Claudia Gutman of Floral Park, Nassau County, was co-salutatorian of Union College's Class of 2004 at Commencement
today.
A 2000 graduate of Floral Park High School, she is the daughter of Charles
Gutman and Janet Meyer.
Gutman earned her bachelor's degree with a major in biology
and a minor in women's studies.
Among her Union honors, she recently received the Josephine
Daggett Prize for the senior of outstanding character and conduct; the President's Commission on the Status of Women Senior
Scholarly Activity Award; the Samuel S. Feuer Prize for outstanding
performance in premedical studies; dean's list; Phi Beta Kappa, elected in her
junior year; election to the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society; the Edith
Emilee MacCoy Prize for excellence in the study of botany; and the Sigma Xi Research Award for the best presentation of research.
Gutman has been active as a crisis support member with Safe
Space, an organization dedicated to the support of survivors of rape and sexual
assault; a member of the Presidential Commission on Harassment and Sexual
Assault, which made recommendations for improved policy, procedure and
prevention of harassment and sexual assault; and a coordinator for Womyn's
Union, a club aimed at reducing gender
discrimination.
Among her community service
contributions, she was a volunteer
personal reading tutor for second grade students through Reach Out and Read (ROAR); and a “Big Sister” through the
College's chapter of Big Brothers and Big Sisters.
Gutman was selected to
participate with the Union contingent in the National Conference on
Undergraduate Research at the University of Indiana (declined
due to illness). She presented at the College's Steinmetz Symposium, an
exposition of student creative, scholarly and research achievement.
Gutman was a dental assistant
with Dr. Mark Molinsky,
and also worked as an intern with Dr. Barry Loffredo, traveling to Jamaica to assist with missionary dental
care. She is planning to work for a year as a dental assistant and then attend
dental school.
Jeremy Dibbell, a native of Bainbridge, Chenango County, was
co-salutatorian of Union College's Class of 2004 at Commencement
ceremonies today.
He is a 2000 graduate of Gilbertsville-Mount Upton High School.
Dibbell, active in a number of College organizations,
received the Frank Bailey Prize, awarded to the senior who has rendered the greatest
service to the College.
“The atmosphere of this place, the beauty of the
campus, draws you in,” explained Dibbell. “And I have a feeling it
probably never lets go.
“Union gives so many opportunities, I've just jumped at a few of
them,” he says. “It's a matter of taking those opportunities and
making of them what you will.”
Dibbell, a fixture at most campus events, is perhaps best
known as past editor-in-chief of Concordiensis, the student newspaper.
“It's hard for me to imagine how anyone did this before
we had computers to do everything for us,” he said recently at the end of
his term. Some of his predecessors, he noted, produced Concordy twice weekly.
“One of the things I've really liked is that you can
tell people are reading and that [the paper] is sparking debate. That's what we
all need to be going for.”
He also has served on a number of committees including
Planning and Priorities, which gave him “the ability to have a voice for
students and to be involved in the nitty-gritty of the College's budgeting
process.”
A political science major, Dibbell recently completed his
thesis on the origins of the Electoral College with Prof. Clifford Brown.
He also held various positions with the Office of Residence
Life and has been on the Writing Board, Minerva Committee and Commencement
Committee.
Union proved to be a wonderful case study for the young history
buff. “Every aspect of American history is somehow encompassed at Union College,” he said, “The
institution is so rich in history.”
Dibbell has worked in the College's Special Collections,
showing a special interest in Eliphalet Nott, president of the College from
1804 to 1866; and William Henry Seward (Class of 1820), Lincoln's secretary of state and the driver
behind the purchase of Alaska, known at the time as
“Seward's Folly.”
Dibbell, who spent much of the past year researching Nott's
speeches and letters will continue next year in the archives planning the
commemoration of the bicentennial of Nott's inauguration this fall and
assisting with other projects.
Last summer, he joined a dozen college journalists in the
11th annual Anti-Defamation League Albert Finkelstein Memorial Study Mission to
Israel, Poland and Bulgaria.
His plans include graduate school in history and teaching at
a liberal arts college, perhaps Union, he says.
Shari Ziegelstein, a native of Spring Valley, Rockland County, and 2000 graduate of Ramapo High School, was valedictorian of Union College's Class of 2004 at Commencement on
June 13.
She is the daughter of Geri and Joel Ziegelstein
of Rockland Lane
in Spring Valley.
She earned her bachelor's
degree in psychology with a minor in biology.
At Union,
she was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society; a selected presenter for
the National Conference on Undergraduate Research; a dean's list student; and
vice president of Chi Psi, the honor society in psychology. She received the
John Lewis March Scholarship for her achievement in the study of psychology.
