Rye Brook Westmore News Article: BBHS Graduation 2008

102 graduate from Blind Brook High School

Library named for longtime school board member Monroe E. Haas

By Lisa Ganz

Senior Class Advisor Charlene Decker quiets an eager crowd of parents, grandparents, faculty and friends. After much anticipation, the band gears up to play "Grand March" from "Aida." Parents whip out their cameras, frantically trying to find the best angle to capture their child walking into the high school gymnasium. The girls, gowned in white, and the boys, gowned in blue, wearing stoles reading Class of 2008, begin to make their entrance, signaling the start of graduation.

"It's sad to leave behind the people that I have known for so long. I met some of these people in the 2s at KTI preschool," Blind Brook High School graduate Amanda Gottlieb said. "Everyone at Blind Brook has gotten to know each other so well because we have been going to school together forever."

Last Thursday, June 26, families, faculty, and administrators packed the gymnasium to watch the 102 members of the Class of 2008 graduate from Blind Brook High School. The ceremony featured several speeches from students and administrators, the presentation of the senior class gift, and the awarding of diplomas.

The ceremony began as graduate Andrew Benowich led the salute to the flag, followed by graduate Scott Winston performing "God Bless America" alongside the high school band.

Senior class speaker Ben Engle was then introduced by fellow classmate and friend Marc Finder. Finder highlighted Engle's intensity and dedication within his extracurricular pursuits, making him an ideal candidate for class speaker.

"He [Engle] has been a part of more clubs and organizations than is healthy and than I know exist," Finder said.

Engle, who spoke at his middle school graduation in 2003, began his speech by recounting the past 13 years.

"4,678 days: 12 years, 9 months, 21 days ago, we began a journey," he said.

Engle first recalled the memories the Class of 2008 had made during those 4,678 days, since the moment they stepped foot into kindergarten. He recalled what it was like to "perfect imperfect handwriting" in elementary school, to go on Outdoor Education in middle school, and to realize that "this time it counts" when they all entered high school.

After recapping many prominent memories, Engle discussed how the Class of 2008 has endured many changes during its time at Blind Brook. The members of the Class of 2008 were the last under Bruno M. Ponterio's administration and the last sixth grade to be a part of the elementary school, as well. There have been so many changes to Blind Brook the Class of 2008 has witnessed, according to Engle, which has taught every graduate how to deal with change and how to create it.

"We must be part of change. Not the results, but the cause of change," he said. "Blind Brook has not taught us what to think, but how to think."

Engle concluded by drawing the audience back to the beginning of his speech.

"Our journey has not concluded. Begin a new clock for the future. Don't fight change that makes you, your community, your world better," he said. "It has been a great 4,678 days."

Following Engle's speech, 23 members of the high school chorus, led by musical instructor Gabriel DeAngelo, performed "This is the Moment"" and "You'll Never Walk Alone," as they traditionally do at graduation.

Graduate Jamie Florindi then took the podium to introduce the chosen guest speaker, Jane Wermuth, whom Florindi referred to as "a second mother to me." Florindi discussed how the Class of 2008 and Wermuth began their journey at Blind Brook High School together in 2004. She concluded by noting that when students talk to Wermuth, it is like they're "talking to a friend, not an administrator," because of her "warm smile and uplifting personality."

Wermuth, the assistant principal, has watched the Class of 2008 grow and mature during their four years of high school, making her the choice for guest speaker.

Wermuth reached the podium wiping away tears as she explained, "It [Florindi's speech] made me emotional, so I have to catch my breath."

She began her speech by highlighting the life of a child before they enter school, before they are judged, before their strengths and weaknesses are assessed.

"I ask you to remember, for a moment, to remember being a child of the age of three or four," she said.

Wermuth said she was here and has worked so hard with the Class of 2008 over the past four years because, from her first day at Blind Brook, she never judged any of them. Instead, she looked at them like children before they enter school, without the label of "good athlete," or "poor reader."

"I never decided who you were," she said. "That is yours to choose."

Wermuth then shared a story about her friend Maria, an orphan who faced more adversity than most can think of in her lifetime, but continuously fought it, only to earn a degree from Columbia University.

"Why do I tell you this story?" she asked the Class of 2008.

"Because everyone has struggles…" she replied. "Your future, however, is not predetermined."

Wermuth advised the graduates to "take charge of their lives and decide for themselves" and to "remember us at Blind Brook and leave us at Blind Brook."

"Work hard, make yourself proud, and, when you do come back and visit, please do brag. We'll be waiting," she said.

The entire senior class and audience gave Wermuth a loud ovation as she left the podium.

Following Wermuth's speech, graduates and class officers Ben Schultz and Miles Fisher presented the senior class gift, a new speaker system for the high school gymnasium, which will be purchased by the Class of 2009 when they graduate next year. The classes have decided to combine their funds in order to purchase the best speaker system possible.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ronald D. Valenti was then introduced by graduate Rachel Weiner.

"Blind Brook is not like most districts, and Dr. Valenti is not like most superintendents," Weiner said. "He always advocated for the students."

Valenti, after serving the Blind Brook community for 13 years, from 1980-1988 and from 2003-2008, is leaving effective July 31.

"He [Valenti] will surely be missed," Weiner said.

Dr. Valenti addressed the graduates by explaining that graduation is one of those prominent events.

"What a grand setting for such an intimate affair," he said. "Graduation is the time for the deepest doubts and most exhilarating joys. It is a time for goodbyes, yet a time for boundless hope for a life yet to be lived."

Valenti advised the graduates to "dream heroic dreams" and to thank the people that got them there today: their parents, teachers, and friends. He had three blessings for the members of the Class of 2008: hope of never giving up on their principles, wisdom and courage to change what they can, and a life filled with a sense of responsibility and obligation to do for others and begin to repair the world.

"Make certain people are better because they know you," he said. "…the best exercise for the heart is to bend down and lift up someone less fortunate… let that be the legacy from each and all of you: that you gave more than got, loved more than received."

President of the Board of Education Richard Buzin then took the podium to give special presentations to two members of the Blind Brook community who will no longer serve the district next year: Valenti and Monroe E. Haas.

Valenti completed 13 years at Blind Brook, like the Class of 2008, and will be leaving as they do. Valenti, according to Buzin, has taken on the challenges Blind Brook's educational system presented and answered the challenges.

Haas, who served the district for 25 years, was not reelected to the Board of Education in May; thus, his years at Blind Brook have come to an end. Monroe, according to Buzin, was a mentor, confidant, and friend to well over 20 members of the Board of Education. Because of Haas' tenure and "quality of service," the district has renamed the Blind Brook Middle/High School Library the Monroe E. Haas Media Center.

Graduating senior Marshall Rifkin took the podium next to introduce Principal William Stark. He explained that Stark, although new to Blind Brook this year, made a seamless transition. Rifkin recalled meeting Stark when the Class of 2008 painted the rock last August.

"It was a senior year beginning tradition. He had to see it," Rifkin recalled Stark saying when the two first met.

Since then, Stark, according to Rifkin, has been an active member of the Blind Brook community, attending the Junior Class Trip, holding a free pizza lunch, making appearances at Congress meetings, and cheering on Trojan athletics. Stark will be the superintendent at Blind Brook next year.

Stark began by letting the Class of 2008 know that, in his book, like Tony the Tiger would say, "they are great." He made this judgment based on two factors: the quantitative and the non-quantifiable. First, he commended the class for high achievement academically, musically, and athletically.

But, "there is more to life than living in a box or grid," Stark said. "The nonquantifiable, the affective deeds, are the most important."

Stark said it is things like the more than 2,000 hours of community service the Class of 2008 performed that they should be proud of.

Stark concluded by certifying that the Class of 2008 had completed the necessary requirements and should now be acknowledged as BBHS graduates.

Senior class advisor Charlene Decker then began to call out the graduates' names as Director of Guidance Dr. Christopher Griffin and the entire Board of Education awarded diplomas.

When all 102 graduates received their diplomas, Decker announced, "Congratulations to the Blind Brook Class of 2008," as the graduates threw their caps in the air before beginning the recessional out of the gym.

"It is exciting to be going off to college and experiencing new things," said Weiner. "Yet, after 13 years in this district, it's going to be so hard to leave behind my friends, most of whom I've known since before kindergarten."

For Gottlieb, like Weiner and many of her other classmates, graduation is bittersweet.

"It is exciting to meet new people, and I think I'm ready to move on to something new," Gottlieb said. "There are times when I can't wait to leave and go to college, but there are other times where I don't want to leave Blind Brook because it has become so familiar. I see the same faces every day, and I know everyone in my grade. Not many people can say that about their school."

