Posted on Sep 1, 2002

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 your book as well as your publisher's news release. Our address is Office of Communications, Union College, Schenectady, N.Y. 12308.

Lawrence Baldassaro '65
The American Game: Baseball and Ethnicity, coedited by Lawrence Baldassaro '65
and Richard A. Johnson, is a collection of essays that chronicles the lasting contributions of minorities in the majors. The essays provide
an engaging history detailing prejudices endured and triumphs achieved by members of ethnic groups as they attempted to realize the American Dream by playing professional baseball.
The American Game: Baseball and Ethnicity provides the first ethnic and racial profile of American baseball. Baldassaro is a professor of Italian and comparative literature and director of the university honors program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. To obtain a copy, go to
www.amazon.com.

Robert E. May '65
Manifest Destiny's Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America uncovers the surprising and tragic story of America's once notorious but now forgotten “filibusters”-the reckless freebooters and adventurers who in the years before the Civil War defied their own government and
the military might of the European powers by launching private military expeditions against foreign countries. Robert May explores the changing
conditions in America that influenced these filibusters, how they were financed and organized, and why the U.S. government had little control over them. May is a professor of history at Purdue University whose previous books include
The Union, the Confederacy, and the Atlantic Rim and the prize-winning John A. Quitman: Old South Crusader. To obtain a copy, go to
http://uncpress.unc.edu/books/T-5432.html.

Richard Triumpho '74
Wait 'Til the Cows Come Home: Farm Country Rambles With a New York Dairyman is the tale of country life on family farms in the Mohawk Valley of New York State. These sketches combine humor and pathos, with each vignette providing a window into the family farm mind and heart. From 1980 to 1992, Triumpho was a contributing editor to
Hoard's Dairyman magazine. He is the author of No Richer Gift, published by W.D. Hoard & Sons, Wisconsin, and
The Round Barns of New York, his book on historical vernacular farm architecture, is awaiting publication at Syracuse University Press. Richard lives near St. Johnsville, N.Y., on the family dairy farm where he was born. To obtain a copy, go to
www.amazon.com.

Kerrie M. (Ticknor) Droban '87
Kerrie Droban has recently published two murder mysteries with New Concepts Publishing:
In the Company of Darkness and The Watchman's Circle. The Watchman's Circle won the Daphne Du Maurier Award and the Claras Award for Mystery Writing Excellence. Droban heads her own criminal defense firm in Phoenix, Ariz., where she lives with her husband and two sons. Her practice specializes in capital litigation and appellate work, and she is the co-author of a brief that challenged Arizona's capital sentencing scheme. She won the case, and the decision is expected to affect nine states and more than 800 inmates on death row.
In the Company of Darkness and The Watchman's Circle can be purchased from
www.newconceptspublishing.com, under thrillers, in both e-format and in paperback.

Katherine Goldman '97
and Martha Huggins
Citizens of Fear: Urban Violence in Latin America, edited by Susana Rotker in collaboration with Katherine Goldman, includes a contribution from Professor Martha Huggins of Union's Sociology Department. The book examines urban violence in Latin America from multiple perspectives, including testimonies from victims and journalists as well as essays exploring the implications of fear for both thought and behavior. Goldman writes, “In 1999 Dr. Susana Rotker asked me to be her research assistant for a project on violence, citizenship, and culture in Latin America. The goal was to host a colloquium in Cuernavaca, Mexico (where I did a term abroad through Union in 1995) to bring together well-known scholars from various fields. We chose four countries (Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and Venezuela) and invited renowned scholars, including Union's own Martha Huggins.” The Spanish-language version of the book,
Ciudadanias del miedo, was published in 2000. It is now available in English from Rutgers University Press. (Goldman co-edited the English version and coordinated the translation.) To obtain a copy, go to
www.amazon.com.

-By Jill Warner

Posted on Sep 1, 2002

This year President Roger Hull will travel to ten
cities across the country to present the Plan for Union to alumni, friends, and parents. The plan, approved by the Board of Trustees, is a comprehensive strategic plan designed to strengthen the College in a number of areas ranging from faculty and students to academic programs and
facilities. The details of the plan can be found on our website at
www.union.edu/News/Initiatives/Plan/.

President Hull will travel to Chicago, Stamford, Miami, several cities in California, western New York, Long Island, and New York's Capital District this year. Please look for an invitation to an event in your area and join us to learn more about the future of the College. Last year the president brought this message to ten cities, with more than 500 people in attendance.

Posted on Sep 1, 2002

In October, Union's Annual Business Campaign (ABC) got off to a successful and enthusiastic start with a business-at-breakfast event. Held in Hale House, the well-attended breakfast session featured remarks by President Roger Hull, and included the introductions of Erik Larsen, new director of the Becker Career Center, and Janet Mattis, long-time Career Center senior staffer who will lead the College's student internship efforts.

