Winter Scene 2015 by Colgate University

scene Winter 2015

News and views for the Colgate community

A Lab in the Canopy Sex Talk: Beyond Yes and No Champion

Presidential Transition (see pg. 5)

scene

Winter 2015

28 A Lab in the Canopy

Professors and students reach new heights in rainforest research

34 Sex Talk: Beyond Yes and No

A hot topic on campus

38 Champion

What drives ACLU state legal director Witold Walczak ’83?

Message from President Jeffrey Herbst

13346 — Inbox

Work & Play

Tableau: “How Not to Defend the Humanities”

The Dead hold court

Life of the Mind

Arts & Culture

Go ’gate

New, Noted & Quoted

The Big Picture

Stay Connected

Class News 74 Marriages & Unions 74 Births & Adoptions 74 In Memoriam

Salmagundi: “Arts and Letters” puzzle, Slices contest winners

DEPARTMENTS

On the cover: Singing their hearts out. In recent years, the Colgate University Chorus has performed masterpieces including Joseph Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Mozart’s Requiem. Photo by Ashlee Eve ’14 Left: What causes the gorgeous frost we often see clinging to low-hanging tree branches along Payne Creek in winter? We asked Professor Adam Burnett, who studies climatology and geography. Called the Bergeron Process, it’s the same thing that occurs when snow forms in clouds. The warmer water evaporates and saturates the colder air, and the condensation deposits as ice. Isn’t science beautiful? Photo by Andrew Daddio News and views for the Colgate community

scene team

Contributors

Volume XLIV Number 2 The Scene is published by Colgate University four times a year — in autumn, winter, spring, and summer. The Scene is circulated without charge to alumni, parents, friends, and students.

When she’s not teaching as an associate professor of biology at Mount Royal University in Alberta, Canada, Sarah Hewitt (“A Lab in the Canopy,” pg. 28) spends her days scheming adventures to feed her hunger for science travel writing. Her pursuits have led to articles for Scientific American, Canadian Geographic, and other publications.

Peter Horjus (“Sex Talk: Beyond Yes and No,” pg. 34) communicates with illustrations that range from simplified and conceptual to complex and narrative. With clients including Newsweek, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Coca-Cola, he has received awards from American Illustration, AIGA: Graphic Design USA, and Print’s Regional Design Annuals.

Sally Ann Flecker (“Champion,” pg. 38) is a freelance writer and writing coach living in Pittsburgh. She’s written on multifarious topics from activist nun/artist Corita Kent to edgy musicians Zoë Keating and Dave Porter, to the Everglades, alpaca ranchers, truffle farmers, and labyrinth makers for universities around the country. She lives in western Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons.

Pittsburgh-based photographer Scott Goldsmith (“Champion,” pg. 38) has photographed for National Geographic, LIFE, TIME, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, and People. His work has taken him to the jungles of Costa Rica, the slums of Haiti, caves, and Air Force One. His more than 100 awards include Communication Arts and the 2011 Black & White International Spider Awards.

Our Eagle Eye These past few years, come late spring and into summer, a visit to Gerry Gall’s office has had a distinct backdrop soundtrack: the wsssh of a breeze, the soft chirping of chicks. See, Gerry liked to check in on the “live eagle webcam” trained on a nest high up in a tree in Decorah, Iowa, so he could track the latest family’s progress. Fittingly — and fortunately for Colgate folk — for the past 26 years, Gerry’s eagle eye has gone well beyond his passion for birdwatching. Our director of creative services in the communications office, he’s been responsible for creating and managing the design and production of not only the Colgate Scene (by my count, 150 issues since his first, September 1988), but also myriad other publications that alumni, prospective students, and others receive from Colgate — from the annual photo calendar, admission viewbooks and brochures, annual reports, and postcards, right down to university stationery. But, no eagle cam this spring: the completion of this issue of the Scene marks Gerry’s well-deserved retirement. So much of Gerry’s work has happened behind the scenes, we couldn’t let him go without turning the lens onto him for this brief moment.

scene: Winter 2015

First one to arrive in the morning, last one out most evenings, Gerry has been known on campus as a mentor and guide, font of institutional knowledge, budget guru, and so much more. The avid gardener cultivating his talented design and photography team. The jazz guitarist creating visual music. He brought our office into the digital age. He’s been our voice of reason and practicality, while the Gumby toy figure reclining on his desk has served as our reminder to stay flexible and open in our creative process. Printer reps would quake a bit in their boots lest they disappoint Gerry — we tease him about his tendency toward gruffness, because we know it comes out of his expectation that only the highest standard is good enough for Colgate. The most trustworthy (and understated) guy around, we could also always count on him to come up with a creative solution when we found ourselves in a pickle. In 2007, he received a Maroon Citation from the Alumni Corporation, “for his attention to detail, for his responsiveness to the occasionally exigent demands of a leading liberal arts university, and for his many years of unwavering service.” You may need to correct me on the numbers, Gerry, but on behalf of our team and the university community, thank you for being our eagle eye, over this publication and so much more, for so long. — Rebecca Costello

Vice President for Communications Rachel Reuben Managing Editor Rebecca Costello Associate Editor Aleta Mayne Director of Creative Services Gerald Gall Coordinator of Photographic Services Andrew Daddio Production Assistant Kathy Bridge

Contributors: Barbara Brooks, Director of Public Relations and Marketing; Daniel DeVries, Admission Marketing Manager; Matt Hames, Manager of Media Communications; David Herringshaw, Online Community Manager; Jason Kammerdiener ’10, Web Content Specialist; Karen Luciani, Art Director; Katherine Mutz, Graphic Designer; Brian Ness, Video Journalism Coordinator; Timothy O’Keeffe, Director of Web Content; John Painter, Director of Athletic Communications; Mark Walden, Senior Advancement Writer Contact: scene@colgate.edu 315-228-7415 colgate.edu/scene Colgate University 315-228-1000

Printed and mailed from Lane Press in South Burlington, Vt. If you’re moving... Please clip the address label and send with your new address to: Alumni Records Clerk, Colgate University, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY 13346-1398 or call 315-228-7453. Opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by the university, the publishers, or the editors. Notice of Non-Discrimination: Colgate University does not discriminate in its programs and activities because of race, color, sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, national origin (including ancestry), citizenship status, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran or military status (including special disabled veteran, Vietnam-era veteran, or recently separated veteran), predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, or any other protected category under applicable local, state, or federal law. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the university’s non-discrimination policies: Marilyn Rugg, Associate Provost for Equity and Diversity, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY 13346; 315-228-7288.

Message from President Jeffrey Herbst

The national dialogue

about sexual violence at American colleges and

universities has intensified, and rightly so. One especially disturbing fact has been widely reported: nearly 20 percent of college-age women and about 6 percent of undergraduate men will be victims of attempted or actual sexual assault during their college years. Citing that national statistic, lawmakers and the White versity. For example, an ongoing series of student-led Bystander Intervention Training sessions is designed to help students recognize how they can safely and appropriately intervene when they see behavior that causes concern. All student “Links” (mentors to new students) have received training, as have all residence hall community leaders. We have provided, and continue to provide, many opportunities for students to participate. Through other positive sexuality initiatives, such as the six-week seminar Yes Means Yes (you can read student participants’ perspectives on this issue in the article on pg. 34), we are empowering our young men and women to effect change both individually and in their community. As you are no doubt aware, excessive drinking has been linked to unwanted sexual contact and assault. Our campus Alcohol and Other Drug Advisory Committee, also led by Dean Brown, oversees programs, policies, events, and educational initiatives. For example, the aforementioned bystander training initiative, which encourages students to do the right thing when someone needs help, lies at the intersection of these two issues. As well, in accordance with our medical amnesty and Good Samaritan exemption policies, those who come forward with a complaint about sexual violence will not be charged with an alcohol violation. Also on the programming front, students have taken initiative as well; for example, hosting an open forum to frankly discuss the campus sexual climate, and producing and performing This is Not a Play About Sex. Written by Christina Liu ’13, the monologue-based play captures the dynamics and feelings that stem from an individual’s sexuality, gender identity, and forms of sexual expression. Professor Lyn Rugg, associate provost for equity and diversity and Title IX coordinator, oversees our Equity Grievance Process, in which a trained panel of faculty and staff members hear cases that constitute a potential violation of our policy. That panel is also charged with determining responsibility, and issuing sanctions accordingly. Our process meets all recommendations and requirements in the national Campus SaVE Act and the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. As the national conversation continues and more research emerges, we will continue to evolve our process and policy to incorporate best practices for addressing complaints of sexual assault, gender-based violence, and harassment. Changing the sexual climate at Colgate can only happen with open dialogue — even when that dialogue is uncomfortable. My colleagues and I are committed to keeping the issue of sexual assault at the forefront of our daily work. This will be an ongoing educational process for everyone, myself

included. Yes Means Yes, one of many initiatives at Colgate designed to educate students about healthy sexuality, has been in place since 2010. Andrew Daddio

House have changed regulations and guidance that colleges operate under when adjudicating complaints of sexual assault. Questions have also been raised about the fairness of those proceedings to all parties involved. As stewards of an institution whose mission is to educate students inside and outside the classroom, and also to maintain a healthy learning environment, we take this issue most seriously. We respect the needs and rights of all parties in a complaint and take great care to adjudicate each case promptly, fairly, and equitably. Therefore, we have adopted a multi-pronged approach: while we proactively update our policies according to federal legislation, U.S. Office of Civil rights guidelines, and national best practices, we also involve as many students as we can in training and educational programming. During the first several weeks of the academic year, when national collegiate survey results indicate that first-year students in particular are most at risk, we expressed our commitment to ending sexual assault and violence on campus. Vice President and Dean of the College Suzy Nelson sent a series of letters home to parents, and I, along with Dean Nelson and Provost Douglas Hicks, sent a letter of concern calling on the entire campus community to report any incidents that occur so they can be addressed appropriately. As in past years, orientation included a mandatory training session on Colgate’s Equity Grievance Policy, procedures, and support for individuals who experience sexual assault and gender-based violence, including confidential resources and information on how to report to local law enforcement. Dean of Students Scott Brown leads Colgate’s Sexual Climate Advisory Committee. This group is charged with developing and evaluating initiatives at the individual, community, and system level that contribute to a climate of sexual respect. This group of faculty, staff, and student members meets monthly to coordinate campus initiatives coming from all corners of the uni-

News and views for the Colgate community

scene

Inbox

Autumn 2014

News and views for the Colgate community

Upwardly Mobile You Are Here Urban Legends

The Scene welcomes letters. We reserve the right to decide whether a letter is acceptable for publication and to edit for accuracy, clarity, and length. Letters deemed potentially libelous or that malign a person or group will not be published. Letters should not exceed 250 words. You can reach us by mail, or e-mail sceneletters @colgate.edu. Please include your full name, class year if applicable, address, phone number, and/or e-mail address. If we receive many letters on a given topic, we will print a representative sample of the opinions expressed.

