Ryan Bowes '09 and Shawn Johnston '09 from Hamilton, N.J. share one car for the move out of Fox residence hall.
When students pack up for the summer, they often leave behind mountains of stuff, much of it worthy of a giant garage sale.
This year, the College will grab the best goods for charity.
The program, which runs Monday, June 18 and Tuesday, June 19 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., is a collaboration between Facilities Services, Residential Life, Ozone House and the Kenney Community Center.
“The demand for such a program has always been there,” said Director of Residential Life Todd Clark. “We need to clean every building thoroughly within a two-week period to prepare for summer programs, but our volunteers couldn’t haul heavy items. When Facilities Services stepped up, it made this all possible.”
More than 60 staff and administrators from Facilities Services will collect items over the two-day drive initiated by Loren T. Rucinski, the department's director. The program is similar to one done in 2003.
Rows of cars and boxes line the wall between Fox Residence Hall and South College as students move out for the summer.
Students can donate furniture, appliances, cookware, CDs, DVDs, lamps and computers that are operable and in good condition. Resident Assistants will provide stickers for students to identify items they wish to donate. Students who leave behind trash or items in poor condition will be billed to have it removed.
The best stuff will be donated to Habitat for Humanity of Schenectady and Weed and Seed of Hamilton Hill.
“It’s a win-win for everyone,” said Rucinski. “Union can provide some much needed help to the community while reducing the amount of tonnage that goes into a landfill somewhere.”
Gretchel Hathaway Tyson, director of Affirmative Action, Community Outreach and Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) at Union’s Kenney Community Center feels that teaching students about the value of donating to benefit others is the best form of recycling.
“These items are not rubbish,” said Tyson. “This project allows Union to assist economically disadvantaged families—a family victimized by a fire that needs furniture, a parent who wants their child to have access to a computer or a child who has his first portable radio.”
Some students are pleased to learn their belongings will find a new home.
A father helps move belongings from Fox residence hall.
“We’re hoping that Ozone’s presence promoting the event will enhance people’s awareness of reusing unwanted items,” said Greta Murphy ’09. “It should also help reduce local apathy towards students for leaving usable belongings behind.”
For more information, contact Residential Life at (518) 388-6117 or housing@union.edu.
VALEDICTORIAN JONATHAN YOUNG: 'I have really enjoyed my time here'
As a high school senior choosing a college, Jonathan Young thought the perfect fit was 3,000 miles from his southern California home.
Jonathan Young, valedictorian, 2007
Four years later, Young came tantalizingly close to perfection.
The 21-year-old Biology/Economics major got straight A’s across the board, except for an A-minus during his term abroad in China between his sophomore and junior year. Young’s academic prowess has earned him the title of valedictorian for Union College’s Class of 2007.
“I have really enjoyed my time here at Union,” said Young, who lives in Walnut, Ca., with his parents, Robert and Antonia, and younger sister, Jocelyn. “The College offers tremendous opportunities in research, as well as extra-curricular activities.”
Young is a member of several honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma XI (scientific research) and Omicron Delta Epsilon (economics). He presented his thesis at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research and took second place at the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Science Research (ICPSR).
At Union, he won the Stephen F. Leo, M.D. Prize and the Elias Peissner Prize for top pre-med student and economics student, respectively. He also received the Rosenthal Prize, given to a pre-medical student by the Biology Department for excellence in academics and contribution to the College community.
He was a tutor for the Writing Center and the Economics Department Crisis Center, a senior intern for Admissions, a volunteer for the Kenney Community Center, and the science and technology editor for Concordiensis all four years.
He credits his two thesis advisors, Brian D. Cohen in Biology and Younghwan Song in Economics, for much of his success.
“They sacrificed many long hours to help me get where I am today,” he said.
Young is returning west to attend medical school at UCLA in the fall. Even so, Union won’t be far from his thoughts.
“I’m excited to go back home, closer to my family,” he said, “but I loved my four years here.”
SALUTATORIAN LEIGH ANN HOLTERMAN: 'I threw myself into the work'
Leigh Ann Holterman is the Class of 2007 salutatorian.
