Hello Union Parents –
Welcome back to all of our students! It’s terrific to see the campus buzzing with activity – it’s very quiet without the students here! I hope your holidays were wonderful and you had time to spend with your son and/or daughter.
Although it’s cold and snowy right now, spring is just around the corner (hopefully) – and with that brings us to Commencement. This year, Commencement is Sunday, June 14.
Without further ado…here is the news from campus…
Classics Department
The Department of Classics recently enjoyed a visit from Andreas Mehl, Professor of Ancient History at Martin Luther University in Halle, Germany. His topic was Roman history composed in ancient Greek. Mediterranean conquest required that the Romans explain themselves to their neighbors, and all those who wanted to reach an audience outside their own borders had to use the international language of the day. Our students continue with their researches as well. More than twenty of them are engaged this term in independent research projects in Classics, ranging from ancient representations of women in athletics to insults in Latin poetry. And our faculty has not been idle: Professor Tarik Wareh recently won a fellowship to spend a year at the National Center for Hellenic Studies to pursue his research on “Philosophical Politics in the Generation after Plato.”
PALS
The PALs program is offering several workshops for students.
Memory vs. Memorization, Tuesday, 1/13 at 5 pm in Sorum
Learn how to improve your memory. This workshop, led by Professor Burns from Psychology and the PALS, will help you develop strategies to commit things to memory, rather than just memorize. This workshop will benefit anyone who has a lot of reading to do, or formulas to memorize, and has troubling recalling the information when needed, such as on exams.
Improving Lab Science Performance, Thursday, 1/15 at 7 pm in Beuth
Is this your first college science course? A gen-ed science? Learn how to succeed in science at Union. Led by Professor Rice from Biology and the PALS. This workshop should benefit any student studying Science. Some first-years may have not done as well in Biology or Chemistry as they would have like in the fall and this will help improve the performance. Engineering students may be faced with Physics and doing labs for the first time. Or you might be a junior finally tackling your Gen Ed science with lab.
Effective Reading Strategies, Wednesday, 1/21 at 5:30 pm in Beuth
Feeling overwhelmed by the reading you have? Feel like you don’t remember much of what you read? Learn effective techniques for staying focused and retaining what you read. This workshop is lead by Professors Lewin and Bracken from English and the PALS.
Applying for Fellowships and Scholarships, Tuesday 2/3, 4:30 pm, Olin Auditorium. Interested in Watsons, Fulbrights, and other exciting opportunities? Even if you are in your first two years, it is not too early to start planning. Learn about how to go about preparing yourself to apply for various undergraduate and post-graduate fellowships and scholarships from Maggie Tongue, Director of Fellowships and Scholarships.
Registration 101, Wednesday, 2/11, 6:30-8:00 pm, Location TBA
Not sure what classes you should be taking? Confused by petitions, Gen Eds, WACs, clusters? Go into your advising meeting well prepared to get the best advice. Just stop by this session…two experienced upperclass students, along with Professor Rosenthal, the faculty advisor to PALs, will get you on the right track!
Workshops for first-year dorms:
Cabin Fever…for residents of West
1/22, Sorum House
Getting Involved …U Can Do it!
1/12, 7 pm, for residents of Webster House
Please take advantage of these programs.
Dining Services
Order a Special Treat for your Special Student – an 8” Decadent Heart Cake!
Available in either Chocolate or Vanilla Cake
With your choice of filling- Chocolate Mouse, Strawberries and Cream or Bavarian Cream (Vanilla), topped in Chocolate Ganache, White or Chocolate Butter cream, with or without chocolate shavings. Include a special message from you on the cake!
Ganache cakes $15.99
Butter cream cakes $12.99
Also available Chocolate Dipped Strawberries in decorative wrapping – $9.99
All orders come with a gift tag for you to personalize
To order: Call 518.388.6050
Email: union_dining@union.edu
Orders can placed until Monday, February, 9th
Catholic Chaplaincy
Good to see everybody back after the long break. Check out the recent article on the Union website about our weekly Catholic Mass on campus: http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=8180. The 7:30 p.m. Sunday Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church on Union St. has been moved up to 5:00 p.m., with our Catholic community dinner following in Hale House.
Athletics
Can’t make the game at Union? Is your son or daughter playing on the road? Don’t worry, now you can receive the score DIRECTLY TO YOUR CELL PHONE! Sign up now for the text message alerts from UnionAthletics.com. It’s FREE to sign up, (standard text message rates will apply for receiving scores). You will get the score after the game, sent directly to your phone. Pick which sports you are interested in for receiving the updates, and sign up here:
http://unionathletics.com/member/sms_signup.aspx
Stay in touch with your favorite Dutchmen and Dutchwomen teams with our new text alert feature at UnionAthletics.com!
Minerva Houses
Alumnus, Phil DiSorbo '71, who has done some terrific humanitarian work, visited campus on Friday, January 9 at 2:10 pm. Spoke about his work with the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa. As many of you may know, last year Union, through the Minerva / Unitas Winter Ball, raised about $6000 to help purchase a Toyota Land Cruiser to help transport and deliver medicines and health care workers to those suffering in outlying areas in Africa. Phil has told us how much of a difference this has made. We intend to keep supporting this effort again this year through the Winter Ball, which will take place on Saturday, February 7 at College Park Hall. Further information on that will soon be coming.
Minerva Fellows
Over the winter break, Tom McEvoy, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Minerva Programs, visited five of the Minerva Fellows and three of the sites Union has placed its Fellows for volunteer work in third world countries . McEvoy reports all of the Fellows are working hard and successfully in the inaugural year of the Fellows Program. Sites visited were Project Hope in Cape Town, Engeye in Southern Uganda and The Global Child in Cambodia. Successful candidates for next year's program will be notified in late February. Plans are underway for much programming on campus when this year's Fellows return on May 1. This year's Fellows will also help to train the next wave of students who will be departing for their assignments this summer.
