Posted on May 27, 2003

Jack Shroder '61, a Regents Professor of Geology and Geography at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, was one of the most sought-after specialists in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. An expert on Afghanistan's caves, he was inundated by media inquiries.

A reporter asked Shroder if he could deduce Osama bin Laden's whereabouts from the geological clues in a CNN-aired video. Shroder zeroed in on the Tora Bora region, but he didn't want to divulge too much before briefing government officials. Not an hour after his media appearance, he was contacted by federal agents, and soon he was advising FBI and high-ranking government officials.

Although the media frenzy has abated, Shroder still gets appearance requests. In mid-February, he was interviewed by Dutch radio, and in May he will lecture on Afghanistan at the Los Angeles County Museum.

Shroder was a young boy in Vermont when he first developed an interest in rocks. When time came to choose a college, he decided on Union because of renowned geologist Edward Staples Cousins Smith. “Union gave me a classic geological education and developed an appetite for travel in me,” he says, since budding geologists soon learn that what they want to know is “out there somewhere in the world.”

Shroder wanted to be a petroleum exploration geologist, but after learning that such well-paid specialists are often traded mid-career for younger geologists, he became a geomorphologist–
a geologist who studies landforms
and can “read” the surface to tell what lies beneath.

Shroder and Afghanistan came together in the early 1970s, when he was helping a doctoral student conduct grant work in the country. When the student unexpectedly died, Shroder felt compelled to continue the project. The result was the National Atlas of Afghanistan–a geological survey of vast, untapped natural resources.

Later in the 1970s Shroder became head of Kabul University's Seismic Station. Calling himself a “naive” scholar, he says he did not realize that the U.S. was using the site to “[detect] Soviet and Chinese nuclear explosions north of the border.” In 1978, the Afghan Communists captured, then deported him. With his cook's help, he smuggled out all the maps he had made.

Today Shroder leads the Afghanistan Studies Center (ASC) at the University of Nebraska-Omaha–the only institution of its kind in the West. During the 1980s, when Afghanistan was fighting the Soviet Union, the ASC had some 500 employees in the country. Now the center has Shroder as its chief researcher and about ten adjunct researchers at other universities. Additional employees in Kabul are involved primarily in printing new school textbooks for children.

It is not uncommon for inhabitants of Afghanistan and surrounding countries to view with suspicion every Westerner. But Shroder says that until 9/11 he got along very well. He used to speak a little “kitchen and bazaar” (as he characterized his fluency) Dari, an Afghan-
Persian dialect, and very little Urdu. He moved about freely for the most part because, he says, “I was very open, friendly, and talked about everything in what I think is perceived as a rather naïve way. I have been called a spy, though, and now it has gotten very dangerous for me.”

After the Soviets' departure, Shroder and his ASC colleagues warned U.S. officials, “We need to look after Afghanistan. We're going to have trouble with this place.”

Now, Shroder feels that “it is up to us to help the Afghans develop their country by exploiting their own resources. Things in Afghanistan are going to be good if we can just figure out when and how to get it done right. The United States just has to get through the bureaucracy and work with people of good will. The future of the U.S. depends on this type of development.”

By and large, Afghans, especially the pre-Taliban generations, want American help in developing their country. “The Afghans could have a very good country in the middle of a very difficult place,” Shroder says. “The destruction of terrorism is key right there, and Afghanistan could be a model for what the U.S. does best, like what it did in Germany and Japan after World War II.”

But, in light of the deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Iraq, Shroder envisions a worsening of circumstances in Afghanistan. He thinks the struggling country will be left out in the cold, which, he says, would be a major failure for the U.S. and a victory for al Qaeda. “Iraq must be subdued, but with more subtlety, by showing success in rebuilding and nation-building in Afghanistan, where we are seen as the good guys again and not as the cowboy empire-builders that I fear we are in the process of becoming.”

-By Monica Finch

Posted on May 27, 2003

As a Union student, Roger Noyes '00 was the editor of a short-lived alternative newspaper. He recently began collaborating with classmate
Duncan Crary '00 and five other friends on a publishing venture, Salvage Magazine, a literary and art publication in New York's Capital Region.