For Class of 2007 Salutatorian Leigh Ann Holterman, the path to exceptionally high grades was clear from day one of her first year at Union.
“I made sure I was on top of my work. I spent a lot of time figuring out what needed to get done, and I got it done,” Holterman said. “I also paid attention in class, and I really threw myself into the work and learning process.”
But class work is just one side of Holterman’s life at Union.
The Psychology major also had a range of other interests, like starting a student-run babysitting service for College faculty and staff; booking comedians, including The Daily Show’s John Oliver, to perform at Memorial Chapel; and working as an Admissions interviewer senior year. And as a French minor, she completed a term abroad in fall 2005 at the University of Rennes 2.
“I am grateful that I had the chance to do it all at Union," Holterman said. “I think it gave me a good, strong background in different areas, so when I go out into the real world, I will be able to pick and choose from those experiences. And also, it was a lot of fun getting to know different people.”
Holterman, the daughter of Amy Holterman of Albany and Robert Holterman of Clifton Park, is a graduate of Albany High School. She was the 2007 Lisa S. Gerhan Memorial Award winner, given to a Union student who shows academic excellence, a commitment to the field of psychology and the potential for future contributions to the field.
She recently accepted a job as a research assistant at the Burlington, Vt., offices of Macro International, Inc., a research and consulting firm. Holterman plans to pursue a doctoral degree in industrial and organizational psychology in the fall of 2008.
STUDENT SPEAKER KARYN AMIRA: ‘We’ve done some amazing things’
When Karyn Amira began writing her remarks for Commencement, she realized how much her classmates had accomplished in four years.
Karyn Amira 07 – student speaker
“We started Rolling for Autism. ‘Tie the Nott’ raised $27,000 in two weeks for cancer research. We kicked off the environmental campaign at Union with recycling advocacy, and organic cafés and dinners. We started the Dutch Oven, perhaps the funniest publication at any college or university. We’ve done some amazing things.”
Among those accomplishments is her own. A Political Science major and Psychology minor from Newton Mass., Amira won a $10,000 Kathryn Wasserman Davis “100 Projects for Peace” award this spring for her campaign, “Students for a Mine-Free World.” She is reaching out to college students throughout the country to encourage the U.S. government to sign the international Treaty to Ban Landmines.
The landmine project became her senior thesis, and she credits her thesis advisor, Wu Zhang of the Political Science Department, with helping her throughout the process.
“Going on the Vietnam a term abroad and learning about the landmines are two of the most important things I’ve ever done,” Amira said.
Amira, 21, is the daughter of Stephen Amira ’71, a clinical psychologist, and Shelley Amira, an administrator in geriatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Amira also received the Delphic Honor Society Award for exemplary service to the College. She was president of Springfest, a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority, music columnist for Concordiensis and a contributor to the Dutch Oven. She attended Hillel events and played broomball and softball.
“I like the community feeling you get at Union,” Amira said. “I really took advantage of opportunities to get involved.”
After graduation, Amira hopes to work with a non-governmental agency or nonprofit organization before going on to study international relations.
Meanwhile, she has some unfinished business. As part of her peace award, she is planning a mass advertising and postcard campaign against landmines.
“I still have $9,900 to spend by this summer,” she said.
Corinne Simisky ’08 is studying issues that affect humanitarian services, globalization and international aid.
Amy Gold ’09 is focusing on “Health and the Whole Self.”
Wyatt Heard ’09 is assessing the moral and ethical implications of property.
All three are Organizing Theme majors who designed their own program of study based on their passion for their topics. They are combining disciplines and taking classes from three or more different departments.
“These are students whose interests are too broad to settle upon one major, who really have a compelling question they want to figure out,” says Melinda Lawson, assistant director of advising for Union’s OT program. “The Organizing Theme major is designed to accommodate those students who have a strong, well-defined intellectual or scholarly curiosity that goes beyond typical boundaries.”
While double majors and inter-departmental majors continue to be popular options at Union, the Organizing Theme major is a different breed altogether.