Originally published in the Rye Brook Westmore News on 7/4/08
http://rb.westmorenews.com/printatf.php?sid=7275&current_edition=2008-07-04

Notice: Syndication

The article entitled "Canning Kegs" has been syndicated across the "Syndicated College News Network."

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Notice: Syndication

The article entitled "Shaping the Future for U" has been syndicated across the "Syndicated College News Network."

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High School Stories: The 2008 Blind Brook High School Graduation Speech

Dr. Valenti, Mr. Stark, Teachers, The Board of Education, Parents, friends, and fellow members of the Blind Brook High School Class of 2008; it is a great pleasure and a special honor for me to be speaking with you today.

Approximately 4,678 days or 12 years, 9 months, and 21 days ago, we began on a journey. And today, we find ourselves not ending our journey, but taking a moment to realize how far we have come since we left our parents’ arms and entered the hallowed halls of Ridge Street Elementary School.

Since we entered a world full of nap time, recess, miniature towns, lockers, bake sales, and the ever-dreaded exam, we have been taught to always do our best and to work hard. And for the most part, whether it’s been because we genuinely enjoyed a topic, were encouraged by a caring teacher, or moved by the words of an author, or, perhaps out of the simple fear of our mothers seeing poor report cards, we have tried to do our best. Well, at least most of us have.

The idea of “doing our best,” however, has evolved over time. In elementary school, doing our best meant perfecting our imperfect handwriting and learning about the hamburger style of essay writing. In middle school, it was surviving a new and unfamiliar place and exploring Outdoor Ed while preparing ourselves for the future, perhaps guided by the words of Jennings Michael Burch who wrote in “They Cage the Animals at Night,”--- “Education is the most important thing you can have . . . If you have that, it’s yours. Nobody can take that away.”

And on the first day of high school, “doing our best” took on more urgent meaning when we were told by Mr. Baxter that, “this time it counts,” meaning that from that first moment on, every test, quiz, paper, or extra-curricular activity was important for not only reaching this very day, but more importantly, developing our minds.

And while the notion of hard work and doing our best has evolved, there has been one concept that has stayed constant, change.

In the race for the White House, We heard it from Hillary. We hear it from Barack. And we hear it from John. They constantly say that they are “Fighting for Change,” “Ready for Change,” and have “Change we can believe in.”

Blind Brook isn’t “Fighting for Change.”

Why, you may ask? Because, we are change. As a group, as a grade, and as a school, we have been educated to make academic curiosity and volunteerism second nature. From Elementary School as a part of the Green Key Society, to the High School Community Service requirement, we are all prepared to not make change, but to be change.

As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” As we embark into life beyond Blind Brook, there is one fundamental lesson we can take away from this small town. We must never wait for others to accomplish the seemingly impossible; we must blaze the trail of happiness and success for ourselves. John Mayer sings the popular song, “Waiting for the World to Change,” which says that the young people of the world are currently powerless and, unfortunately, must wait their turn to make a difference. While extremely popular, his song is neither accurate nor the message I share with you today. We must be part of the change, not the result, but rather the cause of change.

And as we look towards the future, we can not forget the values and life lessons that the people around us have shared with all of us. Blind Brook hasn’t taught us what to think, but rather how to think. We must be our own advocates for change—using the lessons from home and the opportunities that await us.

Beno

As we try to improve our future, as the good book says, we can’t forget tradition. Like Tevya, in Fiddler on the Roof, says, [Spoken by Andrew Benowich] “Traditions, traditions. Without our traditions our lives would be as shaky as, as... as a fiddler on the roof!”

It may be somewhat of an oxymoron, but traditions needn’t be “age old.” As agents of change, we have been a part of new traditions: we were the last kindergarten class under the leadership of Mr. Bruno M. Ponterio, we were the last 6^th grade class at Bruno M. Ponterio Ridge Street School, we were the first to compete on the new fields, some of us were the first to get lost in our own high school, we were the first to experience clubs after school, and members of our class were the first to be inducted into the Journalism Honor Society as writers for a truly independent FOCUS newspaper.

Whether you loved Blind Brook or can’t wait for next year, we are rooted in our school’s unique culture and ideas.

During our four years at Blind Brook, traditions and activities have taught us valuable lessons and given us opportunities and challenges that we would otherwise never have had. Soccer championships, Mock Trial championships, FOCUS awards, High School Theater Awards, and even Spanish Club’s taco eating contests have made Blind Brook great.

Tradition is not palpable, it is not something that we can touch, but yet it is an always present force which can touch us: it touches our hearts, it touches our souls, and it has made and will continue to make Blind Brook the special place we call Home. As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home!” Compare all you want, but because of “tradition,” there’s no place like Blind Brook.

404,179,200 seconds or 6,736,320 minutes or 112,272 hours later, which ever way you want to slice the past 13 years, our journey has not concluded. Instead, we write a new chapter and begin a new clock for the future. To the Class of 2008, those 13 years have amazingly been the most stressful, happy, anxious, and joyful times that we will never forget. Don’t worry about the future, but at the same time, don’t forget your roots. Remember all the good times, but don’t forget the bad ones either. You never know when they will come in handy. Enjoy being a youth. Enjoy life. You only live it once. But most importantly, don’t fight change that makes you, your community, and your world better. Instead, take chances and be the change you want to see in the world.

As Dr. Seuss once said, “Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way.” Today is our day. Congratulations to the Class of 2008, it’s been a great 4,678 days.

Originally presented at the Blind Brook High School Graduation for the Class of 2008 in the Blind Brook High School Gym in June 2008.

Presidential Green Grants Awarded

From www.union.edu---Union News---

http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=8658

Green Grants reward sustainability projects

Projects ranging from a solar-powered water heating system for Achilles Center to increasing campus trolley ridership were selected Wednesday as winners of the Presidential Green Grants. The grant initiative, now in its second year, is aimed at supporting environmentally sustainable projects at Union.

"Sustainability is something we have to be committed to at Union," said President Stephen C. Ainlay, who highlighted seven projects that will share $12,000 in grants. "We have a unique connection with and respect for history. But we are never bound by that. We also pursue innovation and these innovative projects are the type of things that will carry us into the future."

The Green Grants are just one way in which the U Sustain Committee is promoting sustainable operations, increasing environmental awareness, and reducing the College's impact on the environment.

President Stephen C. Ainlay stands with winners of the 2009 Presidential Green Grants.

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Enlarge President Stephen C. Ainlay stands with winners of the 2009 Presidential Green Grants.

The 2008 Green Grant winners included projects ranging from an innovative way to clean car exhaust to the design of a micro-wind turbine.

"These project have had measurable benefits for Union," said Jeffrey Corbin, professor of biology and leader of the sustainability committee. "These grants support our intellectual endeavours to make contributions to the environment."

The 2009 Green Grant winners and their project goals are:

Paul DeBiase, Printing Center manager: “Reduction of detergent into our sewer systems with the use of a new green product – ‘True Green 2 Laundry Washing Ball’”

Goal: To eliminate the flow of potentially harmful detergent from campus washing machines into sewers.

Benjamin Engle '12: “Rock beats paper: Replacing a traditional bulletin board”

Goal: Replace the Reamer Center bulletin board near the Post Office with a chalkboard to reduce paper waste. The board lists Minerva House events.

Kim Plofker '11: Protecting greens, harvesting rain: Sustainability improvements for the Octopus’s Garden organic gardening project”

Goal: To fence in the campus community garden to protect crops from insects and animals.

Paul Herbert '10: “Binding of Perflourochemicals to serum albumin: A mechanistic evaluation of spectroscopic measurements”

Goal: A joint research project with Professor Laura McManus-Spencer aimed at perflourochemicals found in many common consumer goods. Such chemcials bind with human proteins and accumulate in the body. The project aims measure the uptake and accumulation perflourochemicals.

Isaac Rogers : “Increasing ridership of the Campus Trolley – The Trolley Tracking Project”

Goal: To create a Web-based trolley tracking system that will allow riders to pinpoint the trolley's location using a portable computer or hand-held devices.

Gareth Lewis : “The research, design and production of a sun-tracking solar thermal system for the Union College Achilles Center”

Goal: To study and create a preliminary design for a solar-powered water heater in Achilles Center.

Erin Delman '12 and Jill Falchi '10: “Campus Kitchens Project”

Goal: To package unused Dining Services food and donate food for delivery to area homeless shelters.

Canning Kegs: Fraternities adjust to changing policies

By Benjamin Engle

Keeping in compliance with their insurance policies, fraternities at Union College have begun the process of eliminating registered social events where there are kegs present at the party. The fraternities, in conjunction with the Interfraterntity Council (IFC), plan to make the Union campus keg-less by the fall of 2010 by utilizing beer cans as the primary source of beer.

