Oswego Class of '21 Doing Big Things

blurry Oswego pic from my own thirsty Thursdays 

I was walking home when I saw the 315 area code flash across my screen. I recalled the email I read about telefund time at Oswego and not to hang up on the student volunteers. Maybe it was because I could picture the young co-ed glumly sitting at their station, hoping to meet their quota before the end of their shift. Maybe it was because I was in a great mood after my new haircut. Maybe I was just being reckless, but I answered the phone.

"Hi! This is Jenna from SUNY Oswego! I'm a junior chemistry major! Do you have a minute to talk about some of the exciting changes around campus?"

Well shit, Jenna, how can I say no to that?

Jenna proceeded to tell me about all the cool new improvements Oswego has made since I've been there. She filled me in on the new greenhouse and planetarium. She asked me what my major was and informed me about the state-of-the-art communications building going up in the old campus center. Damn, girl. Sounds like the school is doing pretty good w/out my money.

While we were on the phone, I figured I'd get my address updated so my parents would stop getting my alumni magazines. Maybe then I'd know about all these exciting new updates at my alma mater and stop thinking of it as the drunken little sister of the SUNY system. I gave Jenna my address and she chirped "I love Boston! I visited it my sophomore year and am applying to Boston University for grad school!"

Everything Jenna said ended in an exclamation mark, but this comment was especially animated. I pictured young Jenna, sitting at King Hall (if that's even where development still lives), probably wrapping up her shift before heading back to get her thirsty Thursday started. Young Jenna was probably going home to a house full of friends getting ready for their night, perhaps pre-gaming to the Democratic debate b/c they were savvy, well-informed women.

I told Jenna how much she would love Boston. Then I told her I'd make a donation to Oswego, my first since I graduated in 2008.

"Awesome! Thank you so much!" Jenna was graceful in the face of my refusal to give every month for a year like a Netflix subscription and instead accept my one-time donation. She was polite and well-spoken and I was proud to be an alum of the school she was currently attending.

I hung up the phone and headed into the corner store where I was picking up sides for dinner. Corner store sides include chips, gummy bears, and exorbitantly overpriced Velveeta mac and cheese. What a life I'm living here in Boston; I hope Jenna gets to experience all of this someday, too.