Posted on Jul 7, 2005

Terry S. Weiner, a longtime professor of political science at Union College, has been named to a one-year appointment as special assistant to the president for special projects and planning, it was announced by James Underwood, interim president of Union College.

Weiner, a professor of political science, will work closely with administrators, faculty and others to develop strategic planning to be undertaken by Union's new president. Weiner also will assist in procuring grants and organizing speakers and conferences that increase the College's visibility.

“Terry is an ideal choice to assist with this important transition at Union,” said Underwood. “He has had a long and productive career at Union – as teacher, scholar and administrator. He has served on many important committees and has just completed two terms as chair of the political science department.

Weiner, the Chauncey H. Winters Professor of Comparative Social Analysis, joined the Union faculty in 1974. His many appointments have also included acting dean of arts and sciences, and associate dean of faculty. He has been a reviewer and consultant to academic programs at a number of other institutions. He has published and presented panels on topics including health policy and sociology of medicine, political sociology, education policy, and sociology and politics of disability. A strong advocate of community service, Weiner has served on the Niskayuna School Board since 1990, including two terms as president. He has been on the board of directors of the Wildwood School (for the neurologically impaired) since 1996.

He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, Chicago; and master's and Ph.D. degrees from the University of North Carolina. 

Underwood is serving as interim president while the College searches for a successor to Roger Hull, who stepped down June 30 after 15 years.

Read More

Posted on Jul 7, 2005

Helena Binder '76 returns to Saratoga Springs this summer with the Lake George Opera's production of Rossini's The Italian Girl in Algiers. The final two productions are Friday and Sunday, July 8 and 10 (www.lakegeorgeopera.org/event_details.php?id=24).

An actor and a director of plays and musicals for more than 20 years before focusing on opera, Binder has worked in theaters across the country and abroad.

She founded and directed the Acting School in Schenectady; has staged productions for the NYS Theatre Institute, Leatherstocking Theatre Company and Union College; and is director of the Legislative Correspondents Association show in Albany, an annual political event.

Binder also put her skills and talents to work directing productions for such renowned companies as New York City Opera, Wolf Trap, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera and 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. She's also made a name for herself as a choreographer for operas across the country.

Binder calls opera “the culmination of all the arts. There is drama, art, literature, and, of course, the music.”

 

 

 

 

 

Read More

Posted on Jul 6, 2005

Torahs and truth
“A number of years ago, I discovered a root cause of America's culture war. … I have come to realize that the great divide in values is not between those who believe in God and those who do not, but between those who believe in a divine text and those who do not. …

“Jews and Christians who believe that God revealed the Torah, for example, are far more likely to believe that marriage must remain defined as only between a man and woman, and cannot be redefined to include members of the same sex.
“They believe that people are not basically good; that human life, not animal life, is sacred (because humans, not animals, are created in God's image); and that murderers should be liable to the death penalty. (The only law that is in all five books of the Torah is to put murderers to death.)
“On the other hand, Jews and Christians who believe that people wrote the Torah are far more likely to support a redefinition of marriage; to view human nature as basically good (and therefore more likely to ascribe human evil to outside influences); to be more receptive to seeing human beings as essentially another animal; and to oppose capital punishment for murderers.” — Dennis Prager in “The Culture War of the Word,” in the May 29 Los Angeles Times 
    
Careless commitment
“Since [September 11], we have gone to war and have had nearly 1,700 young men and women lose their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq. Since then, we have gone through color codes, threats and warnings. Since then, we have heard the word 'sacrifice' used over and over by politicians. And yet, since then — incredibly, within weeks of the tragedy — most Americans have reverted to the life that they had led prior to 9/11.

“Yes, many did step forward right after 9/11, but, for most, the commitment was short-lived. Despite the rhetoric, sacrifice on a continuing, day-to-day basis has been rare. Why? Why do so few of us care? Why don't more of us share the burden?

“Make a pact with yourself to serve your community, state and nation and tackle the next stage of your journey with passion, accountability, compassion and truthfulness. Then and only then, as my grandfather said, will you have the right to be proud.” — Union College President Roger Hull, quoted in “Commencement 2005” in the July 1 Chronicle of Higher Education 
    
Pre-fab pop
“Ben Brantley proposed that 'the style of vocalising that is rewarded on American Idol … is both intensely emotional and oddly impersonal. The accent is on abstract feelings, usually embodied by people of stunning ordinariness, than on particular character. Quivering vibrato, curlicued melisma, notes held past the vanishing point: the favourite technical tricks of “Idol” contestants are often like screams divorced from the pain or ecstasy that inspired them'.

“This separation of 'authentic' emotion from its performed facsimile links these two ubiquitous phenomena in contemporary singing — the breathy child and the gymnastic vocaliser. … Good, well-trained voices that can carry a tune and turn up the volume come cheap. What does not is the voice that identifies a character as specifically and individually as handwriting.' …

“Dido and Katie Melua exemplify this model for endless replicants of a thread of breathy vocalising. … Where is the new Aretha [Franklin]? The new Ella [Fitzgerald] or Billie [Holiday]? Well, I'd hazard a guess that the young Aretha wouldn't have got past the door of any of the major record companies today. They wouldn't know what to do with her.” — Barb Jungr, writing on “Why are pop singers so samey and sexless,” in the online magazine, Spiked, posted June 27.
    
