Commencements are
about people, and we offer glimpses of the people who
contributed to Union's Commencement 1998:
When Rachel Graham '98 said she was
going to miss the kids after graduation, she meant the
seventy-five children who were part of an after school
mentoring program that she began.
The program, known as COCOA House (for
Children of Our Community Open to Achievement), is held
at Grace Temple Church of God in Christ in Schenectady's
Hamilton Hill neighborhood. The children plant shrubs, go
on field trips and scavenger hunts, and read — a lot.
“I loved to help the kids learn to read,”
Graham says.
Graham, a geology major and arts minor,
received an achievement award from the Schenectady County
Human Rights Commission for her work. Her program will be
carried on next year by five Union students.
Graham's father, the Rev. Marvin L.
Graham, is pastor of the church and delivered the
invocation and benediction at Commencement.
–Honorary degrees were presented to
Victor H. Fazio '65, retiring U.S. Congressman from
California; Diane Ravitch, senior fellow at the Brookings
Institution and senior research fellow at New York
University; and Allen L. Sessoms '68, president of
Queen's College (New York).
Fazio, who received an honorary doctor
of laws degree, is Democratic Caucus Chairman, the
third-ranking Democratic leadership post in the House.
His citation read:
“When you announced that you would
not seek reelection to an eleventh term this year, a
colleague said you are what every Congressman ought to be
— respectful of other views but passionate about your
own beliefs.
“We offer two examples. Although a
leader of the Democratic Party, you have often approached
issues in a bipartisan manner, to the point where one
newspaper noted that Republicans — although they might
not admit it — often seek your guidance on issues. A
firm supporter of women's rights, you actively recruited
women to run for office in recently-redistricted areas,
an effort that won you a “Good Guy” award from
the National Organization for Women.
“This combination of respect and
passion brought you to a well-earned leadership position
in the House of Representatives. A writer once described
the American character as the tendency to work with nuts
and bolts while seeking the stars; that definition finds
eloquent expression in your career.”
Ravitch, a nationally-known expert on
educational standards and policies, received an honorary
doctor of letters degree:
“In a specch you gave at Union,
you said that the modern torments of hell are ethnic
hatred, cultural narcissism, and the straightjacket of
group think. The best protections against them are the
spirits of tolerance, universalism, and shared humanity.
And the best tools to pursue those ends are well educated
and open minds.
“This common-sense prescription
for society remains difficult to follow. Perhaps one
reason is the all-too-common tendency to add clutter to
our educational system. You have vigorously criticized
such tendencies. Asked to comment on proposed high school
social science standards, for example, you used the words
'vague,' 'insubstantial,' ill-defined,' and 'unspecific.'
“In a society confused about what
to do with education, you offer a clear, consistent, and
compelling direction.”
Sessoms, who graduated with honors in
physics before earning advanced degrees at the University
of Washington and Yale, received an honorary doctor of
science degree.
“You once said that without
education, there is no democracy, and it is fitting that
your career has embraced both college teaching and public
service. Your mother, a practical nurse in the Bronx,
sparked your interest in science by conducting at-home
experiments; your farher owned a bodega where you and
your brothers and sisters worked part-time and studied.
“That early encouragement led you
to Union, to universities for advanced degrees, and to
Harvard to teach. You have also led negotiations about
nuclear non-proliferation and arms control and been a
counselor for scientific and technological affairs at
U.S. embassies.
“Now the leader of an urban
university, you continue to provide an admirable example
of the connection between education and the public
good.”
–In his remarks, Congressman Vic Fazio
'65 told graduates that “the true measure of a
person, and of a nation, is found in something more
profound that economic well-being.”
Citing a 1968 campaign speech by Bobby
Kennedy, Fazio said the gross national product “can
tell us everything about America except why we are proud
to be Americans.
“The final exams you took will not
test you as much as some of the challenges you will face
in your life,” he said. “Most of those
challenges, as Bobby Kennedy pointed out, have little to
do with your economic well-being.”
Those honored at Commencement included
Nikki Stone '97, who won an Olympic gold medal in
freestyle aerial skiing last winter. She received the
Eliphalet Nott Medal, awarded to alumni who through
perseverence have achieved great distinction.
A psychology major who graduated magna
cum laude, Stone said she used her training in psychology
to help her visualize the spectacular flips and jumps
that won her the medal at Nagano, Japan.
The award was particularly fitting
since Stone is Nott's
great-great-great-great-granddaughter (her mother's
maiden name was Nott).
Raymond DeMatteo '41, a Schenectady
attorney and former city councilman, has always looked
forward to seeing his granddaughter, Maria McLean,
received her bachelor's degree.
Thanks to Maria, DeMatteo also received
his degree.
After learning about a program that
awards degrees to alumni whose study was cut short, she
brought his name to the attention of College officials.
Her grandfather left Union after his third year when the
nation entered World War II. After the war, restrictions
in the G.I. Bill prevented him from completing his work
at Union but did provide funding for him to continue his
studies at Albany Law School, where he received his law
degree.
DeMatteo said that joining his
granddaughter at Commencement was a “truly
wonderful” day in his life.
Also receiving their Union degrees were
Howard Seld '35, a retired attorney from Lake Worth,
Fla.; George Clark '42, a physician in Chazy, N.Y.; and
Howard Beardmore '48, a periodontist in Coral Gables,
Fla..
About forty alumni have received
bachelor's degrees in the eight years of the program.
Eligible are those who completed at least three years of
study at Union, did not receive a bachelor's degree from
another institution, received an advanced degree, and
attained distinction in their field.
Trevor Koenig, who set all kinds of
records as an All-American goalie on the men's hockey
team, graduated with one eye on professional hockey and
the other on teaching.
With National Hockey League teams in
Carolina and Calgary showing an interest, he was
naturally excited about a possible career in professional
hockey.
Just in case, though, the cum laude
graduate also applied (and was accepted) into the
College's educational studies program, which prepares
individuals for careers in teaching.
“I've always believed that a
strong education makes for a well-balanced athlete,”
he says. Koenig's graduation numbers included a 3.34
grade point average in math and English and a .931 save
percentage in 1996-97, the best in the country.
The valedictorian of this year's class,
Anguel Zapryanov, is an economics major who came to the
U.S. in 1993 from Bulgaria. Now a financial analyst for
Stern Stewart Co., a New York corporate advisory firm, he
says he is considering teaching economics at the college
level.
The salutatorian was Laurie Kirschner,
a psychology major from Suffern, N.Y. She will attend the
Harvard University Graduate School of Education to work
on a master's degree in human development and psychology.
She also says she is considering teaching at the college
level, with a speciality in female adolescent psychology.
All told, the College awarded 605
degrees — 109 graduate degrees, 232 bachelors of arts,
206 bachelors of science, twenty-nine bachelors of
science in civil engineering, three bachelors of science
in computer systems engineering, twelve bachelors of
science in electrical engineering, and fourteen bachelors
of science in mechanical engineering.
As usual, the Commencement ceremony was
held outdoors to accommodate the 6,000 guests, 600
graduates, and 160 or so faculty who normally attend. For
the first time in years, however, the ceremony was
accompanied by rain.
In a letter to graduates and families,
Dean of the Faculty Linda Cool noted that the only
possible indoor sites on campus, Achilles Rink and
Memorial Field House, could hold no more than 2,000
guests, and there are no bigger covered facilities
anywhere in Schenectady County.
However, realizing that bad weather can
strike again, she and other members of the Commencement
Committee met within days to discuss possible options for
the future. The initial discussion centered on a
combination of tents and providing live coverage to other
locations on campus, such as Memorial Chapel.