SUNY Oneonta

Twenty students in SUNY Oneonta's Marketing Club, OnMark, traveled to New Orleans last week to attend the 2023 American Marketing Association's Annual International Collegiate Conference, where they were ranked among the Top 10 Collegiate Chapters of the Year. OnMark received this recognition among 333 competing colleges and universities. Schools are judged based on their accomplishments, with each chapter submitting an annual report detailing their fundraiser events, membership drives, community service, career development workshops, and other AMA competitions in which the club participated throughout the year. This was an improvement from last year, when OnMark was named one of the Top 15 Collegiate Chapters of the Year at the 2022 conference in Chicago. Attendance at the conference was made by possible in part by a grant from the D'Antonio Travel for Excellence Fund.

Three SUNY Oneonta students are studying abroad during the spring 2023 semester through programs offered by the university. SUNY Oneonta offers summer and semester programs through 12 study abroad and exchange international partner universities and many short-term faculty-led programs through the Office of Global Education (OGE). Of the 12 available programs, these students are studying abroad at Seinan Gakuin University in Japan, Hankuk University of Applied Sciences in South Korea and the American College of Greece in Greece. Two students received scholarships from SUNY Oneonta to study abroad, including the Bill and Khuki Woolever Scholarship, Gary '71 and Pamela '73 Tutty Study Abroad Scholarship and the Global Connectedness Fund. One student received a scholarship from their study abroad university after being nominated by SUNY Oneonta. More than 20 scholarships were established by the SUNY Oneonta Foundation to provide support for students who might otherwise not have the financial means to study abroad. Scholarships are made possible through gifts from alumni, faculty, staff and community members, and are awarded each semester to qualifying students.

Gideon Plamondon and Destiana De Jesus are the first two SUNY Oneonta students to be selected for a mentorship program offered by the Country Music Association (CMA). Plamondon and De Jesus are among 41 college and university students from across the country to be selected for this opportunity. As members of the CMA's Educational Leadership Class of 2024, they will meet country music industry professionals through a year-long program that includes panels, seminars and courses. In addition to being the first SUNY Oneonta students selected, Plamondon and De Jesus are two of the three SUNY applicants ever to be accepted into the mentorship program. A highlight of the program will be a trip to Nashville in August for the organization's annual Leadership Summit, a multi-day conference full of professional development, industry education and networking. The summit will also allow the accepted students to meet one another and get a glimpse of what their year will look like as they partake in remote courses.

Beginning Wednesday, April 5, the SUNY Oneonta Mask and Hammer Theatre Club presents "boom," a play written by American playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. This production features a character named Jules, who is a marine biology grad student, and a journalism student character named Jo. After Jo answers Jules's online personal ad that offers a "no strings attached" experience, the future of humanity rests upon them as an apocalyptic event wipes out most forms of life on Earth. In addition to the roles of Jules and Jo, a third character, Barbara, serves as an audience guide for humanity's end. The "boom" production can be seen in the Hamblin Theater at SUNY Oneonta from Wednesday to Friday, April 5 to 7, at 7:30 p.m., and on Saturday, April 8, at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at https://oneonta.universitytickets.com/, in person at the Hunt Union Information Desk from Monday to Saturday between 1 and 10 p.m. and in person at the box office in the Fine Arts Center one hour before each scheduled performance. Ticket pricing and additional information can be viewed online at https://suny.oneonta.edu/theatre-department/season-shows.

