On Feb. 20, SUNY Oneonta students Jolie Gagnon (Music), Miguel Isbirian (Music Industry), and Ajare Malcolm (Music) sang a sold-out performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony no. 2 "Resurrection" with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus at the Royal Festival Hall, part of London's South Bank Centre. The performance was conducted by Czech Philharmonic Principal Guest Conductor, Jakub Hrusa, who is also the recently appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra. Hrusa's rising reputation secured an unexpected BBC Radio 3 recording of the performance, to be aired on Monday, March 9. The students spent 11 days in London, rehearsing and visiting important historical and cultural sites, musically prepared and led by Associate Professor of Music and Philharmonia Chorus member, Timothy Newton. The students were selected for this honor after submitting video auditions to the Chorus in December coached and accompanied in Dr. Adam Kent's Classical Collaborations course, and in voice lessons with Dr. Steve Markuson and Colby Thomas, chosen from among eight Oneonta students by Chorus Master, Gavin Carr. The Philharmonia Orchestra had just returned from a residency in Tokyo, and drew wide critical acclaim for this performance from several media outlets. The students' trip was supported, in part, by the Caroline '67 and David D'Antonio Student Travel for Excellence Fund.

Twelve members of SUNY Oneonta's Habitat for Humanity club spent their spring break volunteering their time building houses in Vero Beach, Florida. During that week, the students worked closely with the Indian River Habitat for Humanity, helping build and refurbish homes and volunteer in any way they could. Their activities included repainting an elderly couple's home, helping with roofing on new construction as well as on recycle houses, and participating in neighborhood revitalization. The students spent any spare time they had enjoying the beach.

Thirteen SUNY Oneonta political science students got an inside look at the presidential election process during a five-day trip to New Hampshire that culminated Feb. 11 with the first-in-the-nation primary. The trip was part of a semester-long course, POLS 216: Presidential Election Campaigns, taught by Associate Professor of Political Science Gina Keel. While in New Hampshire, students attended candidate rallies, town hall meetings and other events, witnessing firsthand the campaigning and media frenzy in the last days before the primary. This is Keel's fourth time teaching the course and leading the trip.

David Andrews of West Monroe, NY earned the first-ever SOLitude Lake Management Graduate Study Award. SOLitude's $1,000 gift was awarded to support Andrews' pursuit of a Master of Science degree in Lake Management at SUNY Oneonta. Another $1,000 was donated to support the Lake Management program, bringing SOLitude's total contribution to $2,000. "The Lake Management program at SUNY Oneonta has afforded me an incredible opportunity to learn in the field and gain knowledge and skills that will guide me for the rest of my career," Andrews said. "Donors like SOLitude Lake Management help make the program possible. Thank you for supporting future lake managers!" SUNY is the only college in the United States that offers a master's program in Lake Management. As part of the master's program, degree recipients meet the requirements to apply for the prestigious designation of Certified Lake Manager (CLM) by the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS), an organization that brings scientists and professionals together to foster the management and protection of lakes and reservoirs. SOLitude Lake Management is a nationwide environmental firm committed to providing sustainable solutions that improve water quality, enhance beauty, preserve natural resources and reduce our environmental footprint.

More than 300 graduates were recognized at SUNY Oneonta's Fall Commencement on December 8, 2019. Students who completed the requirements for bachelor's degrees, master's degrees and certificates of advanced study in the Dewar Arena of the Alumni Field House.

More than 700 students have been awarded scholarships at SUNY Oneonta. The college's scholarship funds total over $60 million and are the result of contributions from donors, corporations and foundations. It is the largest endowment among SUNY comprehensive four-year colleges.

This spring, SUNY Oneonta welcomed 252 new students hailing from across New York, as well as from four other states and countries. The newest Red Dragons officially joined the Oneonta family by walking through the historic pillars of Old Main during the traditional Pass Through the Pillars ceremony on the campus quad the night before classes began.

