Posted on Jul 14, 2003

Sixteen-year-old Ayla Nur got a taste of college life over the weekend. She attended classes, workshops and, of course, parties. She even ate the food.

And after experiencing that bit of campus life, Nur is convinced more than ever that she wants to go to college.

“I want to go to college because it's a higher level of learning and what you want to do in life, they'll teach you how to do it,” said Nur, who wants to pursue a career in forensic medicine.

Nur, of Schenectady, was one of 60 ninth- and 10th-graders from the Capital Region and New York City who got a firsthand look at the higher learning experience during Union College's “Camp College,” designed for students of color who are first generation college bound or from lower economic backgrounds.

The students and their chaperones and mentors attended classes, learned about financial aid and admissions and slept in dorm rooms. The program ended Sunday. Other camps are scheduled for Aug. 1-3 at Niagara University and Aug. 15-17 at Manhattan College.

“There are so many high school students in the state who don't think college is an option for them,” said Kelly Herrington, associate dean of admissions at Union and organizer of the camp. “This program has a proven record of success in making college a reality for those who might not otherwise continue their education after high school.”

Tia Williams, a 2003 graduate of Schenectady High School who attended the camp two years ago, will be attending Union this fall. She is one of several camp alumni who are on their way to college.

Sixteen-year-old Shelvon Smith, from the Bronx, said the camp taught her that classes at college are nothing like the more structured classes in high school.

“The law class I took, I thought it was interesting because we got to discuss topics and get into debates,” said Smith, who plans to study law. “In high school they put the work on the board, talk to you but don't interact with you.”

Camp College is funded by a grant for the New York State Association of College Admissions Counselors and federal grants through the state's GEAR UP — Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. Additional funding was provided by local businesses, including JAMZ 96.3, Hannaford Brothers, Subway, McDonald's, Bruegger's Bagels and Reality Check.

Besides attending classes and workshops, campers at Union were treated to pizza and beach parties, a cookout and a chance to participate in sports.

Seventeen-year-old Latisha Samuels from the Bronx said although she enjoyed the weekend, “I didn't get a real experience because we were the only ones on campus. It would have been better if (college) students were on campus, but I still want to live in the dorm.”

Samuels added that the English, law and American history classes she took were “not really boring. The teachers were nice because they took the time out on their Saturdays for us.”

Smith said despite the fact there were no college students on campus, “visiting classes and having to go across campus” gave her good a dose of college life.

Guest speakers Denny Farrell, D-Manhattan, and Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, both state assemblymen, said events such as camp college are important for minority students.

“You're encouraged to dream about college even if you're intimidated by it,” Tonko said.

Farrell added that a successful college experience is when a student can “go into a classroom and have a professor teach and be able to say 'Hey, I can do that.' ”

Posted on Jul 13, 2003

Schenectady – Union College admissions counselor Genevieve Mbamalu was born in Nigeria and moved to New York City in June 1996, when she was 16 years old.

She is now a 22-year-old Union College graduate who plans to pursue a graduate degree in international health at Boston University this fall. On Saturday, Mbamalu was well into her duties as mentor at Camp College that began the day before by welcoming a group of four New York City high school students.

The students are part of a group of 60 who are on campus this weekend for a three-day camp to learn about the college experience.

The young college hopefuls were silent when they first arrived, Mbamalu said. But that changed when she told them she grad uate d fro m A. P hilip Randolph Campus High School in Harlem. The common experience in a New York City school jumpstarted the conversation, she said.

“I went to Union College and can provide an example that really clicks with those girls,” Mbamalu said.

Iris Callender was a part of the crew Mbamalu met at the bus station. She is a 15-year-old grade 10 student at Frederick Douglass Academy in New York. If she isn't admitted to Columbia University, Callender said she plans to come to Union in a few years.

“When I was like 5 or 6, my mother bugged me about understanding the world,” Callender said.

Since then, she has found an interest in studying law and music. And just before lunch on Saturday Callender walked into the classroom of Union College political science professor Richard Fox for a simulated course on constitutional law.

The course was one of several that Callender and her fellow campers attended throughout the day. Mbamalu said the goal of the weekend is to show students college life and provide them with tips on gaining acceptance into the college of their choice.

Half of the campers are from the Capital Region and the other half are from the New York City area. All are either minority students or from a poor school district, or are potentially the first college graduate in their family.

“Camp College lets students 'try on' college,” said Susan Nesbitt Perez, who works for the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities. “[College] graduates earn more, become active citizens and have a chance to build lifelong friendships.”

This is the fourth year the event has been held at Union College. Its success has spawned similar weekend camp programs at Niagara University and Manhattan College. The programs are funded though federal and state grants, as well as by donations from local corporations.

The students will hear from New York state Assembly members Denny Farrell, D-Manhattan, and Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, at 10:30 a.m. today at the Nott Memorial.

Posted on Jul 12, 2003

Genny, Erica and Katie are soon to be Juniors at Cohoes High School, but this weekend, the girls are packed and ready to give “college life” a try at “Camp College.”

