Initial impressions from Oswego
I'm back in Oswego at the request of the SUNY Oswego Alumni Office. I still have about $150 in parking tickets outstanding and with compounding interest, I now owe about 700 BILLION dollars. OK, I jest – no parking tickets. They asked me to speak at their annual Women's Conference and since it's on a Tuesday, I will also speaking at 3 School of Business classes on Monday. I flew into Syracuse after a brief visit with my family, where I found out that Harrison (Glenn and Gwen's son) answers "Obama" when asked who he is going to vote for and that he knows Food Network stars Giada, Paula, Emeril and Rachel. And Harrison knows that Emeril says "BAM!" My other nephew, Jeffrey (Lisa and Jarrett's son), is starting to respond to questions and knows how to signal "Touchdown!" Fun times.
I landed in Syracuse late on Sunday afternoon and noticed that the airport was slightly bigger than when I was late there in 1993. As I was walking towards the rental car counter, I wasn't looking for anyone I knew but all of a sudden I saw a former manager of mine (manager kind of understates it, she was SEVERAL levels above me) who I always considered a great role model. She immediately recognized me and we caught up for a few minutes. She was in the area at her alma mater, Hamilton College, where she is on the Board. You can't make this stuff up.
BTW, I am trying to be hip on this trip since I am going to be speaking to students. I know that is not my normal M.O., but one must stretch themselves out of their comfort zone. Figured I would check out a former hangout or two during my time in Oswego. Unfortunately due to a PGA tour event being in the area, rental car pickings were slim and I am now driving a white mini-van through Tuesday afternoon. And the rear door is so big that I can barely reach it to slam it shut. It's not easy being vertically challenged. Hmmm.
I cruised up Rte. 481 and noticed some landmarks, like the Great Northern Mall, which was the only decent shopping mall in the area for the 1st couple of years I was at Oswego. Because most of us didn't have cars, it was a big deal to take the bus there to shop at places like the Gap, etc. In my junior year, a larger mall opened up closer to the city of Syracuse that had a larger selection of stores, including Ann Taylor, home of where I purchased my 1st interview suit. Wow, I'm dating myself. Anyway I also passed a sign that has provided years of entertainment in the form of another "Proud Consor Family Moment".
The 1st couple of trips up to Oswego for me to check out the school were with Puff Daddy. Freshman orientation was the 1st time my Mom and sister came up. I guess Big Yves (my Mom) slept for most of the ride up, which meant she missed signs like Mexico, New York, or Florida, New York, etc. You get the point. So when I checked into orientation, Lisa (my sister) came up to see the dorm room. She noticed that my roommate was from Mexico, New York. OK, fine. My mother asked Lisa about my room and roommate, and she told her that the person was from Mexico thinking she has seen the signs for the different towns on the way up. Well apparently at the 'Parents and Family BBQ', my mother is talking to another family with Lisa and Puff Daddy sitting right there, and belts out in all seriousness, "Jill is getting a real cultural experience! Her roommate is from Mexico!" Needless to say I was so thankful I was not there and I think if Puff Daddy and Lisa could have left my mother there at that moment, I think they would have. The embarrassment factor was that high.
Back to current day. As I approached the town of Fulton, I noticed a couple of landmarks; most notable to me was the Jeep dealership that my car seemed to visit on a quarterly basis when I was at Oswego. I knew there was a road that ran parallel to Rte. 481 (the main road between Syracuse and Oswego) on the other side of the river because of my crew days. So I decided to take the last 10 miles on Rte. 48 to see if I could find the old factory that served as the backdrop for our very shaky dock. I did find it in the town of Minetto, but clearly the dock is gone. I'll have to ask in the classes to see if there is still a crew team and if so, find out where they practice. But as soon as I walked past the gate, I knew I had the right place. Other than the makeshift dock being gone, nothing had really changed about the place. Yes, I have a couple of pictures.
The weather was pretty much perfect fall weather. Fall foliage is starting to take shape and the sun was out. I had some time before my dinner with Betsy of the Alumni Relations Office, so I decided to swing by the house that I lived in off-campus with Lisa. It looked exactly the same, which was a kick. As I was driving around the residential neighborhoods off-campus, most of the houses actually seemed the same. It was kind of funny. Lisa A., you should know that the taxidermist is no longer at the end of the block.
With respect to the areas of town I was able to see before dinner, Admiral Woolsey's, where I bussed tables, is no more. The structure is there and was completely gutted out with a new restaurant. The deck and outside look the same, but the inside is very different, although some of the bar chairs look very familiar from when I worked in the same building 15+ years ago. I should know as I lifted plenty of them. J
Betsy and I had a nice dinner, and she gave me the keys to my room on campus in Sheldon Hall, which I think is right near where I remember the AEPhi and DK houses to be (see current map here). She then told me that some students are also residing in the same building because of dorm overcrowding, so then I had to ask if I was sharing a bathroom with the other residents. It wouldn't have been horrible, but it honestly never occurred to me to ask prior to that point. BTW, the answer was no. I have my own bathroom. The room actually ended up being very nice.
After dinner, I decided to cruise around town. I couldn't find a couple of bars that I remember frequenting – Barney's, Shaki Patch (where I guest bartended once), and of course I knew that Broadwell's and Buckland's cease to exist many years ago. New York Pizzeria is gone. There is a huge McDonald's and gas station on all of that property now, but the Friendly's is still there. The Oswego Sub Shop is still there, as are the BPOE, Canale's and Vona's and Bridie Manor – places I never gave a thought to once I graduated. Of course, the Woodshed Tavern (aka The Shed) is still there so I decided to go in figuring there would be some action given it was Sunday, football and baseball are both on, and the fact that HELLO, we're in Oswego. Every night is a drinking night.
Clearly the current crop of students is soft. Maybe 10-15 people were in the bar tops, including me and the bartender. No TVs were on. The atmosphere was too depressing so I left for my room. Maybe there will be a bigger crowd for Monday Night Football. But you know I will bring this up in the classes I am speaking in tomorrow. And yes, I did get pictures of The Shed. It was easy because it was so empty. But it looks exactly the same as when we were there. The pizza place attached to The Shed is still there. Perkins is gone. I need to see if Old City and The Wheel are still around.
Tomorrow (Monday), I'll get a tour of the campus in addition to talking to students. I have been told it has changed a lot! I'm also having coffee with the Dean of the School of Business, and then dinner at the University President's house with some of the other speakers at the Women's Conference. Should be an interesting day, but I'm really hoping for the chance to get in a run around the campus along Lake Ontario. Stay tuned.