SUNY Oneonta business administration and accounting students are as busy as ever this tax season as they continue to help classmates, university employees and area residents prepare and file their simple tax returns via a campus program that is nearly a decade old. A total of 19 students have been thoroughly trained through the IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program during the spring 2023 semester. The VITA program is part of a three-credit course offered for a second year at SUNY Oneonta, where students spend a large portion of the semester getting certified and preparing tax returns for those with a salary of $60k or less. "Preparing other people's tax returns gives the students experience in meeting people and interacting with them in ways that demonstrate competence, professionalism, poise, punctuality, courtesy and empathy," said Lisa Flynn, associate professor of accounting and the course's instructor. "The students have learned how to ask for sensitive financial information in ways that put the client at ease to the greatest extent possible." Students work in pairs to complete client returns, ensuring accuracy as they handle sensitive information. Among the 19 preparers are four returning student coordinators, who have been given increased responsibility and an increased sense of "ownership" in the program. The service provided by the students in the VITA program is free. VITA students who prepare returns must take and pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards. This training includes maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of all taxpayer information. Additionally, the IRS requires a quality review check for every return prepared at a VITA site prior to filing. "The students have learned the importance of attention to detail and have experienced how important it is to 'get things right' the first time," said Flynn. "There are still several open appointments that we hope to see fill up before we complete the VITA portion of the course." Students have already filed returns for 22 clients, both federal and state, with an additional 10 appointments scheduled. After all appointments conclude on April 12, the course will finish with lessons on international taxation in various countries. SUNY Oneonta has been a VITA partner organization for many years, thanks to William "Jeff" Weinell, a business lecturer and advisement coordinator who passed away in 2020. Weinell, who also served as a mentor and advisor to various campus clubs, initiated and grew the VITA program, which, was initially held off campus and was a volunteer opportunity for a small number of students.

A second Guiding Eyes for the Blind puppy is being raised on campus at SUNY Oneonta, thanks to the university's new Guiding Eyes club. "Emoji," a 3-month-old yellow Labrador retriever weighing in at just 16 pounds, arrived on campus Sunday, March 19, and is being raised by Kirstin Kavountzis, a junior Dietetics major from Washingtonville, NY. Kavountzis is the secretary of SUNY Oneonta's new Guiding Eyes for the Blind club. Guiding Eyes for the Blind is a nonprofit organization that provides guide dogs to people experiencing vision loss. SUNY Oneonta's first Guiding Eyes puppy, a black Lab named "Ink," arrived on campus in late January and is being raised by the club's president.

As a powerful Nor'easter pummeled the East Coast early this week, bringing heavy snow and damaging winds and sending service and road crews into overdrive, three SUNY Oneonta Meteorology majors were in their glory, appearing live on The Weather Channel to give their expert opinions on the storm. Although most students were home for spring break, seniors Erin Duke and Jacob Coffey and junior Eleni Konstantelos happened to be in the right place at the right time Monday, when a field producer with The Weather Channel contacted Dr. Leigh Fall, associate professor and chair of the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department. National correspondent Justin Michaels and his team were being sent to cover Winter Storm Sage live from Oneonta, the producer had explained to Fall. They had seen that SUNY Oneonta had a meteorology program and wondered if any students would like to be interviewed on camera by Michaels. Duke, Coffey and Konstantelos, who had all stayed in town for one reason or another, jumped at the chance. With coordination and encouragement from Dr. Fall, Duke, of Rhinebeck, NY, appeared live at 9 p.m. Monday, followed by Konstantelos, of Astoria, NY, at 10 p.m. Coffey, of Patchogue, NY, appeared the following day. Stationed at the corner of Main and Chestnut streets, the students calmly and enthusiastically answered Michaels' questions, speaking about the path of the storm as well as the topography of the area and how that affects total snowfall accumulations. When the coverage was all said and done, the Oneonta students had appeared four times on national television. Off-camera, Michaels and his team asked the students about their plans for the future and encouraged them to dream big. Konstantelos said she hopes to pursue a career in aviation meteorology, air quality resources or paleoclimatology. Duke wants to earn her master's degree and study mountain meteorology and cloud physics. While she'll "always be grateful for this chance to try live tv," she thinks her dream job would be "doing research on the weather, rather than broadcasting it." Fall said she is "extremely proud" of Duke, Coffey and Konstantelos. "I'm delighted that we could shine a spotlight on these awesome students," she said. "They are proof of the caliber of SUNY Oneonta's meteorology program as a whole, and I'm so happy that they could have this opportunity."