“The chosen theme defines not only the students’ theses, but the courses they take,” Lawson explains.
organizing theme majors outside
Lawson, who is a visiting assistant professor of History, and a number of the 14 current OT majors got together recently for an end-of-year dinner at Hale House. They were joined by Dean of Undergraduate Education Kimmo Rosenthal and Dean of Interdisciplinary Programs and Special Programs Doug Klein.
“I love being an OT major and having the freedom to study subjects beyond the boundaries of one single major,” said senior Nancy Borowick of Chappaqua, N.Y. “I took advantage of this opportunity the moment I learned about it, and it has truly changed and enhanced my educational experience at Union beyond my expectations.”
Borowick combined her passion for photography, foreign culture and anthropology to probe “Representations of Culture and Identity.” Her study of Schenectady’s thriving Guyanese community resulted in her senior thesis, “Maintaining Traditions in America: The Guyanese of Schenectady,” which included a Steinmetz Symposium photo exhibition.
Borowick’s classes were concentrated in the Anthropology, Modern Languages and Visual Arts departments.
For Corinne Simisky, of Shrewsbury, Mass., the path to an OT major began with the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. Simisky was in the original group of Union students who joined relief efforts in New Orleans in December 2005.
“The New Orleans trip helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life – become an administrator in international relief organizations,” said Simisky, who also has retained the English major she started out with. “Originally, I was looking into medicine, but I was always more interested in the social aspect of medical policy and practice. When this OT major fell together, I decided to go for it. As soon as I came back, I started taking classes that were geared toward sociology and political science.”
Lawson and advisors Melinda Goldner and Byron Nichols “really encouraged me to do an OT that had to do with humanitarianism,” Simisky said. Nichols suggested she include philosophy “to give me an ethics base. That’s really helped.”
Last spring, Simisky and another student presented the importance of a “pay it forward” approach to community service and humanitarian aid at Steinmetz Symposium. Simisky has since helped draft the proposal for Union’s community service mini-term.
Simisky spent the winter term in Barbados (with OT major Elizabeth Mazzota), where she taught English to local girls and organized a seminar on issues related to HIV, AIDS, relationships, positive body image and family life.
“Another part of my OT is the impact that globalization that has on humanitarian aid and vice versa – to what extent is humanitarianism the new excuse for nationalism and imperialism?” Simisky said. “It’s something that’s come up in all my classes.”
Union’s current OTMs, and their topics of study, are:
Samantha Beatty ’09, “Public Opinion and Persuasion”: Explores the impact of gender, age, culture and technology on decision-making and communication. Departments: Anthropology, Political Science, Sociology
Nancy Borowick ’07, “Representations of Culture and Identity”: Understanding a people and a culture through their images. Departments: Anthropology, Modern Languages, Visual Arts
Albert Bramble ’08: “Structure, Design, and Architecture”: Explores the design, architectural history and engineering behind structures. Departments: Mechanical Engineering, Art History, Visual Arts
Stephanie Burlton’07, “Film through Culture and Philosophy”: Understanding how different societies use their culture to create artistic expression; impact of film and media on culture. Departments: Philosophy, Anthropology, Modern Literature in Translation
Lindsey Burt, “Photography, Film and Media”: Explores the impact of technology on art; researching, interpreting and creating different types of media. Departments: Art History, Studio Fine Arts, Modern Literature in Translation
Amy Gold ’09, “Health and the Whole Self”: Explores the impact of genetics, environment, and human choices on overall health. Departments: Biology, Anthropology, Psychology, Chemistry
Kathryn Grant’07, “Art Conservation”: Understanding the analysis, restoration and preservation of historical objects. Departments: Art History, Studio Fine Arts, Chemistry, Biology, Physics
Rebecca Haldane ’07, “European Studies”: Explores the history, government, and culture of different European nations. Departments: Political Science, Spanish, French, European History
Wyatt Heard ’09: ‘What Should Property Be?”: Explores the moral and ethical implications of property, definitions of ownership and the differences among personal, public, and private property. Departments: Engineering, English, Philosophy
Molly Koch’07: "Communication and Media Studies." Departments: Art History, Psychology, Visual Arts
Jessie Lovdal’07, “Journalism, Media and Society”: Understanding journalism and its relationship to politics and society. Departments: Political Science, English, Visual Arts, Sociology
Elizabeth Mazzotta ’07, “Media Studies and Communications”: Departments: Theater, Political Science, English
Corinne Simisky ’08, “Studies in Humanitarianism, Globalization, and International Aid”: How social, political, and philosophical issues affect humanitarian services and international aid. Departments: Sociology, Political Science, Philosophy
Kate Swartz’07, “Communication”: Understanding human and media-based communications, including theory, history, ethics, policy and organizations. Departments: Political Science, English, Visual Arts.