Noyes, an English major, began work
as a reporter for The Spotlight Newspapers in Delmar, N.Y., shortly after graduation while his wife,
Kim Noyes '00, attended Albany Medical School. It was there that he got together with the five masterminds of
Salvage.”Many of us had had the idea of a literary arts magazine in the back of our heads, but we just needed to get together,” says Noyes.
“No one can really claim the idea for the magazine; it just kind of happened.”

The group began meeting weekly in August of 2001, discussing business and bouncing ideas off each other. “There's a lot of great art out there, and we wanted to tie it together in one place,” Noyes says.

One of the most challenging decisions was finding an appropriate name for the magazine. “We had thrown a number of names around before we came to
Salvage,” Noyes says. The word-and magazine-represent a “salvage yard” showcasing of local talent, and also invokes a sense of reclaiming artistic and literary heritage. “Salvage has a noble purpose, but it is also
a humble,” Noyes says. “It may be a little ragged around the edges.”

The result is a free quarterly black-and-white magazine with an artistic edge unlike any other in the Capital Region. The first and second issues were a success. “We publish
literature of all genres, fiction, poetry, photography, creative nonfiction,” Noyes says.

Salvage accepts submissions from any talent in the Capital Region and beyond.
In the second issue, Salvage received sixty writing submissions alone. The group discusses and votes on each submission at the weekly meetings, and artists appear based on talent, not professional expertise.

Union English Professor Ed Pavlic was the featured artist in the first issue, which published three of his previously unpublished poems. The first issue's cover displays a photograph by
Calvert Crary '00, and the second issue featured a short story by Gary Dryfoos '74.

“There has been an overwhelming response,” Noyes says. “It's certainly going to last with the support of the community.” The board prints approximately 3,000 copies and distributes them around the Capital Region.
Salvage depends on fundraising and donations to support the $800 publication cost for each issue. All proceeds go toward publication expenses.
Salvage can also be found on the web at
www.salvagemagazine.com.

Noyes finished graduate school for English
in May at the University of Albany and plans to move ahead in his career, although he would like to continue to be involved with
Salvage in some way. He recognizes, as do all the editors, that longevity ultimately depends on the enthusiasm of future volunteers.

-By Alina Samuels '03

Posted on May 27, 2003

Kelly Herrington, now an associate dean of admissions at the College, was Greg Midland's freshman roommate, and remembers thinking, “When I was assigned Greg
as one of my roommates, I assumed he would be a hockey player, never a golf fanatic. I find it funny that a boy from Buffalo fell in love with golf.”

Golf fanatic is right, and today Midland '96 is an editor at GOLF Magazine, happily visiting far-flung places and writing everything from tournament reports to instructional articles on the art of golf.

Midland always loved golf (every winter break during college, he and his father played in a father-son tournament in California), but he never thought about it in terms of a career until the end of his college experience. His academic interests at Union lay mainly in economics, but he reached a turning point during his junior year, when he embarked on a term abroad to York, England. Upon his return, Midland squeezed in an English minor in his last year and a half.

He used a couple of paths to get into the world of golf writing. He landed a 1995 summer internship at the United States Golf Association, which helped him understand and become familiar with the golfing industry. And, at one of those father-son tournaments, he approached the editor-in-chief of
GOLF Magazine and spoke with him about his interests in writing for the magazine some day. Soon after, Midland sent in his resume, and he was offered a job with the magazine's online division. His first title was associate editor of
GOLF Online. From
1997 to 2000, he traveled the United States and beyond, writing “travel articles” about exotic places such as Hawaii and New Zealand, reporting on tournaments and golfing events. Most recently, Midland has been working with top teachers and players to create instructional articles on the art of golf, the largest section of the magazine.

His work has also allowed him to meet the best of the best in the world of golf, including Jim Flick and Davis Love III. One of his most memorable moments was the once-in-a-lifetime experience of playing thirty-six holes with Jack Nicklaus. “Working with the best is pretty remarkable,” he says. “I like to catch them in their casual moments, when they let their guard down.”

In the future, Midland would like to see himself play a larger role in the production of the magazine. “It is so cool to see our magazine in an airport newsstand and know that I contributed to it.”

-Alina Samuels '03

Posted on May 27, 2003

The Union Bookshelf regularly features new books written
by (or about) alumni and
other members of the Union community. If you're an author and would like to be included in a future issue, please send
us a copy of the book as well as your publisher's news release. Our address is Office of Communications, Union College, Schenectady, N.Y. 12308.

