General

SUNY Morrisville students were among those championing for additional legislative funding and support for students with disabilities enrolled in colleges and universities across New York State during this year’s Student Empowerment Day. The event, hosted virtually by the New York State Disability Services Council, gathered more than 300 students, advocates and policymakers, including 14 SUNY Morrisville students and leaders — all highlighting the urgent need for more funding to ensure the fair access and essential support for students with disabilities. 

When sisters Haley and Hannah Gill first arrived on the SUNY Morrisville campus, they were among many students to join the college’s Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) and Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) programs.   “There were a lot of activities that helped us adjust to college life,” said Hannah, an equine science student in the ACE program. “They keep us on track with our grades and make sure our classes are going well.” Haley, an individual studies student in the ASAP program, agrees.

Interested in making a game and being part of a global experiment in creativity? SUNY Morrisville is once again serving as a host site for Global Game Jam® (GGJ), the world’s largest game jam event, taking place Friday, Jan. 24-Sunday, Jan. 26. During the worldwide event, participants are given a central theme and just 48 hours to create a video or board/card game.

Six SUNY Morrisville students were part of this year’s National Wildlife Society’s Annual Conference, one of the largest gatherings of wildlife professionals and supporters in North America. The conference, held this year in Baltimore, Maryland, spotlights the latest advancements in wildlife management and research while providing opportunities for networking and career advancement. Engaging speakers and immersive workshops were part of the agenda.

In all of his time as an automotive professor in SUNY Morrisville’s automotive technology Ford ASSET program, professor Dan Akers saw his largest freshmen class this year.   Known for intensive labs, top-notch facilities and capstone internships, it’s one of the reasons why the two-year program is a popular choice for automotive students who want to lock in a career even before they graduate.

Tis the season of giving and SUNY Morrisville and the Morrisville-Eaton Central School (MECS) District are teaming up to provide families in need with food for the Thanksgiving holiday.   Seventeen families, chosen by the MECS School District, will benefit from the effort, started by MECS social studies teacher Meaghan Palmer and coworkers 15 years ago to address food insecurities in the district. The generosity multiplied when the two schools joined forces.  

The SUNY Morrisville campus came together to celebrate World Sustainability Day on Wednesday, Oct. 30, with presentations and demonstrations, which included turning sunflowers into oil for biodiesel, installing owl boxes along a nature trail and prepping a wildflower pollination meadow. Sustainability Day raises awareness of the importance of sustainable living and promotes environmental stewardship. It’s a common theme on the SUNY Morrisville campus, where faculty, staff and students are leading the charge, investing in various sustainability efforts.

The SUNY Morrisville Theater Department and Student Government Organization present the musical Kinky Boots, Thursday, Oct. 31, Friday, Nov. 1 and Saturday Nov. 2, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. in the theater of the college’s John W. Stewart Center for Student Activities (STUAC).

SUNY Morrisville horticulture students joined thousands across the globe, participating in The Society of American Florists (SAF) annual goodwill initiative, Petal it Forward. They handed out flowers and bouquets to unsuspecting community members and passersby, encouraging recipients to keep one and share the other with someone else. The students, in Nicole Johnson’s ’20 floral design course, prepared more than 60 colorful arrays, some which included stunning dahlias grown in a dedicated greenhouse at the college’s Four Seasons Organic Farm.

Having a support system, a mentor, career development, extra money for books and gas to travel home on the weekends — it’s all making a difference for SUNY Morrisville ASAP|ACE students like Malcom Hernandez, Juliana Kucera, Abigail Gracey and Julian Wilcox, so they can focus more on their academic careers.