Posted on May 12, 2000

Just as the Class of 2000 – the largest in Union
College history – is headed out the door, along comes the Class of 2004.

Early this week, 585 students had paid their deposits to
join the Class of 2004, according to Dan Lundquist, vice president for
admissions and financial aid. An expected “summer melt” of 5
percent would mean about 555 entering freshmen this fall, he added.

However, unlike the Class of 2000 — over 600 in early
May and 585 by the fall — we have a “safety valve” in the form
of a number of juniors who would like to live off campus, making room for
the freshmen, Lundquist said. In 1996, the College had to house a number
of students in off-campus apartments.

Lundquist attributes this year's largess to growing
popularity of the College, a favorable demographic and a strong economy.

“By the time the dust settles, I hope we will have
erred on the side of being financially prudent,” he says.

And for the first time in years – four to be exact –
Lundquist is quietly hoping that other institutions go to their wait
lists.

Posted on May 12, 2000

Friday May 12

— Session I: 9:20 to 10:40
a.m. – Concurrent oral sessions

— Session II: 10:50 a.m.
to 12:10 p.m. – Concurrent oral sessions

— Session III: 12:20 to
1:50 p.m. – Performing Arts Session in Dance Studio, Arts Building

— Session IV: 2 to 3:20
p.m. – Concurrent oral sessions

— Session V: 3:30 to 4:50
p.m. – Concurrent oral sessions

— Session VI: 5 to 6 p.m.
– Concurrent oral sessions

(Oral sessions held in Olin, Social Sciences, and
S&E)

— 8 p.m., Memorial Chapel
– Concert by Orchestra and Choir

— 10 to 11 a.m., Nott
Memorial – President's welcome reception

— 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.,
Memorial Chapel – Prize Day

— 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.,
Old Chapel – Favorite poem presentation

— 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Hale
House – Prize Day reception.

— 12:30 to 2 p.m., Dutch
Hollow – Jazz Ensemble concert

— 1:30 to 3 p.m. –
Department open houses

— 1:45 to 3 p.m., Nott
Memorial – Poster sessions

— 3:15 to 4:15 p.m., Olin
and S&E – Selected faculty lectures

Posted on May 12, 2000

Jaime
Garrand '00 saw lots of mud in Prof. Don Rodbell's “Lakes and
Environmental Change.”

There, in the layers of sediment taken from the bottoms
of a number of area lakes, she saw a detailed record of climatic change.

With the encouragement of Rodbell and Prof. Steve Rice
of biology, she launched a multi-year research project in which she
investigated climatic change as evidenced by the types of pollen found in
layers of lake sediment.

She will present her research, “The Sedimentologic
and Palynologic Record of the last Deglaciation from Ballston Lake,”
on Friday afternoon in the 10th annual Steinmetz Symposium. Garrand will
be joined by about 200 other students in the annual exposition of student
research and creative achievement.

Garrand found pollen grains from coniferous trees about
11,000 years ago, which would suggest a cooler climate, she says. But in
the layers of sediment 1,000 years later, there was an extreme drop in
boreal vegetation and an increase in hardwoods, an indicator of a warmer
climate. The last 2,000 years shows a cooler climate with more pollen of
coniferous trees.

Garrand studied the pollen from the lake samples with
paleobotanist Norton Miller of the New York State Museum, an authority in
the field, spending about 40 hours per week there in the summer, and 15
hours per week since last fall.

Garrand, a native of Orange, Conn., will attend the
University of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff to pursue a master's in
quaternary studies. Ultimately, she says, she wants to earn a Ph.D. to
teach and do research at the college level.

The Steinmetz Symposium, Prize Day and related events
are part of a special Parents' Weekend dedicated to the recognition of
student achievement.

Times and locations of Steinmetz and other sessions are
listed on this page and on the College's Web site:
http://steinmetz2000.union.edu/sessions-list.htm

Posted on May 12, 2000

Friday, May 12, through Monday, May 15, 8
and 10 p.m.
Reamer Auditorium.
Film committee presents Scream 3.

Friday, May 12.
Various campus locations.
10th Steinmetz Symposium on student research and creative achievement.

Friday, May 12, 12:20 p.m.
Performing Arts Studio.
Dance performance featuring original student and faculty choreography.

Friday, May 12, 8 p.m.
Memorial Chapel.
Steinmetz 2000 Concert
Union College and Community Orchestra (conducted by Prof. Hilary Tann,
Anastasie Prokhorova ' 01 piano soloist) and Union College Choir
(conducted by Prof. Dianne McMullen) in a concert of
works by Mozart, Brahms, Pakk Hui' 00, and Grieg.

Saturday, May 13, 11 a.m.
Memorial Chapel.
Prize Day convocation.

Saturday, May 13, 12:30 p.m.
Chet's.
Concert of standards and originals by Union College Jazz Ensemble, Prof.
Tim Olsen directing.

Through May 13.
Arts Atrium Gallery.
Steinmetz Symposium Art Exhibition featuring the works of several
students.

Sunday, May 14, 7 p.m.
Memorial Chapel.
American Premiere of Tom Johnson's Bonhoeffer Oratorium based on
the sermons, radio broadcasts and prison letters of Bonhoeffer (1906-45).
For information, call ext. 6566.

Tuesday, May 16, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Everest Lounge.
“When I Survey the Wondrous … : How Do Religion and the Classroom
Mix?” sponsored by the Committee and Teaching and Freshman
Preceptors.

Thursday, May 18, 7:30 p.m.
Nott Memorial.
Chicano novelist Alfredo Véa Jr. reads from his latest book, Gods Go
Begging.

Thursday, May 18, 8 p.m.
Yulman Theater.
Opening of Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin, directed
by Jon Galt. Runs through May 28.

Through May 21.
Mandeville Gallery, Nott Memorial.
“Separate & Together,” an exhibition by painters Wolf Kahn
and Emily Mason focusing on the husband and wife's common influences,
inspirations and approaches.

Posted on May 12, 2000

Pakk-Shing
Hui, a senior biology major, never imagined himself a composer. But during
his four years at Union, he's written two pieces for orchestra; a piece
for a string trio, piano, and percussion; and arranged numerous tunes for
the Dutch Pipers.

On Friday, as part of Steinmetz 2000, the Union College
and Community Orchestra will perform his most recent work, Beloved (For
Chun Keung). The piece is based on the experience of his father's
death during his freshman year. “It is an emotionally intense piece
that has an oriental flavor,” explains Hui, originally from Hong
Kong. He says that composing provides him with a way to express himself
— and “become a better musician, a better person.”

“I guess it's in my genes,” he says of his
love of music. “I started playing piano at the age of ten by ear, and
began lessons in ninth grade. I love composing, just like authors love
writing. I believe that I was born to enjoy music.”

Hui says that he has loved both his science and his
music experiences at Union. He raves about his National Health Systems
term abroad studying in Europe, and he says that organic chemistry has
been his favorite class.

He also has been active with the College's admissions
office, as a Gatekeeper and as a senior intern.

While Hui has loved his experiences in music at Union,
he plans to go to medical school within the next few years. “I just
need to do something different before I settle down to medicine,” he
says. “But I'll definitely continue with music wherever I go.”