactation room in the coming months.

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.