Posted on Aug 25, 2003

Reflecting on life's quirks, Professor Jim Underwood-retiring after forty years-says
he enjoys teaching more now than when he was younger.

“When you're a young faculty member, you think you have to keep a certain distance from your students,” he says. “But I'm a lot more playful in the classroom now.”

Not that Underwood has adopted a Henny Youngman persona. “It's just that I'm willing to make a spontaneous play on words or a comment on politics. When I first started, I thought that if you let that kind of thing show, students wouldn't think you were serious. And I believe now, as I did then, that the first duty of a faculty member is to indicate to students that they are fully committed to teaching. Students can't be fully committed to learning until they know that.”

There's little doubt that in his forty years in the College's Department of Political Science, Underwood has earned his students' respect. His Rolodex bulges with the names of former students, a number of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in law, politics, and diplomacy; visitors drop in continually; and he has taught half a dozen children of former students. All happily recall Underwood's habits-the notes about things to do that he sticks in his pockets, his hiking across campus lugging two shopping bags full of books and papers, his sneakers and floppy hats.

A native of Irwin, Pennsylvania, Underwood graduated from Franklin and Marshall College and earned his M.P.A. and Ph.D. from Syracuse
University, where he was a Maxwell Fellow. It was while he was finishing his Ph.D. that he heard that Union was hiring, and he joined the faculty in 1963 (he retires as the longest-serving current faculty member). Over the years, he has served the College in a number of capacities, including dean of the faculty, chair of the Political Science Department, chair of the Social Sciences Division, and director of the General Education program. Now the Chauncey H. Winters Professor of Political Science, he is the co-author of Governor Rockefeller in New York: The Apex of Pragmatic Liberalism in the United States, and has published articles in Polity and Congress and the Presidency. He also has written and lectured extensively about former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.

With his long perspective on Union, Underwood has accumulated lots of opinions. For example, students are better now, he says.

“The quality of the kids we're recruiting now-no doubt it's better,” he says. “They're better prepared, and they do better work. Oh, we had a lot of bright kids in the '60s and '70s, but they didn't work as hard, and they weren't pushed as hard by faculty. I had a seminar recently where many students spent fifteen hours a week outside class-this just on one course.

“Just take a look at a couple of areas where we excel,” he continues. “In study abroad, there's been a great expansion over the years, and we now have more than two dozen programs throughout the world. In undergraduate research, the majority of departments now have some kind of demanding senior thesis or project. We are ahead of most institutions in both of these areas, and we have a better curriculum, with a general education program that goes beyond what most institutions require.

“No question it's a better place than it was forty years ago.”

Underwood acknowledges that he will miss the day-to-day contact with students. “It was always energizing,” he says. “If I went into a classroom not feeling well, nine out of ten times I came out feeling better. Obviously, I'll miss that.”

The contact won't disappear entirely-he plans to teach one course next winter-but much of his energy now will go into his writing, such as an essay he's working on about forty years of teaching. He's even toyed with the idea of writing fiction, and he plans to do some oral history projects with Union people.

He will carry with him a memory of Union as “a very warm place. That's a great thing. There's not a lot of pretense, and I think our applicants sense that.

“It's also a place of high energy levels. Give me students with high energy, and I'll get them to perform in the classroom. There's nothing like a student who becomes a convert to learning, and there's nothing better than seeing a student respond.”

Posted on Aug 25, 2003

Of the many joys in Sigrid Kellenter's career at Union, she recalls the terms
abroad she led in Vienna and in Schwäbisch-Hall and Freiburg, Germany:

“There is so much beauty in art and architecture-illustrations of history and culture over the centuries. On excursions to city centers, with their beautiful public buildings, houses, squares and parks, fortresses and castles, churches and museums, I was eager to get in as many sights as possible. With my 'typical German' vigorous walk, getting on foot from here to there was never a problem for me, but with fifteen or twenty students who preferred to walk very leisurely, this meant keeping up the pace if we ever wanted to arrive anywhere.
I soon developed a reputation of being a challenge to keep up with. Students have joked about this for years. One group sweetly renamed me 'Frau Schnellenter' ('schnell' is German for 'fast'). I have always loved that name.”

Kellenter, the Thomas Lamont Professor of Ancient and Modern Literature, is retiring this year, having arrived at Union in 1976. She wrote her dissertation on Rilke's sonnets and has since been sowing the seeds of poetry and beauty wherever she can-from her literature classes to the yoga classes she teaches.

In the late 1970s, Kellenter was among Union's first female faculty members in tenure-track positions. In her early days here, “when we were not many women yet,” she coordinated the Women's Reading Group and co-chaired the President's Commission on the status of Women.

She has taught yoga (“my second love”) at Union for the past eight years. In the beginning, she led classes informally for the few who were interested, “in any room that was available, sometimes having to move chairs from a classroom or room in the campus center.” Now, with yoga a standard offering in Union's Intramurals and Wellness Program, she teaches classes on Tuesday afternoons to students, faculty, and staff. She hopes to continue pursuing this love after she retires.

