From the Editor’s Pen

I’m all about signs—just ask any of my family and friends. Yes, I’m one of those people who takes guidance from the “universe,” the “divine” or whatever term you prefer. That’s why my heart started pounding with excitement late last summer. Betsy Oberst from the SUNY Oswego Alumni Office was calling. It was a sign. The stars were aligning, and I had no doubt where I was supposed to be. I eagerly accepted the offer to become the new editor of the OSWEGO Alumni Magazine.

Although I am not an alumna of Oswego, I consider this to be a homecoming of sorts. As an avid angler—particularly ice fishing—and a lover of all forms of water, I can’t imagine a more perfect spot at which to work. I hope I never take for granted the picturesque views of Lake Ontario I enjoy every day as I walk across campus. The college colors are even familiar, as my high school in Elmira, N.Y., shared in the green and gold. I belong here.

My new coworkers in the Office of Alumni and Development warmly welcomed me and immediately made me feel like a valued member of the team. As I get to know the people in the organization with my “newbie” eyes, I see that these individuals show that level of care and consideration for everyone with whom they interact. They make everyone feel like we belong here.

My new position with the alumni magazine feels like a return to the core of my professional identity as a writer. Writing has been the common thread for me, as initially I was a writer of articles as a daily newspaper reporter, of stories as a magazine writer, of marketing and development pieces as a communications director and, most recently, of news releases and promotional messages as a public relations director.

I am thrilled that my first issue as editor depicts a cover story by fellow writer Linda Loomis ’90 M’97 about a nationally best-selling and award-winning novelist, Alice McDermott ’75. I chuckled as I read Alice’s recollection of the late Writing Professor Dr. Paul Briand’s troubling analysis of her: “You are a writer,” he said, “and you’re never going to shake it.”

As May approaches and I look forward to participating in my first Torchlight Ceremony, I hope I carry the torch for the magazine as aptly as the editors who preceded me did. I hope also in time that I can demonstrate to you—the Oswego alumni and campus community—that I do belong here, and to paraphrase Dr. Briand, that you’re never going to shake me!

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