This is the first post in a series where I will be sharing some of my photos from years past. My love of photography first developed while I was a college student at SUNY Oswego, so I thought it fitting to share some of my Oswego photos first. I have gone back and reprocessed most of these photos with my current skills and software, but you will still most likely notice a progression in my skills (and my gear). You’ll also see some photos I took when I went back to Oswego to visit in 2012.
This is the campus center. When I was a freshman, this hadn’t even been built yet. The campus center has several eating areas, offices, classrooms, a store, a hockey rink, and more.
From in front of the campus center, you can view some of the other buildings on campus. Above is, from left to right, Funnelle Hall, Cooper Dining Hall, Hart Hall (where I lived), and Mahar Hall. Below is Hart.
Above is what’s known as the Village. Construction on the Village didn’t begin until probably my junior or senior year, and wasn’t open for residents until after I graduated. I took the photo when I returned in 2012. Below is my dorm, Hart, again. You can’t see my room (well, rooms; I lived in 3 different ones) because it faces out the other side of the building.
Hart Hall is a global living and learning community. In addition to housing many of the international students on campus, the building also hosts a variety of multicultural activities. Above and below are photos I took at a Global Awareness Conference in 2009.
Above is my favorite veggie burger on campus, which I ate daily at the campus center. I don’t know if they still make it, but it was good. Being a vegetarian, I’ve had more than my share of veggie burgers, but this one was like no other. I can’t remember what the patty was made of, but I remember there was also lots of cheese, spinach, and pesto.
Sheldon Hall is the crown jewel of the campus. The historic building, which today houses lecture halls, classrooms, offices, and even dorm rooms, is named after the school’s founder, Edward Austin Sheldon. Sheldon was a teacher, and when he created the Oswego Normal School in 1861, it was originally just a teachers school. In case you aren’t aware, my full time trade is teaching, and I got my education degree at Oswego. In front of the building is a statue of Sheldon posing with a young student.
If you’ve ever lived in Oswego, you’re probably wondering how I’ve made it this far without posting a photo of Lake Ontario or the snow. Below, I attempt to kill two birds with one stone. Oswego is rather infamous for its windy, snowy winters, but also for its beautiful sunsets over Lake Ontario. In a future post, I will share some photos of the town of Oswego, including some of those gorgeous sunsets.
In December 2009, after 9 semesters, the time had finally come to graduate. I remember being very nostalgic my last semester, trying to capture everything on campus to remember for posterity. The photo below is one of the last photos I took before I graduated. I wish I could say the snow was real, but it was added in. The night before graduation, I uploaded a version of this photo to Flickr.
I wouldn’t trade my teaching job for the world, and while I can’t imagine going back to college, I’ll always have fond memories of my alma mater.
Bonus bonus! In 2011, I was lucky enough to have my photos of the Sheldon statue featured in Oswego Alumni Magazine. What an honor to have my cherished photos of my alma mater shared with other alumni.