Arthur H. Aufses, Jr., M.D. '44

Some institutions are so well-loved that their histories have more of a biographical timbre to them, as though the very building had a soul and a breathing, viable presence. Arthur H. Aufses, Jr., practiced medicine and taught at Mount Sinai Hospital for more than forty-five years. He and hospital archivist Barbara J. Niss have created a lively and moving portrait of this venerable medical institution,
The House of Noble Deeds, The Mount Sinai Hospital, 1952-2002. Founded in early 1852 as the Jews' Hospital in New York, Mount Sinai Hospital's humble start began with a grand vision: to provide free medical care to indigent Hebrews in the city. Today Mount Sinai is a 1,200-bed medical center with an international reputation for its scientific and medical achievements. Mount Sinai also includes a medical school and a research center with a faculty of nearly 3,000. The book is arranged in “mini-portraits” of the departments, drawing on a rich tapestry of biographies, anecdotes, and photographs. The story traces the growth and development of the hospital to heights and successes its founders could never have imagined. But it also goes beyond the hospital's history to its place in the scheme of Jewish and medical history in New York.

Robert M. Diamond '51

Robert M. Diamond, president of The National Academy for Academic Leadership, is the editor of the
Field Guide to Academic Leadership, a publication under the auspices of the NAAL. A range of experts has contributed, offering their insight and recommendations on how to apply and implement the skills and knowledge required to improve the quality and effectiveness of academic programs. Diamond, former assistant vice chancellor for instructional development at Syracuse University and former director of the National Project on Institutional Priorities and Faculty Rewards, is the author or co-author of numerous publications focusing on curricula design, tenure, and faculty reward/promotion systems. The guide is designed to be a “how-to” manual for academics as well as those in the public or private sectors. One reviewer wrote, “It is a very helpful addition to the growing body of literature which demonstrates that administration is somewhere between an art form and a set of acquired skills.”

Diamond provides a generous list of resources, including bibliographies, URLs, and references. The publisher is Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint. (www.josseybass.com)

Benjamin Sadock '55

Benjamin Sadock, a professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, and his wife, Virginia Alcott Sadock, M.D., are co-authors of
Synopsis of Psychiatry, a textbook now in its ninth edition and translated into thirteen languages. First published more than thirty years ago, the book has become the “bible” of psychiatry and is the most widely used text in the country. The ninth edition has improved and expanded, including new sections on clinical cases, the most recent psychotropic drugs in use, and discussions of the psychological impact of the 9/11 attacks on adults and children.

Frederick Stilson Frank '57

A self-described Goth, Frank, professor emeritus of English at Allegheny College, is editor of
The Castle of Otranto and The Mysterious Mother. Here he presents Horace Walpole's two genre-setting works.
The Castle of Otranto is Walpole's translation from the Italian, which garnered immediate success. Walpole's use of now-stock devices such as tormented characters, supernatural elements, and menacing physical settings established the gothic novel's literary standards for the next 200 years. Likewise, but in a simpler vein,
The Mysterious Mother is more akin to classic Greek drama with its brooding, angst-ridden protagonist and the debut of the evil monk prototype.

Frank also includes Walpole's correspondence, a representative sampler of contemporary works that reflect the intellectual and cultural climate, and Sir Walter Scott's introduction to the 1811 edition of
The Castle of Otranto. A list of gothic-related internet and online resources is offered as well. Frank's other books with gothic subjects or themes include collections of criticism, bibliographies, essays on Mary Shelley, and a Poe encyclopedia. The publisher is Broadview Literary Texts.

Martin Benjamin '62

How does philosophy connect with twenty-first century life? What can the philosophers, hunkered down in their academic bunkers, impart to those in the work-a-day world? In his fourth book,
Philosophy and This Actual World, Martin Benjamin takes these questions head-on and provides some compelling insight for the practical application of philosophy in the “real world.” He explores the “big questions,” such as the nature of reality, knowledge, death, and morality. He also delves into specific, hotly debated social and political issues including assisted suicide and abortion. Benjamin's style is accommodating and highly readable for the intellectually inquisitive “amateur” who seeks broader insight into his own life and the world at-large.

