Posted on Nov 5, 2008
Hello Union Parents!
We had spectacular fall weather for Homecoming and Family Weekend just a couple of weeks ago. The College welcomed a record crowd of more than 2,500 parents, grandparents, friends and alumni as they came together on campus to participate in visit a class; attend the President’s Welcome Reception as well as the Parents Open House, receptions, and panel discussions, and athletic events… and more! Here are some interesting facts on the weekend – the majority of parents attending were first year parents, there were 22 states represented by our parent population, with the farthest traveling parents from California, Nevada and Washington. Internationally, we had a set of parents from England. We hope you had the opportunity to visit the campus (and your student) during the festivities!
With the coming of fall brings the end of the term – finals will begin soon and your student may be feeling a mix of emotions – from stress of exams (and relief when they’re over) to excitement about coming home or going on a term abroad or an internship. It’s important for parents to remember – particularly first year parents – that there will be an adjustment period when your student comes home. We hope you will enjoy this time with your student.
News from campus…
Athletics
Union Athletics is wrapping up another successful fall season as men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball and field hockey are all advancing to the Liberty League Tournament. The Dutchmen football team will play its final regular season home game on Saturday, November 8th on Bailey Field.
Log on to www.UnionAthletics.com for ticket information, or to find updated scores, statistics and schedules. Admission to most Union Athletics events is free and hockey ticket information is online. Beth Taimi, taimie@union.edu
Catholic Chaplaincy
For the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, we held a Blessing of the Animals, Sun., Oct. 5, on the front steps of St. John the Evangelist Church on Union St. This age-old custom is conducted in remembrance of St. Francis’s love for all creatures. About 20 pets, and their owners, received a blessing.
The Sunday evening Mass at St. John's has been enriched by the participation of a number of students who were trained at the beginning of the term to serve as lectors. All three lectors at the Mass are students–from Union and from the parish's high school religious ed. program. Three Union students were recently trained to serve as extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, as well.
On Oct. 16, in conjunction with the Department of History, the Religious Studies Program, and the American Studies Program, we hosted an afternoon seminar for History faculty and majors and an evening panel discussion with Nick Salvatore, the Maurice and Hinda Neufeld Founders Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations and professor of American studies at Cornell University, and Joseph A. McCartin, associate professor of history at Georgetown University, on Faith and the Historian: Catholic Perspectives, the title of a collection of essays by American historians about the influence growing up Catholic has had on their work. Salvatore is the editor and McCartin one of the contributors. It was fascinating and thought-provoking to hear their reflections on the significance of their Catholic upbringing and education (pre- and post-Vatican II, respectively) for their work as historians; lively discussions ensued.
Our Homecoming & Family Weekend Catholic Mass and brunch were again well attended and received. $178.50 was raised from the offertory collection at Mass for a project spearheaded by Megan Sesil '09 to send vitamins and school supplies to the two recent Union graduates serving as Minerva Fellows in Uganda. Brunch guest speaker Kathleen Gallagher, director of pro-life activities and director of the Catholic Action Network for the New York State Catholic Conference, offered a humorous, incisive, and inspiring reflection on Catholic faith in action drawing on her experience as a parent, the U.S. Catholic Bishops' election year statement, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, and Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who.
A recruiter for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, the nation's oldest and largest Catholic volunteer program, visited campus Oct. 26-27, speaking at the Sunday evening Catholic community dinner and the 7:30 p.m. Mass at St. John's, tabling Monday in the Reamer Campus Center lobby, and offering a lunch-time info session in the Reamer Auditorium. You can go to www.jesuitvolunteers.org for more info about JVC.
Student Activities
Fall was a busy and exciting term for Student Activities…and it’s not quite over yet! Comedian Ronnie Jordan will be here to lighten the mood and help your students laugh as they head into the busy times of 10th week and finals. Manute Bol, the 7’7” former NBA star, will be here to speak about his philanthropic work helping the people in his native country of Sudan. Ballroom Dance Club will host a swing dance with the popular band Rocky Velvet. The free weekend movies and free DVD rentals continue as well! And as the term comes to a close, students are busy planning and preparing for an exciting and activity-packed Winter! Finally, thank you to all of you who came to check out Naturally 7 during Family Weekend. We do hope you enjoyed the performance! Have a safe and happy holiday season. We'll see you in January!
Union Launches Minerva Fellows Program
With a seed planted by Professor of Economics, Hal Fried, Union has offered eight graduates from the Class of 2008 the opportunity to use their skills to provide help to those in third world and developing countries.
