Now that the 10th annual Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit has drawn to a close, Oswego State has plenty to talk about.

Whether it is how new media affects the way we gather our news or just about the importance of students being able to interact with industry leaders and alumni, the media summit gave students excellent fuel for discussion on how to better our campus.

First, we would like to applaud all those who helped orchestrate this year’s event because it was one to be remembered. If you missed out, then we highly encourage you to keep a lookout for the full video of the summit online in the next few days.

Students having the opportunity to speak with alumni who are working in the field they aspire to join in a few short years, or maybe even months, is ideal. Despite a national unemployment rate of 5.9 percent as of September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the feeling that jobs are few and far between for those nearing graduation still remains. It is important for students to hear there is hope. Career connectors who are recent graduates with jobs in their field provide hope that can keep a student chasing their dream. Even further, being told by a prominent alumnus such as Steve Levy or Al Roker to keep working hard and not give up can go a long way.

While holding the event in the Marano Campus Center Convocation Center may be a result of the renovations to Tyler Hall, since it’s normally held in Waterman Theatre, the importance of this event is strengthened by it being held in the campus’ main building. Since the audience capacity was nearly doubled, more students were able to attend, as well as members of the community.

The event goes along with the idea of change, as our campus is ever changing. The Campus Center was renamed, new signs are going up all across campus, the Shineman Center has been a beacon of science for over a year now and the media summit has a new home building. Media is changing too. We no longer depend on tried and true ways of gathering our news either. Since 2008, Twitter has boomed as a resource for dispersing the news.

By the time most people read the paper they may already know the top story because they saw it on the Internet. We learn new ways to report the news efficiently and in turn improve how we as a society grow.

Remember to welcome change, embrace it and be prepared for more change to come.