In order to be fully compliant with their national chapter standards, as well as with their national insurance contracts, fraternities at Union cannot continue to use kegs since they are considered a central open source of alcohol. According to Timothy Dunn, Director of Greek Life at Union, the majority of the fraternity and sorority dues go towards insurance. While the cost of insurance varies on campus, Dunn says that it ranges from $8,000 to $15,000.

"If a fraternity or sorority is not insured, then they cannot have a house on campus nor can they receive additional insurance coverage through the Fraternal Information and Programming Group (FIPG)," Dunn said.

The decision to go keg-free at Union was made by the IFC, which had been discussing the issue since June after a student accidentally fell at a fraternity party. The student had damaged their teeth as a result of the fall and, because the kegs violated the insurance policy, the insurance company did not cover the damages.

Instead of violating their insurance policies, fraternities are planning keg-less weekends to prepare for next fall.

"At IFC meetings we decided to wane the fraternities off kegs and instead of no kegs, we are trying keg-less weekends," said Alec Rosen '10, President of the IFC and a brother at Sigma Phi.

Rosen believes that the keg-less weekends should not affect students attending open parties at Union.

"The point of having keg-less weekends is to teach fraternities how to run parties without kegs in order to be prepared for next year," Rosen said. "We are nervous about the change, but it is to our own benefit to have these weekends."

On October 23, Alpha Epsilon Pi became the first fraternity at Union to run an open party with cans of beer instead of kegs.

According to David Kislik '10, President of Alpha Epsilon Pi, the event was successful, even without the use of kegs as the primary source of beer.

"It was a successful event that showed us that using the methods of running a party that we believe in will work in the coming years when kegs are no longer permitted on campus. We learned how people will react to the prospect of cans versus kegs, and we learned how to deal with the issue of storage space and organization of the cans, both empty and full," Kislik said. "I fully believe that we did everything right and had a successful event because of it. There were no issues at all from any guest, brother, or administrative or campus safety official and I expect that to continue as we transition."

The next keg-less weekend is scheduled to take place at all the fraternities on the weekend of November 13-14. While not all fraternities will be holding open parties that weekend, every organization will be registered with cans. Additionally, there will be two keg-less weekends in the winter and spring, respectively.

The IFC is also planning to have the fraternities hold "BYOB: Bring Your Own Beer" parties where students might be able to bring their own beer and the fraternity would provide the music and the dance floor.

While the source of alcohol will change, the registration process for beer and parties will be similar to the current process.

"The accountability for alcohol will be the same, though the actual process of registering beer cans still needs to be worked out," said Brad Wilhelm '10, Vice President and Chief Justice of the IFC and a brother at Theta Delta Chi.

Another concern of the IFC is the logistics of beer can storage and disposal.

"It is important for us to recycle the cans because the fraternities need the money back from the cans," Rosen said.

Currently, Sigma Phi has a system in place to use the money from the cans for building projects in the house.

When the first campus-wide keg-free weekend occurs, the money from the recycled cans will go toward a contribution by the IFC to the Union College Ancestral Plot in Vale Cemetery to mark the plot of Moses Viney, a runaway slave who escaped to Schenectady on the Underground Railroad.

While recycling is important, Kislik believes that using cans instead of kegs will hurt fraternities financially.

"The most pressing problem with going keg-less is the money. It is a losing proposition to switch over to cans as a fraternity regardless of the return you can make on recycling," Kislik said. "The costs outweigh most if not all of the benefits."

Wilhelm believes that buying cans of beer instead of kegs will cost fraternities between a third and a half more, though the IFC hopes to work with distributors to get a bulk price at wholesale.

"My brothers and I are apprehensive about the change since we have been doing the same thing for the past 30 years. We will figure out together how to handle things," Wilhelm said. "As long as it is financially viable, we will be supportive."

Kislik and the brothers of Alpha Epsilon Pi are also looking towards the future positively.

"I think the fraternities will always be the safest option for an alcoholic social event on campus and should be recognized as such," Kislik commented. "I do not agree with the removal of kegs from our campus, but with my brothers we will strive to meet the standards set by the administration and ensure that our social events are appreciated, fun, and safe for all."

"In the current policy of kegs, there is more of an ability to monitor and regulate the kegs and the amount of beer served at any given social event. This makes not only our jobs easier, but campus safety's, and therefore, the administration's job easier as well," Kislik said.

"Added to this is the possibility of less social functions hosted by fraternities which can only lead to more privatized drinking on campus. This drinking will occur in dorm rooms, Minerva houses, Seward houses, and theme houses. Any of these possibilities is ten times harder to regulate or control compared to the fraternities, and will promote worse drinking habits where there is no host to control the rate the alcohol is being served," he said.

While changing college policy is a difficult process, Dunn is proud of those involved in the transition from kegs to cans.

"The brothers understand the change is for their protection, as well as the rationale behind the change," Dunn said. "I am impressed how the IFC has taken the bull by the horns in this effort to change the policy. The students have been considering all aspects of the policy change: behavior, recycling, financial concerns, and not purchasing kegs from the local distributor."

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 11/5/09

Shaping the future for U: The administration's big plans for change in the coming years

By Benjamin Engle

In the spring of 2006, Union College was determined to develop a document to define a vision and direction for the College. The finalized document, "A Strategic Plan for Union College," was affirmed by the Board of Trustees at their February 2007 meeting.

According to President Stephen Ainlay's letter that prefaced the Plan, this program "can serve to unify us further, giver coherence to our educational mission, point to elements that differentiate us, and move us into the future."

The origins of the Strategic Plan came about in 2006 when a planning group made up of representatives of the trustees, administration, faculty, students and alumni began collecting information about Union's environment and opinions from the campus community regarding the College's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. After identifying the issues surrounding the College, the planning group created possible strategies to address those questions.

The questions that the planning group faced are reflected in the Strategic Plan through the document's structure. The Plan is comprised of six elements, three of which are "foundational" and three of which are "differentiators."

"All of these elements are important to our future. They were when we drafted the plan and they remain so today," Ainlay said. "Each foundational and differentiating element has a number of sub-elements that give specificity to the plan."

Foundational elements are considered by the College to be important to the foundation of any effective liberal arts institution of Union's caliber. The Plan defines the foundational elements to be academic quality, an optimal learning environment and the wise stewardship of resources.

The issue of academic quality is to formulate strategies to maintain the College's academic strengths while addressing areas that need improvement. The Plan's goal in this subject is to maintain the foundation of Union's identity, "Our goal is to educate intellectually engaged, innovative, and open-minded citizens of the world, who will, as Eliphalet Nott urged, carry their humanity with them into that world."

Through an optimal learning environment, the Plan's goal is to develop a "Union of people and ideas" where members of the campus community will value inclusiveness and have concern for the well-being of others. Additionally, the Plan states that in order to achieve this "more perfect Union," the College must preserve and enhance its resources.

Elements that are differentiators are core aspects that set the College apart from other schools and give it its own identity. The differentiators are "we are small yet global and diverse," "we are committer to integrating engineering with the liberal arts," and "we are about innovation inspired by our historic past."

"The differentiators are aimed at drawing attention to things that make us distinctive among our peers," Ainlay explained. "I like it that the differentiators all involve a tension. This creative tension is part of what makes Union an exciting place to work and study."

While it has been almost three years since the Board of Trustees affirmed the Strategic Plan, the document continues to be the guiding force behind the future of Union College.

"The Plan was never intended to be 'placed on a shelf' when it was completed," said Ainlay, "Instead, it was intended to be a living document that guided the practices of the College. I'm pleased to say it does just that."

Currently, the College uses the Plan as a guide when making decisions about general college planning as well as practices determined in the various committees that meet on campus. Additionally, the Strategic Plan is a guide for setting specific goals for College fundraising and campus-wide initiatives.

In addition to students and faculty working to use the Strategic Plan as a guide for the future, the Board of Trustees understands the importance of having the Plan on campus as a living document.

"The Board continues to focus on implementation," said Board of Trustees Chair Frank L. Messa '73, "At every Board meeting some component of the Strategic Plan is highlighted for analysis and discussion at the full Board meeting."

Some goals that have been implemented as a result of the Strategic Plan include the general improvement of the Becker Career Center, establishing the Office of Minerva Programs, and obtained New York State approval for several new and existing interdisciplinary programs including Asian Studies (formerly East Asian Studies), Bioengineering, Environmental Policy, Environmental Science, and added the Computational track in Neuroscience.