This year, shortly after Commencement, eight students departed the U.S. and are working with various non-governmental organizations in Asia and Africa. They will return to Union in April 2009 to assist Professor Fried in teaching his Social Entrepreneurship class and prepare the next wave of students to head of for similar endeavors in 2009. When they return, they will also put on several programs in the Minerva Houses and share their transformational experiences with the Union community.
An information session was held for 40 current seniors in October. Students interested will apply in January and be selected in February.
Current Minerva Fellows are:
Steve Po-Chedley from Orchard Park, New York and Becky Broadwin from Concord, Massachusetts are working with Engeye, a health care clinic, in southern Uganda.
Robbie Flick from Butler, Maryland and Jon Hill from Rochester, New York are working with The Global Child, a school, in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Alex Butts, from Canton Massachusetts and Emily Laing from Jordan, New York are working with Saint Catherine’s Orphanage in Mumbai India.
Dave Shulman, from Needham, Massachusetts is working for Partners in Health in southern Malawi, Africa.
Lara Levine, from Riverside Connecticut, is working with Journey Hope in Capetown, South Africa.
History Department
The history department is happy to welcome a new colleague this fall: Shailaja Paik, who completed her Ph.D. at the University of Warwick, in England. Professor Paik is offering courses in South Asian civilization, history, and religion this fall, and next winter will be teaching a Sophomore Research Seminar on “Caste and Gender in South Asia” along with a survey on modern South Asian history. The department is delighted to have the addition of this important area of the world as a research and teaching focus.
The other new and exciting development in the department has been the inauguration of our Public History Program, under the direction of Professor Melinda Lawson. She has been laying the groundwork for the Civil Rights Mini-term which will be launched in Nov-Dec. 2009. The department already has a public history mini-term to South Africa thus a mini-term covering the important sites of the US civil rights movement, including Charleston, Selma, Montgomery, Birmingham, and New Orleans, is an exciting addition.
In late February 2009 the history department, the Africana Studies program, and the President’s Office will host the Capital District Underground Railroad History Conference here at Union College. This year, in conjunction with the Office of Campus Diversity, the History Department’s new Public History program is hosting the eighth annual Underground Railroad History Conference. This is a major event, held February 27th and 28th at Campus Park Hall. The theme of the conference is “The Underground Railroad, Its Legacies, and Our Communities.” We are very excited about this event and urge all history students to attend. (Attendance for students will be free!)
PALS – Peer Assistants for Learning
The Peer Assistants for Learning (PALs) program will be entering its fourth year at Union College.
Our goal is to help students be successful, not only academically but in terms of personal growth. We do this by providing mentoring, guidance, and encouragement toward gaining the independence and self-reliance necessary for success and by acting as a liaison to the academic resources at Union.
PALs can help with adjusting to the pace of college, with study skills, note-taking, dealing with anxiety, and with coping with the inevitable stresses of being a college student. They provide a friendly, sympathetic and experienced ear.
What PALs can do:
- Serve as an academic resource and referral service.
- Offer a variety of helpful workshops on a range of topics including study skills, time management, dealing with stress and balancing Greek life and academics. The program also covers academic topics such as lab sciences, essay writing and study abroad.
- PALS are experienced in meeting the challenges of college life. We can help you balance your academic and social responsibilities.
As part of the PALs program Mellon grant to do outreach for sophomores, there is now a web site devoted to information that will be particularly useful to sophomores. This information can be found at www.union.edu/sophomore_experience
Many students take advantage of the program. Those who meet regularly with their PAL show improvement in their academic performance, and a reduction in their stress level.
For more information and to request a PAL, visit the web site: http://mentors.union.edu.
Becker Career Center
Yes, the financial crisis is having an impact on college hiring. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers plan to hire just 1.3% more graduates in 2009 than they hired this year. That's the weakest outlook in six years and reflects a sharp recent downturn. Looking ahead, we expect employers to remain very cautious with their college recruiting plans. This is especially true for financial services firms.
With respect to the Becker Career Center, however, we are fortunate to have a diverse employer base that yields many full-time and internship opportunities. In fact, we have over 80 full-time positions and over 125 internships in a variety of industries and occupational fields. As such, we continue to encourage students to review and apply to opportunities of interest.
