Hello fellow students!
My name is Gabrielle Cecere and I am president of SUNY Oneonta's Student Association. I have worked tirelessly behind the scenes over the past year with administration, faculty and staff in order to help this semester go as smoothly as possible. For classes to stay in-person and this semester to be the best it can be, there are a few things I want to remind you about, student to student.
We all know that one big reason we went away to school is to have “the college experience.” Student Association, the Activities Council, Residential Community Life and so many other departments and organizations have worked hard to plan fun, safe programs so that we can have this experience after all. (Check out the event calendar on Campus Connection or the Corq app for more information on events.)
However, attending crowded gatherings off campus and being unmasked indoors can put all of those events and experiences in jeopardy. Choosing not to follow the college's safety guidance is not only a risk to your own health, but the health of others. Let’s avoid another transition to online events and classes by choosing to hang out in safe environments and continuing to wear our masks. If we adhere to mask and testing policies, we can prevent the spread of COVID!
Wearing a mask is a small price to pay for us to remain in person and have all the experiences we missed last year. Let’s work together to ensure we can have in-person experiences like performances, internships, student teaching and commencement. These are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities! Make smart decisions and choices that protect not only yourself, but your fellow Red Dragons as well as the greater Oneonta community.
Get involved this semester and make your time here at Oneonta count. Join a club, lead a club, join an organization, join a sport, or join the Student Association! Over my three years here, I have never once regretted getting involved. Joining clubs allowed me to meet all of my friends and has taught me skills that will be incredibly valuable skills when the time comes for me to leave Oneonta and get a job.
Explore all of the clubs and organizations you can join at club eXpo, Wednesday, Sept. 1, from 6:30 - 8 p.m. in the Alumni Field House. Come say hey, grab a senate petition (available on Campus Connection now), join a sorority or fraternity, join a major-related club, join a non-major related club - there are more than 150 clubs available. If you don’t see any that interest you, let me know and we can create a new one!
I’ll leave you with this: To have a great semester, we need to work together. Get involved! Have fun! Make friends and live the college experience because you only get four years here after all. But do it safely. Don’t ruin it for anyone (including yourself) because at the end of the day we came here to get an awesome education and to prepare for our future. Yes, live in the now, but live in a way that won’t affect the future negatively. Wear a mask, gather in limited numbers, get tested if you aren’t fully vaccinated, and get vaccinated as soon as you can.
Red Dragons, we are in this together. I wish you the best of luck with your semester and hope to see you around campus soon.
All the best,
Gabby Cecere
Student Association President