Genny Thaler said, “I'm looking forward to admissions classes, writing your admissions essay, because I know I need to work on that.”

Erica Wroblewski said, “I heard about a drumming workshop at a radio station, that sounded like a lot of fun.”

Katie Spain said, “I'm thinking the simulated college classes because I've been warned how professors are, and I'm a little scared but I don't know, I think it will be a good experience.”

Good experience is precisely what the organizers said they hope to provide for the students through workshops and activities aimed to “de-mystify” college life.

Kelly Herrington said, “I think at best, we plant the seed for further education and at worst, we give these students three days that they'll never forget. Either way, it's a win-win situation.”

Herrington said the program was created to reach out to selected high schoolers who may not have considered college as an option, and to encourage these students to pursue further education. For Erica and Katie, it doesn't look like they'll need much convincing.

Erica said, “I'm definitely looking around and looking forward to it.”

Katie said, “College is a big part of my plan, I've got them all picked out. Yes, I'm going to college.”

Click here to see a video of the story

Please note the video is not hosted by Union College and availability may change suddenly.

Posted on Jul 12, 2003

SARATOGA SPRINGS – How many people have read the full unabridged version of the Declaration of Independence?

That question prompted Dick Killeen, 75, (a member of Union's Class of 1951) who lives on Emerald Lane, to honor Independence Day by delivering a rolled-up copy of the historical document to about 40 mailboxes in his neighborhood.

“I've done it in the past, but it's usually on a scroll,” he said. “I thought (the unabridged version) was well worth reading. Every year I get older, I learn how much I don't know.”

He also added a note to the document indicating that he would replace any of his neighbors' worn or torn American flags. In the fall and spring, in recognition of Veterans Day, Election Day and Memorial Day, Killeen passed out several dozen miniature American flags now decorating lawns and mailboxes in the neighborhood.

One neighbor went so far as to encase his front yard garden with a wall of them.

Since moving to the area from Long Island two years ago with his wife, Patricia, Killeen has dutifully kept his community abreast of seasonal patriotic holidays and events with personal letters and free copies of the Stars and Stripes.

“It feels good driving in the road and seeing flag after flag in front of mailboxes,” he said.

A native of Schenectady, Killeen served in the Pacific during World War II. In 1947, he enrolled at Union College. After graduation, he took a job with New York Telephone, which became NYNEX, where he crisscrossed the state, climbing the corporate ladder before retiring 40 years later as the corporate director for personnel and administration for the Northeast.

“I sometimes get saddened when you mention Armistice Day and a young clerk doesn't know what you're talking about,” he said. “Our national heritage and history is something that we can be proud of. I'm extremely proud to have served.”

Killeen said he has heard back from neighbors (usually via e-mail) who said they've enjoyed reading his latest gift.

A Canadian friend said she was happy to have read the full version of the declaration – something she'd never done before. A neighbor, who lost his father in World War II when he was 6 years old, said he simply appreciated the effort.

Throughout his professional career, Killeen wore another hat a home: fund-raising for the Red Cross, Salvation Army, YMCA, United Way, mental health organizations and Union College. Plaques from myriad organizations decorate the walls of his home office.

“I believe in civics, the community, education and health,” he said. “The need never stops. You have to keep after it, year after year.”

He readily acknowledges that he wouldn't be anywhere without the help of his wife of 52 years. He calls Patricia “the best thing that ever happened to me” and says she's his “technical staff,” who keeps the books and writes the letters.

The couple met after Killeen returned from the war and brushed up for college boards by tutoring students for upcoming final exams at his old high school.

“I tutored a beautiful young girl by the name of Patricia Morey, and we started to date – after the Regents,” he said.

The couple lived in the area for a couple of years at the beginning of Killeen's career when he worked with Mayor Addison Mallery to create the National Racing Museum.

The Killeens have three grown children: Jeffrey, 50, chairman and CEO of GlobalSpec in Troy; and 48-year-old twins Richard, a physical therapist, and Susan, now a full-time mother.

In addition to his love for a country he said is without equal, Killeen shares advice that served him well throughout his life: “Fall in love with your job and you'll never have to work again,” and “If you believe in something, you can never do too much.”

Posted on Jul 11, 2003

Associate Professor of Anthropology Stephen Leavitt has been
appointed Interim Dean of Students following the resignation of Fred Alford,
who held the position since 1993. Alford has left to become dean of students at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.

Leavitt has been with Union
College for 10 years. For the last
three years, Steve and Karen Brison, who is also an associate professor of
anthropology, have jointly run the Union Scholars Program. Last year, they
oversaw the Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship Advising Program as well. For the
coming year, that program will be run by College Librarian Thomas McFadden.

Leavitt will begin working in the Dean of Students office on
August 4. He notes that he is excited about the appointment and in playing a
key role in student life at Union. “This is an exciting
time for Union College,
with the opening of the new South College
dorm and the two house system 'labs,'” Leavitt said. “I am really looking
forward to working closely with students and faculty as we embark upon one of
the most significant social changes ever at Union.”

A national search for a permanent Dean of Students will
begin this fall.