Among her activities at Union,
she was a team captain for Relay for Life, a fundraiser for cancer research; a volunteer
peer mediator for Law
Order and Justice at Elmer Avenue Elementary School; and a volunteer reader for ROAR
(Reach Out and Read), a literacy program. She also worked as an
office assistant in the College's Department of Psychology, and was an intern in school social work with
the Schenectady City School District.
At home, Ziegelstein has
volunteered at Project Rainbow to help lead group therapy sessions for those
affected by drugs or alcohol. She has also worked as a substitute teacher
assistant at East Ramapo Central Schools, and as head counselor at Robin Hill
Camp in Wesley Hills.
Before coming to Union, she was in the honors program at SUNY Rockland, earning an
associate's degree in humanities and social sciences.
Ziegelstein plans to pursue a
master's in education degree with dual certification in early childhood and
special education at the Bank Street College of Education in New
York City.
President Roger Hull gives the charge to the graduates
Charge to the graduates
From
President Roger H. Hull
Union
College Commencement
June 13, 2004
As we bring to an end these ceremonies, let us
remember that “the day is short, the work is hard, the pay is ample, and the God
is urgent.” Those words, inscribed behind
you in Hebrew on the dome of the Nott Memorial, are words that I hope will
always be foremost on your minds.
Last weekend, we celebrated the 60th anniversary
of the Normandy landing, a landing that was accomplished by what was said to be
“the greatest generation.” Was it? I don't know.
What I do know is that that generation clearly rose to the occasion.
I believe that you too, will rise to the
occasion. Whether as members of the
military like Todd Imperiale, Brian Rice or Mark Sollohub or as members of your
community, as Kevin Rampe urged you, recognize how short the day is.
Work hard to make a difference in the lives of your families and of
those in your community, your state, your nation, your world. Recognize that your reward will be the
satisfaction that comes from putting others before self. And remember that you will be judged not only
for whatever professional challenges you choose to tackle, but for the
contributions to the intellectual and moral betterment of the society in which
you live.
Many of you – a great many of you – have contributed
to the Union and Schenectady communities during your time at the College. In the process, you have made life better for
those around you and more meaningful to you.
Keep it up! And for those of you
who have not yet learned the joy of giving, start now. In helping others, you will be benefiting
yourselves, and you will be fulfilling the obligation set forth in the Hebrew
inscription that has hovered above you for four years. “The day is short, the work is hard, the pay
is ample, and the God is urgent.” So, as you leave this historic campus, keep that inscription in mind. Make a difference: Do well and do good!
Kevin M. Rampe Union College Commencement Speech
June 13, 2004
President Hull, members of the faculty, distinguished
visitors, friends and families, and graduating seniors of the class of
2004. I am deeply honored and it is a
tremendous privilege to be addressing you today. Though I have to admit, my wife, Christine,
and I are a little concerned – my first degree at Union
took four years, my law degree only three years, but this one has taken
sixteen!
Twenty years ago this college decided, belatedly, to accept
me as a freshman. You see, originally I
was placed on a waiting list for admission to Union. An experience I will never forget. In this purgatory I spent weeks rushing to my
mailbox every day, sometimes twice a day, looking for that letter of acceptance
– awaiting my fate at the hands of some unknown committee in the hinterlands of
upstate New York. Finally, it came. Today, I promise not to keep you here for as
long as the admissions committee made me wait.
First of all, Congratulations to the class of 2004! You should be proud of all that you have
accomplished. Take this special moment
to remember the good times and to recommit your self to keeping in touch with
your friends. You have worked hard and
today is your reward – enjoy it!
I would also like to congratulate you on your contributions
to this year's senior class gift. I understand that 75% of you, the largest
percentage ever, have donated. That's fantastic.
As an alumnus of Union
College I come to you from the not
so distant past. My goal today is to
share some of my thoughts, experiences and hopes for you as you leave the
safety and serenity of Union.
Without a doubt, things were different when I was here – there
were some computers on campus but they were all contained in a few designated
computer rooms. The drinking age was 18 and beer flowed
freely, and legally, across the entire campus. We had a Division III hockey
team that beat RPI only once during my four years and – wow – what a
night. – – – – – Oh – – – – and some of the major issues on campus were: Do college students drink too much? Should we have a Greek system on campus? And is
the cost of tuition at Union out of control? . . . Well,
some things never change.
At Commencement 2004
During my time at Union the cold war
was in its final stages, the AIDS virus was first discovered in the United
States, and the Soviet Union
pulled out of Afghanistan.