Turn more hardscapes green William Meyer’s excellent article “Urban Legends” (autumn 2014, pg. 38) reminded me that I am an environmentalist for the sake of convenience. I do not own a car, I walk to work, and I use public transportation when I need to go beyond my neighborhood. My wife and I live in a historically certified row house, grow vegetables in a community garden, have access to good medical care, and enjoy many amenities of urban life in Philadelphia. As a botanist, however, I have a more legitimate claim as an environmentalist. Much of my work has involved issues with the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and preserving biodiversity. Considering urban living from this viewpoint, I see that much more needs to be done to alleviate the negative environmental impacts of the urban gridiron. More hardscapes need to turn green. Alfred E. (Ernie) Schuyler ’57 Curator Emeritus of Botany, Academy of Natural Sciences, Drexel University Kudos Although I graduated from Colgate, I have never been overly interested in the Colgate Scene. Nevertheless, you have faithfully mailed me copies year after year (Thanks). And, year after year, I merely glanced at it. But now, I must reveal, I read it carefully. Not because of Colgate-love, but because it is such a lovely professionally produced magazine. Daniel A. Michelson ’51 Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg On pressure and unconditional love Kathryn Van Scoter’s fine essay “My God. My Enemy. My Eating Disorder.” (Tableau, autumn 2014, pg. 12) provides a poignant portrait of her courageous battles with the tremendous pressures of food, image, and expectations. I was truly saddened to read that her childhood church increased her burdens by erroneously implying that “only thin, beautiful people are acceptable in the eyes of their God.” I was equally troubled that she was “raised with the understanding that I must better the world in order to enter the pearly gates of heaven.” Given the difficulties she faced, I wish she had been exposed to the biblically orthodox message of God’s

scene: Winter 2015

unconditional love. For example, St. Paul noted, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8-9, New Living Translation). In other words, the Bible teaches that a current relationship with God and future access to heaven are both free gifts. As the late Brennan Manning said, “God loves us as we are, not as we should be, because none of us are as we should be.” Jeff Bjorck ’83 Pasadena, Calif. On campus protests I was disappointed, nay, appalled, at a couple of items reported in the autumn 2014 Scene. The first is a picture on pg. 6 of students holding up the sign “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” regarding the Ferguson, Mo., issue. Is this what Colgate has come to, making judgments before all of the facts are known and then celebrating it in the Scene? The second is the intense focus on diversity. It seems to me that the best thing President Herbst could do for the university is to focus on unity. Doesn’t the motto on the Seal of the United States say E Pluribis Unum (Out of Many, One)? We should celebrate the fact that we are Americans. One could emigrate to Germany, but could not become a German, or to Japan, but not become Japanese. But one can come legally to America from anywhere in the world and become an American because the term is not a nationality, but an ideal. Colgate students should be reminded daily that this is a unique country with liberties, freedoms, and opportunities not afforded anywhere else. What I see is professorial focus on the weakness they perceive in America instead of its great strengths. I have no problem in celebrating one’s cultural heritage and to be able to do so without being slurred, but when the focus exceeds that of our country’s unity, then the university has not done a proper job of educating tomorrow’s leaders. Col. Philip Chaffee ’55, USAF (Ret.) Corry, Pa.

As I read the morning papers, I am struck by the degree of injustice, intolerance, violence, and death in the world. The radical Islamic group ISIS has executed Western journalists, Christians, and other Muslims as part of their genocidal rampage through Iraq and Syria. Iran is close to finalizing a nuclear warhead, which will further their stated ambition of wiping Israel from the map. Throughout much of the world, malnutrition, hunger, and disease continue to exact a frightful toll on our fellow humans. With these events constituting real injustice in the world, it is difficult for me to empathize with a privileged Colgate student occupying a building or holding a protest sign. And it is puzzling that the administration continues to pander to this shrill, vocal, and self-righteous minority. When students leave the protected enclave of Hamilton, they will be forced to confront true injustices, large and small. The faculty and administration would do well to put this all into context for them. Jeff Swanson ’90 Portland, Ore. I don’t recall feeling prouder of being a Colgate alum than I did after reading President Herbst’s message on the September student sit-in for diversity and inclusion (autumn 2014, pg. 3). One can argue that it has taken Colgate too long to deal with these issues, but President Herbst’s handling of them is exactly right, in my view. A university, especially a liberal arts one, must continuously move forward and change. Colgate is by no means alone in having to address issues of prejudice, sexual harassment, and bullying — these same issues arise where I work in the federal government. I applaud the students for their peaceful and, it seems, constructive protest. And kudos to the administration for its openness and honesty. John P. Williams ’83 Arlington, Va.

Warrior spirit I just finished reading about Navy SEAL Mark Divine ’85 (“Soldier of Fitness,” pg. 54, autumn 2014). I used to row with Mark on the crew [team]. We were just a club sport, but many of us were experienced rowers and in decent shape. Mark, however, took fitness to another level, even back then. We would sometimes jog around campus as a team, and he was always at the head of the pack. Usually, he would continue running when practice was finished. I can still picture him sprinting up and down the bleacher steps at Andy Kerr Stadium. I didn’t know at the time what motivated him to train like that, but after reading about his accomplishments in the SEALs, and learning about his “warrior spirit,” I understand just a bit more about his self-motivation. I would like to meet Mark again one day, shake his hand, thank him for his service, and laugh about some time spent on the water in our old wooden rowing shells. I look forward to reading his books as well. Thanks for an informative article about an inspirational guy. David Badami ’88 Skaneateles, N.Y. Remembering Bruce Berlind (1926–2014) I still remember the anticipation with which the small group of English majors in the fall of 1954 greeted Bruce Berlind’s arrival as the new man in the English department of Lawson, Speirs, Kistler, Hoben, and Daniels. Five of us registered for Bruce’s first advanced course, Nineteenth-Century English Prose, offered in the spring of 1955. That was the beginning of a lifetime of mentoring and friendship for which

I have more than once thanked my lucky stars. Although I did not know about Bruce Berlind the poet and translator until after my graduation, it was through our involvement in those arts that we mutually nourished our relationship for decades to come. Although his mere seniority of eight years, as I look back at it now, steadily diminished and disappeared with time, I never stopped wanting to share my work with him and valuing his directly expressed opinion of it. How could I ever forget a letter from him in the late 1990s that began, “Dear George — Your new book of poems is a knockout!” Finally, precious as our personal memories may be, we should reflect gratefully on the greater significance for all who share in the legacy of Colgate’s history of the advent and tenuring of Bruce Berlind to its faculty. Little did we know in 1954 that the new man in Lawrence Hall would signal and help transform his discipline and university into the institutions we recognize today. George Economou ’56 Philadelphia, Pa. One of a kind Yes, I despair. For the future of civilization. Of the English language. And most important, for my beloved alma mater. What causes this existential angst? This headline in the autumn edition of the Scene (pg. 11): “What’s the most unique experience you’ve had at Colgate?” Unique means one of a kind. Uniqueness has no degrees. One thing is not more unique than another. Something is either unique, or it is not. I had expected a higher degree of literacy than this from the official organ of Colgate. Alas, life is cruel. David Wohl ’74 Tucson, Ariz. A letter of thanks I feel moved to write a note of thanks inspired by my father, Jackson King ’52, who died on July 21, 2014. Dad loved Colgate, and he made sure his family did, too. Trips to football games were highlights of my youth, and growing up outside New Haven, nothing was more fun than the Yale/Colgate game when Mom and Dad would host a post-game “Tunk” that went all night. No surprise

President Herbst to conclude his term at Colgate in June Jeffrey Herbst, Colgate’s 16th president, has decided not to seek renewal of his contract when it concludes at the end of June. The Board of Trustees has appointed Jill Harsin, longtime professor of history and an experienced administrator, to serve as interim president for one year, beginning July 1. Board chair Denis F. Cronin ’69, P’09,’10 made the announcement in an e-mail to the community on January 14, as this issue of the Jeffrey Herbst Colgate Scene was going to press. Cronin credited Herbst with, among other strategic efforts, helping Colgate to complete its historic $480 million Passion for the Climb fundraising campaign, which included extending the financial aid goal and raising an additional $54 million. Harsin is highly regarded by generations of alumni. She has taught history at Colgate since 1982, and is a skilled and collaborative administrator, having held many leadership Jill Harsin positions on campus including department chair, social sciences division director, and interim provost and dean of the faculty. Michael J. Herling ’79, P’08,’10,’12 will lead the search for Colgate’s 17th president. For more information, visit colgate.edu/presidentialtransition.

that two of us — my oldest sister, Susan King Shaw ’81, and I — also went to Colgate. Dear admission office, Thank you for accepting a scholar-athlete from a working-class family who would not have been able to afford college if not for a War Memorial Scholarship. Dear athletics office, Thank you for making him a part of the varsity football team. His punting still earns a mention in the Colgate archives, but more importantly, the camaraderie of his teammates and his pride in being a Raider provided him with some of the happiest memories of his life. Dear Phi Gamma Delta, We didn’t hear many details. Apparently what happened at Fiji, stayed at Fiji. All we know is, Dad had an awful lot of fun. Dear alumni office, Dad took great pleasure in reunions, Presidents’ Club dinners, editing the class column, and receiving a Maroon Citation. In his final year, Alzheimer’s robbed him of his strength, his memory, and his voice. But I could always talk about Colgate — about the latest football scores or how much fun my kids had at reunion. Just the mention of the

word Colgate would often elicit a reaction; a light in his eyes or a smile. Alison King Haley ’84 Jamaica Plain, Mass. Letters of note I have always thought of Colgate as a special place filled with special people. One of those is my classmate Richard J. Johnson, who has written the 1964 column in the Colgate Scene since our graduation. His writing is vivid, colorful, informative, enjoyable, and exciting to read. We have just celebrated our 50th Reunion, and Dick did another incredible job of writing in the autumn 2014 issue. His reporting and description of the reunion captures the wisdom, spirit, friendship, and loyalty of not only our classmates, but also the entire university. Thank you again, Dick, for sharing your wit and writing expertise with all of us, and for another wonderful job! We are truly blessed to have you as a member of our class. Mike Foley ’64 Hovland, Minn.

News and views for the Colgate community

work & play

Campus scrapbook A

Heavy cream, sugar, flavoring … LN2? Physics club members make ice cream in an instant.

Students explored career paths and networked with alumni at Career Connections, hosted by career services. Photo by Gerard Gaskin

Higher learning. Case-Geyer library becomes the most popular spot on campus as due dates approach and exams draw near.

Pump up the volume. WRCU DJs hosted a live remote broadcast from Memorial Chapel. Raider takes his hamburger with ketchup and mustard. Homecoming weekend barbecue on the Quad.

