Posted on Feb 2, 1996

Trish Williams and Melissa Powers wanted to lead by example in community service, so they really became leaders … Girl Scout leaders, that is.

Williams, associate dean of students and director of residence life, and Powers, assistant director of residence life — who encourage that resident assistants become involved in community service– began a Girl Scout Troop at Union in the fall of 1993.

Powers, a Girl Scout since early elementary school, wanted to start her own troop and after some convincing, got Williams — who says knew nothing about scouting — to help her out.

To become leaders, Williams and Powers had to go through a training process including camping, which they both describe as “interesting.” For Powers, the training was old hat, except for the paperwork.

For Williams, it was just the opposite. “Everything was new to me,” she said. “The paperwork was the easy part, but everything else I had to be taught.”
(Since most leaders were former Girl Scouts, the trainers assume a familiarity with what they were teaching.) But Powers and Williams helped each other — Williams did the
“administrative stuff,” Powers “played with the kids” — and soon they
began Girl Scout Troop 436.

Since the troop began, Erica DeCarlo, a senior and long-time Girl Scout, has been helping out Williams and Powers. This fall, Farah Lalani, a freshman who has also been a
scout since early elementary school, got involved with the troop. DeCarlo and Lalani went through leader training together, and are now both official leaders. Powers and Williams
are hoping to eventually pass the troop into students' hands.

The troop has eight members who are in first through fifth grades at nearby Zoller, Howe and St. John's Elementary schools. They meet every other week at the Reamer Campus Center, which Williams and Powers say has been beneficial for both the troop and Union
students. The girls think its neat to be at college and the students provide good role models. And many students who see — and hear — the girls in the Campus Center have offered to help out on various occasions.

Williams and Powers have taken the troop camping and have had picnics with the girls and their families. And of course, they have been working toward their badges. One badge involved making art to wear. For this project, the students of Ludlow House — where
DeCarlo is house manager — got involved. Each girl was paired with a student for face painting. “The girls really enjoyed having a buddy for the day,” Powers says.

Williams and Powers have enjoyed watching the troop grow over the past couple of years. “It's working out well,” Williams says. “It's good to see them working together and interacting. And they can even sit still for a minute now.”

Posted on Feb 2, 1996

A first place finish in Breckenridge, Colo., on Jan. 20 has left Nikki Stone, a senior psychology major from Westborough, Mass., ranked second on the World Cup Women's
Aerial Skiing circuit. Stone, who is taking the term off to compete, trails leader Veronica Brenner of Canada by only 16 points (496 to 480) after seven competitions. Stone, who competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics, plans to return to Union to graduate spring
term.

Posted on Feb 2, 1996

One Union professor, two high school teachers and three college presidents are to be honored by the College at the Founders Day ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 11:30 a.m. in Memorial Chapel.

The ceremony also will include an address by President Roger Hull.

Mary Carroll, assistant professor of chemistry, is to receive the Stillman Prize for Excellence in Teaching, established by Abbott L. Stillman '69, a member of the College's Board of Trustees. Carroll, a member of the Class of 1986 who rejoined her alma mater as a faculty member six years later, earned her Ph.D. from Indiana University.

Three college presidents will receive honorary degrees for their contributions in helping to establish foreign study exchanges with the College. They are Gordon McGregor,
former principal of the University College of Ripon and York St. John in York, England; Tan Feng Liang, president of Nanjing Normal University in Nanjing, China; and Sadato
Tanimato, president of Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan.

Two high school teachers — Michael Zulauf and Rita Livingston — are to receive the Gideon Hawley Teacher Recognition Awards. Zulauf, a history teacher at Gilford (N.H.) High
School was nominated by history major Catherine Bosiak '98. Livingston, a retired physics and mathematics teacher at Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, Wyo., was nominated by mathematics major Graham Bryce '98.

The Gideon Hawley award is named for the 1809 Union graduate who was distinguished historically for his leadership in education and his concern for teacher development during the 19th century. As the state's first superintendent of public education, he laid the foundations of the public elementary schools and was a founder of what is now the University at Albany, the first campus in the State University of New York system. He was
named secretary of the state Board of Regents, a post he held for 27 years.