Twelve SUNY Oneonta students got hands-on experience with wetlands restoration during a service-learning trip in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward last week. Working with a nonprofit organization called Common Ground Relief, the students worked to help restore and preserve Louisiana's disappearing coastal wetlands by planting hardy, fast-growing native plants and removing invasive species in coastal areas imperiled by hurricanes, development and engineering projects that have eroded land and endangered wildlife. Using recycled Christmas trees and Tallow trees, the team built berms to help prevent erosion and stabilize newly planted vegetation, worked in a native tree nursery, visited Common Ground's Outdoor Learning Center, helped out with various projects at Docville Farm and learned about cultural complexities, the role of physical landscapes and environmental issues in the region. The New Orleans trip is a component of Disaster Geographies, a course taught by Associate Professor Wendy Lascell, who accompanied the students, along with Linda Drake, executive director of the college's Center for Social Responsibility and Community. Lascell has taken several groups of students to New Orleans, including Class of 2020 alumna Amy Shultis, who now works for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Shultis met up with students while they were in town. Service-learning trips such as this one give students an invaluable experience for both academic and personal growth, Lascell said. They are engaged in service, immersed in an unfamiliar culture, and confronted with real-world problems that don't have easy solutions. In conjunction with the service activities, students immersed themselves in New Orleans culture. They saw the Mississippi River and spent time in the French Quarter, heard live jazz and tried popular Cajun cuisine such as alligator, crawfish, raccoon, hog and shrimp. The students returned to New York with photographs to show and stories to tell.

Nearly 300 SUNY Oneonta students completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree following the Fall 2022 semester. Graduates were honored and recognized during Fall Commencement, held Dec. 11 in the Dewar Arena of the Alumni Field House. The day before commencement, seniors took part in the Pass Through the Pillars tradition. With friends, family and faculty and staff cheering them on, seniors walked through the pillars a final time, representing the end of their Oneonta journey and transition into the alumni family.

Six SUNY Oneonta students from several anthropology courses have their work featured as part of the "Unessays" exhibit in the Anthropology Teaching Gallery. In lieu of writing a final paper, the students created physical displays of their topics in paleoanthropology and the anthropology of death, reproduction, sexes and gender. Located on the first floor of the Physical Science Building, the Anthropology Teaching Gallery will feature these projects throughout the Spring 2023 semester. The exhibit represents final projects from five courses: Anthropology of Reproduction, Anthropology of Sexes and Genders, Paleoanthropology, Forensic Anthropology and Anthropology of Dying.

Beginning Friday, March 3, 11 SUNY Oneonta students will have a role in the Theatre Department's production of "Bernhardt/Hamlet," a play written by American playwright Theresa Rebeck. The production shows the challenges faced by 19th-century actress Sarah Bernhardt in her role as Shakespeare's Hamlet. The real-life Bernhardt performed as Hamlet in 1899, and this play captures both the drama and comedy of the international celebrity's performance during that time. The SUNY Oneonta production of "Bernhardt/Hamlet" is directed by John McCaslin-Doyle, professor of theatre history, dramatic literature and acting, with help from the Mask and Hammer theatre club, an active and dynamic campus organization that promotes opportunities for students of all majors to become involved in theatre activities. The production can be seen in the Hamblin Theater at SUNY Oneonta on Friday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 4, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; and from March 7 to 9 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at https://oneonta.universitytickets.com/, in person at the Hunt Union Information Desk from Monday to Saturday between 1 and 10 p.m. and in person at the box office in the Fine Arts Center one hour before each scheduled performance. Ticket pricing and additional information can be viewed online at https://suny.oneonta.edu/theatre-department/season-shows.

Ink, a 4-month-old black Labrador Retriever puppy, is making history at SUNY Oneonta as the first pup to be raised on campus for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a nonprofit organization that provides guide dogs to people experiencing vision loss. His puppy raiser, and roommate, is junior Anthropology major Taylor Hendrickson, president of the university's new Guiding Eyes for the Blind club.

