Posted on Nov 4, 2010

Members of the first-year class will feature their impressions of Union at “Focus on First Year,” a photo display set for Wednesday, Nov. 10, 12:50 p.m., in the Nott Memorial.

“Since the beginning of the term, students in the Class of 2014 have been taking pictures supporting various themes that chronicled their transition to Union,” said Kate Schurick, dean of first-year students, who developed the photojournaling idea after attending a national conference that addressed transition programs for new students.

“The programs sounded fantastic, and photography is a hobby for me, so I set out to start our own program at Union.”

Schurick and Student Activities Director Matt Milless, a photographer, created a seminar by sending invitations to the first-year class during the summer. Twenty-one students responded. 

“We created two groups, which meet on alternating weeks. Each week, students submit an image around a theme and discuss how that image represents the theme. They’ve really enjoyed the experience, and Matt and I have learned much from them.”    

The students have interpreted five themes that encapsulate the first-year experience: What I Left Behind, My First Days, Confidence/Anxiety, My Union and My Transition (or My Home Away from Home).

“It was a great experience getting to know the students in a unique way,” said Milless. “I look forward to seeing what photos they take throughout their experience here. One student told me she wants to capture the same scenes in all four seasons.”

"'Focus on First Year' has been a great opportunity for me and my fellow classmates to get to know not only each other, but Union College through a different facet, that of the camera,” said Elana Katz ’14.

Other participating students include Azmi Ahmad, Katie Beale, Jennifer Brodsky, Emily Brower, Ari Cohen, Megan Dondarski, Cher Gordon, Katie Halper-Bogusky, Alessandra Knight, Gabriella Levine, Trevor Martin, Rachel Noall, Jigme Norbu, Olivia O’Malley, Juliet Peck, Marissa Peck, Sarah Rand, Casey Tepper, Samantha Tyler and Deanna Zembrzuski.

Posted on Nov 4, 2010

Peter Shankman, a public relations and social media entrepreneur, will speak Tuesday, Nov. 9, at 5:30 p.m. in College Park Hall.

His talk is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Registration is available at http://smctv.eventbrite.com/

Shankman’s appearance is the inaugural event of the Tech Valley chapter of the Social Media Club, one of more than 150 chapters around the country. Other sponsors include the Office of the Minerva Programs.

Shankman is the author of “Can We Do That?! Outrageous PR Stunts That Work and Why Your Company Needs Them.” He also founded “Help a Reporter Out,” a popular service that connects small businesses and organizations with reporters seeking sources on a particular subject.

PR Week Magazine described Shankman as “redefining the art of networking,” while Investor’s Business Daily has called him “crazy, but effective.”

“Peter Shankman follows his passion, and his passion is helping other people to follow theirs,” said Doug Klein, dean of Interdisciplinary Studies. “Since part of the College’s mission is to guide students in finding and cultivating their passions, it will be a delight to welcome Peter to campus.”

Posted on Nov 3, 2010

Union College Hillel will host a Talmud study session on Sunday, Nov. 7 to mark the Global Day of Jewish Learning, which celebrates the completion of first original Talmud commentary since the Middle Ages by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz – a monumental accomplishment 45 years in the making.

More than 250 Jewish communities from Miami to Mumbai are planning study programs on Sunday. Rabbi Steinsaltz will address participants in a live broadcast from Jerusalem. 

Stephen Schmidt, professor of economics, and Joseph Shiang of GE Global Research in Niskayuna will lead a discussion from the tractate Ta’anit beginning at 1 p.m. in the Kosher Kitchen in West College. At 2 p.m., the group will watch Rabbi Steinsaltz complete his work. The event will begin with brunch at 12:30 p.m.

The brothers of AEPi will join Hillel members in the study session. 

The Talmud is, after the Bible, the single most important body of literature in Judaism and the primary source for the study of Jewish religious obligations. 

“I’m gratified that our Hillel students will be able to experience swimming in the sea of Talmud as part of their education,” said Bonnie Cramer, director of Union College Hillel. “Knowledge of the Talmud is part of basic Jewish literacy.”