During your years at Union the world
has also undergone unprecedented change.
You now emerge to rejoin a world much different from the one you left. You entered in 2000, just in time to bear witness
to the closest presidential race in our nation's history. In 2001, nineteen terrorists carried out the
worst terrorist attacks on domestic soil.
Our nation embarked on a war on terror that sent tens of thousands of
young Americans first to Afghanistan
and then, a year later, to Iraq. In fact, as I stand here today we have young
men and women, many of them your age, facing mortal danger. Whatever your feelings may
be about either war, these young men and women deserve our support as they
serve our country.
Up to this point, your life and what you have achieved has
been defined by your education, your test scores and your summer experiences.
Starting tomorrow, your life and your happiness will be
defined by the choices you make.
You are graduating during a time of uncertainty as our
nation faces serious challenges.
We are a nation at war, both at home and abroad, against an enemy
bent on destroying our way of life. And
we are a nation divided over the right solutions to the myriad problems facing us as a people.
However, we are also a nation defined by the freedom to
choose and rooted in democratic institutions dedicated to ensuring that our
government remains accountable to the people.
You are graduating at a time when, as a result of technological advances
and increased globalization, individuals are empowered to make a difference in
ways unimagined at any point in our history.
It is a time when choices matter.
Your family, your professors and this college have given you
an amazing opportunity. With the
education you have received – you can do whatever you want – achieve
anything. You have the ability to make
a difference. Whether you do make a
difference is up to you. Making a
difference is a matter of choice.
And I would like to offer some guidance from my experience
in making choices. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation was created in
the aftermath of the September 11th attacks to oversee the
rebuilding of the World Trade Center Site, the creation of a memorial, and the
revitalization of lower Manhattan. As its President, I make decisions every day
– choices – which impact family members of victims of the World Trade Center
attacks, downtown residents, business owners, real estate developers, and numerous
government agencies — all laying claim to the same 16 acres of lower Manhattan. So to begin I want to set forth four principles
I follow when making choices.
First, make choices. Make choices wisely, but make
them. Far too many people miss great
opportunities because they are frozen in place for fear of change. Don't fear change – embrace it. Tens of thousands of dollars spent on
thousands of hours of higher education have been preparing you for this
moment. Take a chance. More often than not the worst choice is not
making any choice.
Second, in making choices, draw upon your values and
experience. Know that gathering information
does not prepare you to make a choice. Spend
time thinking about your values and your morals. They will help you interpret
the information and, in the end, the
choices you make should reflect your values.
Third, understand that all of your choices cannot be made
according to some master plan. You can
not plan your life. When I sat in your
chair I never imagined that I would return sixteen years later to deliver this
commencement address. How I got here is
not the product of any plan – it is the result of a series of choices.
And fourth, know at the outset that some of the choices you
make may turn out badly. Recognize this
and realize that often in the wrong choices lie great lessons. In making mistakes, and learning from them,
you will gain deeper personal understanding and knowledge. You will also develop better judgment to
assist you in making future choices. While
judgment is rooted in your own values, in the end, good judgment only comes
from the experience of making mistakes and learning from them.
Along with the right to make choices come certain
responsibilities. First and foremost, you
have a duty to make choices that improve our world for others and for future
generations. You carry this
responsibility if only because of the many who did not have the same opportunity. Your family and generations before you worked
and, in some instances, fought to give you this freedom. The diploma you receive is not simply an
honor bestowed upon you which grants you the right to lucrative employment. It is a document which imposes on each of you
a responsibility to undertake some form of public service or involvement in
your community. I implore you to honor
that obligation. To use all of the tools
and knowledge gained from your years at Union to improve
conditions for others. The choices are
endless and range from service in your everyday life, such as volunteering at
your local school or coaching a youth soccer team, to a committed career in
public service. No matter how you choose
to carry out your obligation – the choice to help someone else or to make a
contribution to your community will lead to a more fulfilling, and happier,
life.
Why you? Because
history, in its wisdom, has called upon you and because, fairly or unfairly, our
world needs you. Let me share with you
the stories of two Union alums. These were not people that I knew personally,
but I learned about them because they were among the over 3,000 lives lost on
September 11th. And as I looked deeper, I found that their lives were
dedicated in some form to service and community.
Andrew A. Fredericks was a 1983 graduate of Union. On September
11, 2001 he was in his 20th year as a firefighter and
his 11th year serving in Squad 18 as a New York City
Firefighter. He was the co-author of the
FDNY's “Engine Company Tactics Manual”, taught for the New York State
Association of Fire Chiefs, and had his own firefighter teaching business. That morning he found himself on the front
lines of the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history. In choosing to become a New
York City firefighter Andrew chose, many years
earlier, to put his safety at risk to save others.