This is the last regularly scheduled Chronicle of the academic year. For campus news and events, including summer activities at Union, please visit: http://www.union.edu/News/.
There will be a special Commencement issue of the Chronicle on June 17.
Ainlay, Fladger, Aaron Feingold look at a rare text – ReUnion 2007
Cardiologist Aaron Feingold ’72 began amassing rare books and historical artifacts while in medical school. His collection grew to include hundreds of medical texts and records, World War II pharmacy coupons from the European ghettos, archeological artifacts from Egypt and 19th century Italian Hagaddahs, as well as the entire transcript, in English, of the Nuremberg trials.
Among his vast holdings are two items of particular interest to Union: a first edition of Albert Einstein’s “Relativity: The Special and the General Theory” (1920, Henry Holt & Co.) and a rare, annotated typed manuscript by Charles Proteus Steinmetz, which dates to 1921.
The Steinmetz manuscript is the second of four lectures the Union faculty member and prominent GE scientist gave at Schenectady’s Unitarian Church on Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Aaron Feingold '72
Feingold presented these historical treasures to President Stephen C Ainlay at the Terrace Council and Ramée Circle Society Reception at the Nott Memorial during ReUnion weekend. Alumni and friends who gathered included Trustee Stephen Ritterbush ’68; Ellen Fladger, head of Special Collections at Schaffer Library; Librarian Thomas McFadden; and faculty members John Spinelli, chair of Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Chad Orzel, assistant professor of Physics.
“The Charles Steinmetz manuscript corresponds with Einstein’s trip to America in 1921. It's valuable because it’s the first time it was published in English,” Feingold said.
Feingold’s most recent donations join several dozen books he’s given Union over the years, including first editions of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and “Tender is the Night”; a first edition of Charles Darwin’s “The Expression of the Emotions” (1872); “Military Commission to Europe in 1855 and 1856” (published in 1860); eight volumes of “Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression,” written in 1946; and his own book, “Three Jewish Physicians of the Renaissance: The Marriage of Science and Ethics” (1994).
“I’m a physician with a liberal arts background,” said Feingold, 57, a native of Hillside, N.J. “I love to look in the old bookstores, to hold these rare old books in my hand; it’s all living history.”
Feingold is president and senior physician of Raritan Bay Cardiology in Edison. He completed Chicago Medical School in 1976, did an internship and residency at New York Medical College and a fellowship at NYU Medical School. Many of his Jewish artifacts have been shown in museums here and in Israel. He donated a Statue of Liberty Hanukkah lamp to the Smithsonian.
Rachel, Aaron 72, Zara Feingold
A week before ReUnion, Feingold was on campus with his wife, Brenda Liebowitz, and twin daughters Zara and Rachel, high school juniors. In between Admissions tours and discussions, he had a chance to peruse a copy of his class yearbook, where he saw a photo of himself, long-haired and lounging beside a large poster of Einstein.
“Union allowed me to engage in intellectual pursuits that I wasn’t previously able to discover,” Feingold mused. “Union gave me the freedom to be well-rounded, the intellectual background to appreciate, explore and enjoy all these different areas of life.
“Union also allowed me to learn what I wanted to be and to deal with my own existential dilemma.”
Feingold was searching for meaning in his life when he spent winter term of his junior year on a kibbutz in the Jordan Valley doing an independent study with two classmates, Robert Michaelson and Roger Friedman. They were the first Union students to spend a trimester in Israel.
A political science major, Feingold had taken no pre-med courses, and then one day, he said, “I had an epiphany while picking bananas. I realized I wanted to be a doctor.”
