Top 10 things to love about SUNY Oneonta

As a senior of SUNY Oneonta, I have had the best three years of my life at this school. When first applying for college, I was looking for schools that had great education programs, as it was my original major which led me to a campus tour of this school in upstate New York. From the moment I stepped on campus everything clicked and no other school compared to what I saw or felt. I ended up visiting two more times before I put down my deposit so I could introduce my entire family to my new life and just because I could not wait to return.

There are so many things that made me fall in love with my college. It is one of the reasons I volunteer at every Open House and speak to as many potential future students as possible. Oneonta has become everything I ever wanted in a college experience. Entering my senior year has forced me to realize how badly I wish I could stay longer (maybe I can add another major).

Now in no particular order, I present to you the top 10 best things about SUNY Oneonta. My goal is for this not to seem like an admissions advertisement but an honest look into SUCO. I asked numerous students for their own opinions and considering the feedback, I am confident in why SUNY Oneonta is a fantastic place to be for school.

image via Instagram at SUNY Oneonta

[ new page = 10. Great Faculty ]

10. Great Faculty

In my time at SUNY Oneonta, I have had maybe three awful professors that I still shudder over. That is a pretty decent track record considering I have had about thirty teachers in the past three years. Also, no worries, I won’t name names because everyone has a different experience with their professors.

Despite those three bad seeds, I love my teachers. One of the most difficult parts of changing my major was knowing I wouldn’t be in a classroom with some of the same teachers again, I even still go see my old advisor at her office every once in a while. What is lovely about SUNY Oneonta is unless you are in a major lecture hall class; you have a great opportunity to make a connection with your teacher.

The teachers are not going to hide from their students and will communicate with them. While they may not take it easy on you, they are going to give a step up as long as you ask for help. In addition, students are ready to give an honest review of their teacher’s performance – they endorse their favorites and fairly prepare you for the most difficult.

image via Instagram at SUNY Oneonta

[ new page = 9. Starbucks ]

9. Starbucks

While this may sound like a joke, it really isn’t. The Starbucks located on campus is the only one in over fifty miles making it not only a necessary morning stop for students but people who live in town may drive up to campus just to grab their fix. One of my friends suggested this be in the list because sometimes it is their only reason to get out of bed. No he is not depressed, he can just be lazy.

While we do have a second coffee shop in the library on our campus, sometimes it cannot compare to the drink you know and love from home. A number of meetings are held inside and outside our Starbucks every day as I myself hold a four-hour meeting once a year to plan out large events.

The fact the coffee haven happens to be in one of the larger buildings and the furthest walk is also a nice side of exercise. For some of the busier students, it is nice to have Starbucks around to keep them going and providing food options to keep them from going hungry as well.

image via Instagram at SUNY Oneonta

[ new page = 8. Abundance of clubs ]

8. Abundance of clubs

I remember one of the more memorable moments of my freshmen year being the Club Expo. Over one hundred of SUNY Oneonta’s clubs set up tables to advertise their activities and sign up new students to keep them updated on events. There actually is something for everyone from cheerleading to zombies to geology to magic.

I would love to talk about my own Harry Potter Club, which I admit was the number one submitted comment from students, but every club is fantastic. The HPC at SUNY Oneonta has made the school one of the top ten schools for Potter fans in the country thanks to About.com, so a love for the boy wizard is a plus.

In addition to the clubs there are also over a dozen intramural sports available for students. Even for those who are not playing Division III, people can still enjoy their favorite game in a friendly environment. One of my friends who graduated last May told me that playing Badminton every weekend was one of his favorite things to do at school.

image via Instagram at OSC Harry Potter Club

[ new page = 7. The town ]

7. The town

Oneonta may not be Binghamton or Albany or even New York City, but we still have our own sweet little town. Main Street and Water Street are the chunk of it but going downtown is always a good time. In town we have the irreplaceable dining options such as Tokyo, a hibachi and sushi restaurant, the Yellow Deli, a location so wonderful it is hard to explain but it just may be one of the most mentioned things that alumni say they miss, and Brooks BBQ. The list goes on and there are small coffee shops that some off campus students live on and an old school bookstore that I personally wish I could live in.

The town comes alive on the weekends as pizza shops such as Sal’s and Tino’s have lines out the door. Tino’s pizza is the originator of the classic ‘cold cheese pizza’ slice where a regular slice of cheese pizza and then add fresh cut cold mozzarella cheese on top. It sounds so simple but it is a delicious combination.

If you need some time away, we have two beautiful parks to enjoy and relax in on the weekends. Just a half hour away is Cooperstown, which hosts the Baseball Hall of Fame and in Fly Creek is a cider mill. There are several options if you want to go off campus and that makes me love Oneonta so much.

image via Instagram at SUNY Oneonta

[ new page = 6. Greek life ]

6. Greek life

It is not the largest thing the campus has to offer but 1% of the students are in a recognized Greek organization. Including myself as I am a sister of Pi Delta Chi Sorority, a recognized local group on campus. Not to toot our own horn but we did win Chapter of the Year in April, so I am really looking forward to a great senior year with my twenty-five sisters.

There is something special about knowing you will have something in common with a hundred students even if you are of a different year, race, gender, major or organization – you are all Greek. The pride in the organization people are a part of is astounding and inspiring. Greek week is a time of fun and keeps the pride alive.

