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Posted on May 21, 2008

REMEMBERING SIGMA PHI PLACE

The cover of the fall 2007 Union College magazine. Featuring Professor Byron Nichols and the inaugural President's Report to the Community. Published November 2007.

We read President Stephen C. Ainlay’s column, “A lifetime membership,” in the Fall 2007 issue. His comments were touching and brought back the songs we used to sing together back in the 1950s, especially “the brook that bounds through Old Union’s grounds.”

Then we flipped to page 22, a full-page spread on the so-called Orange House that just blew us away. We lived, studied and played in that house for four years from 1947 to 1951 with 30 other undergrads. It was known as Sigma Phi Place. It was the second national fraternity established at Union back in 1827. The Sigs that lived there over a period of more than 90 years revered “The Place,” as we called it.

To see it transformed and reduced from one of the most respected national fraternities in the United States to a mere color, was just plain shocking and disrespectful.

What is regrettable and truly sad is the utter lack of historic memory by the [magazine] editors. Fraternities at Union played a vital role in the College and community for more than 150 years. We are proud of the legacy and would hope the current administration, Trustees, faculty and alumni would acknowledge this historic contribution.

John Edmondson ’51                                                                                                                          Van der Bogert Shanklin ’51

Editor’s note: The former Sigma Phi Place is part of the College’s Minerva House System and was renamed in honor of David J. Breazzano ’78. An entryway plaque reads: “Breazzano House is the former home of the Sigma Phi Society. The first national chapter of Sigma Phi was founded at Union College on the fourth of March in 1827. In 1904 members of Sigma Phi erected this building and named it Sigma Phi Place.” Sigma Phi continues to thrive in its new home in Davidson House.

PROFESSOR BYRON NICHOLS RETIRES

Thank you for the terrific article about Professor Byron Nichols (Fall 2007, “A teacher’s legacy”). He and Professor Fred Hartwig were the foundation upon which my entire college experience rested. I fell for political science due to Byron’s intelligence and accessibility. He made students think harder. I recall how he guided our questions into bigger questions and ultimately bigger answers then we ever could have accomplished alone. He made us feel smart as we learned and gave us the great gift of self-esteem.

I send him my best wishes for a fabulous retirement. I’d also like to express my deep appreciation for the wonderful impact he had on my college career. To this day, I love the political machine, especially the electoral process. While my career is in the marketing and advertising world, I occasionally dabble in the political marketing world and recall with great affection the ideas and principles I learned from Byron and his colleagues.

Rob Quish ’83

If Professor Byron Nichols didn’t know it when he first arrived on Union’s campus, he soon discovered that his colleagues assigned to the new professors students who were lost causes. Byron became my senior advisor when I was a lot more interested in running Concordiensis and my fraternity—while figuring out how to survive the Vietnam War era—than anything remotely academic.

Byron pretty much rescued me from oblivion. He got me to put my senior thesis on my agenda. Partly because it required field work at Smith College and Skidmore College, I chose to do my project on college students’ attitudes about government in the turbulent 1960s. The study of politics was evolving into a science at the time and I used the campus computer to analyze survey results. When I did, he held me to high standards like nobody ever had. My nitpicky advisor noticed that a statistical test didn’t exist for certain types of survey responses, so he helped me invent one.

By spring, Byron had already developed a reputation as a tough grader, but he gave me my first and only ‘A’ at Union. If there’s a reason I serve today as president of a nonpartisan public policy think tank, which researches and promotes accountability in local government, it would be Byron.

Jeff Browne ’69                                                                                                                                Jeff is the president of the Public Policy Forum in Milwaukee, Wisc.

A TIME OF PROTEST

A May 1970 Vietnam war protest by Union students in downtown Schenectady. Union College magazine spring 2008.

The Union College magazine is planning a story about a series of Vietnam War protests organized by students in late April and early May of 1970. During the protest shown in this photo, students marched to the intersection of State Street and Erie Boulevard in Schenectady and staged a sit-in that blocked traffic for an hour. Photos by Dr. Lester Kritzer ’73.

