NYC Cow Parade

Drawing of the internal departments that would paint a section on the wolf statue. 

To celebrate the end of the semester and the newly painted wolf, Student Affairs organized a summer celebration where the chief of the Seneca Indian Tribe was invited through the President’s office. At the gathering, the chief was asked to name the wolf statue as an honor to the seawolf origin. The chief performed a naming ceremony and presented the wolf with the name: “Honőtae:yő:nih,” meaning “we are of the wolf clan” or “we are many of the wolf clan,” and reminds students, faculty and staff that we are united at Stony Brook University. This wolf statue, now painted and named, was ready to “be the life of [the] party” as it was donated to other departments on campus to showcase the artwork. The wolf lived in the Dean of Students suite for many years but now finds it home under the Union’s grand staircase.

 Happy 20th Anniversary Honőtae:yő:nih!

Special Thanks to Dr. Suzanne Valazquez

Prior loan program for departments to adopt the wolf statue for a day!

Student Centers is pleased to announce that the Student Accessibility Support Center has officially opened their testing center! Initially, testing sites were located in meeting rooms in the Student Activities Center, but now is located in room 112 in the Stony Brook Union. SASC allows registered students who require testing accommodations a space where they can privately take exams. Students are not permitted to enter the center by walk-ins and instead will need to request an appointment. The center is open from Mondays to Thursdays, 8:30 AM to 9:30 PM and on Fridays from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The SASC team has done an exceptional job in accommodating every student’s needs within the space. In the center, students have access to lockers, private rooms, adjustable desks, computers, and more! There are about 45 individual spaces within the center and three private testing rooms for students who may need to use a scribe. There are overhead cameras installed at each station and room for proctors. The team has also provided a mix of rolling desk chairs and chairs with no wheels to fit every student’s preference. For online tests, students use the computers provided at each station that will be monitored. Before COVID-19, SASC proctored about 5,000 tests a year. Now that students are back on campus, the team hopes to continue helping even more students who can use this new space now! 

A new sensory space has also been introduced in the SASC office and is also offered online! Initially, this space was a waiting room, but now it is a vibrant room filled with moving bubble wall art, fidget toys, sensory pillows, weighted blankets and more. This therapeutic area helps students practice self-regulation. Students with autism, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or other mental illnesses can visit this room to alleviate stress. Stony Brook University understands mental health and wants individuals to feel comfortable on their campus. Students require different ways to calm down and focus on themselves.

Join us at the Stony Brook Union for the UNITI Cultural Center Ribbon Cutting!

On October 23rd, the UCC will be open to all students on campus regardless of "race/ethnicity, gender, religion/spirituality, different albilities, socieeconomics staus, and other dimensions of soical identities."

To learn more about the new UCC on campus please visit Multicultural Affairs. 

To register for the conference, visit CSPA 2021 Annual Conference.

To access the video tutorials, visit Student Centers Youtube Channel

Our Associate Director of Events and Initiatives, Hedieh Yazdanseta, and our Audio Visual Services Coordinator, Michael Ingenito, will be co-presenting at the 2021 Annual College Student Personnel Association (CSPA) Conference during the week of October 18-21. The CSPA is an organization that focuses on providing programs and opportunities for graduate students who are struggling with networking and finding educators in higher education. Every year, the CSPA hosts an in person conference; however, due to current circumstances, the conference will be held virtually this year. 

Hedieh and Mike will speak on, “Training Staff With Focus On Different Learning Styles.” Their Think Outside The Box session will discuss how due to shifting from in-person to virtual last year, it was important to find alternative ways to train students without involving close contact between them. This was an important step to stay safe and healthy. Hedieh and Mike decided to create print guides and to upload Youtube videos with closed captions. This helped all students train including individuals who are hard of hearing. They provided a variety of training methods for different learning styles, such as Zoom group training, peer to peer training, hands on one-on-one training, and group training. During these sessions, Mike trained students to use advanced audio visual equipment, projectors, wireless microphones, and digital audio mixers. 

The Student Centers presents DJ Mikrowave! 

Our very own Audio Visual Services Coordinator, Michael Ingenito is excited to mix up music and fun for the Student Activities Center and Stony Brook Union! Join us on the following dates to enjoy good vibes and great beats.

Dates & Times:

September 16: 5-6PM @ Union Bridge

September 22: 12:30-1:30PM @ SAC Plaza

September 23: 5-6PM @ Union Bridge

Visit SB Engaged for more information!

History of the Union

The Stony Brook Union first opened in 1970 where it was home to student life on campus. Seawolves had access to a bowling alley, hair salon, and a bridge that extended from the Union to the library that some liked to call the “bridge to nowhere!” This was because the bridge extended out to the library but construction halted when funding was relocated to other academic buildings on campus. The bridge began from the Union but stopped midair and never reached the library! Mention of a bridge was speculated to be engineered for the new Stony Brook Union, but with a safer and more efficient campus, it was no longer necessary. Now the Stony Brook Union is home to many internal departments such as Student Life, Center for Prevention and Outreach (CPO), Academic and Transfer Advising Services (ATAS), and many more!