The SUNY Oneonta Theatre Department's production of "Nordost" was selected to perform at the Kennedy Center Region I Festival (KCACTF) at Cape Cod on Feb. 2. The production featured six SUNY Oneonta students, including one student stage manager and another who oversaw lighting. Kiara Pipino, associate professor of acting, directing and movement, directed "Nordost." KCACTF honors excellence of overall production and offers student artists individual recognition through awards and scholarships in playwriting, acting, criticism, directing and design. The KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide which has severed as a catalyst for improving the quality of college theater in the United States. The KCACTF has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theater departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF respondents.

A total of 23 students' artwork is on display in SUNY Oneonta's Open Space Gallery. Titled "Black, White, & Full Color," the exhibition features work by students who took a Writing About Literature course with Dr. Sheena Mason, assistant professor of English. The exhibition is inspired by the concept of double consciousness and illustrates the questions of societal interpretations of race and the practice of racialization through the lens of racelessness, an overview of contemporary and historical literature on the subject and personal experience. "Black, White, & Full Color" is a collective single piece of work created with language-based drawing, blackout poetry, books and PowerPoint. It is inspired by the work of conceptual artist Glen Ligon, critical engagement with the idea of race and practice of racialization, and modern literacy sources such as James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Paul Gilroy and Frantz Fanon. The exhibition opened Tuesday, Jan. 24, and will run through Feb. 18. The Open Space Gallery is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. An opening reception will be held Thursday, Feb. 2, from 4 to 6 p.m., with an inclement weather date set for Thursday, Feb. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m.

A total of 36 students across courses taught by Dr. Sheena Mason, assistant professor of English, have their artwork exhibited in SUNY Oneonta Project Space Gallery. "Art Across Campus: Literature in Translation" showcases the final projects of students from courses outside of the Art Department. The exhibition opened Tuesday, Jan. 24, and will run through Feb. 18. "Art Across Campus: Literature in Translation" features painting, drawing, sculpture, black-out poetry and collage art styles. The contributing students are part of the Postcolonial Literature and Culture: The Americas, Creolization in Literature, African American Women Writers and Postcolonial and Culture: Africa courses. The Project Space Gallery is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. An opening reception will be held Thursday, Feb. 2, from 4 to 6 p.m., with an inclement weather date set for Thursday, Feb. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m.

More than 1,250 SUNY Oneonta students earned Dean's List honors for the fall 2022 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.

More than 250 SUNY Oneonta students earned Provost's List honors for the fall 2022 semester. To qualify for the Provost's List, a student must earn a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while carrying a course load of 12 hours or more.

August Heminway, of Ridgefield, CT, completed a photo documentary project titled "A Rural Devotion" for an independent study at SUNY Oneonta examining underfunded or overlooked volunteer fire departments. From October to December 2022, August spent time with the West Oneonta Fire Department and observed its training and operations. "Firefighters are humanitarians who do uncontroversial work, saving lives daily even in proven harm's way," said August. "The lack of resources these rural departments experience magnifies the power of their actions and devotion to their community." Following a course with Wesley Bernard, assistant professor of photography at SUNY Oneonta, August joined the SUNY Oneonta Photo Society. He is currently the president of the club, as well as the president of the Taekwondo club on campus. "I think his project is meaningful and vitally important," said Bernard. "Most humble quiet stories go unnoticed unless a documentarian pushes them out into the public eye. The strength of the story comes from the caring photographer." A dual major in Criminal Justice and Political Science, August will be graduating in May 2023. After graduation, he plans to attend graduate school and gain experience working with human rights non-governmental organizations. "Though this project doesn't directly relate to my majors, I'm interested in documentary photography," said August. "I hope to be able to meld that work in the future with human rights and conflict work, which is along the lines of my career goal to become a United Nations War Crimes Investigator." August Heminway's photo documentary, "A Rural Devotion," can be viewed here: https://augustheminwayphoto.weebly.com/a-rural-devotion.html