Posted on Feb 2, 1996

The Vellinger String Quartet will perform music by Haydn, Mendelssohn, Purcell and Britten tonight, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. in Memorial Chapel as part of the Schenectady
Museum-Union College chamber music series.

Formed in 1991, the Vellinger came to the attention of the music world by winning first prize in the London International String Quartet Competition in 1994. Quartet members have been regular participants in England's noted chamber festival in Prussia Cove. This season, the group is touring the U.S., Europe and Japan.

Members are Stephanie Gonley and Harvey de Souza, violins; James Boyd, viola; and Sally Pendlebury, cello.

On the program are Haydn's Quartet in B flat Major, Opus 71, No. 1; Mendelssohn's Quartet in E flat Major, Opus 12; Purcell's Fantasia (a selection);
and Britten's Quartet No. 2, Opus 36.

Posted on Feb 2, 1996

Thomas Werner, Florence B. Sherwood Professor of Chemistry, is to publish a paper titled “Binding of Purene to Cyclodextrin Polymers” in the April issue of the journal Applied Spectroscopy. Co-authors are Karen Colwell '95 and Rezik
Agbaria and Isiah Warner, both of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Sandy Wimer, adjunct assistant professor of printmaking, had works on exhibit in a group show titled “Blue” at the Russell Sage College Gallery in Troy.

John Miller, theater technical director, was lighting designer for Home Made Theater's recent production of Charlotte's Web at the Spa Little Theater in Saratoga Spa State Park.

Kristin Fox, assistant professor of chemistry, published a paper titled “Structure-function relations for old yellow enzyme” in The FASEB Journal (Vol
9). Co-authors include P. Andrew Karplus of Cornell University, and Vincent Massey of the University of Michigan. The paper reviews the current state of knowledge about the protein
old yellow enzyme, and details what is known from both the structural and mechanistic perspectives.

Charlotte Eyerman, visiting instructor of visual arts, presented a paper, “Daumier's 'Liberty' and Strategies of Modern Allegory” at the Western Society for French History's 23rd annual conference last fall.

Susan Lehrman, assistant professor at the Graduate Management Institute, was recently commissioned by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, one of the primary federal agencies funding health services research, to write a paper on
methodologies for evaluating the costs and benefits of AIDS case management. The paper was presented in Washington, D.C., in November and is to be published this year.

William Finlay, associate professor of theatre and director of the Yulman Theater, directed Of e.e. i sing, a musical celebration of the poetry of e.e. cummings, in the second offering of Proctor's Too, of which he is artistic director.
Finlay is also on the artistic staff of the Capital Repertory Company in Albany, where he is serving as combat choreographer for their upcoming production of Grapes of Wrath.

Posted on Feb 2, 1996

“Splendor in Stone,” an exhibit of spectacular thin sections of rocks from the New York State Museum, will be on display through the end of the month in the Nott Memorial. The sections are 1/850th of an inch thick glued to glass. Besides serving as unusual and dramatic abstract art, the thin sections tell a lot about the minerals present and how the rocks formed. A short course for local teachers is being offered Feb. 7.

The College's Department of Visual Arts welcomes David Ogawa of Assumption College, speaking on “Corot and the Feeling of Seeing” on Friday, Feb. 16, in
Arts 215.

“Silent Heros,” an exhibit of recent prints and drawings by Harold Lohner will be on display through March 1 in the Arts Atrium.

The Union College Choir and Orchestra directed by Prof. Hugh Allen Wilson will combine with choirs from WPI, Wells College and Regis College for a performance on Sunday,
Feb. 11, at 3 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.

“Questions of Faith,” a video series featuring 27 Jewish, Protestant
and Roman Catholic thinkers, will be shown through the end of the month from noon to 1 p.m. in Mobil Lounge (RCC 409). “How Do We Right the Wrong?” will be Feb. 6 and
7; “What Gives You Faith?” Feb. 13 and 14; and “What Happens After Death?” Feb. 20 and 21.

The Multicultural Affairs Group and the Multicultural Resource Center is sponsoring “Diversity Luncheons” on the first and third Thursday of each month
at noon in RCC 308. Luncheons this term are addressing the question, “Is Union a comfortable environment for multicultural students?” For more information, call the Dean of Students Office at ext. 6116.