In addition to being a renowned teacher (in 1990, she won the Outstanding Educator Award from the American Association of Teachers of German), she has served as a faculty trustee and as chair and acting chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. Over the years, she's been active in the American Association of Teachers of German, serving as president of the Hudson Valley Chapter and participating in its academic alliance between secondary and postsecondary institutions. She organized chapter meetings and brought visiting German scholars and poets to campus.

What has made her professional life meaningful? “The daily encounter with all my wonderful students, whose minds and hearts I am able to touch and sometimes turn (if ever so slightly), whom I appreciate and love, and by many of whom I am appreciated and loved in return.”

What will she miss? “People! The opportunities to build relationships with all-colleagues, students, administrators, staff. I can walk across campus now, anytime, and greet and be greeted with warm smiles. And learning! About other people and myself: issues, ideas, problems, and possible solutions.”

Life after Union? “I can go off into the sunset,” says Kellenter with a clear-eyed smile, “keeping my dreams alive as
I continue to teach yoga, and possibly an adjunct course
or two here.”

Posted on Aug 25, 2003

ReUnion welcomes everyone home

The more than 1,400 alumni and guests who returned to campus for ReUnion this year found something new-a home of their own at 1128 Lenox Rd.

The College dedicated the historic Parker-Rice estate as Abbe Hall, the new Alumni Center and home of College Relations. Built in 1900 by Edwin W. Rice, former
president of General Electric Co. and trustee of the College from 1906 to 1935, the building was donated to the College by the Parker-Rice family in 1976. The restoration was made possible by a gift from Robert T. '49 and Virginia O. Abbe.

A home of your own

The weekend began with a ceremony marking the restoration and renovation of the historic home at Lenox Road and Union Avenue, made possible by a gift from Robert T. '49 and Virginia O. Abbe. The house, built in 1900 for Edwin W. Rice, the second president of the General Electric Co., was known for many years as the Parker Rice House. As the new home for the alumni and development offices, it will be known as Abbe Hall.

Experienced in historic preservation, the Abbes requested that the house be restored, as near as possible, to its original décor. Alumni who returned for the weekend were greeted by such touches as natural woodwork, tapestry wallpaper, and original lighting fixtures.

Two rooms in Abbe Hall were dedicated to the classes that supported their restoration-the library to the Class of 1973, and the conference room to the Class of 1953.

Getting bigger and better

This year's ReUnion was one of the largest in the College's history, second only to the Bicentennial event in 1995, according to Nick Famulare '92, director of alumni relations.

“Between a record-high 100 alumni volunteers and a strong and varied program, there was tremendous interest in this year's ReUnion,” he said. “We had alumni from the Classes of 1935 through 2002 and from as far away as Sweden and Singapore. This was a complete campus effort with faculty, students, administrators, and more than a dozen different departments involved. From dedications to academic lectures to ReUnion class gifts over $24 million…it was amazing. The Union spirit is alive and well.”

The weekend, which celebrates the traditions of the College, combined traditional events-barbecues, tours, class dinners, the alumni parade and convocation-with some new items, such as a standing-room-only presentation on the American Locomotive Co. with Dick Steinbrenner '58, who has written a book on ALCO, and the dedication of a memorial from the V-5/V-12 unit to alumni lost in the Civil War.

Back from all over

Alumni returned from all over the world-including one who traveled 11,000 miles from Singapore-representing classes from 1932 to 2002. Shown are the Singapore guests-Kathleen and Martyn Goossen and their son, Jay, a junior at the College.

The annual alumni parade, which was first held in 1911, featured all the anniversary classes from 1938 through 1998. The class of 1963 took the Van Voast/Class of 1941 Cup for the class having the best costume. The Class of 1953 took the Anable Cup for the largest number of classmates in the parade, the McClellan Cup for the greatest percentage of classmates at ReUnion, and the Class of 1943 award for the most outstanding ReUnion effort.

Handshakes are convocation highlight

One of the most moving events of the weekend was the traditional senior handshake, when members of the Class of 1953 welcomed this year's graduates into the alumni body. One member of the Class of 1953 wrote in the 50th class directory that has fond memories of shaking the hands of alumni from the Class of 1903 during his senior handshake fifty years ago.

At the convocation, Sy Gluck '49, El Harp '53, and Frank Messa '73 received Alumni Gold Medals for service to the College. Dan Lundquist, vice president for admissions and financial aid, received the Alumni Council's Meritorious Service Award.

ReUnion classes presented President Roger Hull with gifts totaling $24,318,328, which included a recent gift of $20 million from
John '38 and Jane Wold.

A tribute from V-12/V-5

Alumni from the U.S. Navy's V-12/V-5 unit returned to campus for their 60th ReUnion and presented a plaque honoring alumni who lost their lives during the Civil War. The plaque joins other historic tributes in Memorial Chapel. Taking part in the dedication ceremony were Joe Goldreich '45, Herb Saxe '50, Nelson Heyer '47, Philip Ziffer '47, Fred Bronner '46, Joe Hinchey '47, Jack Trenner '45, Lee Landes '45, William Fisher '47, and Lee Akins '46.