Philosophy and This Actual World clearly demonstrates the philosopher's still-vital role as a thorn that pricks contemporary society's conscience or perhaps even a compass that provides steady guiding direction for a society where moral absolutes rarely exist. The book is available from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Charles M. Segal '74
Charles M. Segal has edited a collection of more than 100
interviews with Abraham Lincoln when he was president-elect and president between 1860 and 1865.
Conversations with Lincoln is arranged chronologically, and Segal introduces each interview, varying in length from snippets to extended remarks, with the circumstances and personalities involved. Segal has expertly chosen observations of Lincoln by his contemporaries by gleaning primary sources, including diaries and letters, as well as the more obscure accounts from the inside pages of contemporary newspapers. Along with the usual political figures, hangers-on, and office-seekers, the writings of Lincoln's inner circle, family members, friends, and his wife round out the collection and provide a deeply personal and revealing portrait of the man.

Hershel Raff '75

Hershel Raff is co-author (with Eric Widmaier and Kevin Strang) of the most popular physiology textbook for undergrads,
Vander, Sherman, Luciano's Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of Body Function, 9th Edition. Physiology is the foundation of medicine, and as the human genome project nears completion, knowledge of organ systems physiology is even more vital to undergraduates pursuing careers in biological or medical sciences. Raff and his colleagues have revised the textbook to include a complete update of basic information and an increased number of examples in physiological phenomena from clinical medicine.

Raff is a professor of medicine (endocrine) and physiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and director of the Endocrine Research Laboratory at St. Luke's Medical Center. He is a recent recipient of the Beckman Basic Science Teaching Award from the senior class and the Outstanding Teacher Award from the Graduate Student Association. Raff is also an adjunct professor at Marquette University and a clinical professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Raff's clinical interest focuses on the development of new methods to diagnose pituitary and adrenal diseases, especially Cushing's syndrome.

Nancy Frankel Gerber '78

Nancy Gerber holds a Ph.D. in English from Rutgers University, where she teaches in the Women's Studies Department. In her book,
Portrait of the Mother-Artist: Class and Creativity in Contemporary American Fiction, she explores the connections between art and motherhood and examines how literature portrays mothers' artistic creativity. Gerber aligns the interplay of social class, gender, race, and ethnicity into the mix to study the figure she calls the “mother/artist.” She accomplishes this by citing selected works by Gwendolyn Brooks, Tillie Olsen, Cynthia Ozick, and Edwidge Danticat. She traces the development of black and working-class mother/artists as they transform their seemingly mundane domestic spheres into places
of their own personal artistic expression–what she terms “the aesthetic of the ordinary.” One critic wrote that Gerber has refuted Virginia Woolf's famous requisite that a woman must have a
“Room of One's Own” in order to be creative
and productive. Gerber has shown how the mother/artist can discover and “[produce] art in everyday life” and that maternal creativity is not limited to her child-bearing capacity. The publisher is Lexington Books.

Marnie Ezra '91

From CQ Press, a division of Congressional Quarterly, Marni Ezra '91 has co-written
Congressional Election Simulation, one of a four-part Government in Action series. The book can be used for reference or in classrooms. It is designed to stimulate learning about government processes, promote discussion on the various roles of those involved in congressional campaigns, and encourage critical thinking.

Ezra is an assistant professor of history and political science at Hood College in Maryland.
Her areas of specialization are U.S. institutions and elections, in particular, primary elections. In this latest publication, she and co-author Julie Dolan offer students role-playing scenarios as campaign team members. By “participating” in the campaign, students gain a greater understanding of what it takes to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The role-playing offers students a unique “insider's” perspective on the day-to-day events of a campaign. The book also supplies supporting materials for students to research their roles as well as online suggestions for classroom simulations.

Posted on May 23, 2003

Some time after graduation, Andrew McCabe,
winner of the Daggett Prize, is planning to hit the trail.

The Appalachian Trail.

“I used to hike a lot when I was younger, but I got away
from it during college,” he said. “When you're doing [Student] Forum and admissions and school work, every weekend is taken up.”

McCabe, who wins the award to the senior of best conduct and
character, has been busy indeed. After his class work for a major in computer
science and minors in math and economics and a full schedule as president of
Student Forum, a long walk in the woods may be just the break he needs, even
if it means carrying a heavy pack.

After sophomore year, McCabe and Robyn Kurland '03 started
Geisel House (a theme house that promotes childhood literacy); he joined the
Theme House Consortium; and served as a theme house representative to Student
Forum. Last year, he was elected president of Student Forum. He also served on
Student Affairs Committee, Theme House Consortium, the selection committee for
the House System Implementation Committee and as an admissions interviewer and
panelist.