Sure recruitment could be scary but it brings you to the closest friends you will make in college. There are several advantages to being in a Greek organization including leadership, philanthropy and community service. It can also be a great conversation starter for some and at Oneonta recruitment feels friendly and approachable. You will always be safe and gain valuable experience you can apply later on in life.

image via Instagram at Lizzie Sudlow

[ new page = 5. Oneonta pride ]

5. Oneonta pride

When you are a red dragon, so is everyone else. No one is ashamed to be here and we have the events to prove it. From the moment of being accepted here Oneonta pride is dumped on you. At Orientation you will hear the phrase, “It’s an Oneonta thing!” thirty times and you won’t mind.

Every September the campus hosts ‘Red Day.’ On this day students are encouraged to wear as much red as possible; red shirts, red pants, red necklaces, red nail polish, red shoes you name it because the more red you wear, the more giveaways you win. One year I even brought a red marker to draw on myself. I even got a red dragon silly band because I desperately wanted a free teddy bear.

It’s an event we look forward to every year as the temptation to skip class to wait in line for a free caricature drawing crosses everyone’s mind once. Think this is a lot? Come see the Battle of the Red Dragons where SUNY Cortland and SUNY Oneonta, who both have the same mascot, go head to head in a basketball game of pride and bragging rights.

image via Instagram at SUNY Oneonta

[ new page = 4. Number of events ]

4. Number of events

You will never be bored as an Oneonta student. The amount of activities available to students is insane; you could never make them all. Want some community service? Check out the Community of Social Responsibility Center, they have different ways to help out every day of the week. Want to learn about leadership? The LEAD program has that for you where you can attend sessions.

Free movies on the weekends thanks to the theatre, trips to the bowling alley and weekly comedians are piece of Oneonta life. The first week of classes is called ‘Welcome Dragon Week’ and there are an abundance of things to do hosted by different clubs and departments all over.

Maybe my favorite part is the stress free night before finals week where you can get free food like pizza and nachos, paint some arts and crafts, sing karaoke and sometimes get a nice massage. On top of that is midnight breakfast where staff members prepare French toast, eggs, sausage and more as a dining hall opens at midnight the night before finals start. It is a nice way to keep everyone refueled for those all nighters. Then go over to the library for 24-hour quiet hours with free coffee.

image via Instagram at SUNY Oneonta

[ new page = 3. Safety ]

3. Safety

My mother is the biggest worry rat I have ever seen. When on tours of schools, she never failed to ask three times about safety and Oneonta has made her proud. Not only is there campus police but also New York State police making it difficult for there to be any reason to feel unsafe.

In addition we have a blue light system that if you push the button at one blue light, police will come to your aid in 60 seconds or less. You can even push multiple lights and you will be tracked. You can use it for any reason, as I knew a girl who wanted to be escorted back to her dorm every night.

But most importantly everyone sticks together. No one let’s someone go home alone without checking up on them twenty minutes later. Students realize there can be danger anywhere you go at night and make sure to travel in groups and keep everyone in check.

image via Instagram at SUNY Oneonta

[ new page = 2. Community ]

2. Community

Whether you are walking downtown and wave to a townie or just smile at the person you pass on the way to class, odds are they will smile back. Everyone is genuinely kind to those they do not know and willing to give anyone a chance. It is a rare thing to see but especially in town the local population do not sneer at the college kids.

In addition students view themselves as vital reasons as to why SUNY Oneonta is fantastic. I had one student; the Senior Class President actually, comments multiple times on multiple forums his own name and considers himself to be in the top 5. Tyler Itzkowitz, I told you I would name-drop you somewhere, here it is. Tyler is actually the perfect demonstration on the type of people you meet at Oneonta. I have not known him for long but he never treated me like a stranger and now we have become friends. He is always smiling, volunteering and seen everywhere.

Oneonta students do not hide at the end of the day. Sure they go to the library and do their work but they also play kan-jam outside the residence halls, attend campus clubs and support their classmates. It is a great tight-knit community here at Oneonta, which makes everyone feel welcome within their own groups. When you visit and walk around and see the tour guides waving to their friends, it shows a positive outlook on college life.

image via Instagram at SUNY Oneonta

[ new page = 1. OH-Fest ]

1. OH-Fest

This is the thing I will get the most beef from my fellow classmates but too bad. Oh-fest is the weekend long celebration of a great year between SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College with a carnival in town and a free concert in one of the parks. The music guest is chosen through a selective process of both student bodies’ votes within a minimal budget.

No matter what happens a good chunk of the population complains no matter who is booked but that is just a factor of not being able to please everyone. The student boards from both schools put in a lot of work to book a decent act with the budget provided and they sadly never get enough credit for it. Despite everyone’s complaints though, the park is always packed and people say good things about how much they enjoyed themselves after.

Oh-Fest 10 is this year and I am looking forward to a huge celebration of ten successful celebrations bringing both colleges together. It is the event everyone looks forward to every year and it pretty much treated like a national holiday here in Oneonta.

There is so much more that makes SUNY Oneonta a fantastic school but just these ten things solidify for me I made the right choice all along.

image via Instagram at SUNY Oneonta