A pop-up farmstand in the Coop sold vegetables and herbs from the Colgate Community Garden. More than just “local, organic, fresh, and healthy,” said garden intern Alex Schaff ’16, who built the stand, the produce was also affordable: large cucumbers, only 25 cents each.

A vibrant fall family weekend

This butterfly floated down the runway during the African Fashion Show. Students donned styles ranging from traditional dress to modern Afropolitan clothing. Organized by the African Student Union and other cultural groups, the event also featured dance and cuisine including sambusa and mandazi. Photo by Professor Engda Hagos

All photos by Andrew Daddio unless otherwise indicated

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News and views for the Colgate community

scene: Winter 2015

Love in a time of turbulence

On December 10, a poignant candlelight service of reconciliation in Memorial Chapel capped off a turbulent semester in the struggle for a more inclusive, safe, and respectful community on campus. Speakers responded from their hearts to a common prompt — “What is our hope for Colgate, and what will we do to make that happen?” Musical selections provided inspiration while moments of silence allowed time for those gathered — students, faculty, and staff members — to reflect. Although feelings of love and support were palpable, the events of the previous few months, including the sit-in by students in September, were also top of mind. The 100-hour sit-in concluded peacefully with a 21-point action plan authored collaboratively by students and administrators. Throughout the semester, as work progressed on that front, students hosted open discussions of issues of safety and accountability, and staged protests related to the national policebrutality cases in the news. Instances of anonymous threats and hateful speech on social media in relation to the protests spurred vigorous objections across campus and a police investigation. Among the speakers at the vigil was Dean of the College Suzy Nelson, who vowed to “regain [her] faith in the inherent good of others,” and, “most importantly, to continue to believe that the only path out of this is

love, and forgiveness, and respect.” Provost and Dean of the Faculty Doug Hicks paraphrased author and activist Cornel West: “Optimists miss the brutality, the suffering, and injustice. But the pessimists only see the pain and the brokenness. Hope is better,” Hicks said. “It’s to see the world exactly as it is and to imagine better.” Charity Whyte ’15 reflected on “love in a time of turbulence,” and why it is not self-indulgent to put on one’s own oxygen mask first: “So you can be there for others who need to breathe, too.” And Professor Kezia Page described the status quo as “a musty, scratchy coat” that she hopes “we never wear again,” and called for more transparency, generosity, and empathy. In closing, President Jeffrey Herbst vowed that he would personally deliver on Colgate’s promise to students. “Our responsibility is not only that you be safe,” he said, “it is also that you be strong, and when necessary, defiant in the face of challenge.” Anonymous expression, he said, “is a sign of weakness,” and will be drowned out by the stories we tell “person to person, human to human.” Drea Finley ’13, ALANA Cultural Center outreach program coordinator; Mark Shiner, university chaplain; Frank Frey, a biology professor and director of the Office of Undergraduate Studies; and Sarah Rende ’15, Student Government Association president, also offered reflections. The event was co-sponsored by the Office

Andrew Daddio

Dylan Crouse ’15

work & play 8

Talking points

Jonathan Franzen

Quotes from authors visiting during the fall 2014 Living Writers course “I didn’t expect to be liked by everyone. I’d be doing something wrong as an artist if everyone liked me.” — Jonathan Franzen, whose books include The Corrections and Freedom “In my culture, the way of dealing with our problems was always through humor.” — Marjane Satrapi, who grew up in Iran and is best known for her autobiographical graphic novel and film Persepolis “I wanted to study young children to question how they consider ‘who do you become,’ ‘what do you think of yourself,’ and ‘what do you think of the world around you?’” —Nadifa Mohamed, Somali-British novelist of Black Mamba Boy and The Orchard of Lost Souls “It’s happened once now, and we know it can happen, so we’re immeasurably strengthened for making sure that it doesn’t happen again.” — Martin Amis on why he’s written about the Holocaust (Time’s Arrow and The Zone of Interest)

of the President and the Office of the Chaplains. Progress on the 21-point Colgate For All action plan can be found at colgate.edu/forall.

Fac Yak

Professors helped take some of the yuck out of Yik Yak, the notoriously negative anonymous social media app, when they mobilized a campaign posting positive messages to it just before finals week in December. Sick of hateful posts that cast a shadow over campus, more than 50 professors wrote messages ranging from the silly to the sublime. Most importantly, they did so using their names, in response to the offensive speech that is typically posted anonymously on the site. The campaign began when biology professor Geoff Holm noticed a few positive posts from faculty members on the app, but those voices were failing to gain traction. “I thought that if there was a more coordinated effort, it could bring a more positive vibe to the campus,” he said. Holm credited his biology colleague Professor Eddie Watkins with suggesting that the posters identify themselves. The posts included lighthearted advice, thanks, and encouragement as students buckled down for finals. “Sending good vibes and good luck next week — all out in the open. Life’s so much better out in the open,” wrote Kezia Page (English and Africana and Latin American studies). “A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures for anything,” posted Jenna Reinbold (religion). “Yik Yak has been a source of aggravation,” Holm told the Chronicle of

Higher Education, which reported on the story, along with Slate and other media. “If this is going to be something that is driving campus culture, it’s important for faculty to have a presence.” One student publicly thanked the professors (although anonymously). “What a wonderful, happy thing to wake up to. You all made my and many other students’ days.”

Back on campus Debra LoCastro ’05, Google representative, returned to campus in early October, jumping from résumé reviews to networking sessions to meetings with student leaders. In her eight years with Google, LoCastro has risen from sales associate to university programs lead. She manages the student outreach team, helping students learn about career opportunities at Google. Here, she shares her ideas on how the tech world and companies like Google value graduates from schools like Colgate.

Shimon Peres shares insight

Technology and science have changed the dynamic of societies. That theme permeated the conversation between Former President and Prime Minister of Israel Shimon Peres and Bob Woodruff ’83, P’13 on October 25. More than 4,000 students, parents, alumni, and others came to Sanford Field House for the 10th Kerschner Family Series Global Leaders at Colgate event. Peres spoke on topics ranging from the development of the Kibbutz movement to the threat posed by ISIS and Hamas, to the fact that, while peaceful cultural revolutions brought about by Facebook and Microsoft have circled the globe, not all citizens have been able to reap the benefit. Barred from this new world by a lack of economic opportunity, young people in the Middle East are taken instead by “the excitement of extremism,” said Peres, swelling the ranks of ISIS and Hamas. Peres outlined his own solution to extremism. “We cannot face them just militarily,” he said. “We have to fight the reasons, not just the people.” Those reasons include poverty, but also a mistaken interpretation of religion, he said. “They speak as though they had permission from the Lord to

Why is Google interested in students with liberal arts degrees? I majored in psychology, but I also took classes in math and statistics. Liberal arts schools encourage students to bring those types of studies together so that you’re not just learning about them alone, but rather in cross-study, which mimic real-world applications. How does your Colgate degree fit into the tech and business world? Having exposure across fields is an indicator of success in the business world. For example, at Google I started out in advertising sales. Having an understanding of psychological behavior and being able to build relationships, while also having experience in math and being able

Andrew Daddio

Journalist Bob Woodruff ’83, P’13 interviewed Shimon Peres, former president and prime minister of Israel.

cut the heads off of people. This is not the call of religion.” Peres described the kind of modern democracy into which he would welcome the world’s citizens. “Democracy is not just the right of free expression, but the right of self-expression,” he said. “It’s not just the right to be equal, but equal right to be different.” Considering his seven decades in public life, Peres noted that, in his early years, during and even after World War II, there were typically two sides to any conflict. Today, there are 100 sides, and building broad coalitions has trumped unilateral action. And although he supported his country’s use of military force in Gaza, he repeatedly stressed the utility of coalition-backed economic sanctions

to crunch numbers quickly, was very important. How are liberal arts degrees viewed in the application process? I work with liberal arts students to help them understand the opportunities we offer at Google in addition to engineering (such as advertising sales and people operations). For nonengineering roles, we evaluate liberal arts degrees just as we would an undergraduate business degree. We’re trying to find holistic thinkers and people who are good at a lot of different things. What are some of the things you were involved with on campus, and how did they help you in your career today? I worked with the Breast Cancer Awareness Coalition, and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. I also volunteered with the elderly at Madison Lane Apartments and did research in a psychology lab. While none of the specific things I did on campus foreshadowed me working in people operations on our student outreach team, I was consistently passionate about helping people, building relationships, and promoting good causes. — Kellyann Hayes ’16

in response to the nuclear threat in Iran or the tyranny of the Assad regime in Syria. Peres also addressed Colgate students directly. “Each of you possesses more potential than you think,” he said. “You can make the world a better place. Use your imagination. Use your brains. Use your talents. Learn.”

Stones and Stars

Using the night sky to explain the culture of different societies is a practice familiar to Anthony Aveni. In early December, the distinguished astronomy and anthropology professor co-hosted a symposium intended to spark a dialogue about Native American sacred sites and exploring their connections to cosmic events.

News and views for the Colgate community

work & play

Stones and Stars: Ceremonial Stone Landscapes of Northeastern North America, co-organized by Dr. Laurie Rush, cultural resources manager of Fort Drum, N.Y., and held at the Ho Tung Visualization Lab, was the first meeting of its kind. Tribal elders came from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Canada. The oral tradition of using the night sky to tell stories allowed them to explain to attendees why their landscapes matter to their cultures. Typically at these sites, stones aligned with constellations and stars in the sky allow them to track seasons, harvest patterns, and sunrise and sunset throughout the calendar year. They discussed specific sites including Black Plain Hill in Rhode Island and Fort Drum in New York. The symposium brought together Native Americans, government officials, and Colgate community members hoping to identify the value of these locations for preservation purposes. Aveni noted that for these Native American tribes, “the sky is your storyboard — the opportunity to tell your community’s stories and explain your way of life.” Joseph Eakin, who runs the visu-

Rhona Hames

scene: Winter 2015

This cairn is just one of many similar features found along a pathway from the Black River to a Haudenosaunee village near Fort Drum, N.Y., that was occupied approximately 500 years ago. Villagers brought the stones up out of the river valley and placed them in these piles, whose meanings are not yet understood.

alization lab, introduced the tribal representatives to the revolutionary technology that allowed them to see the sky and its constellations on any day and at any time for their landscapes. He navigated the sky in the dome as they told their stories. Regional officials responsible for

