Posted on May 27, 2003

For most of the years since graduation,
Jeff Feigelson '83 practiced sedate
real estate law at a Manhattan firm. Then, seven years ago, he became a part-time professional boxing promoter. Maybe not such a leap-look at Howard Cosell, another attorney turned boxing aficionado.

The bug bit Feigelson when he happened to attend a live professional boxing match in a small Brooklyn venue that was packed with 1,000 screaming fans. Seven or eight fights were on the card; none were big names.
But the crowd went wild anyway, including Feigelson. “The atmosphere was electric, and it was much more exciting than my work as an attorney,” he recalls. “I said to myself that
I have to get involved with this.”

His first step in obtaining a promoter's license was to find an arena. “Basically, I had to provide New York State with architectural plans showing the layout of the seats; surety bonds to guarantee that the fighters would be paid; and certain background information to establish that I did not have a criminal record,” he says.

Feigelson was able to book fighters because he hired a “matchmaker”-a New York State-licensed boxing expert who knew all the fighters in the New York area and most of the fighters around the country. “The owner of the biggest boxing gym in the Northeast, Bruce Silverglade, from Gleason's Gym, would typically be the matchmaker for my shows, and I relied on him greatly,” Feigelson says.

Now, with more experience, Feigelson has more input on who fights. But he still has to
spend a lot of time on the basics-obtaining insurance, finding ring card girls, and handling the publicity and marketing. Whenever feasible, he also arranges for a telecast, which can make his efforts more profitable. Sometimes he is able to connect with the Madison Square Garden (MSG-TV) network. For the most part, the fights are taped and telecast at a later date.

Feigelson books all classes of fighters,
from featherweight to heavyweight. He also encounters all kinds of boxers, from ex-cons to former World Boxing Association champs.
Of the latter, one of the better-known names
is Mark Brealand-a former Olympic gold medalist and WBA welterweight champion. Then there is the occasional ex-WBA champ trying for a comeback, such as Lou Del Valle-
a light heavyweight.

Venturing into the novelty of women boxers, Feigelson has booked some twenty-five shows. Two of those were in Moscow, where, he says, attendance was excellent. One main event featured Olga Maskaeu, a top-ten heavyweight who fights out of Gleason's Gym. She is part of a large Russian immigrant community.

Feigelson says that all kinds of people go
to the fights, and he has spotted a number of alumni.

Feigelson, who now has his own real estate investment firm, did not orchestrate any events in 2002, primarily because of the closing of a Queens arena that he used. But he has legally represented fighters, so don't count him out of the promotion business.

-By Monica Finch

Posted on May 27, 2003

Rebecca Smackey'92 took a circuitous route to her current niche as director of communications and publications for the Philadelphia Orchestra– but to her the experience resulted in music to her ears.

After graduation she worked for the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and then earned an M.B.A. from Emory University. A two-year stint with IBM in New York City followed. Upon reexamining her goals, she decided she really wanted to “work for a cause.” She returned to Philadelphia, joined the orchestra staff in
the development office, and moved to her current post last year.

To some, classical music may be perceived as the exclusive province of the gray-haired set. Nothing could be more inaccurate. Smackey says the Philadelphia Orchestra “targets” every age group via its programming efforts. “There is an extensive outreach program involving our musicians and volunteer docents who travel to the schools in advance of the concerts, preparing the students for the music they will hear,” she says.

That outreach includes the Sound All Around series for ages three to five; the Family Concert Series for ages six to twelve and their families; the School Concerts for regional grade- and high school students; and Campus Classics for the college-age crowd. The orchestra also has the 21st Century Society, “a group of very active young professionals who create fundraising events around orchestra performances, network, and volunteer on projects,” Smackey says.

And, of course, she and her staff work hard to attract and keep patrons. She describes the orchestra website,
www.philorch.org, as a “work in progress” as “we see how we can leverage the experience on the web to better connect to the patrons–it's an emotional attachment,” says Smackey. “Converting a single ticket
buyer into a subscriber is one challenge, then demonstrating the importance of every subscriber also being an active donor is another critical component. Without contributed income, arts organizations wouldn't exist.”

The scope of the orchestra's venues is literally worldwide. It performs annually at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and frequently the itinerary includes overseas travel, such as its Tour of the Americas this spring.

Smackey says there is a lot of excitement and energy surrounding the orchestra because the present music director, Wolfgang Sawallisch, will leave this fall and Christoph Eschenbach will take up the baton. Both are accomplished pianists, but with distinctive individual styles, she says. The former's great love is Schumann-the impetus for a Schumann Festival with the orchestra. Eschenbach has a penchant for introducing new music-part of his philosophy of “raising the invisible curtain between the stage and audience,” Smackey says.

Despite its worldwide renown and world-class following, the orchestra has not forgotten its neighbors. Each summer its Neighborhood Concert program is performed regionally. “It becomes a true partnership between that community and the orchestra,” says Smackey, “with extensive programming pre- and post-concert.” The summer schedule also features a month-long outdoor season at Philadelphia's Mann Center for the Performing Arts and, of course, the annual summer visit to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “This is where many audience members come with a picnic under the stars to take in the magical sounds of our orchestra,” she says.

