Around the SUNY Oswego campus

Snow comes and goes, but our signature building of Sheldon Hall, which opened in 1913, looks majestic through every season. (Matt Cummins photo)

CNN analyst, attorney and activist Bakari Sellers delivers keynote remarks Feb. 1 at the 29th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration in Waterman Theatre. Sellers, who at 22 was the youngest member of the South Carolina legislature after beating a 26-year incumbent, voiced great respect for his father, civil rights leader Cleveland Sellers. Bakari Sellers has followed in his father’s footsteps, championing progressive policies in the pursuit of improvements in such fields as education, preventing domestic violence and reversing childhood obesity.

Students at the MLK celebration Feb. 1 present excerpts from “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” directed by theatre faculty member Mya Brown. From left are Robert Thomas, Stacey Malone, Giovany Brice, Ahmanee Simons and Jacob Small. King wrote the famous open letter April 16, 1963, reinforcing his support for nonviolent civil rights actions -- demonstrations, marches, sit-ins -- even in the face of the violent oppression of African Americans in the brutally segregated Birmingham of that era.

Lamont Sadler, a senior broadcasting and mass communication major, speaks about “The Life and Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.” during the celebration in King’s memory Feb. 1 in Waterman Theatre. His was one of several student presentations during the evening.

College President Deborah F. Stanley and Jerald Woolfolk, vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, flank keynote speaker Bakari Sellers (center, in suit) for a photo of those participating in the 29th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration in Waterman Theatre.

Making their way around SUNY Oswego’s 55th annual Juried Student Exhibition in Tyler Art Gallery during the opening reception Feb. 2 are (from left) Vickttoria Henry-Maxwell, a junior English and communication dual major; She'Bria Gordon, a junior graphic design and sociology dual major who has work in show and earned a Presidential Purchase Award; and Diamond Preston, a senior human development major.

Presidential Purchase Award recipients gather with (at right) Kristi Eck and Howard Gordon of the college President’s Office on Feb. 2 during the artists’ reception for the 55th annual Juried Student Exhibition. Outstanding pieces are selected each year for the college’s permanent collection. From left are Arden McBride, recognized for "Tale of Sifra and Luna," a digital illustration; Jordan Barbato, "Golden Vase,” ceramic; Owen Marchand, "Blue Mountain,” color photograph; Tessa Wood, "Fall Leaves,” digital illustration; and She’Bria Gordon, "Efflorescence,” a  black and white photograph. Missing from this photo is Ivana Maldonado, who painted "Still Life,” oil on canvas.

Chelsea Jodway (left), a senior fine arts major with a drawing focus, talks Feb. 2 with her boyfriend, senior cognitive science major Priyanka De Silva, about her entry in the Juried Student Exhibition, a large charcoal self portrait. Open to any student on campus working in any artistic medium, the exhibition runs through Sunday.

College President Deborah F. Stanley (left) greets faculty members recently promoted to full professor at a dinner in their honor Jan. 30 in Tyler Art Gallery. From left are professors Raihan Khan of marketing and management, Brad Korbesmeyer of English and creative writing, Donna Matteson of technology, Preety Tripathi of mathematics and Jodi Mullen of counseling and psychological services.

Oswego Middle School pupils, teachers and community members take in a special Waterman Theatre performance Jan. 23 of “Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic,” a visually and technically stunning shadow play showing the tale of two star-crossed lovers from the 10th-century Persian epic “Shahnameh,” also known as “The Persian Book of Kings.” A near-capacity audience later viewed the general public showing of Iranian director and graphic artist Hamid Rahmanian’s acclaimed work. The show was part of Artswego’s Performing Arts Series.

Viewed from backstage, the “Feathers of Fire” shadow play Feb. 1 seems almost an optical illusion, showing the projected image that the audience sees as the hidden puppeteers -- sitting below projector level -- hold silhouette forms that comprise the imagery, such as the puppet of the fantastical beast framed at bottom right. Creator Hamid Rahmanian later showed and explained how eight actors in costume, 160 puppets and two projectors produced the layered and colorful -- sometimes animated -- effects.

Senior guard Courtney Ameele (center), celebrating with her team on Feb. 2, recorded her 1,000th point at Plattsburgh, becoming the 10th player in program history to do so. Ameele's 33 points helped the Lakers to a 67-55 win, boosting their record to 7-14 (4-7 in the SUNY Athletic Conference) heading to Friday’s scheduled matchup with Buffalo State at 5:30 p.m. Friday in Max Ziel Gymnasium in Laker Hall.

Miranda Frascatore (pictured facing Buffalo State on Jan. 20) broke a school record on Feb. 3 against Potsdam with a score of 264.40 in the 1-meter dive. Frascatore and the women's swimming and diving team defeated the Bears with a final score of 164-114. Women swimmers and divers have put together an 8-2 season and the men are spotless at 10-0 in head-to-head meets entering the SUNYAC Championships Feb. 21 at Erie Community College in Buffalo. (Photo by Chuck Perkins)

Forward Olivia Ellis (pictured facing Hamilton on Dec. 8) racked up four points against No. 1/2 Plattsburgh State over the weekend. On Friday, Ellis' second assist was the 100th point of her career; the senior from Wilcox, Saskatchewan, was already the program leader for the modern era in points. Ellis' goal on Saturday helped the Lakers to a 2-2 tie with the Cardinals. Oswego is 8-11-2 overall (4-7-1 in the SUNY Athletic Conference) heading into a game at 2 p.m. Friday at Cortland. (Photo by Chuck Perkins)

Goaltender David Richer (pictured facing Manhattanville on Jan. 6) shut out Fredonia on Feb. 3 in the Lakers' 5-0 road win. Richer recorded a career-high 36 saves against the Blue Devils. The shutout dropped Richer's goals-against average to 1.49, earning him the top spot in the nation. Together with a 4-1 win Feb. 2 over Buffalo State, the nationally fourth-ranked Lakers moved to 16-3-2 for the season (11-0-1 in the SUNY Athletic Conference) as they prepare to meet Geneseo at 7 p.m. Friday in Marano Campus Center arena. (Photo by Jim Feeney)

O, what a lovely sight,
Silent and still,
‘Cept when revealing
A random stencil.