Sweet tooths gathered on the village green on September 20 for chocolate and entertainment by regional artists during the sixth Great Chocolate Festival (pictured). The event marks a moment in Hamilton’s history — “the great chocolate train wreck of 1955” — when an Ontario & Western train carrying a cargo of chocolate bars was diverted from the track, causing it to crash through a coal shed and spill chocolate bars everywhere. This year’s family-friendly celebration included live music, a puppet-making workshop, and a decadent dinner of wine, beer, and chocolate pairings. Community members and students celebrated Halloween in character during a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Hamilton Theater. As is tradition, audience members were encouraged to dance along with the movie, add responses or filler lines, and throw miscellaneous things like toast up in the air. Do-si-doing around the warmly lit basement of the First Baptist Church, an all-age crowd learned how to square dance to the calls of Hamilton resident Hank von Mechow. “Square-dancing

site preservation on behalf of the government also discussed the features of ceremonial landscapes, how to identify them in their regional context, and how to effectively preserve these sites in the Northeast. Sponsored by Colgate’s Native American Studies Program, the sym-

is surprisingly good exercise and a fun way to meet not only other students from Colgate but also members of the community,” said Jeff Potts ’17, who first practiced the promenade in high school. “It provides a welcoming environment and opportunity to be part of a structured dance, which is lacking in today’s dance culture.” Armed with shovels, gardeners and nongardeners alike gathered in October to plant a total of 1,600 daffodil bulbs on the southern Village Green village green for The Daffodil Project, which was conceived in 2003 to bring more springtime color to Hamilton. The Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association, a dog and cat shelter in Madison County, hosted the First Annual Pet Paw-ty on November 2 at the Colgate Bookstore. Paw-ty goers had the opportunity to adopt foster and shelter cats and dogs, play with therapy dogs, learn about the importance of acting in a humane way, create animal-themed crafts, and listen to a reading of Rover. There was also a book signing by local author Hank Leo Jr., whose book In Your Hands is a story of life lessons told by a Siberian Husky named Louie. — Hannah O’Malley ’17

Low-cost locavorism

Turns out, it’s more affordable than you would think to be a locavore (eating locally produced food), at least in Madison County. This observation is based on preliminary research findings by professors Christopher Henke and April Baptiste, Stephanie Chen ’16, and Sarah DeFalco ’15. The group uncovered common misperceptions and identified cultural and economic barriers stopping lowincome residents from accessing local food options. They gave a presentation at the Hamilton Public Library in November.

Sarah DeFalco ’15, Professor Christopher Henke, Stephanie Chen ’16, and Professor April Baptiste

The team compared the pricing of produce and eggs at several area supermarkets, farmers’ markets, and farm stands. They also conducted 23 interviews with food producers,

regional community partners, and Madison County residents. Common responses were that local food would be fresher, but also more expensive. Limitations — some real, some misperceived — included transportation, food preferences, convenience, and inability to use alternate payments like SNAP (food stamp) benefits. “What surprised me most about our findings was that farmers’ market and farm stand produce prices were competitive, and often cheaper, than supermarket prices,” said DeFalco. The presentation was attended by residents and Colgate students, as well as community partners including local farmer Jim Wrobel ’79, representatives from the Food Bank of Central New York, Colgate’s Upstate Institute, and community-supported agricultural farm Common Thread. “The comments pertaining to how we might move forward with the research were particularly helpful,” Baptiste said. “[For example,] Rebecca from the Food Bank of Central New York indicated that a second round of interviews would be particularly helpful to understand the demand for local produce and fruits among low-income residents.” — Jessica Rice ’16

All fired up

A renovated heating plant that for the first time will use natural gas as a fuel option will significantly reduce the university’s carbon footprint and provide increased flexibility for heating the campus in the years ahead.

Dylan Crouse ’15

Colgate’s heating plant now has natural gas as a fuel option.

After a series of diagnostic tests, in November, the university deployed two new boilers that replaced three units that burned No. 6 fuel oil, one of the dirtiest types of fossil fuels. This upgrade means far less in carbon emissions and other pollutants being produced at the plant, according to John Pumilio, director of sustainability. “This will reduce the campus carbon footprint by an estimated 1,200 tons a year, open the door for future efficiency and renewable energy projects, and will likely reduce our annual expenditures on energy,” he said. The new boilers came online when temperatures dipped and the main heating system — a wood-fired boiler — needed additional capacity to generate the steam that provides heat and hot water for campus. The wood-fired boiler will continue to be the primary source of energy, processing approximately 20,000 tons of locally and sustainably harvested wood chips per year. It saves Colgate $1.8 million in heating costs each year when compared to a fuel-oil system, and avoids the production of 13,800 tons of emissions. According to Joseph Bello, director of planning, design, and construction, and Dan McCoach, heating plant manager, having the cleaner-burning natural gas option will reduce operational costs and add flexibility to a system that runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The new boilers are part of an $8.4 million expansion and renovation of the heating plant that was approved by the Board of Trustees in January 2013. The introduction of natural gas as a fuel source is the culmination of years of collaborative work with the village of Hamilton, which led the effort through its creation of a nonprofit municipal gas utility. The university, along with Hamilton Central Schools and Community Memorial Hospital, committed to being a customer of the utility, making the project financially viable. “Not only is this an important step in our commitment to be carbon neutral by the year 2019, but this project is of great value to our neighbors throughout the village of Hamilton,” said President Jeffrey Herbst. Hamilton Mayor Margaret Miller echoed that sentiment, calling it a historic day for the community.

Shirt Tales

Angel Maldonado ’16

posium represented outreach efforts highlighting a strong tie between regional tribes and the university. — Lauren Casella ’16

SRSly T-shirts, like the students who wear them, are world travelers. Now in its second year, the Sophomore Residential Seminars program offers students the opportunity to live together and take a seminar in their residence hall. The program includes a trip to a destination applicable to their course of study. Last year, this brown SRSly shirt traveled to Costa Rica for Professor Robert Nemes’s Coffee and Cigarettes course. Each of the five yearlong classes’ T-shirts is an appropriate color, such as black (existentialism) and turquoise (Native Americans in the Southwest). Keeping course-specific colors constant from year to year, “we’re hoping to build a multiyear community,” explained Peter Tschirhart, program director. Tschirhart helped design the shirts based on faculty director David Dudrick’s idea for the SRSly tag line, inspired when Dudrick noticed that the acronym for the Sophomore Residential Seminars program (SRS) was nearly text shorthand for “seriously.” He started signing his e-mails with it, and “students thought that was funny, so we decided to put it on the shirts,” he said. “‘I guess I’m glad the acronym wasn’t SMH or LOL!” — Natalie Sportelli ’15

News and views for the Colgate community

Tableau

By David McCabe, professor of philosophy

Anyone who pays attention to higher education in this country knows that teachers in the humanities feel undervalued, besieged, and at risk of becoming thoroughly marginalized. This situation must trouble anyone who sees in the humanities not just rich manifestations of the human spirit (think Plato, Shakespeare, Titian, and Toni Morrison), but also a collective body of work that can help us understand and navigate the various difficult issues we all encounter in our lives — love, death, meaning, God, evil, eternity, failure, and sacrifice, to name but a few. How, then, to persuade skeptics of the enormous value of the humanities? I attended a recent colloquium at which one of the speakers identified three kinds of reasons we might offer to defend study in the humanities: the political, the professional, and the personal. Her three-pronged approach reflects a general trend among contemporary defenders of the humanities, and for this reason, it’s all the more important to see how those approaches, however well-intentioned, go seriously wrong. The political defense stresses how humanistic study helps create reflective citizens who are able both to assess public policy and to attend carefully to others’ views. Even if one grants the controversial claim that the humanities do this in ways markedly superior to other fields, this seems to me a deeply wrongheaded way to defend our sustained engagement with such works as Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, Vermeer’s The Music Lesson, Bach’s Mass in B Minor, or Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. We give such things our sustained and serious energies not because of something else that engagement furthers, but because of the value of experiencing the worlds those works create, the way such encounters expand, deepen, and clarify our understanding of human experience in all its challenging complexity. With all due respect to the virtues of democratic citizenship, the big issues in a human life (see above: love, death, meaning, etc.) are surely at least as important. Emphasizing the political risks shortchanges the importance of what happens in the humanities. The professional defense, stressing how much employers value the particular skills that the humanities instill, seems to me similarly misguided. The problem is not that the claim is false: the humanities do put a premium on skills like clear writing and fluency of expression that employers will always value. The problem is that there are no successful humanists who pursued their studies for that reason. None of us started reading Beckett, or decoding Velazquez, or pondering Eliade because we thought it would help us get a job. We just thought it was worthwhile, maybe even cool, and we enjoyed ourselves. Stressing the marketability of our distinctive skills makes all of us in the humanities imposters, purveyors of bad faith, and as such, unlikely to win converts. The personal defense, which stresses the enjoyment and fulfillment found in the humanities, comes closer to the truth.

scene: Winter 2015

David McCabe will direct Colgate’s Division of the Arts and Humanities beginning July 1. A longer version of this essay first ran on the Huffington Post on May 23, 2014.

Tommy Brown ’79

How Not to Defend the Humanities

But it must be deployed carefully. In particular, it goes wrong if it suggests that our interest in some humanistic field is simply an option we choose as a matter of individual taste, along the lines of my penchant for loose-fitting sweaters or interest in South Asian cuisine. The more we defend the humanities by appealing to our own idiosyncratic interests and personalities, the harder it is to make a claim for the abiding importance of the material itself. To justify the relatively modest pay, years of solitary struggle, professional uncertainty, frequent travel from one job to another, and all the other challenges that humanist scholars willingly undertake, we have to believe that our pursuit is worthwhile not just because we like it, or because of our particular personalities, but also because such study captures something distinctly important, which any right-thinking person should be interested in as well. Here someone will interject: “Don’t scholars in all disciplines — in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences — feel that way about their own field? Wouldn’t scholars across the academy make the same claim for the value of their fields of study?” My goodness, I hope so! This seems to me something to celebrate, not to apologize for or explain away. A liberal arts college should be a place where different disciplines present themselves to undergraduates in the hopes of attracting worthy disciples. This kind of spirited discussion about the importance of our various disciplines — carried on in a spirit of mutual interest, respect, and comradeship, and marked by an awareness of our own deep ignorance of other fields of study — seems to me not just an ineliminable aspect of a community of scholars, but a terrifically healthy one. To succeed in these conditions, humanists will have to make their case with clarity, honesty, passion, self-awareness, and vigor — qualities that, I suspect, are not encouraged by defenses of the humanities that emphasize an ideal of citizenship, or the need to get a job, or the satisfaction of some particular personality quirk. Instead we must (like our colleagues outside the humanities) be candid and forthcoming about our reasons for caring so much about the work we do.

