Posted on May 27, 2008

Dedications, tours, talks, receptions, theater, picnics, sports, fireworks and a whole lot of conviviality…. it’s ReUnion.

More than 1,000 visitors are expected on campus through Sunday for the annual celebration of Union’s graduates.

During the weekend, the College will honor geologist and former U.S. Congressman John S. Wold ’38, and his wife, Jane, who have directed $13 million of their $20 million gift for a multidisciplinary teaching and research center.

President Stephen C. Ainlay and the Board of Trustees invite all members of the campus community to the dedication of Breazzano Fitness Center at Alumni Gymnasium today, May 30, at 4:30 p.m. This event honors David J. Breazzano ’78, who made possible the new facility, on his 30th ReUnion. Breazzano, co-founder and principal of an investment firm, recently gave an additional $2 million to support the College’s main fitness facility.

Also today, at 3:30 p.m., the College will honor outstanding engineering alumni at the Engineering Awards Reception at Beuth House.

A ceremony to present the Alumni Gold Medals, Faculty Meritorious Award, parade trophies and class gifts will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Memorial Chapel. The event will close with the traditional senior handshake between the Class of 2007 and the 50th ReUnion Class, immediately followed by a chimes concert.

Also on tap are presentations by cartoonist and New Yorker nightlife editor John Donohue ’90; a talk on “Women, Money and Power” by Alissa Quinn ’84 of Smith Barney; a young alumni career panel on transitioning from college to work; a reception with poetry reading for "Pendulum Labyrinth," an installation in Jackson's Garden by D. Shayne Aldrich '98 and Tina Tacorian '01; and performances of William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” in the Yulman Theatre.

For a full schedule of ReUnion events, please visit: http://www.union.edu/ReUnion.

 

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Posted on May 27, 2008

Union’s chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, the national classics honor society, recently initiated 22 new members, who were recognized for their academic excellence in the study of the ancient Greek and Latin languages and the literature, culture, and history of antiquity. Eta Sigma Phi was founded in 1914 at the University of Chicago. Union’s faculty sponsor to the Eta Phi chapter of Eta Sigma Phi is Tarik Wareh.The students initiated were: Matthew Angelosanto ’11, Peter Bonventre ’11, Richard Caister ’09, Margaret Callahan ’09, Melissa Carey ’10, Huan Chen ’09, Andrew Churchill ’11, Shannon Davi ’08, Michael Glickman ’09, Paul Hebert ’10, Rachel Hogue ’11, Shauna Keeler ’09, Alexandra King ’11, Racheal Lalji, ’11, Peter MacDonald ’09, Victoria Mathieu ’11, Evan Place ’10, Sloane Sheldon ’11, David Stokes-Greene ’08, Rachel Torres ’10, Cassandra Walters ’11 and Michael Zanotta ’09.

 

The Department of Physics and Astronomy has inducted nine Union students into Sigma Pi Sigma, the national physics honor society. New members include Paul Amy ’08, Steven Cohen ’08, Michael Gillin ’08, Dana Lasher ’08, Christian Shultz ’08, Crystal Smith ’08, Anna Gaudette ’09, David Ludwig ’09 and Steve Herron ’09. Sigma Pi Sigma honors outstanding scholarship in physics and encourages interest in physics among students at all levels.

 

Beth Solomon ’09, head Resident Advisor for Richmond House, has been accepted to attend STARS College of the Association of College and University Housing Officers –  International Conference and Exposition this summer. The highly selective program precedes the annual conference, in which top housing officers from around the country teach and mentor undergraduates interested in pursuing a career in student affairs and residence life.  

 

Michael Stabinski ’08 recently volunteered as a “guardian” on Patriot Flight 2008, a program, based in Troy, N.Y., that flies veterans free of charge to Washington, D.C., to visit the World War II Memorial. A Political Science and Economics major, Stabinksi made the flight to honor his grandfather, John F. Kirby, who served as a ball turret gunner on the B-17s for 25 missions over Europe, and who passed away in March. Wearing a replica flight jacket like the one his grandfather wore on his missions, he assisted three veterans on the day-long trip. Stabinski is the son of Mary Beth and Richard Stabinski, of Facilities.

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Posted on May 26, 2008

Assistant Professor of Visual Arts Lorraine Morales Cox presented “Painting Black & Brown Sexuality: The Body Portraits of David Antonio Cruz and Michalene Thomas” at “Race, Sex and Power: New Movements in Black and Latino Sexualities” at the University of Illinois at Chicago in April. Drawing on critical race, feminist and queer theory, Cox considers Cruz and Thomas’s portrait paintings in relation to sexuality and racial identity through the use of humor and satire.

Also in April, Cox gave a paper on “The Creative Provocations of a Transcultural Flâneur: The Art and Politics of Remy Jungerman,” at the annual conference of the National Association for Ethnic Studies, titled “The Politics of Ethnicity,” in Atlanta. In addition, Cox has been commissioned to write the exhibition catalogue essay for the Afro-Surinamese-Dutch artist’s upcoming Fritschy Prize exhibition at the Museum Het Domein in Sittard, Netherlands. Cox will travel to Sittard as an invited speaker for the exhibition’s June 27 opening.

Last week, Cox took part in “Critical Collage, Artistic Interventions and Technologies of the Self,” a roundtable discussion on “Technology and Collage/ Montage,” at the annual meeting of the Cultural Studies Association at New York University.

“Shakkei,” by Hilary Tann, the John Howard Payne Professor of Music, will be performed in the North/South Chamber Orchestra’s “Ethnic Echoes” program on June 10 at Christ & St. Stephen’s Church in New York City. The concert will feature works by three generations of American composers under the direction of orchestra conductor Max Lifchitz. English oboist Virginia Shaw will be the featured soloist in the U.S. premiere of “Shakkei.” A term used in Japanese landscape design, shakkei means “borrowed scenery.” Tann is scheduled to be on hand to introduce her work and speak with the audience.

