Laker Launch

9:00am - 4:00pm: New Student Move-In (Residence Halls)

Students who live on campus will move into their residence halls! Sign up for your move-in time.

3:00pm - 7:00pm: Opening Picnic (Parking Lot E-1)

The annual Opening Picnic welcomes students, faculty, and staff to another year at SUNY Oswego. Hosted by Auxiliary Services, the picnic features a variety of summer picnic foods, a live DJ, and ice cream novelties.

5:00pm - 6:00pm: Faculty Mixers (Various Locations)

Join us for our Faculty Mixers, a chance to meet your faculty and build connections that will last throughout your time at SUNY Oswego:

• College of Business and Entrepreneurship - Rich Hall
• College of Communication, Media, and the Arts - Hewitt Hall
• College of Education, Health, and Human Services - Wilber Hall
• College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Engineering - TBD

7:00pm - 8:00pm: Residence Hall Floor Meetings / Commuter Connections

Residential Students will return to their residence halls to connect with their Residential Student Staff (RSS) and learn more about their time in residence at Oswego, including expectations, fire safety, and an overview of community at Oswego. 

Commuters are invited to join us in the Laker Lounge for Commuter Connections! Come connect with fellow commuters and hear from professional staff who support our off-campus students to learn how we support you.  

8:30pm - 9:30pm: Torchlight Ceremony (Deborah F. Stanley Arena & Convocation Hall)

This ceremony is an honored tradition during which faculty, staff, and current students pass the flame of the Torch of Learning to all new undergraduate, transfer, and graduate students — to welcome them into SUNY Oswego's academic community.  

7:00am - 8:45am: Fitness Center Hours

The Cooper Fitness Center will be open for recreation for our students.

7:30am - 9:00am: Breakfast 

Meals are available at Cooper, Lakeside, and Pathfinder Dining Centers. Use the map above if you need help finding your way around campus!

8:00am - 9:00am: Lakeside Yoga

Join us to start your morning saluting the sun with us - meet at the Dr. Mary Walker Health Center.

9:00am - 11:00am: Opening Remarks and Education Sessions (Deborah F. Stanley Arena & Convocation Hall)

The first full day of Laker Launch begins with an overview of the schedule, expectations of students, and a general welcome to SUNY Oswego. Come learn more about your time here at Oswego.

11:00am - 2:00pm: Taste of Oswego (Lot E-1) / Paint the Road (MCC Bus Loop) / Campus Tours (with Laker Launch Crewmate)

Rotations will be led by your Laker Launch Crewmate from 11:00am - 2:00pm.

Taste of Oswego:  The Taste of Oswego returns for 2025! This food vendor fair of local restaurants is designed to orient our newest students on what establishments exist in Oswego and where the can find food they like. Students are given meal tickets to patronize three vendors of their choosing for their lunch option. SOFE will sponsor the first 100 faculty/staff to request tickets during this event to allow them to partake and mingle with students.

Paint the Road:  Paint the Road continues in its third year as we invite new students, faculty, and staff to paint the Marano Campus Center Bus Loop Green. Sponsored by Facilities Services, this program allows students to make their mark on their campus and leave a lasting impression they can see all year long. Faculty and Staff are encouraged to come and leave their mark as well!

Campus Tours:  Take a tour with your Laker Launch crewmate to familiarize yourself with campus and see all the best views SUNY Oswego has to offer!

2:00pm - 2:30pm: "O" Photo (Lee Hall Soccer Field)

Students will be invited to participate in our second "O" photo, taking place on the Lee Hall Fields. Students will receive a white t-shirt, distributed by our President's Cabinet members, and will be arranged in the shape of a giant "O" for an aerial photo. Faculty and Staff are invited to participate and will be given t-shirts which will be worn to "outline" the O.

2:30pm - 4:30pm: Campus Resource and Employment Fair (Arena Upper Concourse)

Offices from all across campus will be present to discuss what their resources are for new students and advertise for student employment positions they have available for incoming students.

2:30pm - 4:30pm: Fitness Center Hours

The Fitness Centers will be open for recreation for our students.

4:30pm - 6:30pm: Dinner (On Your Own)

Meals are available at Cooper, Lakeside, and Pathfinder Dining Centers. Use the map above if you need help finding your way around campus!

6:00pm - 8:00pm: Rec the Night (Lee Hall & Fields)

Campus Recreation presents Rec the Night, a night of fun, fitness, and entertainment! Hosted in Lee Hall and the surrounding fields, Rec the Night features a number of interactive activities and engaging competitions to welcome our newest Lakers to what Campus Rec has to offer.

