Posted on Jan 25, 2007

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.

Fitz Hugh Ludlow 1856
Edited by Stephen Rachman
The Hasheesh Eater: Being Passages from the Life of a Pythagorean
Rutgers University Press

Fitz Hugh Ludlow was a recent graduate of Union College when he vividly recorded his hash-induced visions, experiences, adventures and insights. During the mid-19th century, the drug was a legal remedy for lockjaw, and Ludlow had a friend from whom he received a ready supply. He consumed such large quantities at each sitting that his hallucinations have been likened to those experienced by opium addicts. Throughout the book, Ludlow colorfully describes his psychedelic journey that led to extended reflections on religion, philosophy, medicine and culture.

First published in 1857, The Hasheesh Eater was the first full-length example of American drug literature. The cult-classic reached a new audience after years of obscurity with the Beats in the 1950s and with the San Francisco Bay area hippies in the 1970s. This new edition, edited by Stephen Rachman, associate professor of English at Michigan State University, includes annotations, guiding readers through the text's richly allusive qualities and abundance of references.

Rachman's introduction notes Ludlow's love for writing college songs. Upon the request of his teacher Eliphalet Nott, Ludlow composed “Ode to Old Union,” which became the College alma mater. Ludlow (1836-1870) was a poet, cultural critic, journalist, novelist and traveler. He contributed to Harper's, Vanity Fair and The Atlantic Monthly. Other works include The Primpenny Family (1861) and The Heart of the Continent (1870). He died of tuberculosis in Geneva, Switzerland, at the age of 34.

Dr. William Herman Bloom '45
Wit, Wisdom, & Whimsy
American Literary Press, Inc.

“Retired physicians can get a trifle boring with medical reminiscences, both in public and private,” writes Dr. William Herman Bloom in his new collection, Wit, Wisdom, & Whimsy. “Since my life has been enriched by both adventure and curiosity, I have every hope I shall be considerably less boring by concentrating on aviation, bullfighting, boating, fishing, hunting, and all that sort of thing.”

With equal doses of wit, wisdom and whimsy, Bloom's collection of short essays and poetry provides a perfect antidote to the doldrums. His personality, sense of humor, and interesting experiences captivate and entertain. Each vignette makes you feel as if an old friend has just sidled up and slipped his arm around your shoulders to tell you an amusing or enlightening anecdote.

Bloom's career as a neurosurgeon has taken him from medical school to chief resident at Bellevue Hospital to president of the Suffolk Academy of Medicine. He is the author of other books including, After All It's Only Brain Surgery and The Great American Malpractice Dilemma. A longtime resident of Bay Shore, N.Y., he is at work on a book about Mileva Maric Einstein, the neglected and misunderstood wife of Albert Einstein.

Frederick S. Frank '57
Bertrand Evans
The Origins of the Modern Study of Gothic Drama, Together with a Re-Edition of Gothic Drama From Walpole to Shelley (1947)
The Edwin Mellen Press

Originally published in 1947, Bertrand Evans' landmark study of the Gothic drama during its most definitive and dominant period (1760s to 1820s) was the first scholarly attempt to formulate a discrete canon of Gothic plays. In this re-edition, Frank assesses the importance of Evans' monograph as a critical starting point for studies of the Gothic by providing an introduction, updated and expanded endnotes, and an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources. Dr. Frederick S. Frank is Professor Emeritus of English at Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania. His other books include The First Gothic Novel (1987), The Poe Encyclopedia (1997), Gothic Writers: A Critical and Bibliographical Guide (2002), and three Guides to the Gothic (1984, 1995, 2005).

Robert Skloot '63
If the Whole Body Dies:
Raphael Lemkin and the Treaty Against Genocide
Parallel Press

Robert Skloot's one-act play explores the life and career of human rights activist Raphael Lemkin (1900-1959). Lemkin's obsession with stopping genocide (a word he coined) led to the adoption of the U.N. Treaty Against Genocide. By turns funny and sad, the play will stimulate discussions-in classrooms, at conferences, and with religious groups-about historical genocide and Lemkin's unfinished mission. Included is the original text of the Treaty Against Genocide.

For Skloot, the play is an attempt to give Lemkin his “due,” to add an artistic statement “to the store of anti-genocide materials,” and to provide an emotional, human connection between the audience and the actors on stage.

If the Whole Body Dies was given its first reading on Dec. 15, 2005 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where Skloot has taught theatre and directed plays since 1968.

Martha Manno '75
Regrets Only: Contemporary Poets on the Theme of Regret
Little Pear Press

Sixty-three poets from the United States, Europe, and Australia contemplate the could-have-beens, squandered chances, near misses, lost loves, shames and sorrows of regret in this collection edited by Martha Manno. With rare insight, tenderness, courage and humor these poems invite us into he richness of lives lived fully. Poets include Barbara Crooker, winner of the Word Press First Book Award, Roy Jobstein, winner of the University of Wisconsin's Felix Pollak Prize, and Willa Schneberg, winner of the 2002 Oregon Book Award in Poetry.