The College's casualties during the Civil War included 61 from the Union side, eight from the Confederate forces. All 69 names are on the plaque. Five alumni received Medals of Honor-George Bliss, Class of 1860; Daniel Butterfield, Class of 1849; Francis Hall, Class of 1852; John Hartranft, Class of 1853; and Philip Post, Class of 1855.

Feigenbaums top engineering awards

Armand V. and Donald S. Feigenbaum, graduates of 1942 and 1946, respectively, received the outstanding alumni awards
at the presentation of the College's Engineering and Computer Science Alumni Awards.

The Feigenbaums are founders of General
Systems Company in Pittsfield, Mass. The
company designs and implements integrated management systems for major corporations
and organizations worldwide.

“We are delighted to recognize Armand and Donald Feigenbaum,” said Robert Balmer, dean
of engineering and computer science. “They
have brought honor to the College through their distinguished careers, and they stand as wonderful models for our students.”

Since 1996 the College has hosted the annual Feigenbaum Forum, which brings leaders from the academic and business worlds together at
the College to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern.

Armand Feigenbaum is the originator of Total Quality Control. His book on the subject has been published in many languages and is the basic text on quality systems and improvement. Donald Feigenbaum is one of the acknowledged world leaders in systems management and systems engineering and was the founding chairman of the systems engineering committee of the American Society for Quality Control.

Several other awards were presented (gold awards went to alumni who graduated more than ten years ago, silver to graduates from the last ten years):

• CE Gold Award-Jack J. Woolf '55, CEO, Construction Solutions; CE Silver Award-Grant W. Gagnier, Jr. '96, vice president, construction operations, Barr & Barr, Inc.
• CS Gold Award George H. Williams '64, professor, Union College; CS Silver Award-Joseph M. Marocco '93, computer network coordinator, Saranac Lake (N.Y.) School District.
• EE Gold Award Catherine A. Keim '83, product offering manager, extended foundry services, IBM; EE Silver Award-Qian Zhang '95.
• ME Gold Award
  Paul J. Burton III '82, vice president of manufacturing, Plug Power; ME Silver Award-Charles Howarth '95, physician, Cooperstown, N.Y.

Posted on Aug 25, 2003

In fall of 2002, a group of Union students participated in a term abroad in Vietnam, through a program run jointly with Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

During the time the students were in Hanoi, they studied Vietnamese, took an anthropology course called “Photographing Culture,” and completed internships or independent study projects. Although based in Hanoi, they traveled throughout Vietnam, and the photographs they took concentrated on the warmth and friendliness of the Vietnamese people.

An exhibit was held this spring, and here we present a few of the photographs that were on display. The show included images from students Alison Friedman, Meghann Glavin, Joe Kilcullen, Pat Mahoney, Kaitlyn Richards, and Andrea Tehan, and from Professors Sharon Gmelch and George Gmelch, both of anthropology. Michael Mosall
of the College's Visual Arts Department did the printing.

Posted on Aug 25, 2003

Two years ago a group of Union friends interested in community service began to discuss ways of forming their own organization.

After months of e-mails, phone calls, and meetings, they found what they were looking for-the Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority-and on June 9, 2001, the group of friends became officially known as the Union College Colony of Gamma Sigma Sigma.

Nearly two years after that, the group celebrated its new charter as the Zeta Phi Chapter of Gamma Sigma Sigma.

The effort began among a group of friends who felt that women at Union were losing sight of the goals and challenges set forth by their “coed” predecessors. The group decided that an organization was needed that would foster the ideas of scholarship, friendship, leadership, equality, diversity, and a strong commitment to the service of the community.

“We just wanted to be different, and the sorority seemed to fit our personality,” says senior member Rachel Burke. Although the organization's primary intention is that of performing community service, “we also have an aspect of sorority as well-a significant reason for being together,” says Burke.

The National Panhellenic Council does not recognize Gamma Sigma Sigma because it is not a social sorority. However, the InterFraternity Council welcomed Gamma Sigma Sigma as the newest Greek organization on campus. The affiliation with IFC requires the organization to be non-selective-any student can join Gamma Sigma Sigma to uphold its service ideals-and Gamma Sig now includes a male member, George Coolbaugh.

Since its introduction to Union two years ago, Gamma Sig has grown from eight members to thirty-one. “The fact that that we are so different is the attraction to our organization,” says current president Lindsay Homenick '04. “I am proud to lead this unique and purposeful organization.”

As a service organization, the sorority requires its members to perform a minimum of ten hours of community service a term. Annually, the members participate in the Capital District MS Walk and the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl for Kids Sake, Halloween Party, and Youth Olympics. “We're trying to establish ourselves as a place on campus that people can come to for community service help,” says Burke. “We have a lot of potential to provide for the community.”

Members also participate in individual acts
of community service. Many are “Bigs” in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program, while others tutor for the ROAR program and local high schools. Burke goes beyond the ten-hour
minimum by heading a local Girl Scout troop.

Gamma Sig does not have specific housing and is looking for a social place on campus to gather and plan events. However, Burke sees not living together as a positive. “We all have lives outside the sorority.”

With each passing term the sorority does more and more service for the community. “We want to keep membership growing,”
says Burke, “and continue providing community service.”