Traditions welcome new class to Laker family

Every late August, a familiar and electric energy sweeps across the lakeshore of the SUNY Oswego campus as the university community welcomes new and returning students. This fall, that timeless Laker spirit was as vibrant as ever as the university officially launched the 2026–27 academic year.

Before students arrived, President Peter O. Nwosu hosted an Opening Breakfast on Aug. 19 and delivered his State of the University Address to provide an update on university priorities and lay out his vision for the future.

“For 165 years, SUNY Oswego has held the belief that access to a quality public education can transform lives, ignite possibilities, strengthen communities and advance the common good,” he said. “That is the Oswego Promise, and I believe that promise has never been more important than it is today.

“We gather at a consequential moment — not only for our university but also for higher education and for Central New York,” President Nwosu continued. “Across the country, colleges and universities are navigating demographic change, evolving student expectations, COVID-19 challenges, rising costs, technological disruption, intensifying competition for students and new federal mandates. SUNY Oswego is not immune to the consequences of these changes.”

President Nwosu went on to explain the opportunities that lay before the university, how they outweigh the challenges, how the university is seizing those opportunities and how the university’s strategic plan, "Transforming Lives, Igniting Possibilities," is guiding the actions to grow, connect and thrive.

“Our graduates leave prepared to build careers, contribute to their communities, and lead purposeful lives,” President Nwosu said. “They thrive. And this is why we should take tremendous pride in our university. Not pride that overlooks our challenges. Pride grounded in what we know this institution can accomplish. We know we can change lives because we do it every day.”

Lighting the torch

The traditional emotional heart of opening weekend was the 37th annual Welcoming Torchlight Ceremony inside the Deborah F. Stanley Arena and Convocation Hall. This cherished rite of passage directly mirrors Oswego’s longest-standing tradition: the Commencement Eve Torchlight Ceremony, which has united graduating seniors on the eve of their departure since 1937.

Student emcee Sanskriti Nanda set the stage for the evening, introducing student speaker Logan Russo and President Nwosu.

In his remarks, Russo stressed the importance of getting involved early in their college experience and being open to change.

“The person you are right now, in this moment in time, sitting where you are, will not be the same person receiving your diploma in a few years,” he said. “Your personality will develop. Maybe you're shy and nervous to meet people right now, but over time you will open up and start to make connections. Your interests might also change.”

President Nwosu shared his inspiring personal journey as an immigrant student from Nigeria. In a moment that resonated deeply with the crowd, he revealed that he still keeps the very shoes he wore when he first arrived in the United States in his Culkin Hall office.

"I keep them to remind me of how far those feet have carried me," President Nwosu shared, invoking Lao Tzu's wisdom that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. He challenged the newest Lakers to step boldly, draw strength from the generations of alumni who walked before them and pursue excellence in all endeavors.

Following his remarks, President Nwosu joined Student Association President and torchbearer Precious James to light the Torch of Learning. As the flame was shared candle-to-candle across the arena, Nanda read the historic "Message of the Torch," adapted from the 1936 writing of alumna and former English professor Lida S. Penfield, Class of 1919: "This torch is the symbol of the illumination of learning, lit for us at the fair shrine of truth... May its glory never be dimmed."

The new Lakers raised their flames, officially joining the Oswego family.

Beyond the formal ceremonies, opening weekend kept spirits high with popular social gatherings and events. New and returning Lakers added their personal brushstrokes to the Marano Campus Center Bus Loop during “Paint the Road Green,” gathered for the annual “O” photo and bonded over shared meals at the Opening Picnic and the annual Taste of Oswego.

— Submitted by University Advancement