As a result of the new and improved Environmental Policy and Environmental Science majors, the Plan helped improve campus sustainability and the protection of natural resources. Through this initiative, the College has created U-Sustain, a campus committee of students, staff, and faculty to identify sustainable priorities for Union. The initiative also led to the establishment of Presidential Green Grants that has supported eco-friendly projects including the expansion of the Octopus' Organic Garden (across from Golub House), support for the construction of the Straw Bale house in Octopus' Garden, an energy audit of Golub House and Fox Hall, as well as other student and faculty-driven initiatives.

Additionally, the College has used the Plan to guide itself through the economic downturn.

"The Plan has become even more important in the face of the economic crisis that has gripped the world generally and higher education specifically," Ainlay said, "We refer to the plan frequently when discussing cost-saving initiatives. We are careful not to make any decisions that would compromise the aims of the Strategic Plan."

Union has also used the Strategic Plan to create a more diverse campus atmosphere, which is evident in the fact that the Class of 2013 is the most diverse in the College's history.

"The Plan's emphasis on diversity led to the creation of a multi-faith prayer and meditation room, the appointment of the Senior Director for Campus Diversity and Affirmative Action, and the appointment of the Director of Multicultural Affairs and her office in the Reamer Campus Center," added Ainlay.

Another example of the Strategic Plan's impact on Union can be seen through work done by the College on facilities. The Plan is guiding the College on how to improve the Campus while maintaining architect Joseph Ramée's original plan.

"Under the element 'wise stewardship of resources' the plan talks about preserving our historic campus and reinvesting in facilities to ensure they support our academic objectives," Ainlay stated. "This led us to plan the new Peter Irving Wold Center for Science and Engineering. Consistent with the plan, we will renew and renovate a number of other buildings on campus over the next few years."

As the College looks towards the future, the Strategic Plan remains an important tool for improving all aspects of Union.

"We have made significant progress on every one of the foundational and differentiating elements. In fact, I ask each one of my Vice Presidents to report activities aimed at advancing the Strategic Plan and I, in turn, report these to the Board of Trustees which remains very supportive of the Plan and the direction articulated within the Plan," Ainlay said. "I, like the Board, believe the Plan has it right. These are the elements we need to pursue to make Union the place we want it to be and to make Union a destination of choice for students."

"We have accomplished much, even in the face of economic challenges, but there is much more work to be done," Ainlay added. "The Strategic Plan will continue to direct us as we move ahead."

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 10/29/09

Road to an honor code

By Benjamin Engle

During the weekend of October 16, members of Union College's Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) sub-council on Academic Integrity traveled to Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri to attend and present at the Conference for Academic Integrity.

Associate Dean of Students and Director of Minerva Programs Tom McEvoy, Ian Clemente '10, and Benjamin Engle '12 presented Union's draft of its new honor code and honor court.

Stemming from a cheating scandal in a Mechanical Engineering class in 2006, the Academic Affairs Committee established the sub-council on Academic Integrity with the goal of creating a modified academic honor code for Union.

At the conference, hosted by Clemson University's Rutland Institute for Ethics, Union representatives led a panel discussion entitled "Reintroducing an Honor Code at a Liberal Arts College." During the discussion, McEvoy, Clemente, and Engle discussed Union's history and the actions that the College has taken to bring a modified honor code back to Union's classrooms.

Union originally had an honor code and pledge in 1909, also resulting from a cheating scandal.

Unlike the code of 1909, the sub-council is currently building a modified honor code that does not have a single penalty for academic misconduct, does not mandate students to report observed observations, and gives professors the option whether or not to have un-proctored examinations.

McEvoy, Clemente, and Engle presented the sub-council's work to approximately 15 students and faculty from around the United States.

The group explained to the audience Union's history with honor codes and how it is imperative that there be mutual support between students and faculty in order for the College to go ahead with an honor pledge, code, and court.

Support for such a code has not been mutual since 1924 when faculty lost confidence in students' willingness to report cheating on unproctored exams to the honor court. Because of this disagreement, students and faculty voted to end Union's honor code in 1925.

Union's panel made it clear to those in attendance that having an honor code on campus will reduce cheating and will emphasize academic integrity throughout.

In creating the code, Union's sub-council is hoping to reverse the ethos of the campus community by defining the relationship between a student or a faculty member and the rest of the academic community as well as making academic misconduct an educational experience rather having rules for rules' sake.

The panel believes that the conference was an effective barometer of the sub-council's work thus far.

"The Conference was important to attend because it confirmed that the work we are doing is positive," Clemente said. "The weekend validated that we are on the right track as we build an honor code and court."

With the information from the Conference, the sub-council is expanding student input by adding new members to represent the various groups on campus, including Student Forum, the Greek system, the Minervas, and multiple academic departments.

Additionally student input is important as the committee moves further along in building the honor court since they will be determining the composition of the court, how hearings are held, as well as the appeals process, among other topics.

The sub-council is hoping to present its pledge and statement on academic integrity and honor court process to the Academic Affairs Council before the end of the fall term in November to be in place for the class of 2014.

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 10/22/09

Union to receive H1N1 vaccines

By Benjamin Engle

As the H1N1 strain of the flu continues to spread across the United States and, more specifically, college campuses, Union College Health Services plans to distribute the H1N1 vaccine to students. According to the Union Health Service's website, there have been approximately 29 cases of influenza-like illness at Union since the beginning of the school year in September.

While the Schenectady Department of Health reports on their website that there are cases of the H1N1 influenza in Schenectady County, there have been no confirmed reports of H1N1 on campus since Health Services does not specifically test for it.

The H1N1 vaccine, which is being manufactured by five different companies, was approved by the FDA on September 15, 2009, and was shipped out to health departments across the United States during the week of October 5. The Schenectady Health Department received 500 doses of the H1N1 vaccine on October 6 and has sent it to hospitals and qualified health centers. However, as of October 9, Union Health Services has not received any shipments of the vaccine, though they "hope to receive the vaccine within the next week or so." It is unknown how much of the vaccine Union will receive.

The H1N1 vaccine comes in two different forms, a nasal spray called FluMist and a traditional shot. Contrary to rumors and petitions on the internet to prevent people from getting the H1N1 vaccine, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) insists that it is completely safe and encourages people to get vaccinated, especially health care workers, pregnant women, children and young adults, and people aged 25 through 64 years who have chronic medical conditions and weakened immune systems.

Since Union is following CDC guidelines, Health Services encourages all students to get the vaccine when it becomes available on campus. The New York State Department of Health says that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the flu. Not only does getting the vaccine better protect an individual from getting the flu, it also helps prevent that person from spreading the illness to surrounding people without the vaccine.

According to the CDC and the New York State Department of Health, the H1N1 vaccine was created like the seasonal flu shot was developed, which approximately 100 million Americans receive yearly. Contrary to reports that the H1N1 vaccine was not tested properly and could be harmful, Departments of Health state that the H1N1 vaccine actually received more testing this year than the seasonal vaccine. Additionally, unlike the seasonal flu vaccine, the new H1N1 vaccine underwent clinical trials for effectiveness and safety.

Because of the rapid spread of the H1N1 virus since last spring, the government is purchasing the vaccine, which will make the spray or the shot free to everybody. Health Services intends to make the vaccine accessible to students by giving it to students during the evening hours in dorms. However, the H1N1 vaccine is not a substitute for the seasonal flu vaccine. The CDC also encourages people to get this vaccination, though is not paid for by the government.

Besides the vaccine, Union Health Services is helping the campus community stay healthy during this flu season by actively educating the campus through fliers, emails, posters, and its H1N1 website. On top of this, Health Services encourages people to engage in proper sneezing and coughing etiquette which includes covering one's nose and mouth with a tissue when one coughs or sneezes, washing one's hands often with soap and water, and avoiding excessively touching one's face, nose, or mouth.

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 10/15/09

Straight from South Africa: One Minerva Fellow shares his experiences

By Benjamin Engle

At the beginning of July 2009, the second group of Minerva Fellows departed for their respective volunteer locations across the globe. The Minerva Fellowship program gives recent Union graduates the opportunity to create long-lasting programs to help the poor and solve social issues in developing countries.

The 2009-10 Minerva Fellowship program consists of eight members of the Class of 2009 who are located in six different sites around the world.

One of the Fellows, Eisenman, is working with a community organization in Hanover Park, South Africa, called the Community Action towards a Safer Environment, (CASE). The CASE program was placed in Hanover Park due to the community's disadvantaged nature. According to recent statistics, 61% of adults do not have an income, more than 80% of adults have not completed high school, and 20% of adults have not completed primary school.

According to CASE, their mission is to "break the cycle of crime and violence in which young people live by equipping community members to recognize and respond appropriately to both the causes and effects of crime and violence in their communities."