Owen Hodkinson ('23) was one of four SUNY Oneonta Fashion and Textiles students who placed among the top 10 finalists in the 2022 Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Production (ESRAP) Student Merchandising Competition. The global competition challenges undergraduate students to develop fashion retail business plans that are sustainable and socially responsible. Competitors are judged by a panel of industry professionals and faculty in the sustainable fashion field. Owen and his project partner, Cassidy Napolitano ('23), finished among the top 10 finalists after developing business plans in Dr. Sarah Portway's Spring 2022 Fashion Entrepreneurship course using the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and triple-bottom-line frameworks. "Dr. Portway's Fashion Entrepreneurship course made me realize my creative side when it comes to business planning," said Owen. "Her course pressured me to pay close attention to instructions, while at the same time allowed me to think creatively in order to differentiate myself from others. Being able to stand out in any industry is helpful, as well as being able to complete tasks in a timely manner, which her bi-weekly deadlines trained me to achieve." Owen and Cassidy, who submitted their AquaFeet project as a team, took third place in the undergraduate competition. "AquaFeet is a sock brand specializing in self-repairing socks," said Cassidy. "AquaFeet socks can mend holes and tears easily with a little bit of friction and water, made possible by Squitex technology." The plan prioritized four Sustainable Development Goals: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; Responsible Consumption and Production; Good Health and Well-Being; and Life Below Water. "According to the ESRAP guidelines, the business had to be completely ethical across all fronts," said Owen. Originally, the duo faced an ethical dilemma with AquaFeet because the proteins necessary to create the self-healing fibers of the socks were harvested from squids. "Luckily, scientific advancements were made a couple of months before we started working on the brand, and the proteins were able to be mimicked with no harm to squids," said Owen. "Cassidy and Owen's successful teamwork for this competition is a fantastic example of two exceptional Red Dragons growing intellectually, thriving socially, and living purposefully," said Dr. Portway. "Their place among the top three in this highly competitive and international competition is a remarkable and well-deserved achievement. They worked tirelessly and demonstrated a deep commitment to sustainability, professionalism, creativity and achieving a long-term goal."

Cassidy Napolitano ('23) was one of four SUNY Oneonta Fashion and Textiles students who placed among the top 10 finalists in the 2022 Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Production (ESRAP) Student Merchandising Competition. The global competition challenges undergraduate students to develop fashion retail business plans that are sustainable and socially responsible. Competitors are judged by a panel of industry professionals and faculty in the sustainable fashion field. Cassidy and her project partner, Owen Hodkinson ('23), finished among the top 10 finalists after developing business plans in Dr. Sarah Portway's Spring 2022 Fashion Entrepreneurship course using the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and triple-bottom-line frameworks. "Dr. Portway's Fashion Entrepreneurship course has helped in my career goals by giving me a true understanding of what a sustainable business model is," said Cassidy, who is participating in the SUNY Oneonta FIT Visiting Student Program. "Going into the industry next year, I feel more prepared to combat this issue and educate others. I also feel comfortable identifying unsustainable practices within a company's supply chain and taking action against them." Owen and Cassidy, who submitted their AquaFeet project as a team, took third place in the undergraduate competition. "AquaFeet is a sock brand specializing in self-repairing socks," said Cassidy. "AquaFeet socks can mend holes and tears easily with a little bit of friction and water, made possible by Squitex technology." The plan prioritized four Sustainable Development Goals: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; Responsible Consumption and Production; Good Health and Well-Being; and Life Below Water. "According to the ESRAP guidelines, the business had to be completely ethical across all fronts," said Owen. Originally, the duo faced an ethical dilemma with AquaFeet because the proteins necessary to create the self-healing fibers of the socks were harvested from squids. "Luckily, scientific advancements were made a couple of months before we started working on the brand, and the proteins were able to be mimicked with no harm to squids," said Owen. "Cassidy and Owen's successful teamwork for this competition is a fantastic example of two exceptional Red Dragons growing intellectually, thriving socially, and living purposefully," said Dr. Portway. "Their place among the top three in this highly competitive and international competition is a remarkable and well-deserved achievement. They worked tirelessly and demonstrated a deep commitment to sustainability, professionalism, creativity and achieving a long-term goal."