There is another phenomenon that you should know about. While over 60% of the employers recruit most heavily in the fall, students seem to be putting off thinking about employment until the winter or spring. This is not a Union College phenomenon. For example, we are participating in the Boston Recruiting Event on November 7th, which is a career fair hosted by a consortium of eight small liberal arts colleges. In addition to participating in the career fair, over 20 employers have agreed to allow students to sign up for interviews. In spite of the interview opportunities, very few students have applied. The result is that many terrific opportunities will pass the students by, and when the students do begin to think about summer or full-time employment the competition for those opportunities will increase dramatically. As such, we encourage you to talk to your student about applying for job and internship opportunities now.
Given the above, we recommend that students:
· Start early – there is less competition now
· Develop a Plan A and Plan B for their job search
· Make sure their resume is perfect
· Know how to develop an effective cover letter
· Network, especially with alums
· Practice interviewing
· Understand that rejection will happen, don’t take it personally, persevere
We can help your student with all of these recommendations. All they have to do is ask.
As always, if you have or know of internship or full-time opportunities for students or alumni, we would be happy to post the positions for our students or alumni. You can either call or email Laura Leib at: 518.388.6176, or leibl@union.edu.
Classics
The Department of Classics began the year with over forty majors, a record. More than fifteen of our majors will graduate this year alone, and the natural question arises: what next? So, while guiding our seniors through their theses and senior projects, faculty have also begun helping them chart their next steps. Our students’ plans include medical school, law school, graduate school, teaching certification or teaching in private schools or for Teach for American (no prior certification required), and we have scheduled a workshop for Classics majors in the Becker Career Center for those students who have no idea what might come next, so they too can learn about a whole range of opportunities for graduates with liberal arts degrees. Transitions can be a challenge, but they are also exciting.
Health Services
Cold and flue season will be here before we know it – Health Services is sponsoring flu clinics on Nov. 6 and 13th. These are Thursdays from 11 am – 3pm. The cost is $27.00 for the vaccine. They can bill tuition, case or check – payable to “Maxim Healthcare Systems”. It will take place on Old Chapel. Students under 18yo will need signed consent.
Health Services will be closed for Winter Break from Nov. 24, 2008 – Jan. 5, 2009. Happy holidays to all.
Geology Department
A paper by John Garver, Geology Department chair, titled “Crustal-scale structural architecture, shortening, and exhumation of an active, eroding orogenic wedge,” recently was published by the journal Tectonics (vol. 27). Co-authors are Andrew Meigs, Sarah Johnston ’02 and James Spotila. The piece is part of the authors’ long-term effort at understanding the tectonic evolution of the Chugach Range in Chugach/St. Elias Range, southern Alaska. Their paper details one of the most dramatic collision zones in the world. Much of the work was the master’s thesis of Johnston, then at Oregon State University. Johnston did the analytical work with Garver in Union’s fission track lab.
A recruiting video by Jonathan Campano ’09, titled “The Union College Geology Department,” won an award for Best Documentary at the Third Annual Electric City Film Fest last week at Proctors, where it was shown along with other winning entries. Campano began work on his project for the Geosciences and Environmental Sciences at Union last May and completed it this fall. This year’s film festival, presented by SACCTV-16, focused on the theme, “Why Schenectady?”
Physics
Anna Gaudette ’09 and Hillary Bauer ’11 presented their work at the Canadian Undergraduate Physics Conference at the University of Toronto recently. Gaudette presented on studies of mechanical reinforcements of polymer nanocomposites. Bauer’s work focused on the phase transition of physically restricted molecules in the nano scale. Accompanying the students was Samuel Amanuel, assistant professor of physics. The conference drew 272 delegates from 39 institutions across Canada and the United States.
And last but not least…
The Parents Fund Corner: Parent Volunteers
As Chair of the Parents Fund and parent of Peter ‘09, I work with parent volunteers who, through telephone solicitation and written appeals, ask fellow parents to join them in making a gift to Union. Parent Volunteers serve as an important link between the College and fellow parents and also help to provide vital funds for Union. The month of November will mark our Parent Volunteer calling period and will give Union Parents an opportunity to communicate with Parent volunteers.
If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions about the Parents Fund, please feel free to call Elizabeth Epstein, Associate Director of The Parents Fund, at (518)388-6142.
Thank you for your support and for your consideration of a gift this year. Every gesture, no matter how great or small, supports our students and faculty at Union and has an immediate impact. You may always give online. For more information, please visit the Parents Webpage at http://www.union.edu/Parents/ParentFund.php , Vivian Falco, Peter '09, Parents Fund Chairperson
In closing, I hope you enjoy the time your students will be home on break. Best wishes to your daughters and sons in their Union endeavors this year!
Sincerely,
Karen Dumonet (Vanessa ’07, Sebastian ’09)
Parents Association Chairperson
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