Homecoming & Family Weekend, which kicks off today, features an array of exciting and informative events, from talks by famous alumni to tailgates and tours. Some 2,000 alumni, family members and friends are expected to return to campus.
“We have a terrific program of activities with something for everyone,” said Nick Famulare ’92, director of Alumni Relations.
This year’s alumni speakers include a movie director, a doctor and a businessman.
Phil Alden Robinson ’71, director and screenwriter best known for his baseball classic, Field of Dreams, will speak Friday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Nott Memorial. His talk, the first in this year’s “Writers Return: The Alumni Writers Series” sponsored by the English Department, will focus on the nine-year process of making "Sneakers," a movie with visual nods to Union that was premiered on campus. His credits also include "The Sum of All Fears," and one episode of HBO’s "Band of Brothers." Robinson will hold a Q. & A. Brunch on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 11 a.m. in Wold House.
Kathy Magliato ’85, one of the few female cardiothoracic transplant surgeons in the world, will discuss “Cut to Cure: A Cardiac Surgeon’s Perspective on Heart Disease in Women,” on Friday at 3 p.m. in Sorum House. She will address such topics as the risk factors for heart disease, how symptoms of heart disease in women differ from those in men, and treatment options. Representatives of MVP Health Plan will be on hand to provide free blood pressure checks. Dr. Magliato also will speak Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Nott Memorial, where she will discuss her work and how it all began with the pre-med program at Union. (Please note: Dr. Magliato’s Saturday talk was previously scheduled for a different time.)
Stephen Ritterbush ’68, a Union trustee and managing partner at Fairfax Partners in Vienna, Va., a private equity investment firm, will speak on “Creating Companies: Entrepreneurship from the South Pacific to Washington, D.C. (and a Few Stops in Between)” on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 4 p.m. in the Burns Arts Atrium of the Visual Arts Building. He has founded more than 25 companies including ISR Solutions, the world's largest privately held security systems integration company, and AppNet Systems, Inc., a company that provided a variety of Web-based services ranging from inventory management to Web page design. His talk is part of the Eliphalet Nott Society’s Business Forum.
The Homecoming athletic schedule is also full. Games include Union football vs. Susquehanna (Saturday, 1 p.m., Frank Bailey Field); men’s hockey vs. Ferris State (Friday, 7 p.m. and Saturday, 7 p.m., Messa Rink at Achilles Center); men’s lacrosse alumni game (Saturday, 9:30 a.m., Frank Bailey Field); volleyball Liberty Challenge (Friday, 4 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m., Viniar Athletic Center); and women’s soccer vs. Skidmore (Saturday, 1 p.m., Garis Field).
The weekend kicks off with a President’s Welcome Reception on Friday, 4:30 p.m. in the Nott Memorial. Other receptions and get-togethers include: the annual pre-game tailgate picnic on Alexander Field; the kids’ carnival, featuring face painting, games and a hay maze; the East Asian Terms Abroad ReUnion; Harvest Dinner; and Autumn Brunch.
Tours scheduled throughout the weekend will visit downtown Schenectady, Proctor’s Theater, the Nott Memorial and Schaffer Library. Student Gatekeepers will lead campus walking tours. Today’s departmental open houses include Taylor Music Center, Becker Career Center, Admissions and Olin Observatory
Music and art are also on tap. “ReView: Five Union Alumni,” at the Mandeville Gallery, features works in a variety of media by Alfred J. Nadel ’56, Stephen Pentak ’73, Linda Fisher ’87, Chester Urban ’93 and Nori Lupfer ’03. Photos of Nepal by noted photographer Kevin Bubriski are on view in the Burns Arts Atrium.
On Sunday at 3 p.m., Union’s Department of Music presents “Songs of Hope,” a concert inspired by the events of 9/11, at the Fred L. Emerson Foundation Auditorium in the Taylor Music Center. The concert is timed to coincide with the Daniel Pearl World Music Days, an international network of “Harmony for Humanity” concerts using the power of music to reaffirm a commitment to tolerance.
For a full schedule of Homecoming and Family Weekend events, visit: www.union.edu/HFW.