SUNY Oswego - Alumni Association

May 2010 • Vol 6 No 2

Torchlight Ceremony to Welcome Newest Alumni

The Oswego Alumni Association has added an enhanced academic procession to the annual Torchlight Ceremony, set for 9 p.m. May 14 in a tent on the north lawn of the Campus Center.

Torchlight 2009 Faculty, staff and alumni, many in academic robes, will lead the graduating seniors to the ceremony.

With the exception of Commencement, the Torchlight Ceremony is the longest-standing academic tradition on campus. “The Message of the Torch” was written more than 70 years ago by Lida Penfield, for whom Penfield Library was named.

"Each year since, on the eve of the May commencement, the Oswego Alumni Association has celebrated the passing of the Torch of Learning from faculty and staff to our newest graduates as they go out into the world," said Betsy Oberst, executive director of the alumni association. "It marks a singular milestone for our graduates as they are welcomed into the Oswego Alumni Association as its newest members.

"Steeped in tradition, Torchlight is one of Oswego's most moving ceremonies," Oberst said.

Last year, seven decades of alumni were represented in the Inner Circle. To join the group that will symbolically welcome the class of 2010 to the Oswego Alumni Association, RSVP by May 10 by calling 315-312-2258, sending e-mail to alumni@oswego.edu or visiting the OAA website.

Donna Goldsmith ’82 will share her experiences in the National Basketball Association and World Wrestling Entertainment with the Class of 2010 members and their families during a special dinner. She will then host the Torchlight Ceremony.

Goldsmith joins a cast of recent emcees that includes former gubernatorial press secretary and public relations executive Saleem Cheeks ’01; popular Albany area television news anchor and reporter Benita Zahn ’76; and 9/11 hero Lt. John McLoughlin ’75.

Goldsmith spent a decade working in the NBA before joining WWE, where she is currently chief operating officer. She previously served as executive vice president for consumer products.

— Michele Reed

PHOTO CAPTION:
The Class of 2009 participates in the Torchlight Ceremony.

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Oswego Alumni Association, Inc. • King Alumni Hall - SUNY Oswego • Oswego, NY 13126
315-312-2258 • 315-312-5570 (fax) • E-mail: alumni@oswego.edu • Web site: oswego.edu/alumni

Who doesn’t want to save the world? Michael Kite ’02 does that for a living through World Wildlife Fund.

As marketing specialist for one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, Kite and his team of three work to raise more than $5 million each year. The majority of that money comes from licensing partnerships and promotions with the likes of Barnes & Noble, Gap, Hewlett-Packard, Dial and Coinstar.

Retail partnerships help WWF spread its message to the general public and raise funds for its conservation work around the globe. For example, Bank of America contributes $100 for every special Visa account opened and Nabisco is supporting WWF’s “Year of the Tiger” initiative with special packaging and a $100,000 donation. The new CVS Green Bag Tag program rewards reusable bag-toting customers, and generates five cents for WWF for each tag sold.

All support WWF’s mission of protecting the future of nature, down to the finest details, Kite said.

“We like to see that the product is made from recycled material and is recyclable itself, and somehow ties into our mission,” Kite said. The Green Bag Tag, for instance, is made from a corn-based material and features a 100 percent recycled silicone lanyard.

As a broadcasting major at Oswego, Kite got involved with WRVO-FM and WNYO-FM.

“I think it gave me a lot more confidence in talking to people,” he said. It was an important part of his early career in broadcast sales and remains an important piece in the message he “sells” today.

“The best part of my job is seeing a product in the store with the WWF logo after months of working with a company to launch it,” said Kite, who joined the organization in 2006. “It’s rewarding to give people a fun, unique way to protect our planet.”

— Shane M. Liebler