The year was 1977. Smallpox was eradicated. Elvis Presley permanently checked out of Heartbreak Hotel. Star Wars premiered in theaters. The Son of Sam was captured. On the music scene, the Bee Gees were Stayin’ Alive, while punk bands like the Sex Pistols were inciting anarchy. And the Grateful Dead came Truckin’ into Hamilton, N.Y. On Friday, November 4, Jerry Garcia

and friends jammed out for a standing-room-only crowd of 3,000 in Cotterell Court. The concert had been organized in only a matter of days after Steven Steigerwald ’78, head of the Social Committee, got a call from a talent manager who offered to arrange a Dead show. Buildings and Grounds printed posters, Hamilton police officers were hired as extra security, and the football players agreed to give up their sleeping quarters for the night. (The football team traditionally slept in the basketball arena on nights before home games, and the undefeated Raiders were preparing to challenge Bucknell.) When the Dead’s three trucks rolled up to Reid, the roadies piled into Cotterell, took one look around, and were taken aback by the small venue. As the Maroon reported, “Peter the comElectrician” mented, “I thought we stopped playing nightclubs in ’67.” Deadheads rippled in from near and far, some camping out for a miracle ticket. “There was a lot of concern by Colgate officials that this was going to be really wild, but it ended up being a very peaceful concert,” recalled Social Committee member Tom Minton ’78. As Peter the Electrician hinted, it was the smallest show the Grateful Dead had performed in years, and perhaps that’s why it’s reputed as one of the best. They wound up the crowd by opening with “Bertha,” played “Cold rain and snow” (appropriate to the Hamilton weather), and spun out one of the sweetest “Eyes of the World” ever. Most memorable to Minton and Steigerwald was being invited to dine with the band afterward. The contract stipulated that their personal chef prepare the meal. “I asked him his name and he said it was Cy Kosis,” said Minton. “It took me a few seconds to put together.” The group feasted — in the soccer team’s locker room — on pepper steak

(cooked on a portable propane stove) and Dom Perignon ’64. “They talked about the road and the bus and their lifestyle,” Minton recalled. “I felt a little out of place, like I entered the private domain.” Afterward, Garcia gave him a bottle of California wine and Steigerwald an autographed copy of Terrapin Station, their latest album. Today, Minton and Steigerwald are both lawyers, and it’s a different world. As Jerry Garcia asked, “What I want to know is, where does the time go?” — Aleta Mayne The Colgate show lives on. Dave’s Picks Volume 12 was just released in November and quickly sold out of the 14,000 limited-edition copies.

Bertha Good Lovin’ Brown Eyed Woman Cassidy It Must Have Been the Roses Sunrise New Minglewood Blues Dupree’s Diamond Blues Let It Grow Jones Gang Introduction Samson and Delilah Cold Rain and Snow Playing in the Band Eyes of the World

Estimated Prophet The Other One Drums Iko Iko Stella Blue Playing in the Band Johnny B. Goode

Album Art by Tony Millionaire © 2014 Grateful Dead Productions, www.dead.net. Dave's Picks, and the Skeleton & Roses, Steal Your Face and Lightning Bolt design marks are the property of Grateful Dead Productions. All rights reserved.

13 Page 13 is the showplace

The Colgate show lives on. Dave’s Picks Volume 12 was just released in November and quickly sold out of the 14,000 limited-edition copies. Album Art by Tony Millionaire © 2014 Grateful Dead Productions, www.dead.net

for Colgate tradition, history, and school spirit.

life of the mind 14

scene: Winter 2015

Syllabus

Professor Jeff Bary and other astronomers have detected gas in the region between two discs in this multiple-star system called GG Tau A, which may allow planets to form. Artistic impression courtesy of Luís Calçada

Stellar finding

If you are a science fiction buff, you likely recall Luke Skywalker’s home planet Tatooine and the two suns setting on the horizon of a barren landscape. Until recently, Tatooine-like planets that orbit two suns, commonly referred to as circumbinary planets, existed only in the imagination of science fiction writers. But in the past few years, planet hunters using the Kepler Space Telescope have discovered 10 complex planetary systems. The existence of circumbinary planets both challenges and informs astronomers like Jeff Bary, a Colgate physics and astronomy professor whose research seeks to understand the formation of planetary systems. In collaboration with an international group of astronomers, Bary has made a discovery that provides direct insight into how planets may form in multiple star systems. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in the Chilean desert, the group found direct evidence of what has been dubbed a “planet-forming lifeline” — a stream of gas and dust passing from a large outer disk of material inward toward a much smaller, inner disk surrounding one of three stars in the nearby triplestar system called GG Tau A. The star system, located in the constellation Taurus, is part of a nearby star-forming region some 450 light years from Earth. The GG Tau A system has been determined to be a few million years old. At this age, and by the rate at which astronomers estimate material is being siphoned gravitationally from the inner disk by the central star, the

inner disk should have dissipated long ago. But the existence of the stream has profound implications for the possibility that a planet or planets could have formed or could still be forming in this inner disk. In essence, it’s a possible “lifeline” for any future planets in this system. In addition, Bary said, the outer disk may be capable of forming a circumtrinary planet, one that would orbit all three stars, making a system slightly more complex than Tatooine’s. In that case, GG Tau A may harbor planets that orbit the singleton star and circumtrinary planets (planets that orbit three suns). A planet with three suns would be a system like no other detected to date. “For me, the observations of the gas streamer are a glimpse at the complex processes that lead to the formation of one type — albeit a very complex type — of planetary system,” said Bary. “Our group will continue studying the GG Tau A systems and its similarly complicated neighbors in the nearby Taurus-Auriga star-forming region.” The research team’s paper on the discovery, which appeared in the October 30 issue of Nature, has been widely discussed in the media, including Astronomy Magazine, National Geographic, and Smithsonian.com.

Phones beat drones

Two teams of students, one armed with phones and the other commanding flying drones, squared off in a simulated strategic battle at Colgate’s Bewkes Center in November. The students were from several classes, including the Peace and Con-

PHIL 418A: Life and Death Brooks Sommerville, Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy MWF 10:20-11:10 a.m., 220 Lawrence Course description: This course introduces students to some of the main philosophical issues and debates related to life, death, and mortality. Students will gain an understanding of death’s philosophical significance in ancient, modern, and contemporary philosophy — from Epicurus to Immanuel Kant to Thomas Nagel. On the Reading List: Well-Being and Death, Ben Bradley Confrontations With the Reaper: A Philosophical Study of the Nature and Value of Death, Fred Feldman Introductory Readings in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy, Reeve and Patrick Lee Miller The professor says: “Philosophers have a surprisingly difficult time defining death. You might think, for example, that death is simply the cessation of life. But: 1) We must know what ‘life’ means, and defining life proves to be no easier than defining death; 2) There are cases where a thing clearly ceases to be alive, and yet we might not call these cases of death (e.g., suspended animation, fission, fusion). “We spend a lot of time on the question of whether death is bad for the person who dies — another surprisingly difficult question. Assuming one can give a good argument that death is bad, then this raises a new question: does the claim that death is bad for the person who dies commit one also to the view that immortality would be a good thing? “Recent developments in the field, particularly in the subfield of bioethics, have generated new interest in the subject and illuminated the defects in traditional approaches.”

they were on the ground. “The simulation challenged me to apply the different strategies and methods of mobilization and infiltration that we learned from studying different wars,” said red team member Manny Medina ’17, a sociology and education major. In times of war and peace, technology has to be reliable in order to make a difference. Within the first 30 minutes, the blue team experienced technical difficulties with the drones, which impacted their communication structure. With little intelligence about the whereabouts of the red team, the blue team abandoned their high-tech headquarters and went into the field. The takeaway from members of the blue team was that technology was great, but there needed to be a backup plan. The red team won handily, 17 to 4, using just their mobile phones and a GroupMe chat app that allowed for decentralized communication. Summing up one of the lessons learned, Stoil said, “Technology should be thought of as a gift, not a certainty.”

its aftermath, and the possibilities for peace in the greater region. Bayoumi explained what he saw as the flaws with the current negotiations. Specifically, he asserted that politically motivated conversations neglect discussions of human rights. “We must break the script of thinking that bombing from the air solves almost everything,” he said. “The current siege diminishes the human capacity of Gaza and ultimately the humanity of the Palestinians who live there.” Having visited Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank multiple times, Bayoumi emphasized that many voices are left out of the conversation on both sides, and are not portrayed in mainstream American media.

On Gaza

In the hopes of facilitating a dialogue about Israel and Palestine after the events there last summer, Moustafa Bayoumi, an author and English professor at Brooklyn College, was invited to campus to give his perspective. His lecture, titled “After Gaza: What are the Prospects for Peace and Justice in Israel and Palestine?” was sponsored by the Program in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. Bayoumi focused on the war in the Gaza Strip,

Neville Elder

flict Studies (PCON) course Weapons and War taught by Karen Harpp and Nancy Ries. The simulation was designed to get students thinking about things they were studying in class like terrain, weather, and war planning. “This was a good test for bringing experiential learning and technology together in order to help students understand some of the complexities of field operations, and the importance of planning and doctrine,” explained professor Jacob Stoil. The blue team of about 35 students had structure and technology on their side. Kevin Lynch, chief information officer at Colgate and a former U.S. Air Force communication and information officer, helped set up their mobile command center in the back of a U-Haul. The team was given a Quanum Nova Quad Copter, three GoPro video cameras, four iPads with cell data, three iMacs, a Sky Eye Glider, two portable Wi-Fi hot spots, and access to Adobe Connect to link multiple video feeds and provide alternate communication means. Before the simulation, Niall Henderson ’16, a PCON major and blue team ground field commander, said, “I’m looking forward to seeing how our plans play out in action, and to see if we can be as flexible as we need to be while maintaining organization.” In stark contrast, the red team consisted of about 30 students who represented an insurgent-style group that lacked organizational structure and had only the technology they carried. They purposely did no advance planning, and had no strategy until

Author Moustafa Bayoumi

Karen Harpp

Students from peace and conflict studies strategize during a battle simulation.

“The vocal political machinery bans the cause of justice and the future of coexistence,” he said. “If we had a conversation based on the people on the ground and on the goodwill of people internationally, we could have a much different conversation.” Bayoumi also stressed that “people are responsible for their actions,” regardless of their affiliation. He argued for the need to reset the terms of the dialogue at an institutional level and to find “solutions that guarantee individual and communal rights to all and find justice for all Israelis and Palestinians.” Bayoumi’s How Does It Feel to be a Problem: Being Young and Arab in America won both an American Book Award and the Arab-American Book Award for Non-Fiction. His commentary has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the Guardian, the Nation, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and on NPR, CNN, and Fox News. Several students had the opportunity to continue the conversation with

Live and learn

WiCS in NYC During fall break, the Women in Computer Science (WiCS) student group organized a two-day career exploration trip to New York City. The 11 computer science majors visited Bloomberg, Facebook, Shutterstock, ZocDoc, Google, Twitter and Vine, and Foursquare Labs. Here’s what Catherine Seo ’16 (second row, third from left) had to say: Monday morning, we headed over to Bloomberg. We had breakfast with a few female engineers who talked about how they got into computer science and their early days on the job. Throughout the day, we toured each company’s facilities. We met female engineers who shared their experiences and answered our questions about the office culture, working environment, and professional development — specifically how their companies encourage and support female employees in technology and engineering. Each company had a different goal and purpose, and had a different vibe accordingly. For example, Shutterstock, being a photography, footage, and music provider, was modern and sleek. Seeing the dynamics of these companies and the changes they make in the world got me really excited. I realized that there is endless potential for technology to be an important service. Just look at ZocDoc providing medical assistance to more than 6 million people each month through its website and phone application — which involves a group of engineers coming up with brilliant ideas. This experience changed my outlook on what I want to do with my life and career. I don’t plan to go to graduate school anymore, but I want to be working straight out of college, implementing my ideas of what I believe to be helpful changes.

