by Ross Marvin '07
Back in
the early 1970's when Andrea Commarto rode her bike from her home on Wendell
Avenue to Union's bucolic grounds, one campus feature – the Nott Memorial — especially
caught her eye.
“When I
rode my bike past this building, I thought it was fascinating,” she recalled of
her childhood rides past the 16-sided campus centerpiece.
She never
could have guessed, she said, that someday her son, Sam, would walk through the
building on his way to graduation.
At a
party for the graduating biology major, guests were blown away by a centerpiece
on one of the tables. Ms. Commarto had built a remarkable replica of the Nott using
an Exacto knife, Styrofoam, Playdoh, paint, and even some covers from an issue
of Union College magazine. Her detailed
rendering came complete with light posts, railings, shrubbery, and the
intricate roof.
After
the party, Ms. Commarto wanted to convey her appreciation for Union's Financial
Aid Office and especially former staffer Judi Ferradino (now of College
Relations). So, she gave the model to Ferradino and the College. The model is
on display in the College's Major Gifts Office in Abbe Hall.