OSWEGO -- "Friends: One Day . . . One Wrong Turn,"
an exhibition detailing a deadly drunk-driving accident involving seven
college students at Colgate University, will have its Central New York
premiere when it opens Wednesday, April 21, at SUNY Oswego.
The public is invited to view the admission-free
exhibition, which will run through June 4 in the Hewitt Union formal
lounge on campus.
Four of the students returning from a night out died
in the single-car crash in November 2000 near Colgate, and the driver
is serving a prison sentence for operating the vehicle while
intoxicated.
"The exhibition focuses on the lives of the victims
prior to the crash, emphasizing individual histories through photos,
possessions, interviews of victims' friends and families, and audio and
visual recordings," according to an exhibit brochure. "The combination
of these elements creates an emotional reaction in observers, with the
goal of behavioral change."
At SUNY Oswego, hours for the exhibition will be
noon to 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; noon to 7 p.m.
Wednesdays; and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Special viewings are available
by appointment by calling the Office of Campus Life at 312-2301.
The Louis Henry Morgan Institute at Union College
and the SUNY Institute of Technology prepared the exhibition, working
with the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation, Capital District STOP-DWI
Programs and the Mandeville Gallery at Union College.
"This exhibit helps us identify with the human
tragedy behind the stories about drinking and driving we all see in the
news," said James Scharfenberger, associate vice president and dean of
student affairs at SUNY Oswego. "Even though the display relates the
stories of students at other colleges, the display is relevant to our
students, to the educational purpose of our college, and to members of
the community. We are pleased to host the exhibit."
The exhibition at SUNY Oswego is made possible
thanks to sponsorship from the New York Press Association, Oswego
County Weeklies and SUNY Oswego, with curatorial services donated by
the Oswego County Historical Society.
Student volunteers are needed to staff the
exhibition in the coming weeks. For more information on volunteering,
call the SUNY Oswego Center for Service Learning and Community Services
at 312-2505.
Organizers expect the display to tour campuses
throughout New York state in 2005.