News and views for the Colgate community

life of the mind 16

Bayoumi during lunch the next day. “While I didn’t agree with everything Bayoumi said, I think he really helped clarify some points about Israel and Palestine,” said Ashley Brekke ’16. “I like the idea of looking at the matter as a whole by examining politics as well as culture, history, and religion.” “The fact that there’s a population [at Colgate] listening and that there’s concern is valuable,” said Bayoumi, noting that college students have the potential to positively change the discourse, but that it can be “a campuswide struggle.” Campus dialogue about this major international issue continued on October 25 when former Israeli prime minister and president Shimon Peres delivered the Kerschner Family Series Global Leaders at Colgate (see pg. 9). — Hannah O’Malley ’17

Professor’s book a “historical masterpiece”

Jaworzno camp in Poland, one of many sites where Germanspeaking civilians were held into the 1950s.

scene: Winter 2015

In October, Professor of History R.M. Douglas flew to Germany to accept a prestigious honor for his book Orderly and Humane: The Expulsion of the Germans After the Second World War. The Georg Dehio Book Prize, funded by the German government, honors exemplary scholarly or literary work that addresses the themes of shared culture and history of the German people and their Eastern neighbors.

Orderly and Humane (2012) chronicles the relocation of German speakers from their birthplaces in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and Romania to Germany during a five-year period after the Allied powers’ victory in World War II. “Although [the deportations] occurred within living memory, in time of peace, and in the middle of the world’s most densely populated continent, they remain all but unknown outside Germany itself,” Douglas wrote in a 2012 Chronicle of Higher Education article titled “The European Atrocity You Never Heard About.” Presented every other year in Berlin, the Dehio Prize was conferred by Günter Winands, the German government’s commissioner for culture and media. Douglas’s work “is more than a historiographical masterpiece,” said Winands. “It is also an appeal against the use of methods inconsistent with human rights as solutions to complex minority problems.” “The book concerns a very sensitive topic in European history,” said Douglas. “I was especially pleased by the selection committee’s emphasis on the importance of transcending, rather than reopening, the divisions of the past, and am humbled by their assessment that my work contributes, in however small a way, to that goal.” Orderly and Humane has won several other honors including the

American Historical Association’s 2013 George Louis Beer Prize. The Atlantic named it one of 2012’s Books of the Year for 2012. — Natalie Sportelli ’15

Examining the Ukraine-Russia war

Nancy Ries, professor of anthropology and peace and conflict studies, recently curated a collection of short essays in a series titled “Ukraine and Russia: The Agency of War” for Cultural Anthropology, the top journal in the field. The journal’s editors-in-chief invited Ries to edit the collection for its “Hot Spots” forum. The series aims to assess the conflict between Ukraine and Russia through multiple voices and perspectives informed by longterm scholarship. “The war in Russia and Ukraine is as much a war of consciousness and ideologies as it is a war of militias with guns, tanks, and Buk missile launchers,” said Ries in her introduction. “While in no way intending to minimize the physical violence of this war, our task as social observers and cultural theorists has been to create space to consider the significance of this war for social relationships and social contracts, political self-images and constructions of country, sovereignty, and the sacred.” Cultural Anthropology is the only open source, peer-reviewed journal published by the American Anthropological Association. The collection includes 10 essays from scholars from around the world. “I chose authors I know from the United States, Russia, and Ukraine, trying to balance out disciplines, types of expertise, and perspectives,” said Ries. The articles “explore the complexity (and tragedy) of what is being done and undone in [the Ukraine-Russia] war, the ambivalences of lived reality, and the intangible forms of chaos being contrived in that reality. At the same time, [the] essays capture the everyday refusal of the flattening of memory and social perspective.” While curating the essays, Ries looked to present objective, scholarly viewpoints on the conflict. “I was very keen to get people to avoid fueling the ideological fires of this ‘war,’” said Ries. “You’ll see that none of these essays takes clear and obvious ‘sides’ with one country or another, but rather, we are trying to rise above the fray.” — Natalie Sportelli ’15

Get to know: Mary Moran

Professor of anthropology and Africana and Latin American studies In light of the Ebola outbreak that spiked last summer, organizations like the United Nations and the World Health Organization have been consulting Professor Mary Moran, whose longtime research now has a new purpose. To assist with the crisis, Moran is going back to her notes from the ’80s, when she conducted her dissertation research in Liberia. Her fieldwork there included women’s involvement in funerals and the treatment of the dead. “I have written lots of scholarly pieces about funerals and no one has ever needed them before,” remarked Moran, a professor of anthropology and Africana and Latin American studies. “It’s nice to find that all of this work that I’ve been doing for a rather limited audience suddenly has other uses.” In November, Moran joined more than 20 other anthropologists to meet with policy makers in Washington, D.C., in order to advise organizations assisting with containment efforts. She helped organize the conference titled Ebola Emergency Response Initiative: Discussion and Preliminary Findings of Anthropological Experts Workshop. Held at George Washington University, it was sponsored by the American Anthropological Association. Conference participants met in working groups to address questions and topics on which policy makers asked for guidance. The results from those working groups were compiled into recommendations for actionable steps. “For one of the first times that I’m aware of, we’ve got experts on this region advising an ongoing intervention,” she said. “Practitioners on the ground have not always believed that they needed regional expertise in responding to an emergency.” Moran’s interest in Africa and Africana studies began when she was an undergraduate at Mount Holyoke College and became involved in the divestment movement. The movement encouraged American institutions to abstain from doing business with companies associated with South Africa’s apartheid government. Then, while earning her master’s at Brown University, Moran studied African-American communities on barrier islands off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina. The people spoke a creole language with linguistic roots tying back to the West African coast, including Liberia. Continuing to study at Brown for her PhD, Moran traveled to Liberia for her dissertation fieldwork. “It seemed like a transatlantic way to connect my master’s work to my PhD work,” she said. Today, Moran refers to her research while teaching Gender and Society in Africa, Political Anthropology, Core Africa, and in an extended study course trip to South Africa. She also leads Colgate’s Model African Union, a half-semester class that culminates in a trip to Washington, D.C., where her students join 20 other top colleges and universities in an annual simulation of the African Union. Although Moran was on leave during the fall 2014 semester to write a book about men who declined to participate in the Liberian civil war, she dedicated much of her time to the Ebola crisis instead. “Because this is an emergency, I’ve turned to looking at how research I’ve conducted in the past can be useful to practitioners on the ground,” she explained. Dylan Crouse ’15

From Ay to Zebrafish, three former students dove into an unexpected experience at Colgate as research assistants — and now, their results have been published in the biology journal Development. While conducting research on zebrafish, Ahmet Ay, a biology and mathematics professor, needed programmers who could write code at a high level. Computer science majors Jack Holland ’13 and Adriana Sperlea ’14 answered the call, and during the summers of 2012 and 2013, they used a high-level programming language to create models of a specific aspect of embryonic development. Ay was collaborating with Ertugrul M. Ozbudak of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The group’s first paper in Development was published last year, and a second paper was just published in November. Math major Sebastian Sangervasi ’14 also contributed to the second paper. Holland and Sperlea created models of segmentation — the division of the body into a series of repetitive segments. “Segments in the animal body are determined during early development,” Ay explained. “Problems in this process lead to diseases such as scoliosis. We study the formation of the somites [precursor tissues that give rise to vertebrae of the spine and skeletal muscle] during early development, and try to understand how this process is controlled.” The periodic segmentation of the somites is controlled by a gene expression oscillator called the vertebrate segmentation clock, Ay explained.

Their first study focused on identifying the clock’s pacemaker mechanism. They showed that a gene regulatory network, which includes a negative feedback loop and time delays, controls it, and, using their mathematical model, they were able to reproduce approximately 20 experimental phenotypes (characteristics) in five different genetic backgrounds. Ay said that during vertebrate embryonic development, the body axis elongates from the posterior in a polarized manner. Strikingly, the period of oscillations varies in cells located at different places in the tissue, which results in traveling waves of oscillation within it. In their second study, they were able to explain the spatial variation of oscillation by increasing the translational time-delay throughout the tissue in a polarized fashion. “Basically, we tried to understand how the somites are forming using mathematical modeling,” explained Ay. For Holland, working with Ay and the rest of the team opened up a whole new field of study. “Biology has some really cool problems to solve,” he said. “There’s a big demand for programmers and computer scientists who can help with biology, and it was really surprising to me to see that kind of connection.” Holland is now pursuing computational biology research on proteins at Dartmouth College. Sperlea is in the UCLA Bioinformatics Program, one of the top computational biology programs in the country, and Sangervasi is a software engineering associate at Apptus, a software company that works with online retailers.

Andrew Daddio

Biology and math meet computer science

— Jessica Rice ’16

Professor Ahmet Ay

News and views for the Colgate community

Gerard Gaskin

A step forward for dance

Students applied their own experiences with and observations of wildlife when conceptualizing the play Seeing the Beast.

scene: Winter 2015

Seeing the Beast

University Theater mounted an experimental play in November that was part TEDtalk, part fairytale, and part nature documentary. Seeing the Beast focused largely on the issue of overpopulation of deer in Hamilton and offered possible solutions — while tiptoeing between farce and fact. In the opening scenes, an actor playing a TEDtalk-style speaker advocated for the “rewilding” of Hamilton in order to increase biodiversity in the area. He took questions from the audience about proposed initiatives to manage the deer population by introducing predators like wolves or inviting hunters into the area. After the speech, another actor underwent a fairy tale transformation from a human to a deer. Soon, several performers dressed as deer came on stage. The audience was then encouraged to follow the herd of “deer” into a hallway behind Brehmer Theater that led to “the woods” — a backstage performance space where seating restrictions meant that, this time, the humans were overpopulated. In this idyllic scene, as a nature documentary narrator described the deer in their natural habitat, the presence of a hunter hinted at the inevitable. Seeing the Beast made the audience confront conflicting attitudes toward deer: How can people appreciate the animals but also see them as nuisances in need of extermination? The students had a hand in every

aspect of the play, as playwrights, creative directors, and set designers. The show was formed over two months by their observations — studying deer in the wild — and improvisations. They also considered information and findings from research about deer overpopulation that was conducted by Professor Catherine Cardel´us’s biology class last year. “It’s a play about Hamilton, it’s a play about this community,” said the show’s director, visiting artist Scott Sheppard. “We presented this first as

You wouldn’t expect to walk into a dance class and see 14 men and only two women. But that was the makeup of Professor Tanya Calamoneri’s Dance Imagery and Improvisation course last fall. Last semester was the first in which a full-time faculty member taught dance at Colgate. “There’s so much interest, and I see a need for expression,” said Calamoneri, a visiting professor whose three academic dance classes filled quickly, with long waitlists. Calamoneri’s Intro to Contemporary Dance is Colgate’s theater practicum, which has a different focus depending on the professor. Her other two classes — Dance Imagery and Improvisation, and Intermediate/ Advanced Contemporary Dance — are being offered for the first time, as part of the English department. Previously, the university’s dance offerings (ballet and jazz/modern) were part of the physical education program.

