On Oct. 10, the mural sponsored by ARTSwego that was being painted in the quad between Mahar, Lanigan and Tyler Halls was finished. The mural, which is supposed to be inspired by Lake Ontario, represents Oswego State’s Grand Challenges Project, “Fresh Water for All.”

The mural is a much-needed update to the Sundial Quad. For any students who were visiting Oswego State to see if they would attend this school, the old quad was abhorrent enough to make potential students turn away. They would see the quad and get the idea that Oswego State does not care about the upkeep of its campus.

Outside of the limited green trees and grass that surround the quad, there was no color. With the mural, the campus at least looks brighter and keeps moving toward what one may think of when they think about Oswego State: the lake, the beautiful sunsets and the landscape.

But the area around the quad still has problems. Older buildings that are chipping away with cement. In the quad, there are still the random structures that no one seems to know what they are. The mural only covers the flat surface of the quad – what about the steps? By painting the concrete, all that has changed was the look of the quad, which is not the main issue that students have. The cement is chipping away, which can be a tripping hazard. The steps are small and misshapen from overuse and lack of required maintenance. Sure, the paint job looks nice but the steps are impossible to use.

The mural is a step in the right direction. ARTSwego said there are future plans to turn the area into a green space, which, again, would bring more color to the campus of Oswego State. Hopefully, this is the start of a campus-wide update to bring more excitement. The quad should be a “hang-out area,” especially since it is the center of campus. As of now, to consider the quad repaired is inaccurate.