Bill Schwarz, director of corporate and government relations (former director of media/government relations at the College) welcomed the crowd of area business leaders
by outlining campaign objectives and discussing why corporate support is a vital part of the College's comprehensive scholarship effort. Last year corporate funds raised through ABC provided scholarship support to nine of the Capital District's best and brightest students,
a number the campaign committee is dedicated to see increase in the 2002-03 effort.

“Union has a proud history of innovation, and we continue to find new and effective
ways to meet the challenges and maximize opportunities as we look ahead,” Schwarz said. “We are excited to move forward to strengthen our ties with the corporate community through internships, recruiting, and by sharing our wealth of intellectual capital with businesses here and across the country.”

President Hull went on to describe the many ways in which Union is now a major player in the region's economic and revitalization efforts. From the Union-Schenectady Initiative and U-Start, the College's high-tech business incubator, to hosting the area's first-ever Internship Fair and highly successful Upstate Partners Conference, President Hull impressed the group as he detailed Union's leadership role in these important initiatives.

In addition to his campaign efforts, Schwarz says he looks forward to meeting with a
wide range of alumni in the corporate and government sectors to discuss ways to forge effective partnerships with the College.

“Union is engaged in a host of initiatives that are in-line with the goals of many businesses and government entities,” he said. “The key is establishing a dialogue and creating plans that are productive for everyone involved.”

If you are interested in discussing ways to get involved with Union's corporate and government relations effort, contact Bill at
schwarzw@union.edu.

Posted on Sep 1, 2002

It is hard to believe our children are studying for finals and the first term is almost over.

First of all, we would like to extend a thank you to the 12 families who hosted our freshman sendoffs this year. These events brought together members of the Class of '06, their families, prospective students, current students, and alumni
to meet and celebrate their Union connections.

Homecoming and Family Weekend (HFW) was a tremendous success with many families and alumni making the journey back to a beautiful fall campus. The weekend was filled with opportunities-faculty presentations, class visits, the President's Reception, our Parents Council Steering Committee meeting, picnics, receptions, student talent shows, and the 100th annual Union vs. RPI football game.

We even had our first HFW parent presentation/discussion featuring
David Fogelson, M.D., clinical professor
of psychiatry at UCLA. There was definitely something for everyone!

We would like to welcome the incoming Parents Fund Chair, Bill Gottdenker (Suzanne '05). Bill is proud to announce that we ended our 2001-2002 year with 2,296 gifts from parents totaling $886,171. Thank you! We have already jumped into this year's fund, working at this moment with parent volunteers and student affiliates. We hope that you will participate to the best of your ability-it is a very meaningful gesture of support for our students' education.

We are also pleased that 18 percent of our parents took the time to fill out last year's Parents Questionnaire. The results were recently presented at a President's Cabinet meeting to the College administrators, and we also sent a letter to parents recapping the findings. Please take advantage of the opportunity to offer your own feedback when the 2003 questionnaires are sent out in the Spring. We can assure
you that the College listens very intently
to our parent community point of view.

To reiterate, there are plenty of ways
to get involved with Union, many of which are based in your own hometown. If you
are interested, be sure to take a look at
the “Union Parents” web page-http://www.union.edu/Parents. And remember, if you have any questions
about the Parents Council and its activities, you can get a rapid response by e-mailing
Parents_Council@union.edu.

Finally, in a continued effort to enhance communication between parents and the College, all parents can receive About U-an online newsletter with lots of updates and information from the Union campus. But you won't receive it unless we have your
e-mail address!

Sincerely:
Sally and Tom Simons (Emily '03)

Posted on Sep 1, 2002

Fellow Union Alumni/ae,

It is hard for me to believe that my
two-year term as president is nearing its conclusion. While it is premature for me
to reflect on a term not yet ended, my tenure coincided with dynamic changes
at Union. I am sad to see this time drawing to a close, but am confident in Union's continued prosperity and success.

Homecoming is a good example of the changes. Homecoming and Family Weekend has become a more inclusive event, open to all alumni, parents, students, and friends of the College. Activities now stretch from Friday morning through Sunday morning and run the gamut from admission updates to women's soccer. There is a good old-fashioned tailgate party, kids carnival and musical entertainment throughout the weekend. This is a wonderful fall weekend on our beautiful campus, and a chance to reconnect with friends.

ReUnion is another good example of the improvements that have taken place over the last two years. Invitations are sent out to all alumni now rather than just the anniversary classes. Events have been upgraded; there are more offerings for children, and new happenings for all ages. Importantly, the activities are more meaningful to all constituents. I know
this because I have been to the last three ReUnions; I have appreciated the expanded program, and many other alumni have expressed similar thoughts.

Most important, attendance is up at
these events-both as a result of the weekend program but also because of the involvement of alumni. More of you want to come back and visit the campus and get reacquainted with the College. This is true at alumni events across the country as well. This momentum has been exciting
for me to experience as president. More alumni are now stopping me to ask how they can be involved or inquiring about the next event. The overall feeling I get from the alumni body today is positive-and this warmth has only grown with the changes at Union.