Twelve SUNY Oneonta students from a variety of majors traveled to India in the beginning of January for a 10-day, faculty-led study abroad course called "Sustainable Development in India." The main focus of the trip was the sustainable use and production of energy in what will soon be the world's most populous country. Students were accompanied by faculty instructors Dr. Sunil Labroo (Physics and Astronomy) and Dr. James Mills (Geography and Environmental Sustainability). Highlights of the trip included a visit to a hydroelectric power station in the Himalayas, tours of the planned city of Chandigargh, and interacting with faculty and students at Panjab University. Students also visited one of the Ninash Foundation schools started by professor emeritus Dr. Ashok Malhotra. Class visits also included a day at the Taj Mahal and Red Fort in Agra and the Astronomical Observatory and Amber Fort in Jaipur.

Forty music industry students from SUNY Oneonta took a faculty-led field trip from Jan. 16-19 to attend the world's largest music products trade show, The NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show, in Anaheim, Calif. The NAMM Show is an annual event that brings together leaders of the music products, pro audio and event technology industries for four days of product introductions, business opportunities, networking and inspiration. The students got to preview and test new products from more than 7,000 brands; enjoyed special events, live music and celebrity appearances; and attended dozens of educational sessions tied to today's trends. Students also got to hear interviews with the music world's top innovators, artists and professionals, including Finneas O'Connell, who took home Grammys for record of the year, album of the year, song of the year, non-classical engineered album and non-classical producer of the year at the 62nd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 26. O'Connell is a musician/producer and is superstar Billie Eilish's brother. SUNY Oneonta students also got to watch 1970s R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire perform and hear artist, songwriter and producer Jack Antonoff speak. NAMM gave SUNY Oneonta students a first-hand look at how music retail and music business go hand-in-hand. They were able to test out the latest products, see lots of live performances, and attend cutting-edge demonstrations as well as panel discussions about upcoming technologies and marketing techniques. A group of students also got to volunteer at NAMM's She Rocks Awards show, which pays tribute to women in the music industry. While in California, the students also visited Paradigm Talent Agency, where SUNY Oneonta music industry students have completed internships. The NAMM trip is a long-running SUNY Oneonta tradition. Music Department faculty have been taking students to the event for more than 25 years. Lecturer Nancy Tarr, who has accompanied Oneonta students on the trip for the past five years, said it's a wonderful opportunity for students to meet and learn from people who have been in their shoes. It shows students that they, too, can be successful someday. This trip was made possible, in part, by support from the Caroline ('67) and David D'Antonio Student Travel for Excellence Fund.

A total of 1,539 SUNY Oneonta students earned Dean's List honors for the fall 2019 semester. To qualify for the Dean's List, a student must earn a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher while carrying a course load of 12 hours or more.

The SUNY Oneonta Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, inducted 36 new student members during a ceremony on December 9 at the Hunt Union Waterfront.

Three peer tutors from SUNY Oneonta's Student Learning Center have completed the necessary training and requirements to attain Intermediate-Level National Tutoring Association certification this semester. This is the first time any SUNY Oneonta tutors have completed this level of training with the National Tutoring Assocation, according to Tutor Program Coordinator Amy Crouse-Powers.

Jared Ciccarelli has been named the 2019 SUNY Oneonta Intern of the Year, a new award sponsored by the Otsego County Chamber to recognize outstanding work by interns at local businesses and organizations.

Five SUNY Oneonta students are having a direct, hands-on effect on the future of science education this summer by designing and creating their own instructional models for use in classrooms. The students are part of the Earth Science Model and Design Institute, which gives pre-service Earth Science teachers the chance to design and build their own models of particularly complex or abstract Earth processes and concepts. Project leaders are Dr. James Ebert of the Earth & Atmospheric Sciences Department and Dr. Paul Bischoff of the Secondary Education Department. Participating students, who were selected from a pool of applicants, will spend four weeks designing and building the models and will work throughout the year to tweak and perfect them. The models are made using everyday items such as plastic bottles, rulers, wooden dowels and index cards, so that they can be easily replicated. Bischoff said the experience gives students a more in-depth understanding of the research process and lets them see the creative components to teaching. The students receive a stipend, in addition to room and board.

Congratulations to the 19 peer tutors who earned National Tutor Association Level 1 Certification this academic year through SUNY Oneonta's Student Learning Center. Tutors have completed the courses for which they are tutoring at SUNY Oneonta and have received a B+ or better in the course. All tutors complete a 2-hour training workshop before working with tutees, and they complete additional training throughout the time they work at SLC. Effective Fall 2016, all newly hired tutors are working toward completing National Tutoring Association (NTA) basic level certification.

