Posted on Oct 22, 1999

The upsurge in sensational media coverage of

high-profile trials and investigations during the 1990s is undermining the

country's faith in the criminal justice system, according to a survey by

Richard Fox, assistant professor of political science.

Focusing on seven of the decade's most-covered trials

and investigations, the survey of 1,000 randomly-chosen Americans finds

the cases having an adverse effect on how people view the system.

“Although the media has long been drawn to

sensational criminal trials, the attention it devotes to them has

increased exponentially in the past decade,” said Fox. “Clearly,

this phenomenon is having a profound impact – and not a healthy

one.”

The three most damaging cases – the O.J. Simpson

murder trial, JonBenet Ramsey investigation, and Clinton Senate

impeachment trial – cause, respectively, 75 percent, 70 percent, and 58

percent of the respondents to have less confidence in American criminal

justice.

Only 3 percent and 2 percent respectively have more

confidence as a result of the first two cases, the survey finds. And

despite the fact that Clinton's Senate trial ratified Americans'

overwhelming opposition to his removal from office, only 6 percent of

respondents say the trial has bolstered their faith in the system.

Less damaging in their effects but still negative

overall are three other high-profile trials – the first trial of the

police officers who beat Rodney King, the William Kennedy Smith rape

trial, and the Louise Woodward nanny trial. Only the case of the Menendez

Brothers, the sole defendants to be convicted and sentenced to long prison

terms, brings an increase in confidence among respondents, though a

decidedly modest one.

Not only do the seven cases lead people take a dimmer

view of American criminal justice in general, the survey finds, but they

feel less secure about how the system will treat them personally. Thus, 44

percent of the respondents say they feel less confident that

criminal-justice laws will protect their rights.

Posted on Oct 21, 1999

Schenectady, N.Y. (Oct. 21, 1999) – On Saturday, Oct. 23, from 9 a.m. to noon, members of the Union College Lacrosse Team will join volunteers from Schenectady 2000, Westinghouse and General Electric to participate in the national community service effort, Make a Difference Day.

From landscape improvements at the Schenectady Police Station, Museum, and Library to weed whacking and hedge trimming at the Annie Schaffer facility, Bike Path and City Hall, the city is in for a major fall clean up.

“The guys are happy to do whatever they can to help,” Union Lacrosse Coach George McCormack said. “At Union, every member of every team participates in some kind of community service project. For us, Make A Difference Day looked like a great way to contribute to the improvement of the city.”

Volunteerism at all levels is the key to a successful event, according to Debbie DeLuke, Schenectady 2000 project coordinator. “No question about it, people in Schenectady are committed to giving something back to the community,” she said. “This year, we have more volunteers than ever before, and we're fortunate to have the muscle of Union's lacrosse team. They'll get quite a workout on Saturday.”

The ninth annual Make a Difference Day, the largest national day of helping others, is sponsored by USA Weekend and its affiliate papers. Make a Difference Day is held in partnership with the Points of Light Foundation. $2.6 million in awards and grant money will be given to make A Difference Day volunteers nationally. Actor Paul Newman donates 100 percent of after-tax income from Newman's Own to educational and charitable causes. Wal-Mart is the day's retail sponsor.

Posted on Oct 20, 1999

Schenectady, N.Y. (October
20, 1999) – The Schenectady Museum's collection of antique toys will be exhibited
in Union College's Mandeville Gallery beginning with an opening reception and
gallery talk by toy collector and restorer Daniel Briggs on Thursday, Oct.
28, at 4:30 p.m. in Union College's Nott Memorial. The exhibit opens on Oct. 28
and runs through Dec. 19.

At 5 p.m., Briggs will
discuss the history of toys and lead a tour through the exhibition.  The exhibit features such toys as soldiers,
a toy piano and other musical instruments, dolls, marbles and jacks, Noah's ark,
paper dolls, board games, trains, and teddy bears.

 “What strikes me about the exhibit is that it has tremendous
appeal for people of all ages,” said Rachel Seligman, director of the Gallery.
” Children always love toys and for seniors, the exhibit brings back fond memories
of days gone by.”

As part of the exhibition,
there will be a reading of children's poetry and nursery rhymes as well as a
discussion by Millicent Lenz on Monday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Nott
Memorial. Lenz, who teaches children's literature at the Library School of
SUNY Albany, will present a survey of 19th and 20th
century children's poetry. People are encouraged to bring their  favorite childhood poems to share at this
event.

The Mandeville Gallery is in
the Nott Memorial, which is located in the center of the Union Campus. Parking
is available in adjacent lots and on side streets. The gallery hours are:
Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday,
noon – 5 p.m.; and Sunday, noon – 10 p.m. For more information contact (518) 388-6004.

Posted on Oct 20, 1999

Fleet Financial Group has contributed $15,000 to the recently announced Union-Schenectady (US) Initiative, the College's broad-based plan to revitalize a neighborhood to the west of the campus, President Roger H. Hull announced.