Like Union, the Alumni Council is changing.
I have formed an ad hoc committee, which Jason Oshins '87, first vice president, is chairing, and given it the mandate to evaluate ways to improve the Alumni Council. The committee has already been meeting, and presented a preliminary report at the Oct. 12 Alumni Council meeting.

In closing, I just want to thank all of you for your advice, support (of me and our alma mater), and confidence. It's been a fulfilling trip so far, and as I have said before, the best days of Union College are yet to come.

Robert Danziger '89
President of
the Alumni Council

Class Officers

The following alumni were elected officers by their classes during the ReUnion Weekend:

1937

• President Arthur C. Mengel, Jr.
• Alumni Council Representatives
  Henry Whitbeck, Arthur C. Mengel, Jr.

1942

• President Michael A. Stanco
• Vice President Frederick J. Longe
• Alumni Council Representatives
  Francis P. Coward, Edward P. Fliegel

1947

• President Frederick Brandt
• Vice President William Wallace
• Secretary Philip Ziffer
• Alumni Council Representatives
  Anthony Izzo, Philip Ziffer
• ReUnion Chairs Norman L. Kreisman, Norman Schwartz, Ed.D.

1952

• President Howard S. Modlin
• Vice President John H. Duffy
• Secretary Rev. Richard A. DeMott
• Alumni Council Representatives
  William P. Delaney, Jr., Joseph Handler
• ReUnion Chairs George F. Redington,
  John K. Schwartz, Jr.

1957

• President Alan Cox
• Vice President Jay Fromer
• Secretary James Fisher
• Alumni Council Representatives
  Robert Yunick, Peter E. Noonan
• ReUnion Chair Frederick Frank

1962

• President John Charlton
• 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents
  Kenneth Laubacher, Calvin Welch
• Secretary Thomas Johnson
• Alumni Council Representatives
  Ronald Harrington, Calvin P. Welch
• ReUnion Chairs
  Edward Gentile, Richard Giddings

1967

• President David D. Duchscherer
• Vice President Mark Cullings
• Secretary Dennis Gordan
• Alumni Council Representative
  William J. Nealon III
• ReUnion Chairs Frank Burns,
  Robert H. Marshall, D.D.S.

1972

• President Henry Kass
• Vice President William Silver
• Secretary Cynthia Adams Buchen
• Alumni Council Representatives
  Robert Michaelson, Harris Ginsberg
• ReUnion Chairs Robert Michaelson,
  Henry Kass

1977

• President Kevin Harkenrider
• Vice President Glen Emelock
• Secretary Patricia A. Cose
• Alumni Council Representatives
  Anthony J. Romanazzi, D.M.D.,
  Neal Schwartz
• ReUnion Chairs Karen Huggins,
  Anthony Romanazzi, D.M.D.

Posted on Sep 1, 2002

Boston, MA

On Aug. 12, Professor of Anthropology George Gmelch joined more than 90 alumni and friends as the Red Sox took
on the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. He also answered questions about his book,
Inside Pitch: Life in Professional Baseball, over brunch prior to the game.

More than 100 recent graduates gathered at Tia's on the Waterfront on Sept. 12.
The young alumni welcomed members of the Class of 2002 to the Boston area over drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

The Boston Alumni Club has many events in store this year. On Nov. 30 cheer on the Skating Dutchmen vs. Harvard Crimson (with a pre-game social), and the group will end the year with a holiday party. Watch for the invitations in the mail or call Susanna Ryan '99 at (617) 285-593 if you have any questions about these events.

Buffalo

The Buffalo Bisons played host to the Richmond Braves as alumni, family, and friends gathered on July 30 at Dunn Tire Park. Everyone enjoyed picnic fare at the Power Alley Park before the game. Alumni volunteer Karen Hurwitz Small '93 said, “a good time was had by all who joined us.”

San Francisco

The Alumni Club of Northern California spent a gorgeous July 13 morning on a habitat restoration project at Heron's Head Park in San Francisco. The park was created in an industrial area of the city on the San Francisco Bay in the 1970s. As with many San Francisco parks, it relies on volunteers to stay in good shape as a home for a variety of birds and native plants. The Union Dutchmen loaded two huge truckloads of invasive plants. In one morning we were able to accomplish as much
as it would take the regular crew several months to do! Trudging through the Schenectady winters prepared us well
for the intense gardening. We were also privileged to have a naturalist host who had lots to teach us about the area's native plants. Best of all though, we had a chance to use big, heavy gardening tools and eat bagels while we socialized and helped
the community.

Thanks to Jason Epstein '95, Jeff Kasowitz '97, Mark Klaiman '84, Nicole LaTour '95, Jeff Miller '87, Nish Nadaraja '94, Wanda Nichols '94, Rachel Siegel '87, Becky Troutman '90, and Beth Turney '90.