Michelangelo Zacchia ('22) was one of four SUNY Oneonta Fashion and Textiles students who placed among the top 10 finalists in the 2022 Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Production (ESRAP) Student Merchandising Competition. The global competition challenges undergraduate students to develop fashion retail business plans that are sustainable and socially responsible. Competitors are judged by a panel of industry professionals and faculty in the sustainable fashion field. Michelangelo finished among the top 10 finalists after developing business plans in Dr. Sarah Portway's Spring 2022 Fashion Entrepreneurship course using the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and triple-bottom-line frameworks. "Dr. Portway's Fashion Entrepreneurship course really helped me establish myself as a self-starter with industry-ready ideas," said Michelangelo. "For the ESRAP competition, I had the choice of working with a team or doing it individually. I wanted to challenge myself to actualize one of my ideas from start to finish, on my own." Michelangelo created a sustainable patchwork denim company called Dehydrated Denim that encourages sustainability through irresistible silhouettes. "In today's industry, one pair of denim jeans requires approximately 1,800 gallons of water to produce," said Michelangelo. "Dehydrated Denim jeans require 80 percent less water and encourage consumers to cultivate relationships with their clothing and planet. Our brand has a take-back system that allows us to actualize a sustainable circular economy." Life Below Water and Clean Water and Sanitation were the Sustainable Development Goals Michelangelo used for Dehydrated Denim. "Kudos to all the Red Dragons who faced the intimidation of a global jury formed by industry leaders and did it anyway," said Dr. Portway.

Samantha Alberts ('22) was one of four SUNY Oneonta Fashion and Textiles students who placed among the top 10 finalists in the 2022 Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Production (ESRAP) Student Merchandising Competition. The global competition challenges undergraduate students to develop fashion retail business plans that are sustainable and socially responsible. Competitors are judged by a panel of industry professionals and faculty in the sustainable fashion field. Samantha finished among the top 10 finalists after developing business plans in Dr. Sarah Portway's Spring 2022 Fashion Entrepreneurship course using the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and triple-bottom-line frameworks. "Learning how to create a business from the very beginning and all the troubles along the way has taught me what it may be really like to be an entrepreneur in the fashion industry," said Samantha. "I think a lot of the information I learned showed me what to look out for in a failing or thriving business, from the budgets, the pricing, the business concept, the target market, and everything else. I loved how this class took me out of my comfort zone and showed me another side to the industry." Samantha's business plan for Fungi Chic focused on a virtual wholesale store that sells leather-alternative products made from Mycelium. "Mycelium is the root-like structure from mushrooms that grows underground and covers our entire planet," said Samantha. "We have discovered that this structure can be grown in sheets to resemble the look, feel and durability of leather. This is a very new and innovative material making its way into the fashion industry." The Sustainable Development Goals that her project incorporated were Life Below Water and Life on Land. "Kudos to all the Red Dragons who faced the intimidation of a global jury formed by industry leaders and did it anyway," said Dr. Portway. In addition to participating in the ESRAP competition, Samantha worked alongside Dr. Portway to give a presentation at the SUNY Digital Learning Conference held earlier this fall on campus. The project topic was "Faculty and Student Perspectives on Cultivating Career Readiness with Online Experiential Project-Based learning." This presentation discussed the semester-long project Samantha and Dr. Portway worked on in the Fashion Promotion class during the Fall 2021 semester, based on creating a promotional event for a fashion brand. Both she and Dr. Portway worked with SUNY Oneonta alumnus and PUMA Select Brand Manager Scott Saltzman ('86) during this project's duration. "Who better to have helped us with this project than an alumnus who works for PUMA," said Samantha. "This project would not have been possible without having Scott as the main contact and joining us most weeks via Microsoft Teams for our classes."

More than 40 SUNY Oneonta students received the Richard Siegfried Student Award this semester for earning a total GPA of 3.9 or higher. In order to be eligible to receive the Richard Siegfried Student Award, a student must be a full-time freshman or transfer student with a total GPA of 3.9 or higher. The award is named in memory of Richard K. Siegfried, SUNY Oneonta Professor of Theatre from 1958 until 1995. Professor Siegfried (or Sieg as generations of students fondly called him) epitomized excellence in his academic life, through imagination, meticulous scholarship and discipline, and through his expectation of the same pursuit of excellence in his students and colleagues. His dedication brought excellence to his work in such historical theater worlds as Aristophanes, Moliere, Ibsen, and Chekhov, to his rigorous study of the skills of voice and movement, and to his leadership in the imaginative creativity of improvisation.