Thomas W. Duffy was a 1971 graduate of Union. A resident of Rochester,
on the morning of September 11th he was on the 99th Floor
of World Trade Center Tower One for an appointment at Marsh where he was a
Senior Vice President. In addition to
having an extraordinarily successful career, Tom chose to spend time giving
back to Union as an active Alumnus and he gave back to his community by
coaching his sons' sporting teams.
Neither of these individuals knew the tragedy that awaited
them on the morning of September 11th. However, what both men knew, and what I hope
you take home with you today, is the importance of public service, of giving
back to your community. And, it can not
be said that either of these men did not live their shortened lives to the
fullest. Lives in which they recognized
the importance of fulfilling their obligation to community service – and lives
made better because they included service to their community as a critical part
of their life experience.
History is filled with stories of public service – the
fabric of our nation is built on the power of individuals' commitment to
helping others. But at no time in our
history has the power of the individual been stronger.
After September 11th, thousands felt compelled to
undertake some form of public service, to find a way to reach out to those in
need – through donations of food, money, clothing and housing, assisting in the
rescue and recovery effort, or in the rebuilding itself. That community service is the true legacy of
September 11th which you inherit today. That
day and its aftermath made it clear that it is not in America's
status as the world's sole superpower that we define ourselves, but in community
service and the acts of compassion and kindness we show to each other.
The plan for rebuilding the World
Trade Center
site itself came from an unprecedented outpouring of citizens' ideas and public
sentiment. Millions of people attended
dozens of public hearings and workshops or visited the Lower Manhattan
Development Corporation's website during our planning for the World
Trade Center
site and thousands sent in their own plans.
The result reflected the views and opinions of the individuals who
devoted their time and experience and, ultimately, of the public at large.
When the LMDC launched an international design competition
for a memorial to those lost, 5,201 people from 63 countries took the time to
submit their design for a memorial.
Thirteen distinguished individuals came together as a jury and committed
themselves to spending hundreds of hours reviewing the proposals. And thousands
provided their thoughts and comments on those components critical to create a
lasting tribute to those lost.
I see it every day.
The recovery of lower Manhattan
is not the brain-child of great political leaders or brilliant architects,
although each has played a role. Big
businesses have clearly been a part but they alone could not rejuvenate our
community. Rather, lower Manhattan's
recovery is the result of individuals volunteering their time, their resources,
and their expertise – put simply – giving of themselves.
It is that America
which came under attack on September 11th. I want to share two other stories with you –
first, one example of an immediate response by a concerned citizen and, second,
an example of the ongoing commitment of individuals to the recovery of Lower
Manhattan.
Peter Cagnassola, a successful real estate broker and married
father of two, served as the Chief of the all volunteer Far Hills-Bedminster
Fire Department. On September 12, 2001, he, along with his younger
brother Thomas, went to help at Ground Zero where he joined hundreds of other
volunteers to work a 12 hour bucket brigade. After hours of exhausting work,
they were relieved by still others who picked up where they left off. Two
and a half years later, with the exception of his children being born, Peter
describes his volunteer work at Ground Zero as the defining moment of his
life.
Colleen Galvin, a graduate of the NYU Stern School of
Business, first volunteered for ten months to help Lower Manhattan
businesses make maximum use of disaster relief programs and then, recognizing
their need for further assistance, co-founded MBAs4NYC. Her organization pairs
experienced consultants to struggling Lower Manhattan
small businesses and through these volunteers, provides skilled business
expertise free of charge. Within one year, Colleen and her 175 volunteers gave in
depth guidance to 85 Lower Manhattan businesses. Ultimately,
her work helped save the Lower Manhattan small business
community.
It really is remarkable; the recovery of our nation's
third-largest central business district in a city defined by capitalism is fueled
by community service – who would have thought?
While separated by 16 years, you and I now share a common
bond as a generation shaped by the events of September 11th. On that day we saw evil. In the days, weeks, months, and years that
followed, despite all of the problems facing us at home and abroad, we have
seen a renewed commitment to community and public service. We hold in our hands, all of us, the legacy
of over 3,000 people who lost their lives that day. We also hold their hopes, dreams, and
aspirations. We have the ability to make
the choices that they can no longer make.
Together – we face a choice – do we allow this legacy to falter
as a single tragic event, look inward and detach from the world or do we mourn,
rebuild, and carry the September 11th legacy of community spirit,
public service and caring for others?
