Friday, May 17, 2019
Join us for one of Oswego’s longest-standing traditions, the annual Commencement Eve Torchlight Dinner and Ceremony. This once-in-a-lifetime event is our seniors’ welcome into the Oswego Alumni Association. Share an elegant dinner and this moving ceremony with our students, on their last night as undergraduates.
All Commencement Eve festivities are open to Class of 2019 graduates, their families, alumni, faculty and staff at no charge with the exception of dinner, which has limited seating and requires ADVANCE reservations by Monday, May 6.
COMMENCEMENT EVE DINNER SCHEDULE
COCKTAIL RECEPTION 6 p.m. Convocation Arena, Marano Campus Center The evening begins with a cocktail reception featuring a cash bar and complimentary pre-set hors d'oeuvres at your table. (Funded by the Oswego Alumni Association.)
Registration has now closed for Commencement Eve Dinner.
See the schedule of events for the Senior Sing and Torchlight Ceremony, immediately following dinner, and join the Inner Circle to pass the Torch of Learning to our newest members of the Oswego Alumni Association!
Alumnus Master of Ceremonies
John Mcloughlin '75 Retired Port Authority Police Lieutenant and World Trade Center Survivor
Lt. John McLoughlin ’75 of the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) at New York and New Jersey spent 22 hours trapped beneath the rubble of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. His story was portrayed by actor Nicolas Cage in the Hollywood movie, World Trade Center. John, who was severely injured, sees his participation in the movie as a way to tell the story of his fallen comrades that day.
A business administration major at Oswego, John worked in banking for five years before joining the PAPD. He had been assigned to the Trade Center for 12 years, serving during the 1993 bombing of the complex. As a sergeant on Sept. 11, 2001, he was assigned to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, but headed downtown to assist with those who were injured prior to the towers falling. As he and his fellow officers entered through Building 5, the tower fell and trapped them by an elevator shaft. Since being rescued, John has had more than 30 surgeries, worked through years of rehabilitation and is grappling with long-term health issues that affect his legs.
John has remained an involved alumnus, returning to campus to speak in classes over the years and at the Commencement Eve Torchlight celebration in 2007. He and his wife, Donna, are the parents of four: Steven ’08, Caitlin ’12, John ’14 and Erin ’19, all SUNY Oswego graduates.