“Union College is proud to call Fleet a partner in this important initiative that will truly revitalize this community,” Hull said. “We recognize that to achieve success, partnerships with public and private sector organizations are critical. Fleet Financial Group has demonstrated that they, like Union, understand that institutions have a responsibility to contribute to the communities in which they operate.”

At the request of Fleet, the entire $15,000 donation will support Union's development of an Office of Neighborhood Outreach, a center for the exchange of ideas, suggestions and community-focused activity. Staffed by Union students, staff and volunteers from the community, the Office will feature a homework center and tutoring program for kids, sponsor a variety of neighborhood weekend programs, and will provide important health and wellness information.

“Fleet is pleased to support Union College and the new Neighborhood Outreach Center, ” stated Herm Ames, President of Fleet National Bank – Upstate New York Region. “We recognize the importance of making resources accessible to all our communities, especially those in need. Through their focus on homework assistance and mentoring for neighborhood children, and skills development programs for their parents, the Neighborhood Outreach Center will be just that – a focal point in the community that brings Union College students and faculty together with their neighbors, to everyone's benefit. It is an exciting opportunity to strengthen the neighborhood and Fleet is proud to be a part of it.”

The US Initiative, announced last October, includes a number of incentives for both homeowners and College employees. These include, in addition to the Office of Community Outreach, up to $1 million annually in tuition scholarships for children of eligible homeowners, special mortgage programs, and the establishment of a neighborhood association.

Additionally, Union has acquired more than 30 homes in the US Initiative area, which will be renovated and used for student and faculty residences. Union's Security Office, currently housed on campus, will be relocated to an address yet to be identified in the neighborhood. The US Initiative area is defined by Seward Place, Union Street, and Nott Street.

Posted on Oct 20, 1999

Joseph Board, Robert Porter Patterson Professor of Government at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., defines teaching as a very interactive process. “Without question, I always learn a great deal from the students I teach,” said the professor of political science who has spent more than 30 years at the College. That interaction continued last weekend when many of Board's friends, colleagues, and former students gathered to recognize his distinguished career at the College.

On Saturday, Nov. 13, Union College hosted a reception to dedicate the Joseph B. Board Jr. Seminar Room in the College's Social Sciences building. The richly appointed room, which features a large conference table with multi-port Internet access and mahogany cabinetry equipped with a retractable projection screen, is a “state-of-the-art setting for intensive seminars, writing workshops, and even mini-conferences,” according to Political Science Professor and Department Chair Terry Weiner.

“I'm terribly proud of the students I've had at Union, ” Board noted. “This dedication is really a reinforcement of what I've done as a teacher. My feelings are beyond description.”

Judging by the amount of money raised – $40,000 – Prof. Board was far more than just another teacher for those he taught. In fact, in addition to the seminar room, donations helped offset the costs associated with the construction of the College's new Political Science office suite. “It's very unusual for alumni to raise that kind of money to honor a faculty member. It's quite a tribute,” Weiner added.

“Joe was a great teacher and a terrific friend to his students,” said former student and 1969 Union graduate Larry Pedowitz of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. “We can't rename the College after him, but the seminar room reflects the deep affection of all of us.” Tenafly, N.Y. resident and 1967 Union alum, Mike Berlowitz added, “Joe Board offered a new dimension to me as a senior at Union, helping me in my effort to enter law school while expecting nothing in return. As a result, I now pick up the phone to help Union students whenever I can.”

Board, who came to Union in 1965, is most proud of his efforts to build the Political Science Department and his accessibility to students. From the late 1960s to early 1970s, he expanded the department from 3 to 10 faculty, blending, he said, “a strong mix of staff who excelled in both research and teaching.” Claiming that a student never needed an appointment to see him, Board added that, like many Union faculty, he maintained an “open-door policy” when it came to meeting with students. “I was always in my office, and always willing to spend time with students, no sign-up sheet was ever required.”

Board, 68, lives in Arlington with his wife Dr. Mary Squire. Born in Princeton, Indiana, he received an A.B. in Government, Highest Honors, from Indiana University; a B.A. and M.A. from the Honours School of Jurisprudence, Oxford University; a J.D. from Indiana University School of Law; and a Ph.D. from Indiana University.

A Rhodes scholar, Board's other honors include a Fulbright Fellowship to Sweden, Phi Beta Kappa, The Scientific Society of Lund University, and Ph.D. Honoris Causa, Umea University (Sweden). In addition to Union, Board has held teaching positions at Indiana University, Elmira College, Cornell College, Albany Law School, the London School of Economics, the University of Umea, the University of Paris, and was a guest lectures in numerous locations worldwide, including Oxford, London, Nottingham, Costa Rica, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Lund, and the University of California (Berkeley).

His committee and consulting work has included chair positions with the United States Selection Committee for NATO Fellowships; The Political Science Committee, Council for the International Exchange of Scholars; as well as membership in the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee for Iowa and Nebraska, the Indiana Bar, and the NAACP, among others.