While he remains in South Africa, Eisenman is dedicating his time in more ways than through the CASE program. Additionally, he has created a co-ed soccer team of youth from the Hanover Park area, whom Eisenman has been training since August. The training will continue until April 2010, when Eisenmnan plans to bring the team to a tournament in Durban, South Africa. In Durban, the team will attend a soccer clinic run by the country's leading stars, and play in a tournament with 23 other organizations from South Africa.

Eisenman is now trying to raise money in order to provide his soccer team with jerseys, equipment, and transportation to the tournament in Durban, amenities that these South African children would not otherwise have.

In order to help him reach his goal, Green House is holding a fundraiser to contribute $500 towards the purchase of cleats, shin guards, and jerseys. If you would like to donate to Mike's cause, you can do so at http://www.backabuddy.co.za/michaeleisenman.

The following is an interview with Eisenman about his experiences thus far in South Africa.

How has your experience been so far?

I have been in Cape Town for 10 weeks, which means my time is already 25% finished. The weeks have absolutely flown by because I am still in the honeymoon stage, you could say. In the beginning, everyone I met was new and I was meeting a ton of people.

Where do you live in Cape Town?

I live with a colored family in a suburb of Cape Town called Athlone. Athlone is a colored community and the people have been living there since the forced removals during apartheid.

How would you describe your experience in Hanover Park?

Everyone shares a different story and a different experience, yet hardly anyone I meet lives with a chip on their shoulder. The area I work in is called Hanover Park. Hanover Park is one of the most crime-stricken colored areas outside of Cape Town filled with gangsterism, drugs, and prostitution. Most people get chills just when they hear the name. That is the truth.

Are you homesick? Do you like your host family?

I was homesick the first night I arrived and then last week. I was homesick because of the amazing support I have received from home.

One could not ask for a better host family. I live with Peter and Avril, who are two of the most amazing people you could ever meet. They own a volunteering company and are involved with 15-18 different organizations in the community from orphanages to schools to hospitals.

Everyone in the community knows them and loves them for what they do. I adore both of them and living with them keeps me very busy. I am also able to learn a lot about the apartheid from their personal experiences, which are extremely unbiased. That makes it much more enjoyable to talk about.

Is Cape Town what you expected? What is it like? How are you adjusting?

I tried to go into Cape Town with no expectations. There are many things that continue to surprise me on an everyday basis. Cape Town is amazing because it is easily the most beautiful city in the world. Within an hour of Cape Town you have scenic mountain ranges (in the city lies Table Mountain), you have the Indian and Atlantic Ocean, and you have over one hundred wineries.

You also have some of the most impoverished areas you will ever lay your eyes on. It is so sad because the homes are so dilapidated. You wouldn't even call them homes because they are simple shacks.

The crime rate is exceptionally high throughout Cape Town. Everyone has burglar bars covering all windows and doors, and there is not a soul living in Cape Town who doesn't know of someone who has been robbed, raped, or killed. Seriously. In my first two weeks, I was so surprised to hear of at least five or six of these occurrences. I don't want to say that I have gotten used to it, but it doesn't surprise me any longer. It still makes me sick to my stomach, though.

I adjusted to the change well enough that people think I am colored wherever I go. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable to be around white South Africans because they generally tend to be very cold people. They are even colder when I am surrounded by my colored friends and family. To adjust in the colored community, you need to be social, a good eater, and you need to learn a few words in Afrikaans. After that, you are all set, and feel like family immediately.

While in Cape Town what do you hope to accomplish? What are your goals?

I really want to make a difference in Hanover Park and have people remember not who I am, but the work I did while here. This month I put together a program in Hanover Park for pet education. We are merging with an animal rescue and nature conservation organizations to put together this event. We raised funds to offer free pet sterilization.

We will also educate the children on proper pet care techniques because dog fighting and pet neglect is extremely common in the Cape Flats. The main goal of the program is to teach people that investing in drugs only causes short term therapeutic "escape" if you will. One should rather invest their money in a dog or cat because it will provide many more benefits and there are no negative side effects.

The work I am focusing on is community development within Hanover Park and personal development for the children I work with. On my days off, I will often pop into one of the orphanages and take some of the kids out to the ocean for a day of relaxation so they can escape the repetition of a day in the home.

What would you like to tell the Union community about Cape Town?

I would like everyone to know that there are some serious problems in Cape Town that will not get sorted out for years to come. I understand that there are many countries and millions of people in the world who need help. But, I recommend people come and visit Cape Town to experience what I am experiencing and form their own opinions on the matter.

There are so many social and political problems in South Africa that it is almost sickening and has recently led to a military strike. I didn't even know this was possible to be completely honestly.

I am not expecting to change the world or even Hanover Park. But, if I can change the lives of a few people there, I will be more than satisfied with that.

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 9/24/09

Swine 2009

By Benjamin Engle

As Union College students establish their routine this fall trimester, they should be adding flu prevention their to-do lists.

The H1N1 strain of the flu, more commonly known as swine flu, has hit college campuses across the United States again this fall after first appearing last spring. According to Union College Health Services, there have been zero confirmed cases of swine flu at Union.

Swine flu is an epidemic of the influenza virus that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is "a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs."

According to Barbara Lahey, the Medical Director in Health Services, the H1N1 flu is fairly mild since it only lasts about two to four weeks. Because many young people have not been exposed to the H1N1 strain of the flu, they are at a higher risk.

In order to control the outbreak of the flu virus, Health Services has been preparing for the flu season and following protocols and guidelines set forth by the CDC and the Schenectady County Department of Health.

Additionally, Union is part of the American College Health Association's "Pandemic Influenza of College Campuses" surveillance.

Lahey and the Health Services department is preparing to see swine flu cases on campus and is encouraging all members of the Union College Community to practice good hygiene and respiratory etiquette.

"We must stay focused on prevention of the flu," Lahey said. "We need to be considerate of others by taking the proper steps to prevent an outbreak."

Lahey, in conjunction with the CDC, suggests that students and faculty take advantage of the hand sanitizer stations posted at various building entrances and to cover their mouths and nose when they cough or sneeze. They are also urged to keep high-contact areas such as desks and labs clean. Additionally, Lahey suggests that the campus employ a buddy system to keep a better eye on friends, roommates, and others.

If a student or faculty member believes he or she has contracted swine flu, Health Services asks that they either leave campus and return home, or self-isolate in their dorm room. Those who believe they have the flu should not come to Health Services to avoid contaminating the buildings as well as fellow students. However, they should call in to?Health Services immediately.

According to CDC guidelines, students should not return to class or work until they have been fever free without taking medication for at least 24 hours.

"We are prepared to look outside the box to make sure students are okay," Lahey said. "We can't be afraid to help each other during this flu season."

Union College Health Services will be hosting flu clinics on November 5 and 12 to give out the seasonal flu vaccine. While the vaccine will not prevent the H1N1 virus, Health Services hopes that it will minimize symptoms.

"The community needs to pull together and look out for each other," Lahey added, "It's going to be okay as we communicate quickly and become more educated."

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 9/17/09

Swine flu concerns reach Union

By Benjamin Engle

While all suspected swine flu cases in Schenectady and Albany counties, according to the Schenectady and Albany Departments of Public Heath, have far tested negative, Union College is being proactive in ensuring the health of its students, faculty, and staff.

First detected in Mexico City in early April, swine flu, otherwise known as “H1N1,” is an epidemic of a new influenza virus that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is “a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs.”

While Swine flu does not result in high death rates in pigs, the virus is currently spreading through humans across the world. According to the World Health Organization, as of May 4, 21 countries have officially reported 1085 cases of the H1N1 virus. Of the 21 countries, Mexico has 590 confirmed cases as well as 25 deaths. One death has occurred in the United States of 286 confirmed cases. Of those 286 cases, there are 73 people with the virus in New York State. According to the Associated Press, the cases in New York State have mild.

In response to the swine flu infection, the Director of Union College Health Services, Sharron McCullough, emailed a swine flu notification to the Union community on Wednesday, April 19. The email, according to McCullough, was to inform the community of how the infection outbreak worldwide is affecting Union. A similar email was sent to Union parents on May 1.

“First, it’s important not to overreact. Classes and all College business continue as normal,” McCullough wrote in the email to the campus. “We do not have any known cases of swine flu. Nevertheless, all campus community members should be taking common-sense precautions to avoid getting sick or transmitting an illness.”

According to McCullough, Health Services has been taking a proactive approach in alerting the campus relating to H1N1 and preparing for any cases on campus. Union Health Services has been in daily contact with the Schenectady Health Department and is working with the Health Department on numerous issues and are instrumental in what actions Union takes regarding the situation.

“We are asking students to call Health services (388-6120) and report any symptoms they feel are related to the flu,” McCullough said in an interview with the Concordiensis. “These are fever over 100 degrees, sore throat, runny nose and congestion, body aches, [and] any recent travel to Mexico. Occasionally vomiting and diarrhea have been reported but may not necessarily relate to the flu. It is important not to go to class if feeling ill.