More than 40 SUNY Oneonta students provided sports and exercise workshops to local children during a new "Little Red Dragons" program held from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5 at the Oneonta Boys and Girls Club (OBGC). Students from several majors participated in the pilot program as part of their Human Growth and Motor Development course. "The Little Red Dragons program is an experiential learning assignment," said Dr. Katie Griffes, the course's instructor and assistant professor of Sport and Exercise Sciences. "It is designed to give students hands-on experiences implementing and observing content they have learned throughout the semester." Dr. Griffes collaborated with OBGC staff over the summer to come up with a partnership that would serve both the college and the community. This fall, students enrolled in Griffes' Human Growth and Motor Development course came up with a name for the program, which will continue to be a course requirement each semester. Each day of the program featured multiple hour-long fitness workshops, beginning at 4 p.m. and running as late as 8 p.m. Ten to 15 children in various age groups participated in a range of activities, including martial arts fundamentals, soccer ball control and balance, throwing and catching, fine motor skills, tic tac toe and running, proper weight room use and resistance training, softball, and more. Two to three students led each session, with a 5:1 ratio of children to instructor. To prepare for the program, each group of students spent several hours in and out of class designing lesson plans based on their interests and backgrounds. Each workshop outline included instructional strategies, plans for giving feedback, safety measures and rules, materials, developmental considerations and potential adaptations. The pilot program was a win-win, offering fresh, fun programming for OGBC members, and valuable experience for the Oneonta students, many of whom plan to work with children and teens in health and fitness industries as coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists and other movement-based professions. "I'm over the moon about the Little Red Dragons program," said Robert Escher, executive director of the OBGC. "This is such a great win for everyone. We're happy to be here to serve as a vessel for the curriculum, program and students. We're grateful for all this additional great programming to offer our kids, and we're looking forward to future programs."

SUNY Oneonta recently recognized students who have attained platinum-level leadership milestones through the college's LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) program. LEAD@Oneonta is a comprehensive leadership program based on current research and guidelines from the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. All students can choose to participate in the LEAD program, which aims to better prepare them for life after college by providing a comprehensive picture of leadership and the skills needed to be a good leader. Students can attain a silver, gold or platinum level. To attain each level, students must meet a mix of programmatic and experiential leadership requirements, including completion of online courses, attendance at educational events, and membership and leadership in one or more of SUNY Oneonta's 100+ student-run clubs and organizations. Completion of a leadership level is recognized on campus as a credential that can be used, for example, when running for office or applying for STEP (Student Travel for Excellence Program) funding. The program also provides students with a leadership record that can be submitted to potential employers.

SUNY Oneonta recently recognized students who have attained gold level leadership milestones through the college's LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) program. LEAD@Oneonta is a comprehensive leadership program based on current research and guidelines from the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. All students can choose to participate in the LEAD program, which aims to better prepare them for life after college by providing a comprehensive picture of leadership and the skills needed to be a good leader. Students can attain a silver, gold or platinum level. To attain each level, students must meet a mix of programmatic and experiential leadership requirements, including completion of online courses, attendance at educational events, and membership and leadership in one or more of SUNY Oneonta's 100+ student-run clubs and organizations. Completion of a leadership level is recognized on campus as a credential that can be used, for example, when running for office or applying for STEP (Student Travel for Excellence Program) funding. The program also provides students with a leadership record that can be submitted to potential employers.

SUNY Oneonta recently recognized students who have attained silver level leadership milestones through the college's LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) program. LEAD@Oneonta is a comprehensive leadership program based on current research and guidelines from the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. All students can choose to participate in the LEAD program, which aims to better prepare them for life after college by providing a comprehensive picture of leadership and the skills needed to be a good leader. Students can attain a silver, gold or platinum level. To attain each level, students must meet a mix of programmatic and experiential leadership requirements, including completion of online courses, attendance at educational events, and membership and leadership in one or more of SUNY Oneonta's 100+ student-run clubs and organizations. Completion of a leadership level is recognized on campus as a credential that can be used, for example, when running for office or applying for STEP (Student Travel for Excellence Program) funding. The program also provides students with a leadership record that can be submitted to potential employers.

