As I sit through my final classes of my college career and help Ben Grieco hand the reins of The Oswegonian to a new tandem of bright student journalists, I cannot help but sit and reflect on my four years with The Oswegonian. It is a place that I have put so much into, staying in the Marano Campus Center until midnight and sometimes even 1 a.m. Despite the long hours of time I gave to it, The Oswegonian has given me so much more.
I came to SUNY Oswego as a broadcasting major, determined to work in sports radio or television. Despite this, I knew how important it was to write for the student newspaper, a way to expand my vocabulary and better myself for on-camera work. I continued learning through The Oswegonian, but after a couple of semesters, it was not for my broadcasting skills. The Oswegonian brought me a love of writing and storytelling I never knew I had.
As the assistant sports editor and eventual sports editor and managing editor, The Oswegonian office became my favorite place on campus. Sure the lake was beautiful and Lanigan Hall had near state-of-the-art editing facilities but neither could hold a candle to the memories made inside MCC room 139A. There, I forged an incredible friendship with Ben, who never ceases to amaze me with his dedication to SUNY Oswego and reporting. We have butt heads on countless occasions, but it always comes back to one thing: passion. This passion brought us through a terribly dark time for student organizations this year. When things seemed lost for The Oswegonian, Ben and I knew we had to do something. We crafted a makeshift paper this year, something that was not as extravagant as we hoped; however, it was clean, crisp and really freaking good.
Holding the sports editor position last year was my favorite thing I have ever done in my life. I am sure it sounds lame but sitting across from my best friend and assistant sports editor, Luke Owens, on a daily basis is indescribable. While we did not argue quite like Ben and I, our sections were very well-produced. Luke has been through it all with me, from my first time on-air with WTOP-10 to the New York State Broadcasting Award we won in 2020 with WNYO 88.9 FM. Through these crazy four years, Luke and I have pushed each other more and more. This is what we brought to our section, creating a Whiteout exclusive section for last season’s win against SUNY Plattsburgh. That was a special year for sure, creating The Oswegonian Hockey Podcast and speaking with men’s hockey head coach Ed Gosek virtually every single week. It brought me a new love for sports and reporting, something that will never waver.
It feels like such a long time ago that we were able to sit in a fully packed office for hours on end, and it is a place I will miss more than anything in the world. There is something special about 139A, a place that combines a myriad of backgrounds and preferences. Those people do not just become co-workers, rather friends. I would not trade a single minute of time in The Oswegonian’s office for any party, group dinner or Bev’s outing in the world. Because while I certainly could have used more sleep, I will forever cherish the memories The Oswegonian provided me. From scurrying to wrap of a photo brief on page B3 to submitting the latest episode of The Oswegonian Hockey Podcast, The Oswegonian became an oasis on campus for me, a way to find myself as a broadcaster, journalist and even a person.
Photo from The Oswegonian