However, other universities and colleges have not been spared from the infection of the H1N1 virus. UDaily, the news service of the University of Delaware, as of May 4, reports that there are 20 confirmed cases of the flu strain on its campus. Additionally, some institutions have closed for the semester, including Harvard Dental School and Texas Wesleyan University.

McCullough, however, believes that Union’s trimester schedule has lowered Union’s risk for an outbreak.

“I actually feel we are at more of an advantage since our Spring break was earlier than other colleges,” McCullough said. “We were back at school when other students were ‘vacationing.’”

While Union is at an advantage, McCullough does not believe that students, faculty, or staff should not ignore the current flu outbreak.

“I think everyone should be concerned but taking precautions such as washing your hands and using your elbow to cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing is most important,” McCullough commented. “Eating a balanced diet and drinking plenty of pure water and [getting] rest are your best defenses against becoming ill.”

Additionally, Union’s Facilities Services Department has taken steps in ensure the health and safety of the campus community.

According to Rich Patierne, Manager of Building Services and Work Order Systems, Facilities is responding to the H1N1 virus in a proactive fashion.

“Our cleaning staff has been instructed to make a more concentrated effort to cleaning all bathroom fixtures, hand rails, door knobs, and common spaces,” Patierne said. “We have also started the process of installing hand sanitizers in the buildings.”

Even though Union is taking preventive actions against swine flu, McCullough reassures that the H1N1 strain of the flu is not necessarily health threatening.

“Most healthy people recover from the flu and don't have serious complications, but some people such as the older people, young children and certain people with health conditions are at a higher risk for serious flu related complications,” McCullough said. “The best defense is to vaccinate against the flu. Health Services has a flu clinic the first two Thursdays in November. We are trying to outreach to our students to protect them against contracting the flu.”

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 5/6/09

What's New With Wold

By Benjamin Engle

In the coming weeks, physical construction will commence on Union College's Peter Irving Wold Science and Engineering Center, an $18 million, 35,000 square foot state-of-the-art addition to house the College's science and interdisciplinary programs.

The Center will house Biochemistry, Environmental Science and Engineering, a high performance computer lab, state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms, and flexible incubator labs for Electrical Engineering & Music research.

Additionally, the three-story building will house a rooftop renewable energy lab dedicated display areas to showcase student and faculty research.

The Wold Center, which will be located in the area between Science and Engineering, the F.W. Olin Center, Schaffer Library, and Social Sciences (the future Lippman Hall), will be using a portion of a gift by John Wold '38 and his wife Jane in 2002, the largest alumni gift in Union history.

Wold is a former U.S. Congressman and is a geologist and the president of Wold Minerals Company. The building will be named for his father, Peter Wold, who was a professor at Union in the physics department.

The first signs of construction will begin after ReUnion weekend during the week of June 1 with the erection of a fence around the construction site. According to Doug Klein, Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies, the fence will close the entire area between Schaffer Library and the Olin Center, including the walkway to Alumni Gymnasium.

The entrances to Science and Engineering that face the Library and Gym will be closed to the public; however, the main entrance to the Gym will continue to be accessible.

Additionally, the tunnel connecting the Olin Building to the Science and Engineering Building will continue to open and Klein believes it will become the main thru-way to Science and Engineering.

Construction trailers and the staging area for supplies will be located on the grassy area behind the Gym at the intersection of Alexander Lane and South Lane. While trucks will be using Alexander Lane for access to the construction site, the road will be open throughout the building process.

According to Dean Klein, the overall project, which is scheduled to finish in winter 2011, is approximately two weeks behind schedule. However, according to Klein being behind is nothing to worry about.

"With a project of this size, being a few weeks behind the original schedule is fine," Klein said.
During the past few months, architects (Einhorn, Yaffee, Prescott) have been finalizing plans for the building. Klein stated that the project is within budget that has been set with the architects, though that was not always the case.

"Early in the process, we weren't on budget," Klein said. "We had to make compromises, though none were programmatic and we didn't lose any square footage. Since the original plans, the architects took away some windows to lower costs."

However, the design committee and architects are still committed to designing the building to achieve LEED Gold status from the U.S. Green Building Council.

"We are continuing to expand the use of alternative energy in the building," Klein explained.
Klein expects finalization of sustainability plans in the near future, though according to the Wold Construction website, the building will include metering equipment for electric, chilled water and steam, waterless urinals and dual flush water closets, the use of materials that will reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous and harmful to occupants, as well as other environmentally friendly initiatives.

While the architects are still working on the final drawings for the Center, the bidding phases are underway.

"There are three bidding phases," explained Klein. "The first phase was utilities and relocation, which already happened. We are about to open the bidding for the foundation and steel contract and the building construction call for bids will take place in the middle of the summer."
Major work with utilities and relocation of utilities will begin between ReUnion weekend and Commencement. In addition, the foundation for the Wold Center is scheduled to be complete by January 1, 2010.

While construction will end daily around 3 p.m., Klein ensures that the disruption to classes will be minimized.

"We are working with contractors to make sure construction sounds will be kept to a minimum during exam weeks," Klein said.

Updates and more information about the construction process can be found at http://www.union.edu/Campus/wold/index.php

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 5/28/09

Getting a first glimpse at the class of 2013

By Benjamin Engle

While the Union College class of 2009 is only weeks away from matriculation, the Union Admissions Department is working hard to complete the admissions process for the incoming Class of 2013.

While the final profile of the class of 2013 will not be completed for another two to three weeks, Vice President for Admissions, Financial Aid, and Enrollment Matthew Malatesta '91 believes that the incoming freshman class is one Union's strongest and diverse in its history.
Composed of 52% of men and 48% women, 19% of the class of 2013 is made up of students of color and 4% are international students. The 23% represents an increase of 6% over the six-year average.

Malatesta believes that Union is attracting a group of high academic quality. The average SAT score for the incoming class was 1290, an increase of 20 points from the class of 2012 and up 30 points compared to the six-year average. Additionally, the average ACT score was 28.

However, Malatesta stated that Admissions still considers the transcript the most important aspect of a prospective student's application. Of the students entering the class of 2013, 60% submitted their SAT scores.

"I think the idea students are more than their scores has brought [Union] a more quality student," said Malatesta.

While the incoming class is a diverse one, only 4,821 applications were submitted for admission into the class of 2013, a 9% decrease from Union's record application level for admission into the class of 2012. The class of 2013 was chosen, however, from the third largest applicant pool in the school's history.

This year, around 40% of applicants were accepted. Malatesta stated that he and his staff targeted the class of 2013 to be made up of approximately 565 students.

However, his team's work is far from completed. As of May 18, Union's acceptance yield is down 2% in that Admissions has received 530 deposits, 35 short of their goal.

In order to fill the class, Union has extended admission to the college to 30 students on the waitlist.

"We have a strong waitlist of many students who want to be at Union," said Malatesta.
Malatesta believes that Union missed its target for various reasons, including the economy and need for better communication with prospective students.

"We didn't give out enough acceptances," Malatesta said, "But we are taking good students off the waitlist. We are not done with the process and we are looking to finish in one to two weeks."
"We lost a large number of prospective students to state colleges because of the economy," he added.

Additionally, Union lost numerous students to similar schools that offered larger merit scholarships than Union does. According to Malatesta, 65% of the class of 2013 will receive some type of Union scholarship, whether through need-based aid or merit scholarships.
Of the 65% receiving aid from Union, 90% are receiving need-based aid while 10% are receiving merit scholarships.

Malatesta also believes that he and his staff did not admit enough students since they were aggressive in going after very impressive applicants to the college.

However, Malatesta is not concerned that the incoming class is not as large as the class of 2012. He believes that having two large classes in a row could hurt the quality of experience at Union. He states that it would disrupt Union's tradition of a low student to faculty ratio as well as its ability to house students comfortably.

"Overall enrollment is very strong," Malatesta said. "We have plenty of applicants to choose from."

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 5/21/09

Ethiopian member of Israeli government speaks at Union

By Benjamin Engle

On Sunday, April 19, Shlomo Molla, the only Ethiopian Jewish member of the Israeli Knesset, arrived at Union College's Nott Memorial directly from Tel Aviv, Israel where he spoke to a crowd of approximately fifty members of the Union community to discuss his experiences as an Ethiopian Jew and politician.

Molla, who has served in the Knesset as a member of the centrist Kadima party since 2008 and recently won reelection in 2009, was born in Ethiopia in 1965. At the Nott, Molla discussed his life experiences, which took him from a small Jewish village in Ethiopia's Gondar province to the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem.

