Posted on Jan 18, 2002

Martin Benjamin, professor of photography, and Donna Fitzgerald, art teacher at the Neil Hellman School of Parsons Child and Family Center in Albany, are presenting “Made in China II,” a series of photographs made during a three-month Union term in China.

The show will be Jan. 18 through March 15 in the Dietel Gallery at the Emma Willard School in Troy. The opening reception is Saturday, Jan. 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The photographs by Benjamin and Fitzgerald, who are married, were taken during three months in the fall of 1999, when China was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.

Posted on Jan 18, 2002

Ann Bumpus '83, assistant professor of philosophy at Dartmouth College, will speak on “Actors Without Intentions” in the Philosophy Department's Winter Colloquia on Friday, Jan. 25, at 4:15 p.m. in Humanities 213.

Intentions are often cited as an important determinant of moral responsibility and legal responsibility. They are often thought to be key in distinguishing mere happenings from human action. But what are intentions? How are they related to beliefs and desires? Does every case of human action involve an intention?

Bumpus argues for an answer to these questions that treats future directed intending as importantly different from intention as it occurs in simple, ordinary actions.  

Her research and teaching interests include action theory, philosophy of mind, and contemporary ethics.

The last talk in the philosophy series is on Friday, March 1, at 4:15 p.m. in Humanities 213 by Rachel Brown of McGill University on “Where's the Self-Knowledge in Self-Deception?”

Posted on Jan 18, 2002

Bill Thomas, Union's director of international programs, returned from a recent trip to Czech Technical University in Prague with an impressive souvenir.

In his luggage was a large medal from CTU, presented in recognition of his work with the Czech exchange program, which sends about 20 Union engineering students to CTU (for one semester) and brings to Union 10 of their Czech counterparts (for the year).

“CTU Medal, First Class” was presented to Thomas at a special reception along with a citation for his “work as a teacher, his pastoral care for Czech students, his enthusiasm, his commitment and major contribution to the successful development of the exchange program between Union College and CTU in Prague.”

The exchange, begun in 1996, has sent about 80 Union students to CTU; about 40 CTU students have come to Union.

Posted on Jan 18, 2002

The College's annual commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is set for Monday, Jan. 21, at 4 p.m. in the Reamer Auditorium.

It will include readings, poetry, speeches, and music by members of the Union community. A reception will follow.

Posted on Jan 18, 2002

A recent grant of $1.25 million from the Freeman Foundation will allow East Asian Studies to draw more students to courses and terms abroad, and to strengthen the ties between students studying abroad and their classmates on campus, faculty members say.

“(The Freeman grant) will give us a larger net to cast to bring students into our courses,” said Joyce Madancy, associate professor of history. “For example, having an art historian in East Asian studies is a good introduction to getting students interested in courses in language, history, politics and philosophy,” she said.

As for linking students on-campus with those abroad, “We want to build on the ideas that our engineers have pioneered with the International Virtual Design Studio, in which students at Union team with foreign students on research, and the Fiji project, which put our students in the field in communication with students at Union,” said Doug Klein, associate dean for information technology.

“For example, it would be great for students in our course on modern Japan to follow a tour through the Hiroshima Peace Museum,” Madancy said, adding, “the goal is not only to make the courses here more interesting and relevant, but to get students more interested in going on terms abroad.”

The grant will fund the hiring of two new faculty positions, one of whom will specialize in East Asian art history, and a new part-time director of the interdisciplinary program. The grant makes possible support for students and faculty conducting research in East Asia; an annual conference on culture, technology and the arts; adding arts study to terms abroad programs; and a film series. It also will be used to sponsor occasional cultural events similar to the recent visit by the Tibetan monks from the Gaden Jangste Monastery.