Union alumna Helena Binder, class of '76, returns to Saratoga with the Lake George Opera's production of Rossini's The Italian Girl in Algiers, July 3, 6, 8, 10.
An actor and a director of plays and musicals for over 20 years before focusing on opera, Helena founded and directed the Acting School in Schenectady; staged productions for the NYS Theatre Institute, Leatherstocking Theatre Company, Union College; serves as Director of the Annual Legislative Correspondents Show. Helena has directed productions for New York City Opera, Wolf Trap, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Pittsburgh Opera; as assistant director, she has been involved with Glimmerglass Opera, New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, Dallas Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera Pacifica and Arena Stage.
Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs and Union College in Schenectady are following a national trend of increased applications at private liberal arts colleges in recent years.
Both schools are reporting a record number of applicants for the incoming class of 2009. Skidmore College, for example, has received 6,056 applications for the class of 2009. The college will accept about 690 students from this pool.
At Union College, applications are also at an all-time high. Union expects to enroll a record 600 students for the incoming freshman class, about 40 more students than it usually accepts. “The sheer number and quality of the applicants [haven't] been stronger,” said William Schwarz, Union's communications and public affairs director.
“Their SAT scores are up and their class positions [in high school] are up,” Schwarz said.
“This is something we are seeing across the country,” said Tony Pals a spokesman for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Applications have increased at private, liberal arts colleges across the country between 2 percent and 3 percent per year for the “last five to seven years,” he said.
Pals said his association represents 550 small, liberal arts colleges in the United States, including a significant number in the Northeast. “When we talk to students it comes down to a desire for more of a personal touch,” Pals said about the increased popularity of the small, liberal arts college. “They want a tighter sense of community,” he said. The “personal touch” means smaller classes and closer relationships with professors, administrators and fellow students.
The students applying to private liberal arts colleges are looking for such things as more opportunities to participate in clubs, student activities and sports.
Data from the U.S. Department of Education project this 2-3 percent application increase at private liberal arts schools will continue for the next 10 years. During the same time period applications are expected to increase between 1 percent and 2 percent at public institutions, Pals said.
At Skidmore College, which maintains a total enrollment of about 2,200 students, the class of 2009 will have a male/female ratio of 38 percent to 62 percent and an average SAT score of about 1250, according to the office of Mary Lou Bates, the college's dean of admissions.
Skidmore College officials say prospective students are impressed with the Saratoga Springs community and its charming and accessible downtown.
Schwarz said Union College applicants are impressed with the new image of the Capital Region as Tech Valley. “It's a much different place than it was,” Schwarz said. “The region has more to offer [in terms of internships and jobs].”
“It all comes together in a nice package,” he said.
Union College's Wikoff Gallery will feature an exhibit titled “Children of the Americas” with photographs by Jan “Chip” Dolezal, a recent graduate of the college.
It's a collection of digital photographs of children taken during Dolezal's trips across the Americas, including Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The photographer's aim is to show the similarities and differences between the countries of the Americas, through the lives of the children that are native to each nation.
The exhibit runs from June 30 through August 21 at Union College's Wikoff Student Gallery in the Nott Memorial. The gallery hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The opening reception will be Wednesday, June 29 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Nott Memorial.
June 30th, the close of Union's fiscal year, is just around the corner! If you have already given to this year's Union Fund (July 1, 2004-June30, 2005) thank you! If you haven't given yet here is your opportunity to make a difference in the lives of thousands of current and future Union College students. Also, you can can compete in the class vs. class Minerva Race! Help your class to paint the Idol- click here to track your class progress.
Please click on the link below to hear a beautiful rendition of Union's alma mater and see how your gift can ensure Union remains strong and competitive for future generations.
2004-05 ECAC® Robbins Scholar-Athlete Institutional Award Winners Announced
CAPE COD, MA — The Commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Phil Buttafuoco today announced the 2004-05 ECAC Robbins Scholar-Athlete Institutional Award winners.
Sponsored by Robbins Sports Surfaces, the Cincinnati-based sports surfaces company, the awards honor the outstanding academic and athletics achievements of student-athletes representing ECAC schools in Divisions I, II and III. One male and one female athlete from each division have been selected by their institutions. Three committees comprised of athletics administrators will select two award winners in each division to be honored during the ECAC Convention Honors Dinner presented by Jostens on Sunday, September 25. Votes are based on extraordinary achievements in academics, athletics and community service. A total of 84 student-athletes have received the 2004-05 ECAC Robbins-Scholar-Athlete Institutional Awards.
Union's honorees for these awards are senior men's basketball forward Devon Bruce (Altamont, NY/Guilderland) and junior three-sport star Erika Eisenhut (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk)
Devon Bruce
Bruce was a co-captain for the men's basketball team last winter, and has a 3.41 GPA in Economics. He was a co-captain of the Liberty League Champions, and the 17-12 Dutchmen advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Bruce was named the MVP of the Sig Makofski Tournament hosted by Union, and finished the season with 13.7 points and a team-best 5.9 rebounds per game. Bruce ended his career ranked third all-time in career rebounds at Union with 662, the highest total at the college since 1980. He finished with 1,169 career points to rank 11th all-time.
Eisenhut has a 3.83 GPA in Psychology and Mathematics, and was selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team. Eisenhut was a first-team All-Liberty League selection in basketball and a second team selection in both basketball and softball. Her three sport teams combined for a record of 68-17-1 in 2004-05, good for a winning percentage of 79.7%. In her three years of playing soccer, basketball and softball at Union, Eisenhut's teams have combined for a stellar mark of 210-46-3, a winning percentage of 81.7%. She had nine goals and 26 points for the soccer team, which went 19-2-1 last fall and won the ECAC Upstate New York Championship. She started all 28 games for Union's women's basketball team, and led the squad in assists (91), steals (73) and blocks (12) while scoring at a 10.5 clip. Union finished 19-9 and the Dutchwomen reached the ECAC Upstate Championship Game. On the softball diamond, Eisenhut hit .315 and led the team with 12 stolen bases while driving in 21 runs. The softball team, (30-6), finished with a school record in victories. The Dutchwomen entered the NCAA tournament, their third straight appearance, with a #8 national ranking, the highest in the program's history.
Erika Eisenhut
For more than 100 years, Robbins Sports Surfaces has set the standard for basketball and multi-purpose sports floors and is the preferred provider of many National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I colleges and universities and of the majority of the National Basketball Association (NBA) venues. Robbins is the world's most comprehensive provider of maple and synthetic flooring systems for all collegiate sports. Robbins' product research and development has led the way in studying the dynamic interaction between the athlete and the surface. Robbins' advanced flooring systems and subfloor designs are bio-mechanically engineered to advance the comfort, safety and performance of athletes, and are all designed to provide dependability and value for the facility owner.
The ECAC is the nation's largest athletic and the only multi-divisional conference with 324 Divisions I, II, and III colleges and universities from Maine to North Carolina. Established in 1938, the ECAC, a non-profit service organization, sponsors 100 championships in 37 men's and women's sports, assigns more than 5,100 officials in 15 sports, administers ten affiliate sports organizations and six playing leagues and recognizes more than 4,000 student-athletes in 21 sports through the public relations arm of the conference. The ECAC serves as the primary conference for select members in the sports of men's and women's ice hockey, men's lacrosse, men's gymnastics, wrestling, fencing and rowing.