This is the second book from Little Pear Press, which Manno founded in her Seekonk, Mass., home three years ago. “I love reading and I love books, just the physical object of a book, so creating them is engrossing for me,” says Manno. “It's like bringing a baby into the world.” Little Pear Press is truly a family affair. Manno's husband, Dr. Phil Guppuso '73, associate dean at Brown Medical School, is a proofreader, and twin daughters Natalie and Christina are photographer and book and logo designer respectively.

Barry Miller '80 G
MEDICAP: The Best Universal Health-Care Funding Strategy
Vantage Press, Inc.

In MEDICAP, Barry Miller seeks to conquer the seemingly insurmountable hurdle of health-care. His goal: “Truly universal coverage for every American…No control or interference by employers, insurance companies, or government…An end to skyrocketing medical costs…”

Presented in a straightforward manner, the author avoids technical jargon in this admirable endeavor to help the reader untangle the difficult and frustrating knot that is our current health-care system. “My plan,” writes Miller, “is an earnest attempt by an average citizen to alleviate this dreadful complexity [in the present system] and eliminate the thoroughly unneeded, costly and injurious involvement of the several middlemen in the current situation.” The author's unique model is based on a People's Cooperative and is feasible as well as optimal with respect to universality and unfettered high-quality care at or below current levels of funding with, perhaps most significantly, no new taxes.

Barry Miller is a retired nuclear engineer and computer analyst who resides in East Brunswick, N.J. MEDICAP is his first book.

Jordan Smith
(Prof. of English)
The Names of Things Are Leaving
University of Tampa Press

Jordan Smith has published a new book of poetry, The Names of Things Are Leaving (University of Tampa Press). As though he was engaged in a conversation with the reader, Smith moves easily between subjects as diverse as bluegrass, opera, fatherhood, and Federico García Lorca. He also examines the historic landscape of Upstate New York in a personal and imaginative narrative voice that is rich with allusions, bringing to life things long forgotten.

Smith is professor of English at Union College and the author of For Appearances, the first winner of the Tampa Review Prize for Poetry. His other books include An Apology for Loving the Old Hymns (Princeton, 1982), Lucky Seven (Wesleyan, 1988), The Household of Continuance (Copper Beach, 1992), and Three Grange Halls, co-winner of the 2002 chapbook award from Swan Scythe Press. His poems have appeared in Antacus, the Paris Review, Poetry, The Woodstock Journal, The Yale Review, New England Review, The Cortland Review and others.

Posted on Jan 25, 2007

For the week prior to Homecoming, the Nott Memorial was wrapped with a giant pink bow to raise awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer.

A group of students headed by Lis Sartori '07 made use of the campus symbol, and on the Homecoming Weekend they were well on their way to their goal of raising $30,000 for breast cancer research.

Sartori, of Northboro, Mass., has had to deal with breast cancer in her own life; she was in third grade when her mother was diagnosed. “My mother is a breast cancer survivor, and her strength and courage were a great inspiration to me,” she said. By placing the pink bow, the universal symbol of breast cancer, on the College's most important building, Sartori said she hopes to be able to reach as many people as possible.

“I wanted to do something for the campus community centered around women's issues, and what better cause than breast cancer, especially given the personal connection I have?”

Posted on Jan 25, 2007

Suzie Benack, professor of Psychology and a faculty rep of Sorum House, said on a panel at the recent “Bridging the Gap” symposium [see story on p. 13] that one of Union's goals in establishing the Minerva Houses was to blur the lines between inside and outside the classroom, creating a space where students, faculty and staff can put aside their traditional roles and learn from each other in more informal ways.

This “informal intellectual community” offers students an experience that complements their work in the classroom or lab, where they actually spend relatively little time. Increasingly, many colleges like Union are looking for ways to work with the whole student, and to allow for Education (capital E intentional) to extend beyond the walls of the classroom or lab. Sounds good. But, what does it look like?

At Union, it's taking many forms. One of the newest and most innovative is the Marketplace of Ideas, a “virtual learning community,” which will bring informal education into cyberspace. The Marketplace is a Web site where members of the campus community register what they have to teach and what they want to learn, and then link with others to pursue shared interests ranging from stem cell research to the intersection of art and science to the history of baseball. Interest groups can form for discussions, cooking lessons, knitting circles or skiing trips. Imagine a group of professors and students discussing politics while cooking Yakitori or considering thesis topics while taking a chairlift ride up a southern Vermont mountain.

Another example: on Friday afternoons, the Sigma Phi Society invites a professor or staff member to its House for discussion that extends beyond the class, through a program cleverly called “Converging Tea-ologies.” After a 25-minute delivery focused on a topic, there is plenty of time for chat and getting to know students in a more informal way.