Professor Tanya Calamoneri leads a contemporary dance class in the newly renovated Helen K. Persson Dance Studio.

Andrew Daddio

arts & culture 18

a theatrical dare. What would it be like to ‘rewild’ Hamilton?” continued Sheppard, founder of the Philadelphiabased Groundswell Theatre Company. “It entered us into this larger conversation about what it means to be an animal. How estranged are we from that experience? How do we have to think about our responsibility as human beings?” — Natalie Sportelli ’15

The fireplace mantle in Bunche House had been transformed by student artwork and white lights as students gathered around for the second Lounge: Late Night Arts Event of the year in September. The feeling in the room was welcoming and supportive. Lounge showcases student artwork as well as performances in music, dance, spoken word poetry, and even stand-up comedy. The series was

1. “The term baroque, originally from the Portuguese barroco for ‘misshapen pearl,’ meant abnormal, exaggerated, bizarre, or even bad in taste.” 2. Composers didn’t have their own personal compositional styles until the Renaissance began in the 15th century. 3. When Franz Liszt “performed as a soloist in a concert hall … he ultimately created what we know of today as the recital.”

Bunche House is transformed into a coffee shop atmosphere during Lounge, a regular event where students perform and display their artwork.

started by Karl Jackson ’14 and Manuel Heredia-Santoyo ’14 in 2013. Last fall’s Lounge included six Friday night happenings, and the event will continue into spring. The September 26 event featured four artists and 24 performers. As each student got up to share, the room grew silent and the audience listened intently. Chantel Melendez ’16 read her piece titled “A Grossly Overextended Metaphor” that focused on her changing ideas of a house. Ashleandra Opoku ’17 performed “The Rain in April,” which connected personal feelings to her description of how rain feels. Grant Haines ’15 shared some of his musical talents by playing his guitar and singing. In addition to the student paintings and photographs perched on the windowsills and tables around Bunche House, the gathering always features a community poem. The poem, which starts as a blank sheet of paper at the beginning of the night, is hung so students can add a line, or however much they wish to contribute, as it is written throughout the event. “[I go to Lounge] because it’s a fun alternative to the social scene at Colgate,” said Brett Christensen ’16. “It’s pretty cool to see what hidden talents people have.” — Jessica Rice ’16

Philadelphia, commissioned the work, which was recorded during the show’s weeklong residency at the school. Host Fred Child also interviewed Zhou about the composition, played by guitarist Jason Vieaux and a trio of Curtis students. Performance Today is billed as America’s most popular classical music radio program, broadcasting on 292 public stations and attracting 1.4 million listeners. Zhou arrived at Colgate in 2011. Since then, his works have been performed by leading orchestras such as the Cincinnati, Houston, and Indianapolis symphonies, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and Colgate’s own symphony orchestra.

A-tisket, a-tasket

Finely crafted baskets of varied shapes, sizes, and materials represent different cultural regions in the exhibition Weaving Identities: Native American Baskets, on display at the Longyear Museum of Anthropology until March. During the opening reception in mid-November, 15 students who researched the baskets as a project

Zhou on Performance Today

Music professor Zhou Tian’s work “Red Trees, Wrinkled Cliffs” aired on American Public Media’s Performance Today on October 15. Zhou’s alma mater, the Curtis Institute of Music in

Warren Wheeler

Late night arts at Lounge

Five things you might not know about classical music

Nicholas Gilbert ’18

The impetus behind Calamoneri’s hiring began with the Colgate Dance Initiative (CDI), which was co-founded last spring by Emma Satchell ’13, Michelle White ’13, Chloe Holt ’14, Jill Goltzer ’14, and Danielle Iwata ’15. “I realized that there was so much passion and talent amongst the student body that it really needed a better platform; it needed more support,” explained Iwata, CDI president. “I’m impressed by how much the students pulled together,’” Calamoneri noted. As demonstrated in the improvisation class, the initiative is exposing students like Chase Newman ’16 to dance for the first time. “Coming into college, [taking a dance class] was not something I thought I’d ever do,” he said. “In the beginning [of the class], I felt awkward and weird, but the environment is a great change of pace, everyone in our class is close, and it teaches you to let loose.” The CDI members are also currently working with the Student Government Association to create a dance governance structure that would give more prominence to dance outside of the classroom. From ballroom to belly dancing, there are 13 groups (more than 200 students) that perform twice a year at Dancefest, one of the most well-attended events on campus. CDI members have built a relationship with members of the Hamilton community through dance classes taught at the Hamilton Center for the Arts and the annual production of The Nutcracker, which features more than 40 local children. In the fall, a series of workshops was open to the entire community, including a Eurythmy workshop led by Mariko Endo, and Partnering Dance led by Phoenix Dance Project. “We are working toward making a collaborative environment and culture here,” said Allison Zengilowski ’17, CDI vice president. — Hannah O’Malley ’17

4. In the Baroque period, conductors pounded a large staff on the ground to keep the tempo of the music, instead of using a small wooden baton like those of today. 5. In their day, Gioachino Rossini was even more popular than Beethoven! — From A to G, Professor R. Ryan Endris’s new book is The History of Classical Music for Beginners.

for their Native Art of North America class spoke and answered questions. The ancient Native American art of basket weaving has been practiced over millennia and has developed various regional distinctions based on materials, form, and technique. The baskets in this exhibition date from the late 19th century to the present and derive from various cultural regions including the Arctic, Northwest Coast, Southwest, Eastern Woodlands, Great Basin, and California coast. The environment of each area determined the materials available for basket making. Southeast baskets, for example, are commonly made from long pine needles, river cane, and various types of vines, while Northwest Coast peoples used cedar bark, swamp grass, or spruce root. Throughout the Eastern woodlands, ash and oak splints were used to create plaited baskets. Arctic cultures used sea grass, sometimes decorated with shiny seal gut, while Southwest groups relied in particular on willow, yucca leaf, and devil’s claw (martynia). The exhibition also includes baskets from Akwesasne, a Mohawk community on the border between New York state and Quebec province in Canada. There, the preferred materials are black ash splints and aromatic sweet grass.

News and views for the Colgate community

arts & culture

Fusing art and science A confluence of art, engineering, and mathematics led to the creation of Professor DeWitt Godfrey’s latest sculpture, Odin, a giant steel structure now nestled in the courtyard between Olin Hall and the Robert H.N. Ho Science Center. Godfrey collaborated with Colgate mathematics professor emeritus Tom Tucker, Londonbased engineer Daniel Bosia, and University of Ljubljana mathematics professor Tomaz Pisanski. The group was interested in exploring how the intersection of computational design, mathematics, and art could generate complex forms, patterns, and structural systems. “In some ways, this is a very long and elaborate experiment to test a set of ideas,” Godfrey said. The three-year project was supported by a grant from Colgate’s Picker Interdisciplinary Science Institute. The sculpture shares a name with the ruler of Norse gods for a reason. Godfrey’s Odin weighs in at 13 tons, was cut from 38,000 pounds of steel, and is 40 feet in diameter. The sculpture is composed of 240 unique conic sections, called frustums, held together at 2,500 individual points. As an early proof of concept, Godfrey’s assistants connected empty Chobani yogurt cups together to see how it would behave structurally. Over two years, with the help of Bosia, Tucker, and Pisanski, Godfrey created a series of digital models, testing various patterns and forms, which eventually led to a first formal model, about one-sixth the size of the final piece. Each section was cut, numbered, and drilled for fastening with a computer numerically controlled laser. Local artists, students, and alumni assisted Godfrey in rolling each unique section into a conical shape for final assembly. Assembly took seven days and a crane to lower the pieces into the courtyard.

“The project began as a process of problem and

Watch a video of Odin taking shape at: www.colgate.edu/odin

form finding. Every step

— Dan DeVries

was uncharted territory.” — DeWitt Godfrey

scene: Winter 2015

Andrew Daddio

News and views for the Colgate community

go ’gate

Tackling concussions

As more data become available about the long-term dangers of sportsrelated head injuries, Colgate has implemented a strategy to minimize general contact as well as contact to the head experienced by studentathletes during practice sessions. The mandatory practice protocol covers all varsity athletics programs, with emphasis on sports where the risk is highest and injuries may be unavoidable — particularly basketball, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer. Research on the protocol began last summer as President Jeffrey Herbst and Director of Athletics Victoria M. Chun ’91, MA’94 sought to take a public stand on student-athletes’ wellbeing. The result is a unique collaboration among coaches, administrators, and athletic trainers. “As we were formulating our strategy, we looked for something similar at other universities and colleges and realized that none was to be found,” said Chun. “We want our current and future student-athletes to know that we are committed to their short- and long-term welfare. At the same time, we don’t feel this will put our teams at a competitive disadvantage.” “Our student-athletes want to win and compete,” said Herbst, “and they deserve to have us provide the safest environment possible.” Chun and Colgate’s athletics trainer, Steve Chouinard, consulted with several coaches and medical professionals — including Dr. Merrill Miller, director of Colgate’s Student Health Services, who has served as team doctor for the past 30 years. Dr. Brian Rieger, who directs the Concussion Center of Upstate University Hospital The Women’s Rugby Club players were Excelsior Conference Champions.

scene: Winter 2015

in Syracuse, signed off on the plan. “The brain is wonderfully complex, and there are no replacement parts,” Miller said. “Whatever can be done to reduce injuries is very important. We anticipate that these guidelines will do that.” Prior to instituting the new protocol, Colgate “had processes in place to handle head injuries when they occurred, but,” said Chouinard, “the coaches realized that the one thing we can control is how we practice. If we lessen the contact in practices, then the risk of cumulative injury is reduced.” “We have a chance to be leaders here, inasmuch as you can prevent head trauma by practicing safely,” said Lee McConaughy Woodruff ’82, a Board of Trustees member. She and her husband, Bob Woodruff ’83, have dedicated their lives to creating awareness of the effects of traumatic brain injury, after Bob was nearly killed in 2006 by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq for ABC News. The experience gave rise to the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “As an alumna and advocate, I’m proud of Colgate for taking real steps, as well as a public stand, on this issue,” she said.

