SUNY Oneonta

Twelve of the nearly 50,000 panels of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt filled the Hunt Union Ballroom at SUNY Oneonta from March 21-23, each stitch and patchwork square telling a story of lives lost to the AIDS crisis. For many, including SUNY Oneonta student and Otsego Pride Alliance Vice President Kerri Lincoln, the quilt's arrival was not just a powerful tribute but a deeply personal mission. Lincoln, a Women's and Gender Studies major and Oneonta local, began her journey to bring the quilt to Oneonta nearly a year and a half ago. Inspired by a conversation with one of her children, she realized that the AIDS Quilt was becoming a fading memory for younger generations. Determined to change that, Lincoln took it upon herself to bring this piece of history closer to home. Securing the quilt required persistence and began about a year and a half earlier. Lincoln worked with the National AIDS Memorial to meet the requirements for hosting a display and coordinated multiple fundraisers to cover expenses. Basket raffles and community donations played a vital role in making the project possible. Lincoln also collaborated closely with SUNY Oneonta's faculty and staff, who provided support throughout the planning process and assisted with the installation itself. As a nontraditional student, Lincoln worked with Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies Dr. Chloe Diamond-Lenow to incorporate the AIDS Memorial Quilt into her independent study course. Lincoln's coursework included research about the quilt's creation and significance, organizing its display and using it as a text to explore intersectionality, public health and art as resistance. "Kerri took Intro to Queer Studies with me last semester. In the class, one of the assignments for students is to do a research project where they look at the history of a queer trans activist," said Dr. Diamond-Lenow. "Kerri chose to research Cleve Jones, the initial creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and called the project "Stitching Resistance". At that time, she already knew she was bringing the quilt to campus. So we created a 4000-level independent study course, which gave us more opportunities to have one-on-one conversations. I was really just there to support Kerri in organizing the event. But we also framed the AIDS Quilt in relation to queer studies and queer theory." The quilt's arrival was deeply emotional for Lincoln. Seeing the panels unfold, including one featuring Henry Nicols of Cooperstown, underscored the personal connection this project held. Nicols, who contracted HIV as a child through a hemophilia treatment, became a prominent AIDS activist before passing away in 2000. His father, Hank Nicols, attended the event as a speaker, adding another layer of meaning to the display. For Lincoln, memorable moments extended beyond the installation itself. Conversations with visitors revealed how deeply the quilt resonated with those who viewed it. Attendees shared memories of loved ones lost to AIDS, and some expressed gratitude for the opportunity to reflect on a chapter of history that has too often been overlooked. The quilt's presence also served as a reminder of ongoing struggles. Lincoln expressed concern about recent cuts to HIV research and prevention efforts, emphasizing that the need for awareness and advocacy remains crucial.

Daniela Hernandez ('24) and Nicolai Glouchkov ('26) were among just 50 SUNY students statewide to receive the prestigious Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence for 2025. The award recognizes students in the Educational Opportunity Program for demonstrating academic success and perseverance in the face of personal and educational challenges. Hernandez and Glouchkov were part of the 6th class of honorees and were recognized by the SUNY Board of Trustees and Chancellor King at a ceremony in March. The award is named after Norman R. McConney Jr., a graduate of the University at Albany and former assistant dean for special programs at SUNY, who played a critical role in the creation of EOP as a statewide initiative to increase access to higher education for underserved students.

Forty-three SUNY Oneonta students traded the classroom for real-world, firsthand experience in motor development through a new program called Developing Red Dragons. During the spring 2025 semester, SUNY Oneonta Exercise Science students gained hands-on experience working with children ages 3-16 as part of a new initiative in their Human Growth and Motor Development course, which builds on the success of the Little Red Dragons program launched in fall 2022. The course focuses on the developmental changes people undergo throughout life. Students explore factors that impact motor development, stages of movement and why individuals grow and develop differently. Developing Red Dragons serves as a precursor to Little Red Dragons, allowing students to observe children in real-world environments before designing their own sports and exercise workshops later in the curriculum. "It's one thing for me to describe how someone with small hands may struggle to use a normal-sized fork, but to see it with their own eyes sinks in the content," said Assistant Professor of Sport and Exercise Science Katherine Griffes. "One student told me now that anytime he sees his nephew or nieces, he can't help but notice the class concepts because he is used to looking for them. That's a huge win in my book, that students are more aware of the developmental aspects of life that are happening right under our noses all of the time." Read the full story: https://suny.oneonta.edu/news-events/exercise-science-initiative-connects-campus-and-community

The Personal Finance Achievement Award is given to students through the SUNY Oneonta financial wellness program, Making Cent$. Making Cent$ staff, interns and volunteers put together numerous events and activities that help students improve their proficiency with financial literacy. Students participating in Making Cent$ earn credit for Making InCENTive$, which leads them to the Personal Finance Achievement Award. This award recognizes a student's dedication to improving financial literacy by completing core activities in six personal finance categories and continually participating in the program. After finishing the Making InCENTive$ path, students complete an exit interview during their final semester to help improve the Making Cent$ program, earn their Personal Finance Achievement Award in receive a Making Cent$ graduation cord.

The Personal Finance Achievement Award is given to students through the SUNY Oneonta financial wellness program, Making Cent$. Making Cent$ staff, interns and volunteers put together numerous events and activities that help students improve their proficiency with financial literacy. Students participating in Making Cent$ earn credit for Making InCENTive$, which leads them to the Personal Finance Achievement Award. This award recognizes a student's dedication to improving financial literacy by completing core activities in six personal finance categories and continually participating in the program. After finishing the Making InCENTive$ path, students complete an exit interview during their final semester to help improve the Making Cent$ program, earn their Personal Finance Achievement Award in receive a Making Cent$ graduation cord.

The Personal Finance Achievement Award is given to students through the SUNY Oneonta financial wellness program, Making Cent$. Making Cent$ staff, interns and volunteers put together numerous events and activities that help students improve their proficiency with financial literacy. Students participating in Making Cent$ earn credit for Making InCENTive$, which leads them to the Personal Finance Achievement Award. This award recognizes a student's dedication to improving financial literacy by completing core activities in six personal finance categories and continually participating in the program. After finishing the Making InCENTive$ path, students complete an exit interview during their final semester to help improve the Making Cent$ program, earn their Personal Finance Achievement Award in receive a Making Cent$ graduation cord.

Rory Magie of Liberty, NY, received the Personal Finance Achievement Award in the fall 2023 semester. Magie is studying Media Studies at SUNY Oneonta. The Personal Finance Achievement Award is given to students through the SUNY Oneonta financial wellness program, Making Cent$. Making Cent$ staff, interns and volunteers put together numerous events and activities that help students improve their proficiency with financial literacy. Students participating in Making Cent$ earn credit for Making InCENTive$, which leads them to the Personal Finance Achievement Award. This award recognizes a student's dedication to improving financial literacy by completing core activities in six personal finance categories and continually participating in the program. After finishing the Making InCENTive$ path, students complete an exit interview during their final semester to help improve the Making Cent$ program, earn their Personal Finance Achievement Award in receive a Making Cent$ graduation cord.

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!"