A distinguished scholar, teacher, mystic, and social critic, Rabbi Steinsaltz has written some 60 books and hundreds of articles on the Talmud, Kabbalah and Chasidut. His works have been translated into English, Russian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Italian, Chinese and Japanese.

For more information about Global Day events around the world, visit www.TheGlobalDay.com.

Posted on Nov 3, 2010

Workers installed three 1.2 kilowatt wind turbines on campus Wednesday, another step in the College’s sustainability efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

A small crowd of students, faculty and staff cheered when the first of the 33-foot high turbines rose near the soccer fields adjacent to College Park Hall, a former brownfield site that was once home to the American Locomotive Company.

“This is so exciting,” said Erin Delman ’12, who watched with her fellow co-chairs of the U Sustain Committee, Meghan Haley-Quigley ’11 and Shabana Hoosein ’11, as workers hoisted the turbine up on its concrete base. “This is another great initiative on campus that will make students more aware of our sustainability efforts. We do lots of things behind the scenes, but this is more visible.”

The turbines will supply 40 percent of the power used regularly at the athletic complex, including for lights and the scoreboard, reducing the College’s energy costs by several thousand dollars a year. In addition, students in Richard Wilk’s mechanical engineering classes will use the turbines to study the potential of wind power and other renewable energy sources.

 The College contributed $35,000 toward the turbines, made from recycled aircraft parts and supplied by Titan Power Systems. The Melrose, N.Y., company underwrote additional costs.

“Projects like this, while not large in size, all add up in our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Fred Puliafico, assistant director of facilities. “And while the electric power generated and the savings in utility costs are important, what’s really valuable about this is that it will serve as a learning laboratory for our students, faculty and the community.”

Union joins a growing list of colleges and universities that are installing wind turbines. Nearly 70 schools across the country have turbines of varying sizes, according to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Sustainability is a major priority for Union. In a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the College is currently testing a new fuel cell that will convert natural gas into electricity and high-quality heat for the 30 students living in Beuth House.

Last spring, Union was included among the country’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review’s first “Guide to Green Colleges.” The free guide, produced in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, includes schools that have “demonstrated an above average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives.”

Union was cited for the work of its U Sustain Committee, made up of about 70 environmentally and socially concerned students, faculty and staff who steward the College’s sustainability initiatives.

Among the highlights are the College’s Presidential Green Grants, aimed at supporting environmentally sustainable projects at Union; Octopus’s Garden, Union’s organic community garden; and the school’s commitment to wind power.

In 2007, President Stephen C. Ainlay was among the first to sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), pledging to formally work on reducing, and eventually eliminating, campus global warming emissions.

Posted on Nov 3, 2010

A meeting will be held Wednesday, Nov. 10, 12:50 p.m. in Reamer Campus Center Room 204 to discuss the College’s third annual LGBTQ art exhibit.  

“Recent headlines both on and off campus prove there’s a strong need for us to revive the LGBTQ exhibition this year,” said Kara Jefts, Mandeville Gallery exhibit assistant. “To continue the success of this event, we encourage participation by any and all – whether you’re interested in helping to organize the event or you wish to contribute artwork.”

Students, faculty, staff and alumni will be invited to submit original art that thoughtfully interprets issues of importance to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in a range of mediums, including visual art, media, literature and music.   

Scheduled for spring term in the Wikoff Student Gallery, the exhibition will be called “It Gets Better” after the successful YouTube project created by advice columnist and activist Dan Savage. This collection of videos featuring openly gay adults who talk about their lives is designed to give bullied and suicidal gay teens hope for their future.   

“By adopting the theme of this highly publicized project, which has caught the attention of everyone from celebrities to President Obama, we hope to promote a campuswide initiative to make Union a place of open acceptance of the LGBTQ community,” Jefts said.

The Union exhibition typically coincides with the National Day of Silence, a student-led event held each April to raise awareness of anti-LGBTQ harassment and promote positive change on campuses nationwide.

For more information, contact Jefts at 388-8358 or jeftsk@union.edu. 

Meanwhile, a Union College video of a recent LGBTQ Allies rally has been posted to the “It Gets Better” project by Emma Freter ’13. To view, click here. For a description of the project, click here.