While in Ethiopia, Molla, who was one of 11 children, studied Torah almost daily as well as observing all the religious Jewish holidays. He, like others in his small community, waited for the day that he would travel to Israel.

When Molla was 16, he attempted to make the journey across the desert to take part in Operation Moses. Operation Moses was a covert removal of Ethiopian Jews from the Sudan during a famine in 1984 by the Israeli Defense Forces, CIA, and United States embassy in Khartoum.

As Molla made the trip towards the Sudanese border, he and his 15 friends were picked up by the border patrol after which they were placed in prison for four months. After being in solitary confinement for that long duration, Molla was taken to a refugee camp. Soon after, he was placed in an Israeli Defense Forces aircraft that took him to his original destination, Israel.
When he arrived in Israel, Molla was taken to an Absorption Center in Tzfat. "When I got to Israel, I started from nothing. It was a whole new place with all new people," Molla stated. Currently 130,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel, 30,000 of which are Israeli-born.

Once in Israel, Molla became very active in Israeli public life, becoming a Commander in Reserve Unit, Haifa in 1994, the Head of the Ethiopian Division of the Jewish Agency for Israel in 1999, and in 2006 becoming a Member of the Zionist Executive and Department Head of the World Zionist Organization. He currently is married with three children.

Throughout the discussion, both Union students and community members were closely listening to Molla's story.

"Molla's story was incredibly interesting. It's great how he went from arriving in Israel with nothing to becoming a member of the Knesset," Amy Scheck '09 said. "It's just an example of the promise that Israel represents for so many people!"

Benjamin Gurlitz '12 agreed, "Molla's speech was inspirational and very unique. It was an honor to meet Shlomo Molla, a member of the Israeli Knesset, who is working for peace in an unstable region."

Molla also discussed his current activities in the Knesset. He is currently a member of various committees in the Knesset, primarily focusing on education and welfare issues as well as immigration, absorption, and Diaspora affairs.

The discussion was sponsored by Union College Hillel, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and the Office of the President, as well as the departments of History, Political Science and Sociology.

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 4/23/09

Opinion: We Are Union!

By Benjamin Engle

"You are Union." Those are the simple words that are plastered on the light posts when you enter the main entrance of Union College.

Union cares about its students. It is a fact that the college gives its students a wide variety of opportunities to take leadership roles on campus, direct the future of the College, as well as create the culture of the campus. We see this through the numerous committees on campus, the unique Minerva House Program, and clubs that are consistently active from one academic year to the other.

But sometimes, certain actions and policies make me scratch my head. One of those policies was brought to my attention on the evening of Thursday, April 16th.

While eating dinner and playing trivia at a local restaurant and pub, one of my friends got a text message from a friend on campus that a shooting had occurred just off campus. We have all heard and read about the horror stories at other schools (Virginia Tech is a prominent one) and in today's age, the seven of us were interested in the details and were worried that it concerned a Union student.

While we soon learned that it did not involve any Union students, we decided to call Campus Safety because we had walked to the restaurant and needed to know whether we were safe walking back. We felt confident that Campus Safety would be of assistance in getting us back to Union because of the shooting that had taken place. However, it seems that we shouldn't have called Campus Safety because they told us that they were not going to give us a ride back to school and that they don't pick up from bars.

While they said the situation was under control, I still couldn't believe that Campus Safety did not offer any safe way to return to campus. Sure, we were a group of seven walking back to campus together, but that did not make up for the fact that we were walking in the streets of Schenectady (which really isn't a bad city and too often receives an unfair reputation from Union students) after a shooting.

However, the fact that Campus Safety wouldn't help us, especially because we were at a restaurant and pub is shocking. If that is a real policy (I couldn't find it on their website), then it is a very discouraging one.

We felt that we were being responsible by calling them. I won't say that they were judging us because we were calling from an establishment that serves alcohol, but we were not drinking. We were doing what Union suggests: explore your community, interact with Schenectady, and enjoy your friends.

On the Union College Campus Safety Website, it states, "Campus safety and security is a shared responsibility. There are many things that you can do to make the campus community safer. No campus safety department can function effectively without the concerted assistance of the community it serves. If you are careful, your time at Union will be safer." We did our part by calling, but where was Campus Safety?

After Campus Safety told us that they couldn't help us, we decided to walk back to school, albeit in a more vigilant fashion. It was impossible to walk back and feel safe doing so. Luckily, as we were walking back to Campus, we noticed a Campus Trolley stopped at a stoplight. Once we got his attention, the driver pulled over and did not ask any questions-he simply drove us back to campus. There wasn't a "T" sign anywhere near where we were and the driver did not have to stop. I regret not getting the driver's name, but thank you sir for stopping.

I am not sure why Campus Safety couldn't have directed the trolley in our direction if they were already out. Maybe that would have been too simple.

Sure, Campus Safety sometimes gets an unfair reputation from Union students, but that night I felt like Campus Safety was really letting me down.

Why can't we work together? We are all Union. Let's act like it.

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 4/23/09

Union to create and institute new academic honor code

By Benjamin Engle

The Academic Affairs Committee has recently created a new sub-council on academic honor codes charged with the goal of creating a modified academic honor code for Union College that will include an honor pledge and an honor court. This will shift the roles of both students and administrators during the judicial process.

The committee hopes to adopt an honor code and honor court sometime next year in time for the Class of 2014.

The Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) sub-council on Academic Honor Code, headed by Philosophy Professor Baker and chair of the Rapaport Ethics Across the Curriculum Initiative, made up of students, faculty, and administrators, has been established based on the AAC Sub-council on Academic Integrity's recommendations.

The AAC established the Sub-council on Academic Integrity in Fall 2006 after a case of cheating on an engineering lab in a course taught by Professor Brad Bruno, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering. The two students, who were caught inappropriately collaborating on a lab report, were required to research issues regarding academic integrity on college campuses. The students found that modified honor codes were increasingly being utilized successfully on other college campuses.

Union first instituted an honor code and pledge in 1909 through a student vote in reaction to a cheating scandal. The code at that time included an all-student Honor Court, which required students to report any case of misconduct. After working successfully for over a decade, in 1925 students and faculty voted to end its honor code. Previous unsuccessful attempts at returning an honor code to Union failed in 1965 and as recently as 1985.

As part of the committee's activities, the sub-council on Academic Integrity looked at 31 schools that Union compares itself to, 16 of which have honor codes. It formally interviewed the honor councils at Williams College and Skidmore College, as well as contacting other schools with honor codes.

In the spring of 2007, the sub-council on Academic Integrity emailed Union students and faculty a survey regarding cheating and the interest in creating an honor code at Union.

"This process consults students with surveys on how they want to be treated as well as faculty with proposals based on the data," Baker said.

The Academic sub-council presented the AAC with a report and recommendation in May 2008, suggesting that Union establish a modified academic honor code as well as the sub-council on Academic Honor Code.

The Honor Code sub-council is currently developing the new code and pledge as well as designing the process and procedures for an honor court. Currently, cases dealing with Academic Integrity go through an administrative judicial process.

"This is a unique opportunity for students at Union to offer input on how they want to be treated," Baker said. "Do they want to be judged by their peers or by faculty?"

Many schools that Union often compares itself to, including Williams and Skidmore, have honor codes that include honor pledges and courts. At Williams and Skidmore, the Honor Court is presided over entirely by students and has issues penalties that vary from case to case. Skidmore's Honor Court also deals with social misconduct, including alcohol and vandalism cases.

Based on the surveys completed by students and faculty, Union is not currently developing an Honor Court to deal with social misconduct because while the two parties agree on what academic misconduct is, they do not agree on what social misconduct is.

The AAC hopes that the modified honor code and court will create stronger trust relations between students and faculty. It will give both parties more options when dealing with academic misconduct. For example, students won't be forced to report incidents. Professors will have the option of using turnitin.com and the opportunity to proctor or not proctor exams.

"We have to teach students how to be morally responsible, but to do that, we must give them moral responsibility," Baker said. "Students will learn that they are responsible for themselves."
While Union has a low level of academic misconduct, Baker believes that the discussion of a modified honor code and court is important. "The introduction of a modified honor code should further decrease the number of cases. It will give accountability not to faculty, but to students."
Baker believes that based on the results of student surveys, current Union students believe a modified honor code is positive for the college, "It is clearly time for a change. It is an embarrassment, unlike the best schools in the country, that Union doesn't trust students to survey misconduct of fellow students."

The entire report and recommendations of the AAC Sub-council on Academic Integrity can viewed on-line by searching "AAC" on the Union website.

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 4/9/09

High School Articles: "All the Lonely People"

Originally published in Blind Brook High School's FOCUS (October 2006).