    
    

Read More

Posted on Jul 5, 2005

John H. Ostrom '51, a distinguished paleontologist recently hailed by Discover magazine for one of the greatest discoveries of the last quarter century – that birds evolved from dinosaurs – died of complications from Alzheimer's disease in Litchfield, Conn., on July 16.

 

In the July issue of the national science magazine (discover.com), a University of California at Berkeley professor pays tribute to Ostrom, professor emeritus of geology and geophysics at Yale University and curator emeritus of vertebrate paleontology at Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History.

“The discovery nearly a decade ago of feathers and hairlike plumes on the little Chinese dinosaurs that clearly weren't birds and couldn't fly was just another detailed confirmation of John's work,” says Kevin Padian in the magazine's survey.

“As a result, we've hooked a major group of animals to another equally major but (we thought) long-extinct one, we've learned a great deal about how flight evolved, and we've learned that feathers didn't evolve for flight but actually had several other uses.”

Ostrom also is noted for discovering Deinonychus, a two-legged dinosaur, in Montana and for his theory, published in 1969, that it may have been a warm-blooded dinosaur. This contradicted an earlier belief that dinosaur species were cold-blooded.

 

Born in 1928 in New York City and raised in Schenectady, Ostrom first became interested in paleontology at Union, where he began as a pre-med student. He earned his B.S. in geology and biology. In 1999, when he was the honored speaker at Founder's Day, he received an honorary doctor of science degree from Union.

 

He holds a Ph.D. in vertebrate paleontology from Columbia University.

Ostrom was married to the late Nancy Ostrom, and at the time of his death, he was residing in an assisted living center. He is survived by two daughters and three grandchildren.

 

Read More

Posted on Jul 4, 2005

Peter Melito knows what he'll be doing weekends for the next year or so. Melito's urban redevelopment company, Lenox Development LLC, has made its first purchase. The 27-year-old Niskayuna High School teacher expects to spend much of his free time helping renovate and manage 150 Barrett St. in Schenectady.

Melito and his partners in Lenox, all recent college graduates, are betting on and contributing to Schenectady's revitalization. Except for Anthony Capraro, 26, the partners, Michael Capraro, 25, Christopher DiStefano, 27, and Matthew DiStefano, 24, graduated from Union College.

“One of the things Union taught us is to be a catalyst for change in your community,” Melito said. “We all really liked the city of Schenectady.”

They are equal partners in Lenox and each contributed $4,000 to the $64,000 purchase price of 150 Barrett. The balance of the purchase was funded by a mortgage from the First National Bank of Scotia. Lenox plans to clean up the building's Art Deco facade and renovate the interior, which includes two first-floor storefronts and offices upstairs. One of the storefronts is currently available for lease.

The partners have not yet set a budget for the renovation, which will include cosmetic upgrades and improving the building's infrastructure. The company plans to use “green” building practices in renovating the building, adhering to standards that promote energy-efficiency and environmentally friendly building.

To help pay for the renovations, Lenox plans to seek a facade grant from the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp., green-building grants from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and additional funds from the federal government and other sources.

Only Melito has stayed in the Capital Region, but the partners still plan to do much of the work themselves.

“We would like to put a lot of sweat equity into the buildings,” said Michael Capraro, a civil engineer living in Boston. Only Matthew DiStefano, who is living in San Diego, won't be able to spend much hands-on time.

What impresses John Tracy, an associate broker with real estate company CB Richard Ellis Albany, about the Lenox partners' plan is their long-term commitment. The partners don't plan to “flip” 150 Barrett–renovating and selling it for a quick profit. Their business plan calls for the company to build a portfolio of property in the city.

They are “patient money,” said Tracy, who gave Melito some advice on how to invest in and manage real estate.

The building is about a block away from Proctor's Theatre on State Street and in an Empire Zone, so Lenox is eligible for energy and tax savings. Lenox plans to keep rents reasonable and attract companies providing professional services that will support the city's plan to attract growing technology companies to downtown Sche-nectady.

This kind of private investment “is exactly the kind of thing that we're hoping to see as a spinoff of Metroplex's efforts,” said Ray Gillen, chair of economic development agency Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority.

Metroplex has been concentrating on building an arts and entertainment district around Proctor's. It has landed a planned movie theater, hotel, bakery, restaurants and other businesses. The agency is also focusing on technology and business development downtown.

Over time, Lenox plans to buy and renovate additional buildings, including property that can be converted into downtown housing. The partners hope eventually to be able to leave their day jobs and concentrate full-time on Lenox, but don't see that happening quickly.

“We don't expect to make any money from this for quite a while,” Melito said.

 

Read More