Cuts threaten opportunity, SUNY Oswego student leader says

OSWEGO, N.Y. — College is supposed to be a place full of opportunities, but at SUNY Oswego, some of those opportunities are now at risk. Student organizations and campus facilities are facing tighter budgets, and that means students are starting to feel the effects.

WTOP-10, Oswego’s student-run television station, has been dealing with major technical issues since the start of the semester. Cameras aren’t working properly, equipment is aging out, and remote productions have become harder to manage.

“Pretty much anything that was normally functioning in the past is kind of starting to age out,” said Kenny Girard, General Manager of WTOP-10.

Girard explained that the station’s budget is only a fraction of what it used to be. “This is my second year being president and GM at WTOP, and I would say the budget is probably a quarter of what it was when I first got here,” he said.

With fewer funds coming from campus, WTOP is now turning to alumni donations to replace equipment and keep productions going.

It’s not just student media facing setbacks. Campus Recreation has also had to make tough choices.

“We had to cut back on some fringe items, particularly some more capital improvement projects,” said Brian Wallace, Director of Campus Recreation. “Some other purchases we wanted to make, we just couldn’t quite make them.”

Even with limited resources, students are finding ways to adapt. WTOP-10 continues to produce shows, and Campus Recreation is still offering opportunities for students to stay active.

But leaders of both organizations said the uncertainty remains: how long can they keep doing more with less?