Thirty-five SUNY Oneonta students recently volunteered their time and efforts to help prepare a holiday initiative that will bring joy and light to the city of Oneonta and its residents this season. On a chilly mid-November morning, the students gathered downtown in Neahwa Park to hang lights and decorations and help set up for the Oneonta Festival of Lights, a free annual drive-through holiday lights display that will kick off Dec. 18. Students worked from 10 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. and, despite the cold, were joyful and enthusiastic. Their attention to detail, artistic eye, willingness to help, and especially height were greatly appreciated! The students, who were recruited by the college's Center for Social Responsibility and Community, included members of the softball team and several Greek organizations. This is the third annual Oneonta Festival of Lights, sponsored by First Night Oneonta and Five Star Subaru. More than 30 local organizations and businesses take part and create individual light displays, including the college. The event, which runs until Jan. 1, is dedicated to the late John Hayen, the college's assistant men's soccer coach, who was known for his elaborate holiday light displays.

Five SUNY Oneonta students created a virtual presentation this fall for the National College Fed Challenge, a team competition for undergraduate college students inspired by the work of the Federal Open Market Committee. The competition encourages students to learn more about the U.S. macro economy, the Federal Reserve System and the implementation of monetary policy. The Fed Challenge was formerly an in-person event for participating students but has moved to a virtual format to allow schools outside the current Fed Challenge districts to compete in a newly created "at-large" region. About 40 teams across the district submitted recorded presentations in October, for review by the Federal Reserve. To prepare for the presentation, SUNY Oneonta students worked closely with their faculty advisor, Christine Storrie, associate professor of economics, and Logan Conte, the course's TA, both during and outside of class time. They learned how to research economic indicators, create complex graphs using Excel and link economic theory to current economic conditions. Students who participated in the Fed Challenge enrolled in Econ 3216, the College Fed Challenge Preparation course offered each year in the fall semester. This three-credit course is offered on a condensed schedule, concluding in early November. This year's course finished on Monday, Nov. 7, just a few days after hearing that the SUNY Oneonta team had not advanced to the semifinal round. While only a maximum of five representatives formally present to the judges during the recorded presentation, all team members work on it equally. To select the five representatives, all team members present the policy recommendation they have come up with before a panel of economics, business and accounting faculty and field. The criteria for choosing the representatives include presentation skills, the ability to answer questions clearly and knowledge of macroeconomics and monetary policy. The faculty panel scores each team member, and the top five become the team's representatives. This semester, the presenters were Noah Davis, Dasia Harrigan, Joseph Grogan, Ryan Vogel and Justin Almanzar, and Timothy Cronin served as the alternate and was also the emcee at the evening performance. "Additionally, the team prepares a performance on campus in front of faculty and students. Each team member enrolled in the course contributes to this performance. This year, the live performance was on Oct. 11," said Storrie. "The presentation was entirely student-run and included a live version of their competition presentation, an overview of the College Fed Challenge competition and recruitment information for future semesters and a question-and-answer session with the audience. There were more than 85 people in attendance." Current students and alumni alike say the experience of preparing for the Fed Challenge competition is a valuable opportunity to build skills that will serve them well in their careers after graduation. "Alumni who took the course and participated in the Economic Club's Life After Graduation Series all made a point to mention their experience in Fed Challenge," said Storrie. "They've concluded that their Fed Challenge Experience was the most useful and practical course they took while at SUNY Oneonta. It gives students a hands-on experiential learning opportunity, working with a team on a common goal in a fast-paced environment against a tight deadline."

"Project Open Call: Fall 2022" is a group show of new work submitted by current SUNY Oneonta students to the Martin-Mullen Gallery's open call. The exhibit is on view from Nov. 15 - Dec. 10, with an artist reception on Thursday, Nov. 17, 4-6 p.m.