Ribbon Cutting

The Grand Opening of the Union began with an amazing performance from our very own marching band, called the Spirit of Stony Brook! Following the band performance, Dean McClendon welcomed students, faculty, and staff to begin the ceremony. He also introduced the speakers for the day: President McInnis, Chancellor Malatras, GSO Speaker: Helena Van Nieuwenhuizen, and USG President: Manjot Singh. Each speaker spoke about their excitement for the new space on campus! The Spirit of Stony Brook Marching Band organized a drum roll for the ribbon cutting which announced the official opening of the Stony Brook Union! All Seawolves are welcome to this fantastic space and should feel free to use it as their “living room” on campus.

Tours, T-Shirts, & Treats

The reception moved the crowd indoors where Past and Present Tours began led by our very own Director of the Student Centers: Howard Gunston and Event Managers: Oscar Ng, Nathaly Tavarez, Philip Liu, and Lesley Nnebe. Guests were led through the building and shown Club Hub, Programming Spaces, and our Interfaith Center where Chaplains had the opportunity to speak about the history, services, and resources they offer for our diverse student body on campus! Tours ended on the Union second floor bridge where we handed out vintage t-shirts! Special cookies with the same original SB Union logo were handed out in the Union lobby where guests were also given flyers about our Moonlight Tours taking place the following Saturday. 

All photos provided by Student Affairs.

Are you looking for a relaxing location on campus to study for your exams? The best way to focus on your class materials is to surround yourself in a positive environment with good company! Come join the Student Centers during finals week to enjoy a comfortable place to prepare for your upcoming exams. The Student Centers will be playing soothing music in the evening for students to destress with friends before the end of the semester. This opportunity allows students to take advantage of their campus resources and finish off the school year strong!

Time: May 5th-May 19th, 5PM-Closing

Locations: Union Cola Lounge & SAC UCC Lounge

At the Student Centers, we use an online scheduling software called 25Live. Student groups and departments under Stony Brook University are expected to use 25Live to request spaces and resources for their events at the Student Activities Center and Stony Brook Union. Due to the impact of Covid-19, most events were cancelled and spaces were limited for social distancing regulations for the past year. Now that events are slowly getting back on track, more individuals are looking to host events. In order to help departments understand how to book spaces for meetings and events, our Event Services and Technology Coordinator, Aneil Persaud, is hosting a 25Live Scheduling Training Series through Zoom. 

These training sessions will take place once a month and are open to anyone interested in learning more about our scheduling system. Student groups book events through a program advisor in Student Engagement and Activities but are still encouraged to learn the online software on their own. With these trainings, Aneil wants to highlight important details on the scheduling system such as the difference between pre-event and setup time so that anyone trying to book an event through 25Live can feel comfortable and confident in doing so. 

Check out SB Engaged for future dates and time slots! 

Are you interested in learning how to use the Student Centers new and advanced audio visual equipment without requiring additional assistance from staff? Many of our event spaces offer resources for A/V accommodations that are available for students and staff to utilize. Whether for an event you’re organizing or to brush up on your personal skills, come join our Audio Visual Services Coordinator, Michael Ingenito, for an A/V Training to get comfortable with and to avoid mishandling this amazing technology! 

Michael looks forward to introducing the Crestron Touch Pads during these sessions which controls most of the A/V systems functions and abilities. Users will also be trained in how to troubleshoot when connecting laptops to HDMI along with many other related tasks. Throughout the semester, these live trainings will take place online with multiple camera angles and will be recorded to view later on.    

Make sure to stay updated with SB Engaged for dates and time slots that work for you!

Vibes After Five gives students the opportunity to engage with their community in a safe environment on campus. The Student Centers wants you to feel welcome in these buildings so anyone passing by is encouraged to study, socialize and enjoy music with one another while also maintaining a social distance. Every week, the Student Centers will arrange a chosen theme that will showcase different types of music to liven up and bring warmth to these spaces on campus. Students will be prompted to give feedback on what they would like to listen to whether it be student performances or a live production from our very own music department. Keep an eye on our SCALA screens for music choices and guest appearances! 

Come stop by with your friends to enjoy good music and have a great time together!

Time: Wednesday-Saturday, 5PM-Closing

Locations: Union Cola Lounge & SAC UCC Lounge

ACUI Virtual Conference Spotlight!

By Sayma Tasnim

Published 12/7/2020

Howard Gunston presented at the ACUI virtual conference on November 12th, 2020 about The Quest for Consistency in a Socially-Distanced Event Center! ACUI is the professional home to thousands of campus community builders around the world. Primarily focused on the work of those within the college unions and student activities field, the Association strives to provide an inclusive, welcoming community for all those who choose to belong.

The decreased engagement on campus has made it difficult to plan and manage Covid-19 friendly events causing many unprepared outcomes. Howard discussed the appropriate response to the pandemic and how to combat issues concerning rules and regulations for events while also keeping students safe on campus. He addressed the importance of staying consistent for the time being while the future is still unpredictable.

This is the 3rd year in a row that Howard has presented at ACUI, presenting in March of 2019 and October of 2018!