On Thursday, March 28, and Friday, March 29, a group of 20 student members of WONY 90.9 FM, SUNY Oneonta's student-run radio station, took a Student Association-sponsored field trip to Boston to visit a few of the largest public media institutions in the United States. The students received private guided tours of WGBH and WBUR. They also visited the PRX Podcast Garage and WTBU, Boston University's student-run radio station. The group was accompanied by Dr. Andrew Bottomley, WONY faculty advisor and assistant professor of Media Studies in SUNY Oneonta's Communication & Media Department. It was a rare chance for students to get a behind-the-scenes peek at professional broadcasting studios, interact with experienced journalists and top industry executives, and learn about internship and career opportunities.

SUNY Oneonta's 2018 College Fed Challenge team, a group of the college's most talented economics and business economics students, competed in the Liberty Street Division of the College Fed Challenge competition on Oct. 24 and has qualified to advance to the semi-final round on Nov. 14 at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York City. During the preliminary round, the five students gave a presentation on the economy that included a forecast of near-term changes in economic and financial conditions that would impact monetary policy, risks to their forecast, and a recommendation for a stance on monetary policy. Teams are required to prepare a slide deck consisting of charts and graphs used to determine their policy recommendation. The five presenters then answered questions given by a panel of judges in a 15-minute session. The panel consisted of New York Fed economists and staff who are experts in their field. While only five representatives formally presented to the judges during the competition, SUNY Oneonta's team totals 17. Presenters, alternates and non-presenting team members work collectively on the presentation throughout the semester and travel together to New York City for the competition. The non-presenting team members prepare the five presenters with potential questions from the judges and ensure the accuracy of the data and content of the required slide deck. The Oneonta team offered a presentation on campus that served as a dress rehearsal for the Fed Challenge during an evening event for faculty and students. The presentation was entirely student-run and included discussion on monetary policy and policy tools, the Fed Challenge competition and recruitment, and a question and answer session with the audience. There were more than 90 in attendance.

Six women and four men's Tennis players earned academic recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Seventeen SUNY Oneonta students participated in the 2017 National Model United Nations Conference in New York City from March 19-23. The Oneonta delegation represented South Africa.

A group of SUNY Oneonta students' community outreach project has helped educate an entire elementary school of children this semester on the basics of environmental sustainability and stewardship. Through the college's Harvest Share Buddies service learning initiative, biology and sociology students spent time in 12 different classrooms at Riverside Elementary School in Oneonta, teaching children about food, the environment and plant biology. In their assigned K-5 classrooms, SUNY Oneonta students presented weekly interactive lessons and got to know the children. Concepts literally came to life for the kids, as vegetable grow boxes were built and installed in the classrooms, giving students a firsthand look at where food comes from. Students grew tomatoes, lettuce and a variety of herbs and spices. When full-grown, the ingredients will be harvested and used to make pizza for the children. This is the second year of the program, which is organized by Assistant Professor of Biology Sean Robinson and Associate Professor of Sociology Greg Fulkerson. On the last visit of the semester, fourth graders in one classroom recalled all they had learned from the SUNY Oneonta students and brainstormed ways to help "reduce, reuse and recycle." Takeaways included riding a bike instead of driving, not polluting, starting a compost pile, shopping local and growing food at home. Third-grade teacher Jacqueline Scanlon said her pupils loved having the college students come in each week. "We called them our SUNY friends, and whenever it was time for a visit, their eyes would light up," Scanlon said. "It's great for these kids to meet the college students and gain a mentor of sorts, and it's also something I appreciate because, with pressures on curriculum, this is a topic we don't often get to talk about. But it's so needed!"

Twenty-eight members of SUNY Oneonta's Zeta Beta Tau fraternity chapter helped organize SUNY Oneonta's third annual Gift of Life Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive on Oct. 26 and 27.

A total of 27 students were elected this spring to Student Association positions for the 2016-2017 academic year at SUNY Oneonta. Students are elected to Student Association positions by their peers in the student body. Elections for executive board positions were held April 7-8, and senators and judicial officers were elected April 14-15.