The New Year is right around the corner. As is the norm with all online publishing sources, we’ve gone through our stats and pulled out 2015’s most popular stories from the Big Ideas Blog.
The effort of the Big Ideas Blog is to showcase the ways in which SUNY impacts all New Yorkers in some way. Through showcasing the value of a SUNY degree, the impact on state operations, or providing a topic of deep thought for our readers, the effort of our content team is second to none.
So let’s take a look back through 2015 at your favorite stories below. Did yours make the list?
10.) And the Winner of Mascot Madness 2015 is…
(4/9/15)
At the end of the most popular online contest at SUNY, people need to know who the winner is. And we introduced the Mascot Madness champion in this blog post along with a tournament recap and a look back at some of the online/social media highlights that helped bring people to the voting polls to help deliver the trophy.
9.) What NOT To Bring When Moving To College
(8/14/15)
The end of summer can be a hectic time for first year college students. Maybe you’re moving to a new place, or starting on a new path in education. Regardless, it most likely is your first run at independent living. So to help out, our student assistants came up with this list of suggestions of how to prepare yourself for life in the residence hall. Varying opinions can also bring a healthy debate, which helped drive traffic to this blog.
8.) 13 SUNY Campuses Named as Nation’s Top “Green” Colleges for 2015
(4/20/15)
From business to lifestyle, we’re experiencing a large turnaround in the ways we produce and use energy now. With the amount of students and faculty being provided services and the amount of land taken up, college campuses have a responsibility to do their part to increase sustainability and efficiency across the board. This spring, The Princeton Review recognized these 13 SUNY campuses as great examples of sustainability efforts.
7.) Princeton Review Recognizes SUNY Campuses Among 2016 Best Colleges
(8/5/15)
In another analysis of colleges across America, The Princeton Review ranked a number of SUNY schools in its list of Best Colleges. One of the most recognized set of rankings that prospective and current students follow, this annual list ranks the top 15 percent of all four-year colleges in the nation, along with a number of other, more specialized ranking lists such as “Best Northeastern”, “Green Colleges”, and “200 Colleges That Pay You Back.”
6.) Nation’s First College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity Coming to New York
(1/28/15)
Security was a hot topic this year and last, stemming from natural disasters and terrorist attacks at home and abroad. New York State’s leaders recognized this and took action by establishing plans for SUNY’s and the nation’s first security college, which is to be housed at the University at Albany. The new college will help fill a growing need for homeland security professionals and also provide additional on-site training opportunities for already established professionals. We learned about these future plans in this engaging post.
5.) The State University of New York Announces Creation of New Flagship School
(4/1/15)
A new campus designed fully on a cruise ship boat that travels throughout New York’s many waterways? Sounds exciting! People loved the idea on the blog and social media. From online learning to healthy dining and plenty of applied learning opportunities, the new ship was packed with benefits found across the SUNY system. Many forgot to check the day it was posted though, as it turns out the idea was an April Fool’s Day joke beautifully written by one of our student assistants. But we can still dream that maybe in the future, SUNY Deep Blue will still come to be.
4.) SUNY Campuses Recognized as Best Public Colleges in America by American City Business Journals
(2/13/15)
The parent company of the Albany and Buffalo Business Review compiled this list of Best Public Colleges in America which included many SUNY schools. It is another example of how the quality of a SUNY education is made all the more accessible by the affordable price.
3.) 11 Best SUNY Campus Photos of 2014!
(1/9/15)
With the continuing growth of Instagram and photo sharing on social media, it ‘s no surprise that colleges and universities have taken to it as a way to bring the campus experience to students near and far. With the SUNY Instagram account, students and faculty play a key role and showcasing their local campus beauty by sharing photos of their favorite spots and scenes from each of the 64 campuses. These 11 photos from 2014 were highlighted early in 2015 and were very popular. From sunsets to fallen leaves to snowfall, the ever changing seasons of New York made a great backdrop in showcasing the #Beautiful64 of SUNY.
2.) 7 SUNY Schools Believed to Be Among Most Haunted in New York
(10/22/15)
People love a good haunted tale during the brisk fall weather around Halloween. And students and alumni of these 7 schools loved to hear and share reasons why locations on their campuses were thought have held spirits in them. Were there ghosts, or was weather and odd construction making those sounds? The debate was strong here.
1.) Mascot Madness 2015: Final Four
(3/30/15)
Without a doubt, the annual Mascot Madness competition is the most popular series of blogs posted on Big Ideas. It’s a month long series that grabs campus pride in their mascots and community spirit. Students, faculty, and alumni all want to make their mascot reps stand out above all of the other competitors and work their magic to drive their friends to the voting area to raise counts for their favorite. The Final Four is the final set of match-ups that leads to the championship match, so it is the final chance to make a difference with who competes for the trophy. It’s easy to see why this blog was viewed nearly 45,000. The competitive spirit is strong during March.