6:00pm - 8:00pm: Board Games / Vision Boards (Swetman Gymnasium)

Career Services invites students to create vision boards to inspire themselves throughout their year at Oswego. Also, SOFE will host a board game night for students to connect in games and activities.

8:00pm - 11:00pm: Outdoor Movie (Lee Hall Field)

Enjoy the late summer weather and join us for a movie on the field.

8:00pm - 10:00pm: Video Game Night (Laker Lounge - Marano Campus Center)

Gamers unite! Join us for a video game night where some of your favorite competitive games will be played - come go head to head against other new students and make some connections.

7:30am - 9:00am: Breakfast 

Meals are available at Cooper, Lakeside, and Pathfinder Dining Centers. Use the map above if you need help finding your way around campus!

9:00am - 12:00pm: Education Sessions (Deborah F. Stanley Arena, Lanigan 101, Hewitt Ballroom, & Convocation Hall)

Come learn what resources Oswego offers to help you grow - physically, emotionally, and academically!

12:00pm - 1:00pm: Lunch

Meals are available at Cooper, Lakeside, and Pathfinder Dining Centers. Use the map above if you need help finding your way around campus!

1:00pm - 2:00pm: Volleyball Tournament (Volleyball Court)

Prove your skills on the court and join us for a volleyball tournament, run by one of SUNY Oswego's Women's Volleyball Players!

1:00pm - 3:00pm: Drag Bingo (Deborah F. Stanley Arena & Convocation Hall)

We've got some incredible drag performers coming to run a game of Bingo this afternoon. Come make some friends, have fun, and win prizes!

2:00pm - 5:00pm: Oswego Takeover (The Quad outside MCC and Penfield)

Join us for an afternoon of fun with a rock wall, inflatables, Make & Takes, and much more!

4:30pm - 6:30pm: Dinner (On Your Own)

Meals are available at Cooper, Lakeside, and Pathfinder Dining Centers. Use the map above if you need help finding your way around campus!

5:00pm - 8:00pm: Drag Show (Waterman Theatre)

Join us for a live Drag Show in Waterman Theatre! Four incredible Drag Queens - Utica (featured on RuPaul's Drag Race and Project Runway!), Cake Pop, Crimsyn, & Fawna - will bring down the house here at Oswego. They will be performing the same show twice (once at 5:00pm and once at 7:00pm), so there is enough space for everyone to join! 

5:00pm - 8:00pm: Cooper Fitness Center & Lee Hall Hours

6:00pm - 8:00pm: Roller Skating (Swetman Gym)

We're taking over Swetman Gym and turning it into a roller rink! Skates will be provided, all you need to do is show up and have fun!

8:00pm - 10:00pm: Silent Disco (Parking Lot E-1)

Bring your headphones and your favorite music! We'll be enjoying the summer night and dancing to our favorite tunes!

8:00pm - 10:00pm: Escape Rooms (Penfield Library)

We've set up our very own escape room! Bring some new friends and prove you've got what it takes to solve our puzzles!

8:00pm - 10:00pm: Campfire Night (Parking Lot E-1)

We'll finish the night off with a bonfire and s'mores! Come make yourself a sweet treat and enjoy an Oswego summer night!

10:00am - 4:00pm: Academic Classroom Tours (MCC Welcome Desk)

Launch Crew will offer tours of academic classrooms, customizing their path based on what students arrive to help them discover where their classes are located. Each tour will leave every half hour, leaving from the Marano Campus Center Welcome Desk.

10:00am - 4:00pm: Rice Creek/Fallbrook Shuttles (MCC Bus Loop

Need some nature? We'll have buses leaving from the MCC Bus Loop every half hour to bring students to and from Rice Creek Field Station. Walk the trails and enjoy some peace and quiet before the semester starts.

1:00pm - 2:00pm: Music Department Open House (Tyler Hall)

SUNY Oswego's Music Department offers lessons, classes and ensembles; many opportunities are open to all students regardless of major. Stop by the Tyler Hall Lobby to meet with music professors and discover all the possibilities available to you in the Music Department!

1:00pm - 4:00pm: CNY Paws Therapy Dogs (MCC)

Come make some furry friends and relieve some stress with trained therapy dogs.

6:00pm - 8:00pm: Library Welcome Fest (Penfield Library)

Plant seeds for your future at the Library Welcome Fest. Visit Penfield Library for an evening of free snacks, games, crafts, trivia, karaoke, and prizes! Find out who and what is in the building and how it can all help you while having fun and meeting new friends.