The Union Scholar also was a member of the winter and spring
track teams, specializing in the 400- and 800-meter.

'The way the College
runs'

“I've enjoyed becoming very involved with the running of the
College,” he said, something he mentions often to prospective students and
their families. “At age 18 or 19, you can be on a committee or a group that
affects the way the College runs.” For example, Student Forum controls a budget of about
$500,000. “When I talk to parents and students, they listen when I say that
students plan the allocation of the activities funding,” he said. “In Forum,
you'll definitely get to know what's going on … whether you like it or not.”

He characterizes his time of leadership in the Forum as a
quiet one without much turmoil. Among his proudest achievements with Forum was
the establishment of a comprehensive web calendar of events.

As for coming to Union, the choice
was easy, he said. Besides a number of relatives who attended (His sister, Gillian,
is a sophomore.), he liked the College's blend of disciplines. “Union
offered everything that I wanted,” he said. “I didn't want to be a computer
science student at a technical school. At Union, you
cannot escape the liberal arts. You'll have computer science in the morning and
ancient poetry in the evening.”

Walking man

McCabe said he plans to go to graduate school, perhaps to
earn an MBA, but that he would like to work for a while first. In the near
future, however, he is planning his adventure on the Appalachian
Trail. “I think it will be fun to get outside and get a break
while I can.”

Because “through hikers” of the A.T. usually start the
2,160-mile trek from Georgia
to Maine in March, McCabe will be
looking for an eight-month job in the computer field. “In a perfect world, I'll
find a job that will take me back after I'm done with the Trail [in the fall of
2004],” he said.

Posted on May 23, 2003

After months of planning, seniors
Angela “Angie” DeSilva and Emily Sweeney are ready to launch their dream: “Relay for Life,” a charity cancer event that may be the largest of its kind ever held in the area.

Relay begins on Friday, May 30, at 7 p.m. and runs through
Saturday, May 31, at 9 a.m.

“We are looking forward to seeing everyone's effort come together the day of the event,” Sweeney said. “We have been fortunate to have a great group of volunteers helping us every step of the way and our committees have done an outstanding job. It has really been a team effort to get this event under way and we are so grateful for all the help we have received.”

“It has been a really inspiring and uplifting experience organizing Union's first ever Relay For Life,” added DeSilva. “Unity is the first and
most crucial step in the fight against cancer, and it has been a very rewarding to watch Union College join together in an attempt to defeat this disease.”

The two women share a common bond in shepherding the
American Cancer Society fundraiser – both experienced the disease's impact on their lives from two very different outcomes. Two years ago, DeSilva's boyfriend, Ryan, died from cancer. Sweeney's mother is
a cancer survivor.

Teams will run or walk the perimeter sidewalks around the Nott Memorial (Library Field). Although the “Relay for Life” has been a perennial ACS fundraiser since 1985, this will be the first one at Union College. Staff and administration will also participate, among them President Roger Hull and Dean of Students Fred Alford.

Nearly 700 participants and 42 teams are registered. The Capital Region chapter of the ACS reports that this is the largest Relay in the area.

Despite her loss, DeSilva feels she is a better person for the experience. She said her boyfriend's death changed her life. Her career path became clear: a dual major (psychology and sociology), she plans on going to grad school to become a counselor to terminally ill children and their parents.

Also out of her grief grew a passion for her ACS fundraising, which may be her most enduring tribute to Ryan's positive attitude and resilient spirit.

There is a $10 registration fee. Teams are comprised of eight to 15 people. The object of the 14-hour event is to have at least one team member walking or running. Each member is also required to raise approximately $100 in donations. While individual team members are walking, other activities will be going on, such as an outdoor movie by West and food tents.

At 9 p.m. Friday, a ceremony will honor those fighting cancer and remember those who fought the good fight but lost. Students will be invited to speak about their experiences, including two students who are themselves cancer survivors. For $5, people may purchase luminaries, which will encircle the Nott, to honor or memorialize a loved one. At the closing ceremony, the amount raised will announced and participants will be thanked.

Registration is continuous and even last-minute “walk-ins” can sign up at the event. For more information, contact Angie DeSilva at desilvaa@union.edu or Emily
Sweeney at sweeneye@union.edu