Perhaps in these unsettled times, she says, music is a “salve for your wounds” that provides “a sense of calm.” And that in itself is priceless.

-By Monica Finch

Posted on May 27, 2003

Sometimes opportunity is disguised as adversity. In 2001, Fred H. Abbott '77, with more than twenty years in executive management and consulting experience in information technology, became a statistic. Along with countless other IT professionals, Abbott was laid off when the dot com bubble burst.

As industry growth waned, Abbott reviewed what he perceived to be his only viable options-find another job in the risk-laden IT industry or take a leap of faith and start his own company. He chose the latter, and he hasn't looked back once. Today Valley View Ventures, based in Concord, Mass., represents almost forty IT analysts. This past July in an interview with
The New York Times, Abbott reported he was ahead of his target seven-figure annualized bookings for the end of 2002. More recently. he said V3's revenue “has doubled every quarter in 2002” and topped his seven-figure goal.

Abbott, a history major, credits much of
his success to Joseph Finkelstein, professor emeritus of history and economics and of management, who advised him to learn
professional selling. Abbott was recruited
by NCR right out of Union. “I wanted to learn about the computer business, although people said growth in the computer industry was over,” he recalls. At first he worked for NCR in Albany and later in Philadelphia. Then out of curiosity he answered an ad in the
Wall Street Journal to sell market research for International Data Corp., which happened to be a sister company of
Computer World magazine.

Subsequently, Abbott held senior management positions in a number of IT advisory firms including the Gartner Group, Giga, and D.H. Brown Associates. During that time, Brown went through two IPOs, but, he says, “Wall Street lost interest in consulting firms because their value was hyped. Additionally, stagnant growth in the computer business caused the IT market reseach industry to contract during the last twelve months.”

Before establishing V3, Abbott's research revealed that independent technology consultants enjoyed their work but don't have much enthusiasm for beating the bushes for business. Abbott realized he could fill that niche by starting a business that would find work for IT analysts for a percentage of their revenue. He saw his company as a “William Morris Agency” for IT analysts. The firm connects IT executives from Fortune 500 and business planners to “independent thought leaders, consultants, and industry analysts.”

He says the company is a “win-win”-consultants realize they can do better by going independent than by joining another big company where their bookings need to support high overhead costs. Meanwhile, clients get better value from independent IT professionals because “independents often offer insight and advice more closely tailored to their clients' particular needs.”

Abbott, whose office is in his home in Boston's Route 128 technology region, has grown his business because he is a good listener who wants to provide his clients with the best services available. And to those who might find themselves in a similar position as Abbott did in summer 2001, he advises, “Talk to friends, colleagues, former clients and try to match what you like to do best with what they say you do best. And then put the left foot in front of the right foot….”

-By Monica Finch

Posted on May 27, 2003

The Office of Alumni Relations
has formed Union's first Student Alumni Association. Union's best
and brightest applied to be part of the association, which will help increase communication between students and alumni. The SAA will also host programs to ease students' transitions to life after Union and expose students to alumni traditions on Homecoming and ReUnion weekends. We are thrilled to welcome the following students (with their hometowns and major) to the association:

Chris Macomber '05, Albany, N.Y., Biology and Music-Leadership in Medicine Program;

Meghan Coughlin '05, Stoneham, Mass., Biology;

Jeff Roffman'05, Coral Springs, Fla., American History;

Gillian McCabe '05, Park Ridge, N.J., Political Science;

Erin Williams '05, Westfield, Mass., Economics, with Spanish minor;

Rachel Racusen '04, Boston, Political Science, with Art History minor;

Emma Ester Bendana '04, Albany, N.Y., Chemistry/Sociology-Leadership in Medicine Program;

Jeremy Dibbell '04, Bainbridge, N.Y., Political Science with minor in Nott and Seward Studies;

Theresa Finney '04, Portland, Ore., English, with an Art History minor;

Sarre Gellar '04, Ardsley, N.Y., Political Science, a minor in Theatre/Chinese;

Matt Gerien '04, Santa Rosa, Calif., Political Science;

Lauren Mielcarz '04, Concord, N.H., History, with Political Science minor;

Victoria Keefe '03, Natick, Mass., Economics, with French minor;

Robyn Kurland '03, Mill Valley, Calif., Political Science/Sociology, with minor in Women's Studies.

Posted on May 27, 2003

Since Jan. 1, 2002, the following
represented the College at presidential inaugurations at other colleges and universities:

Joseph M. Hinchey '47 at
the inauguration of Norman Fainstein at Connecticut College;

Herbert M. Guston '55 at the inauguration of
Rodney D. Smith at Ramapo College;

John J. Beauvais '72 at the inauguration of David S. Wolk at Castleton
(Vt.) State College;

Frank L. Messa '73 at the inauguration of Rebecca S. Chopp at Colgate University;

Jonathan T. Patten '64 at the inauguration of Richard F. Celeste at Colorado College;

Robert B. Howe '58 at the inauguration of Robert H. Bruininks at the
University of Minnesota;

Professor Emeritus H. Gilbert Harlow at the inauguration of Mary Sue Coleman at the University of Michigan.