Whether it is Tinker Bell, SpongeBob SquarePants or Remy the rat, the whiteboard at the entrance of Lake Effect Cafe is always adorned with elaborate drawings and motivational quotes.

Nick McCarthy, the retail cafés manager for Auxiliary Services at SUNY Oswego, is the man behind the illustrations. 

McCarthy graduated from Paul Smith’s College with a bachelor’s degree in hotel, resort and tourism management in 2014. He worked a few other jobs before starting his current position at SUNY Oswego in 2018.

“When I first started here, they would put … quotes on the board and stuff like that, that’s what it primarily was used for,” McCarthy said. 

With time, McCarthy “decided it would be fun” and began “putting little drawings” on the whiteboard along with the quotes. 

“People really liked it and enjoyed it, and people would come in like ‘who does the drawings,’ and I was like, ‘oh, you know, I’ve just been doing them,’” McCarthy said. “People seemed to really like it, so I just kept doing it.”

The drawings typically take 20 to 30 minutes to complete, McCarthy said. “I don’t try to spend too much time. I obviously [have to] keep the cafés going. I do it as much, as often as I can.”

McCarthy has no formal art training and only took art classes in high school. There is some trial and error in the drawings, especially for hands and noses, McCarthy laughed. “I don’t have any professional training, but … I’ll just look at it and be like, ‘that looks stupid,’ and I’ll erase it.”

And with expo markers as a medium, McCarthy can simply wipe away his mistakes. 

The drawings are often seasonal, related to a new movie or whatever comes to mind, McCarthy said. When he cannot think of anything to draw, he will ask students for their opinions. 

Occasionally, drawings on the whiteboard promote different initiatives or events happening on campus, such as the Vote Oswego campaign or Auxiliary Services’ giveaways. 

McCarthy said he has a lot of fun with the drawings and seeing people’s reactions.

“I’m constantly between buildings, and I see people stop and take a picture, and they make a comment like, ‘oh my god, I love this,’” McCarthy said. “It definitely brings me joy to hear that, and it’s kinda why I just keep doing it.”

Photo provided by: Abigail Connolly