By Benjamin Engle
It was a beautiful summer night in the Georgetown area of our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. I strolled leisurely down Pennsylvania Avenue, a street lined with exclusive stores and stylish eateries. From Coach to Abercrombie & Fitch to Steve Madden, I felt as if I was in one of the classiest places in Washington—that is, until I passed a man who, in his silent sleep, stopped me in my tracks.

This man was asleep in the doorway of a Georgetown building, clutching a blanket in one hand. The other held nothing, and a shopping cart filled to capacity stood to his
left. It seemed as if his whole life was crammed into that shopping cart, his home on wheels. The man’s untidy, mangy beard and the fact that he was lying in the middle of the sidewalk indicated that he was homeless. But this was no ordinary homeless man, a man unlike any I have ever seen in New York City. The steps on which he slept did not lead to a posh store or a snobby café, but rather to the entrance of the Salvation Army National Capital Offices.

The fact that this homeless man was sleeping on the steps of one of America’s longtime symbols of aid and hope struck me as a sad commentary on the state of our nation, for this poor man clearly did not expect assistance or hope. It opened my eyes to the true problems of poverty and homelessness in the United States and how we, as Americans, are not doing enough to give less fortunate people
the opportunities and assistance to live better lives.

During my visit to D.C., I made my way to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. While walking through this outdoor monument dedicated to one of the best presidents in U.S. history, I noticed that various quotes issued by Roosevelt during his four terms in office were engraved in the stone. One quote seemed to speak of both the homeless man and how our country looks today.

“I see one-third of a nation illhoused, ill-clad, and ill-nourished. The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little,” Roosevelt said in his second inaugural address. This quote
raised the question in my mind, “Can’t we do more?”

We live in an affluent community in nice, spacious homes; we eat three meals a day (yes, Blind Brook cafeteria food counts); and we receive our education in one of the country’s finesthigh schools. We buy new clothes, we go out on weekends, and we spend hours on our computers. It seems as if the rich only get richer and the poor only get poorer. Roosevelt recognized the pathetic look of the nation during his time in office, and it is time for us in the Blind Brook, Rye Brook, and American communities to make a difference in helping to stop one of America’s biggest problems: poverty.

If numbers will help paint the picture of American poverty, consider these: in 2005, 37
million people lived in poverty. Of those 37 million people, 12.9 million were under the age of 18 and 20.5 million were between the ages of 18 and 64. (U.S. Census 2005.) It’s clear that poverty affects not only adults, but entire families as well. As I watched in awe at the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, a ceremony honoring and remembering unidentified soldiers who gave their lives for our county, my mind wandered back to the hopeless man at the Salvation Army who, when he is entombed in an unmarked grave in Potter’s Field, will forever remain as he lived—unknown and forgotten.

In a song entitled “Eleanor Rigby,” The Beatles asked, “All the lonely people. Where do they all come from? All the lonely people. Where do they all belong?” And there’s only one way to find an answer: get involved.

We must not let these lonely and forlorn people vanish before our eyes and remain unknown. Our country has a problem when it comes to ignoring the needy, and it’s definitely time for a change. Roosevelt believed that the development of the United States should be assessed by the situations in which its citizens live, not by materialistic and political advancements.

We as members of the American and Blind Brook communities must not let impoverished people remain unknown, uncared for, and forgotten. These people live hopeless and difficult lives; live one meal at a time, often not knowing where the next meal will come from; they have no support and nobody to put them on the right track. It is our responsibility to improve our country and its people in a time where the world can, at times, feel like an uncaring place.

Fortunately, we as a community can help. Blind Brook has numerous clubs whose missions are to help others, improve other people’s lives, and make the community better as whole. By serving hot meals at the Blind Brook Soup Kitchen or even carrying some rocks at a Habitat for
Humanity build site, we will bring hope and promise to people less fortunate than us.

We should feel lucky that our addresses are not on the stoop of the Salvation Army. I know we can help end loneliness and hopelessness one person at a time.

http://www.blindbrook.org/our_schools/high_school/Focus/archives/06-07/FOCUS_Oct_06.pdf

High School Articles: "Fitness Made Simple"

Originally published in Blind Brook High School's FOCUS (January 2006).

By Benjamin Engle
While perusing through the channels on T.V. one afternoon, I found myself watching a “Fitness Made Simple” advertisement on ESPN. When “Pardon the Interruption”finally came back on the air, I was immediately bombarded with sports jabber. The reporter’s first word, BALCO, the now infamous laboratory in California, was followed by the daily mantra heard so often in the sports
world: Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, and Marion Jones, all professional athletes, each interminably related by the “s” word.

Steroids.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when another “Fitness Made Simple” commercial appeared at the very next commercial break. Along with pictures of the “buff” John Basedow, the lyrics of the song went something like this: “Fitness made simple…made for real people…changing real lives.” I couldn’t help but notice the juxtaposition of the steroid story between the two “Fitness Made Simple” commercials. Clearly, this was more than just a coincidence.

For the eleven baseball players who tested positive for steroid use during the 2005 season, the shortest route to physical fitness meant bypassing the long time it takes to get results from good old fashioned sweat and hard work and go straight to steroids. For these athletes, and the millions of Americans who have turned to steroids as a “get physically rich quick scheme,” the term “no pain, no gain” is so passé.

But why should people exercise? What incentive is there to work for long periods of time when steroids can have you built up faster than Blind Brook’s new construction project? Ok, bad example. The numbers do not lie – according to the American School Board Journal, 16% of teens are obese while another 15% are considered at risk of becoming obese; the only choice these kids see is steroids.

Those numbers made me run – literally. To stay in shape, I started to run cross-country at Blind Brook. Okay, maybe run is not the best word to use, but I did jog my way to Hillandale and back to Blind Brook during the fall. I’m not going to lie; I might not have been the fastest on the team. However, our head coach, Mrs. Judith Mella, encouraged all of us to work hard. Working hard are the key words. By playing a sport (Math team’s finger exercises do not count) competitively or just for fun, or by working out at the “Y,” or just by eating right (don’t worry, Wendy’s and Garden Catering are fine in moderation), teens and adults alike can prevent obesity and therefore preclude the need for steroids.

The difference between working hard and “juicing up” is while the former has positive physical and emotional results, the latter carries with it serious and detrimental physical side affects. Studies have shown that steroid use can lead to cancer, heart disease, and strokes (not to mention smaller testicles and breast development in men, and facial hair and deeper voices in women), while the hackneyed and outdated exercise program can lead you to enjoy a healthier, longer life.

Furthermore, a 2004 study from California found that the students who eat nutritious diets and engage in moderate exercise have higher test scores. The National Association of Sport & Physical Education says that exercise has been shown to lower stress, boost alertness and energy levels (great for Mock Trial), and improve sleep.

While Congress and professional athletes often get mixed together in the maelstrom of steroid use, the truth is that high school students use steroids as well. Teen surveys of personal steroid usage range from as low as 0.5% to as high as 11%. Either way, something needs to be done. Professional sports, such as the Olympics committee, are trying to set a good example by enforcing stringent anti-drug policies. Blind Brook, too, has a drug policy that mandates if one is “under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or other substances while on school grounds or at any school activity…will be suspended from school…and prohibited in all extra-curricular activities.”

Board of Education policies are one thing, but what are your values and the values of your community? Why risk getting sick or being suspended from school to make your body look like John Basedow’s? There are better ways to achieve a level of healthiness. Let’s face it: driving over walking is inevitable, particularly in a suburb, and eating a burger is bound to be chosen over a fat-free yogurt, but there are steps to live a healthier life. While Blind Brook has already taken a major step with the soon-to-be built fitness center, it is only a small first step in the right direction.

Fitness is a community goal. Together we can live healthy lives for years to come, so what are the possible next steps? Perhaps the institution of “Open Gym and Fitness Center Nights,” a weekly event that would virtually cost nothing and would give students the opportunity to build life-long exercise habits. Different community groups and student clubs could sponsor it; varsity athletes could help middle school and elementary students with their jump shot, speedball technique, or exercise regimen. While the fitness center will be incorporated into the general physical education curriculum, it’s only a first step because, as proposed, the after-school fitness center will only be available after school hours to athletes of Varsity teams. One possible solution would allow all students to use the fitness center after school two times a week as costs and space availability for every day use just are not practical.

In order for people to live healthier lives, we must trade the “couch potato, gameboy” culture that currently exists for a “sweat potato, play the game” attitude. This requires a community effort. Having gyms and a new track is nice, but it is enhanced when the community can use them together. Will we all look like “Fitness Celebrity” John Basedow? No, but we will begin to look and feel better.

And our testicles won’t shrivel.

http://www.blindbrook.org/our_schools/high_school/Focus/archives/05-06/FOCUSJan06.pdf