One of my own fondest memories of informal learning at Union is of a trip to the Narrows of Lake George with a group of 12 incoming first-year students. We took a two-mile paddle in large canoes and camped for two days on an empty island in nearly perfect weather. We cooked awful food, swam, talked about the Adirondacks and the environment, had canoe races, and just got to know one another better. A couple of students taught us a card game most of us didn't know. We laughed together with a southern California student who was in shock to learn there was no running water on the island. Most of us sat transfixed to learn about one student's life at a remote school in Montana. I became less of a dean and more of a fellow camper. We enjoyed each other as people for two pretty glorious days. Afterward, back at Union, we were bound by the trip. The shedding of our roles allowed for some good, trusting relationships to develop.

As Tim Spears, Dean of the College at Middlebury said at the symposium: “At Middlebury we think in terms of the student as a complete organism.” Well put. The same student I camped with at Lake George might later remember our connection and seek me out for advice with a problem or for a letter of recommendation. Or I might remember that student as a perfect fit for a committee we are forming to tackle a campus life problem.

By blurring the lines and creating campus cultures that promote the development of “the whole organism,” schools like Middlebury, Union, Franklin and Marshall and Holy Cross are making it that much easier for that organism to work its magic in that great, big ecosystem known as The World.

Posted on Jan 25, 2007

Much has happened since the last magazine including the inauguration of Stephen C. Ainlay and Homecoming and Family Weekend.

Homecoming and Family Weekend, despite being a bit cold, had a record turnout of parents. Hopefully, many of you came to campus to sample the offerings. Many parents had their opportunity to meet our new president at a special parents reception.

For me, another highlight-besides seeing my daughter and son, Vanessa and Sebastian, play in their rugby games-was the Parents Association Meeting. I was pleased that so many parents turned out to join me in my first meeting as chair. We heard from a terrific group of administrators on important topics including campus safety, first-year programs, career planning, the new General Education curriculum and residential life.

Finally, I am pleased to announce the new chair of the Parents Fund: Vivian Falco whose son, Peter, is in the Class of 2009. She looks forward to encouraging parents to show their support for Union through the Parents Fund. As always, the goal is participation. Parents may give to anything including unrestricted funds, academic departments, clubs, athletic teams, faculty support and student activities. She will be in touch with all families and thanks you in advance for your support of Union.

I hope you and your student had a great fall term. I look forward to meeting you in the months ahead. Until then, feel free to email me with any concerns at kmdumonet@hotmail.com or parents_association@union.edu. You may also contact Lis Bischoff-Ormsbee, Parents Program director, at parents_program@union.edu.

Take care,
Karen Dumonet (Vanessa ’07 and Sebastian ’09)
Parents Association Chairperson

Posted on Jan 25, 2007

Joining a growing list of top schools nationwide, Union College announced this fall that it will make the SAT and the ACT optional for high school seniors who apply for admission.

The decision, effective starting with the Class of 2011, comes after months of discussions between campus administrators, faculty and high school guidance counselors, who urged the College to maintain its high standards by emphasizing academic achievement.

“We have learned that the best predictor of academic success is a past record of academic achievement in a demanding, rigorous class roster,” noted Admissions Dean Dan Lundquist. “While always preferring more data rather than less, we are more concerned that many attractive, success-bound students might not be looking at Union.

“By deciding to make SATs optional we hope to continue to broaden our reach, and we will certainly not lower our standards,” he continued. “We want to send the message that admission will still be merit-based and driven by years of academic success, as reflected on the transcript. Union seeks students with excellent academic credentials. That credential is, primarily, the transcript.”

Lundquist said that as the College's recruitment outreach extended to a broader and more diverse audience, it became clear that requiring standardized test scores was sending the wrong message.

Union received a record 4,373 applications for this year's freshman class, with 1,841 accepted. Sixty-four percent of this year's freshman class of 560 students graduated in the top 10 percent of their class. The average SAT score for the class was 1240.

“Many of the most important lessons to be learned in college occur outside of the traditional academic settings,” Lundquist said. “We believe that in all learning environments, the richness of the educational experience is enhanced by breadth, depth and diversity; we seek a talented student body with individuals who will have an educational impact on each other in and out of class. With that in mind, it is our hope that this move encourages more high-achieving students to apply to Union.”

The College will continue to accept standardized test scores from students who believe they strengthen their academic record. The new policy does not affect students who apply for admittance into the College's Leadership in Medicine program.

Union, which has ranked consistently in the top half of U.S. News and World Report's 100 best liberal arts colleges, is the 27th school on that magazine's list to become SAT-optional. Other schools include Middlebury, Hamilton and the College of the Holy Cross.

“Union College's decision to drop its testing requirements for all applicants confirms that highly selective admissions decisions can be made without the distortions from coachable, biased and poorly predictive SAT or ACT scores,” said Bob Schaeffer, public education director, National Center for Fair & Open Testing.

Union has long been a leader in the debate over the value of standardized test scores for prospective students. In 1987, the College was one of the first in the country to no longer require the SAT for admission. Instead, students could submit scores from the College Board's achievement tests or the score on the American College Testing exam.