If you witnessed or participated in these protests, let us know: magazine@union.edu or Union College magazine Office of Communications Schenectady, NY 12308-3169 or (518) 388-6748

 

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EXHIBITS

Posted on May 21, 2008

Postcard from the collection of photo pairs (diptychs) by Charlotte Messervy ’08 featured in the Senior Art Exhibition May 20-June 1, 2008 in the Burns Atrium Art Gallery.

Top: Max and Friend Sunbathing On Steps, c. 1986 Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA Vinta

Through June 1

Visual Arts Building

Burns Atrium Art Gallery

Senior Art Exhibition

Works by Ben Lehrer and Charlotte Messervy; reception May 22, 6-8 p.m.

 

 

“Butterflies,” 2007, watercolor, 15″x20″ by artist Clare Stone '08 is part of her “Life Drawings” collection in the Senior Art Exhibition on display June 3 through 15, 2008 in the Burns Atrium Art Gallery, Visual Arts Building.

June 3 through 15

Visual Arts Building

Burns Atrium Art Gallery

Senior Art Exhibition

Works by Molly Freeman and Clare Stone

 

 

 

 

 

 

Through June 12

Humanities Gallery

Aesthetic Divisions

Works from former Union artist-in-residence Arlene Baker's “Silk Spaces” series

 

 

Untitled (Mt. St. Victoire), 2007, oil on canvas, 19 ¾” x 25” by artist Kaitlin Pickett ’08 will be featured at the “Union College Senior Invitational” in the Mandeville Gallery from May 15 through June 15, 2008.

Through June 15

Mandeville Gallery

Nott Memorial

Senior Invitational

Featuring the work of graduating seniors Ben Atkins, Robbie Flick, Jen Libous, Kaitlin Pickett, Amanda Silvestri, Rachel Start, Clare Stone and Walter Yund. Artists' reception set for Saturday, June 14, 2-4 p.m.

 

 

“The scene outside my Hanoi dorm room, Vietnam, 2007,” photograph, Tony Fine ’08, is one of 20 photographs in the “Photographing Another Culture: Vietnam 2007” exhibit on display in the Global Visions Gallery, Grant Hall. The photos were made by 19 stude

Through August

Global Visions Gallery

Grant Hall

New Eyes: Images of Daily Life in Vietnam

Features 20 photographs by students from Union and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, N.Y., taken during the fall 2007 color digital photography class in Vietnam. Nineteen students from the two schools spent 97 days armed with cameras and immersed in the language and culture of Vietnam. They came away with nearly 1,200 images in all. This show was curated by Jen Libous ’08 and Martin Benjamin, professor of Visual Arts and director of the Vietnam term abroad.

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SCENE ON CAMPUS

Posted on May 21, 2008

Take BAck the Night, 2008

Melissa Harris-Lacewell, author of “Barbershops, Bibles and BET,” speaks to students in Prof. Deidre Hill Butler's class on “African American Women” on May 20, 2008. Prof. Harris-Lacewell also gave a public lecture on “Race and the 2008 Election” a

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Four students awarded non-profit summer internships

Posted on May 21, 2008

Four students will work with non-profit groups this summer, thanks to support from various funds and foundations. The students, their funding and work are:

Student: Tatum Weishaupt ’09

Major: Biology

Funding: Class of 1973 Community Service Internship Endowed Fund; supported by the in honor of the 35th class reunion

Internship: Community Hospice of Schenectady.  

Responsibilities: Weishaupt, who is preparing for a career in medicine, will provide respite care and emotional support to terminally ill patients and families. She also will help the Volunteer Office on outreach initiatives and new volunteer training.

 

Student: Shannon Packer’09

Major: Biology/Classics

Funding: Roger H. Hull Community Service Summer Endowed Internship;supported by the Board of Trustees

Internship: Joan Nicole Prince Home; Glenville, N.Y.

Responsibilities: Packer will provide direct patient care to terminally ill residents at the home, part of Schenectady Community Home, Inc. Offering companionship and emotional support, she also will give patients a safe and comfortable environment during their final months of life. She will have the opportunity to participate in community outreach and fundraising efforts, as well.