Message from the Becker Career Center
In its simplest form, the Becker Career Center is about helping students develop their goal attainment skills so that they’ll be able to secure opportunities for which they are well suited and manage their career for a lifetime in a dynamic, diverse and global environment.
Now, when I say “secure opportunities for which they are well suited,” I mean opportunities that stir their passion – that drives their natural curiosity. I believe that if they secure such opportunities, they will perform better and the rewards will take care of themselves.
For students who don’t know what they want to do, we encourage them to get to know themselves through self-assessment and exploration. With a better understanding of who they are, students will be in a better position to align who they are with their course of study, practical experience, and post graduation pursuits.
By having the courage to get out of their comfort zones and engage in activities, courses, events, etc. that peak their interests, your student will have many positive and some negative experiences. Both experiences, however, are very important in helping them better understand themselves.
At the end of the day, by knowing themselves better, they will be much more likely to make decisions that will put them in situations where they are more likely to succeed – however they define success.
So, if your son or daughter doesn’t know what they want to do, have them call us at 518.388.6176 or stop in for some assistance.
If your son or daughter wants an internship or full-time job this summer, now is the time for them to prepare to secure their opportunity. Some of the preparation includes:
- Developing a resume
- Having the ability to write a cover letter
- Understanding the importance of networking and having the skills to conduct informational interviews
- Interviewing practice
Again, we can help your student with all of this. All your son or daughter needs to do is call us at 518.388.6176 or stop in for some assistance.
Finally parents, we will be having a Career Fair on Tuesday, February 17, from 4-7pm. If you (your employer) would like to participate, just let us know.
As always, if you have or know of internship or full-time employment opportunities we would be happy to post the opportunity for our students. Please call us at 518.388.6176, or email Laura Leib at leibl@union.edu.
January Events Bulletin
Employer Information Sessions
GE US Employee Services
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 5:00 pm- Becker Career Center
Price Chopper/Golub Corporation
Wednesday, Jan. 21, 5:00 pm- Becker Career Center
Teach for America
Tuesday, Jan. 20, 6:00 pm- Becker Career Center
Funding for Non-Profit Summer Internships: Prep Sessions
Union College has received funds to support students in unpaid summer internships at non-profit organizations. Attend one of these sessions to learn more.
Thursday, Jan. 15, 1:00 pm- Becker Career Center
Monday, Jan. 19, 1:00 pm- Becker Career Center
Tuesday, Feb. 3, 5:00 pm- Becker Career Center
Internship Search Workshops
Attend one of these hands-on programs to learn how to identify employers who are looking for you and opportunities that are appropriate for you.
Thursday, Jan. 8, 1:00 pm- Olin 306
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 1:00 pm- Olin 106
Thursday, Jan. 15, 5:00 pm- Olin 107
Monday, Jan. 19, 5:00 pm- Olin 306
Tuesday, Jan. 20, 1:00 pm- Olin 107
Monday, Jan. 26, 1:00 pm- Olin 106
Resume and Cover Letter Workshops
Thursday, Jan. 22, 1:00 pm- Becker Career Center
Monday, Jan. 26, 5:00 pm- Becker Career Center
Alumni Sales Professionals Panel
Union Alumni discuss… What separates successful sales professionals from everyone else? Thursday, Jan. 29, 6:00 pm- Olin Auditorium
Career Fair
Tuesday, Feb. 17 from 4:00-7:00 pm- College Park Hall
Save the date!
For information about these and other events visit eRecruiting or call 518-388-6176.
Physics Department
On December 6, 2008, the Department of Physics and Astronomy held the first annual Union College Physical Constants Workshop for high school physics teachers and students. Seven teachers and 17 students worked in teams to perform experiments to measure fundamental physical constants and gain experience with modern instrumentation and laboratory techniques such as high-resolution video analysis, scattering experiments with a particle accelerator, and scanning electron microscopy.
The workshop included five schools from the Capital District, and also two Union alumni, Justin King ‘06 and Nicole Sabbatino ‘06, who are now teaching at Commack and North Shore high schools on Long Island. Six faculty members from the Department of Physics and Astronomy ran experiments for the workshop, along with two current students, Brandon Bartell ‘10 and Tom Perry ‘09.
The goals of the workshop are to stimulate students to study physics and pursue careers in science, provide teachers with an exciting and enriching professional development experience, and to establish a network through which the Department of Physics and Astronomy can support local high school physics education. The workshop was supported by the New York State Section of the American Physical Society and the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
History Department
We were in (lovely, warm!) Buenos Aires from November 29 through December 21. We met with a member of the Argentine Supreme Court, with Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo (who continue to demand answers from the government regarding the fate of their children who were “disappeared” during the dictatorship from 1976-83; we met with housing activists who are using a government fund to build and renovate housing for low income workers; learned the history of Eva Peron (1919-52), one of Argentina’s (and the world’s) most famous women. We visited the museum, her office, and the floor of the General Confederation of Workers, where she worked and her body was embalmed and preserved for years.
We also had tango lessons, salsa lessons, and practiced when we could. The group also had a couple of lovely days at an estancia (ranch) relaxing and eating very well!
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.
Also, Andrew Morris, 20th century US historian, published a book, The Limits of Voluntarism: Charity and Welfare from the new Deal through the Great Society (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009).
In closing, I hope your student is off to a good start for the term. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best wishes for 2009!
Karen Dumonet (Vanessa ’07, Sebastian ’09)
Parents Association Chairperson