“The Tlingit Encounter with Photography” by Professor and Chair of Anthropology Sharon Gmelch will be published by the University of Pennsylvania Museum Press this fall. Exploring early photographic imagery of the Tlingit Indians of Southeastern Alaska, the book compares the Tlingit photographs taken by surveyors, scientists, museum collectors, commercial photographers and tourists. It features 130 photos covering the period 1868 to 1929 and is based on extensive archival research and interviews with Tlingit elders. A traveling exhibit is also being planned.

George Gmelch, the Roger Thayer Stone Professor of Anthropology, recently had two articles published and four previously published articles reprinted in different anthologies. The new essays are “Bill Kirwin: Pioneering a Community of Baseball Scholars” in “Nine: The Journal of Baseball History and Culture,” and “The Changing Culture of Professional Baseball” in “Elysian Fields Quarterly.” The reprinted essays are “Nice Girls Don’t Talk to Rastas,” “Lessons from the Field,” “Baseball Magic” and “Coming Home: Return Migration to Barbados.”

Visiting Professor of Anthropology Derick Fay has co-edited “The Rights and Wrongs of Land Restitution: Restoring What Was Theirs.” The book is scheduled to be published by Routledge in July.

A paper by Associate Professor of Psychology Stephen Romero, titled “Electrophysiological Markers of Skill-related Neuroplasticity,” will be included in an upcoming edition of “Biological Psychology.” Co-authors are Tony Cacace of Albany Medical College; Dennis McFarland of the New York State Wadsworth labs; Lori Farrell ’04, who assisted as part of an independent study project; and AMC summer research student Rob Faust.  

"The Hoffleit Centennial: A Year of Celebration,” edited by Professor of Physics and Astronomy A. G. Davis Philip, Professor William F. van Altena of Yale and Professor of Physics and Astronomy Rebecca Koopmann, was published by L. Davis Press in April. The book contains articles by Koopmann et al. (“The ALFALFA Undergraduate Workshop Promoting Undergraduate Participation in a Legacy Survey Project”) and by Philip (“Eleven Years of the Shapley Visiting Lectureships Program”).

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Posted on May 26, 2008

Hundreds of prospective students and their families spent their Memorial Day holiday on campus trying to get a jump on the college admissions process.

The annual "Junior Jump Start," sponsored by the Office of Admissions, included meetings with faculty, staff and current students, a tour of the campus and an up-close look at the College's selling points.

“As juniors, you need to realize that time passes quickly and begin to think about closing out your high school careers and thinking toward your futures,” said Miles Kueffner ’09. "You need to realize you’re an integral part of the selection process. Just as colleges are figuring out if they want to choose you, you need to determine if you choose them.”

Therese McCarty, the Stephen J. and Diane K. Ciesinski Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs, pointed to the success of Union seniors such as Stephen Po-Chedley and Naazia Husain, in helping prospective students understand their options.

“As you’re choosing your institution,” McCarty said, “think about what you want to accomplish in your short time there and be sure the colleges you’re visiting will allow you to achieve those goals.”

Monday's event wasn't limited to juniors, either. Sophomore Jeremy Philipson traveled from Utica with his father, Gary '79, to explore the engineering program.

"A class in computer-integrated manufacturing interested me and I wanted to see what Union had to offer," said Philipson. 

The deadline for early decision is Nov. 15; regular decision applications are due by Jan. 15, 2009.

For more information, visit http://www.union.edu/Admissions

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Posted on May 23, 2008

Through June 1

Visual Arts Building

Burns Atrium Art Gallery

Senior Art Exhibition

Works by Ben Lehrer and Charlotte Messervy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 3 through 15

Visual Arts Building

Burns Atrium Art Gallery

Senior Art Exhibition

Works by Molly Freeman and Clare Stone; reception set for Saturday, June 7, 2-4 p.m.

 

 

Through June 12

Humanities Gallery

Aesthetic Divisions

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

 

 

 

Through June 15

Mandeville Gallery

Nott Memorial

Senior Invitational

Featuring the work of Ben Atkins, Robbie Flick, Jen Libous, Kaitlin Pickett, Amanda Silvestri, Rachel Start, Clare Stone and Walter Yund; closing reception set for Saturday, June 14, 2-4 p.m., at the Nott Memorial.

 

 

 

Through June 16

Wikoff Student Gallery

Nott Memorial

My Trip to India: Photographs by Sara Jacobson ‘10

Featuring the work of Sara Jacobson ‘10 taken during winter break

 

 

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. This show was curated by Jen Libous ’08 and Martin Benjamin, professor of Visual Arts and director of the Vietnam term abroad.

 

 

 

Through November 29

Jackson's Garden

North side of Hans Groot's Kill

Pendulum Labyrinth

The labyrinth is a mystical design of unknown origin, rich in universal symbolism. Today, all over the world, people work with this ancient symbol in a variety of ways, yet no one has unlocked its mystery. The walk-able design, created by D. Shayne Aldrich ’98 and inspired by the movement of a pendulum, is a reference to the passage of time. Its faceted perimeter echoes the deeply symbolic architecture of the Nott Memorial. A reception will be Saturday, May 31, 3-5 p.m., in Jackson's Garden.

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Posted on May 22, 2008

Justin Merolla '06

Justin, who recently became a Union Fund volunteer, is biking cross-country in support of the Pan-Massachusetts.

Check the Pan USA Challenge Web site for more details: http://www.panusachallenge.org.

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