 

Student: Andrew Mak’10

Funding: Dr. Scholl Foundation

Major: Chemistry/Sociology; LIM

Internship: New York State Department of Health, Albany

Responsibilities: Working in the Patient Safety Center, Mak will help develop a marketing plan and implement the “Just Ask!” program, a national health literacy effort designed by the Society of Health Systems Pharmacists to educate hospital patients about the safe and effective use of their medications. He also will develop a survey for hospital patients to assess the effectiveness of the program and report on the findings. He will form collaborative partnerships with hospitals, government and private sector health organizations as New York is the first state to implement this program.

 

Student: Lisa Crescenzo ’10  

Major: Art History major

Funding: Biology major

Internship: Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, N.Y.

Responsibilities: Crescenzo’s contributions to this community-focused museum will range from digitization and archiving, conservation planning and collections management to exhibition installation. During the Museum’s renovation and transformation, she will contribute to creating more accessibility of the collections through state-of-the-art photography for inclusion in a Web-based database searchable from off-site. She also will evaluate objects for conservation and assist with relocation of the vast permanent collection and installation of traveling exhibits.

Members of the Funded Summer Internship Selection Committee included Sociology Professor Melinda Goldner, Kenney Community Center Director Angela Blair and Becker Career Center Associate Director of Internship Programs Rochelle Caruso.

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“As You Like It” a groovy kind of play

Posted on May 21, 2008

As You Like It, Shakespeare, May 2008

By Carly Aimi ’08

The 1960s and ’70s are a source of inspiration this spring for the Theater and Dance Department as the cast and crew of “As You Like It” embrace peace, love and the hippie spirit.

William Shakespeare’s famous comedy, known for its often-quoted line, “all the world’s a stage,” will be performed Tuesday, May 27 through Saturday May 31 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 1 at 2 p.m. at the Yulman Theatre. The weekend performances will take place during ReUnion, when more than 1,000 guests are expected on campus.

Visiting Director Bill Ziskin, Schenectady High School theater teacher, is adding his own contemprary twist to the 17th century plot. 

A pastoral comedy traditionally set in a garden and courthouse, “As You Like It” is about two young people falling in love and the obstacles they encounter while trying to consummate that love. In Ziskin’s 1960s and ’70s setting, the courtroom becomes a country club and the garden is a hippie commune.

Marc Tangvik ’09, who plays the lead male role, Orlando, said, “The play is filled with classic hits of the era, flower child references and even some minor drug use. Prepare to be groovified!”

The contemporary theme, Tangvik said, does nothing to mute the humor of “As You Like It.”“The hippie twist allows for a clearer understanding of the comedy. You’re guaranteed laughs and smiles throughout.”

In her first Shakespeare performance, Annora Brennan ’10 plays Rosalind, the female lead.

“Shakespeare is very different than other styles of theater, but I am really enjoying it,” Brennan said. “When you first work with Shakespeare, you realize the characters come out of the words. Some say it is the easiest to perform since Shakespeare gives you all that you need.”

William Finlay, chair of the Theater and Dance Department, characterizes Rosalind as “Shakespeare’s most complete woman character. It’s the only time a woman speaks one-third of the lines.”

Director Ziskin has a range of acting credits, including Albany’s Capital Repertory Theatre, the Dorset Theatre Festival in Vermont and the Saratoga Shakespeare Company. Most recently, he appeared as Leonato in the Saratoga Springs troupe’s production of Much Ado About Nothing.”

“Bill Ziskin works really well with everyone and encourages us to always ‘do it better.’ which motivates us as a cast to make sure every time we rehearse, it does improve,” Brennan said. “He knows so much about the play and Shakespeare in general, conversing with him about your character is always a pleasure.”

Other cast members include Rich Leahy ’08 as Jacques and Tony Morello ’09 as Touchstone. Leahy is the recent winner of the College’s first Hedda Hainebach Memorial Prize in Music and Theater.

Tickets for “As You Like It,” now on sale at the Yulman Theatre Box Office, are $10 general admission and $7 with Union College ID. For more information, call 388-6545.

Editor's note: Carly Aimi is an intern in the Office of Communications.

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