Winning women ruggers

On the morning of Saturday, November 8, the sun rose to reveal the campus blanketed in a picturesque first snowfall. This beautiful scene meant work for the Women’s Rugby Club — we had to prepare for our first playoff match. After two hours of players, coaches, and fans shoveling off the field, we challenged the University of Vermont in a frostbiteinducing match — our first loss of the season (0-3).

But all was not lost. We went 6-0 in the regular season and were Excelsior Conference Champions. It’s been 17 years since women’s rugby has had an undefeated season, and our group deserved the title. We supported each other both on and off the pitch — starting with an intense week-and-ahalf preseason, followed by three of the hardest games back to back. “Everyone’s months of hard work paid off this season,” said captain Kira Yasuda ’15. For team bonding, before every match, we rented out an auditorium and watched a different inspirational sports movie to get pumped up. “Being on the women’s rugby team has defined my Colgate experience,” said captain Jen Godbout ’15. “I couldn’t ask for a better season or a better team.” As for next season, “Our goal is to go to playoffs again and make it to the second round,” said Alex Maulden ’16, treasurer. Julia Yarrington ’16, match secretary, added: “We want to foster the unique team dynamic we have.” — Kate Hardock ’16, vice president

A splash at Canisius

Morgan Cohara ’16 set two pool records, highlighting a record-breaking day for women’s swimming and diving during a dual meet at Canisius College’s Koessler Athletic Center. The Raiders scored a 167-129 victory and were still undefeated at press time. Cohara established new marks in the 1000 freestyle and 200 backstroke. Meanwhile, Lindsey Sagasta ’16 posted a new pool best in the 200 freestyle, and Flora Hanson ’17 turned in a new pool mark in the 200 backstroke.

Dearly departed: Ernie Vandeweghe ’49

Morgan Cohara ’16

With the victory over the Golden Griffins, the squad improved to 5-0 on the season.

Shaving up for cancer research

Members of the men’s lacrosse team were on a roll this fall raising money toward pediatric cancer research. Raising $20,475 (their original goal was $10,000) for the Vs. Cancer Foundation and Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse put them in third place nationally. As a closer, lacrosse team members had their heads shaved in the Reid Athletic Center lobby during intermission at a home men’s hockey game, to help raise both awareness and money for the drive. “Our players have always been gen-

erous with their time, but to put forth the effort for this great cause shows what our program is striving to be all about,” said Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach Mike Murphy. “We want to worry about the we and not the me.” Defenseman John Baker ’16, who spearheaded the effort, added: “It is important to give back to the community that has fostered our growth over the years. Vs. Cancer does tons of work to help the local community while also benefiting the nation as a whole.”

The graduates

Colgate’s NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) is at 98 percent for the third-straight year, placing Raider student-athletes fourth nationally in Division I for the second year in a row.

Ernie Vandeweghe ’49, one of the Mount Rushmore figures of Colgate athletics and the school’s first All-America basketball player, died on November 8. He was 86. Vandeweghe was named to All-America squads in 1947, 1948, and 1949. Named MVP of the 1946 East-West All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden as a first-year, he played in the same classic again in 1949. His 19.4-point scoring clip in 1946–47 ranked third in all of college basketball. The 6'3" guard was the fifth-best scorer in the nation for two seasons. The modern emphasis on offense and 3-point shooting caused his records to be surpassed, but the Long Island native remains in the school’s top 21 for all three of his season averages. He stands seventh in career scoring average, ninth in points. Vandeweghe was named to Colliers magazine All-America first team, Sporting News first team, Look magazine second team, Associated Press and United Press third teams — and every AllEast team selected. In addition, CBS Television designated him one of the 10 best basketball players in the country. Colgate retired Vandeweghe’s No. 11 jersey on Ernie Vandeweghe Day, March 8, 1953, in Madison Square Garden. Today, his banner hangs in Huntington Gym, Colgate’s home court during his era; and in Cotterell Court, current home of the Raiders. The Colgate Athletics Hall of Honor inducted him in 1980. “His No. 11 that hangs in the rafters at Cotterell Court will always remind us of how much one person can accomplish, all while being a great family man and giving back to others in the community,” said men’s basketball head coach Matt Langel. Vandeweghe was a pre-med student and member of Maroon Key and Konosioni, president of the Pan-Hellenic Council, and a George W. Cobb Fellow. Following graduation, he spent six seasons with the NBA’s New York Knicks. He scored 2,135 points in 224 regular-season games while attending Columbia University Medical School. After retiring from basketball, he became a physician for the U.S. Air Force in Germany. Vandeweghe then went on to serve as team physician for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1960 to ’67. He later became a sports agent; basketball legends Bill Walton and Spencer Haywood were among his clients. Highly respected in the athletics world, he served as chair of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and with the Olympic Sports Commission under President Ford. In the 1970s, he assisted on two key pieces of Olympic sports legislation: Title IX and the Amateur Sports Act of 1978. With his wife, Colleen Kay Hutchins (Miss America 1952; died 2010), Vandeweghe had quite the sporting family. Son Kiki was a college basketball and NBA star and head coach; daughter Tauna won a U.S. national swimming championship and competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics; son Bruk medaled in beach volleyball at the 1994 Goodwill Games; and daughter Heather captained the U.S. national women’s water polo team before becoming a physician like her father. Granddaughter CoCo Vandeweghe is a professional tennis player who has competed in all four Grand Slam tournaments. Born Sept. 12, 1928, in Montreal, Vandeweghe grew up in the Long Island hamlet of Oceanside, N.Y. He also played soccer at Colgate and was invited to the 1948 U.S. Olympic Trials in that sport. His father, Ernie Sr. ’26, was called “one of the best soccer players in Colgate history” and played professionally. — John Painter

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Division I athletics department. She serves on the NCAA Division I Championships Cabinet (liaison to FCS Football) and the NCAA FCS Football Regional Committee. She also serves on the executive board and chairs the foundation fund of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators. In 2013, she was selected to the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics John McLendon Minority Scholarship Foundation Board. Most recently, Harvard University invited Chun to serve on its Board of Overseers.

Chun-gratulations

Brawner is CLASSy

Director of Athletics Victoria M. Chun ’91, MA’94 has been named one of 40 members of the inaugural NCAA Division I Council. The council is charged with conducting the day-today business of Division I and will be the final voice on sharedgovernance rule-making. It was formed in response to the many changes taking place in Division I governance, and among its initial tasks is ensuring that the principles of amateurism are protected. Guidance on behalf of the collegiate experience of student-athletes has been a hallmark of Chun’s leadership. The only female athletics director in the Patriot League, Chun is one of 29 women among 345 Division I institutions and one of eight minority women actively leading an NCAA

Andrew Daddio

go ’gate

According to recently released data, Colgate was joined at that level by Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and Brown. “It’s a testament of what we value at Colgate,” said athletics director Victoria M. Chun ’91, MA’94. Colgate is one of just five Division I programs with 20 or more teams compiling a perfect GSR of 100 percent this year; the others are Dartmouth, Harvard, Notre Dame, and Stanford. Among Colgate’s Patriot League–sponsored teams, 17 recorded 100-percent graduation success rates, while Bucknell and Holy Cross each had 16.

Colgate receive national votes for five consecutive weeks. The two-year captain is a two-time All-Mid Atlantic Region Honoree, and three-time All-Patriot League Recipient, while being named to the All-Academic Patriot League team twice. She has compiled 18 multipoint games, while notching 17 goals, 15 assists, and 49 points so far in her career. A four-year letter winner, she sits tied for 16th all-time in career assists. The Edmonds, Wash., native also excels in the classroom, majoring in international relations with a 3.53 cumulative grade-point average. Along with making the All-Academic Patriot League Team twice, Brawner has been named to Colgate’s Academic Honor Roll for three years.

Women’s soccer senior captain Caroline Brawner was one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award. Although Brawner didn’t ultimately win the award, it was an accomplishment for her to be a finalist, chosen by a media committee and then voted on by fans. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence — community, classroom, character, and competition. At press time, in her senior year, Brawner had led the Raiders to a 13game unbeaten streak, an RPI ranking of 23, the top spot in the NCAA Division I Women’s Mid-Atlantic Poll for four straight weeks, while also helping

His cup runneth over

Leo Stouros ’16 capped a terrific summer of indoor lacrosse in his native Canada by helping the Six Nation Arrows to the 2014 Minto Cup championship. The Minto Cup has crowned Canada’s top junior team since 1937. Stouros, who is entering his junior campaign for the Raiders in 2015, was selected by InsideLacrosse.com as one of the Minto Cup’s top defenders. Stouros and the Arrows came back to defeat the Coquitlam Adanacs four games to two after dropping the first two games of the championship series. A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Stouros played in all 16 games, with 15 starts last season for Colgate. He compiled 19 ground balls and caused 10 turnovers. He also was a member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and Colgate’s Raider Academic Honor Roll.

Caroline Brawner ’15 was one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award.

Madeline Horner ’15

October accolades

scene: Winter 2015

Goaltender Charlie Finn ’17, who helped get the Raiders off to their best start since the 2004–05 season, was named the Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Division I Player of the Month for October. The 5'11", 165-pound netminder from North Vancouver, British Columbia, was named the HCA Player of the Month for the first time in his career. He registered six wins in seven contests in October (6-1-0 overall mark), which was tops in the nation, allowing just eight goals while recording a nation-best three shutouts. Finn began the month with a 33save effort in a 3-1 victory at then No.

Raider Nation Ron Baker

Sherburne, N.Y. Game: Men’s ice hockey vs. Mercyhurst (W, 4-0) on 10/31/14 Fun fact: He used to be a Zamboni operator What brings you to the game today? I work here at Colgate, as a custodian in East Hall. I’m going on my 30th year working at Colgate. What’s your favorite thing about watching Colgate hockey? Two of the guys who live in my dorm — East Hall — are on the team, and I’ve been following them for years. They’re great kids — we’ve had them over to the house for dinner, and they’re really good to the family. What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at a Colgate sporting event? Back in the ’80s, in the championship game, one of the players started taking his clothes off, and threw his jersey into the stands.

Bob Cornell

Meghan Shroyer ’15

Why did you come to the game today? I used to play volleyball in high school.

Goaltender Charlie Finn ’17

First Star of the Week for his twoshutout performance against Northeastern. In addition, he was voted as ECAC Hockey Goaltender for the Month in October.

What’s your favorite thing about watching volleyball? I think it’s an exciting sport, and I like to support other athletes because I swim here. As a student-athlete, what do you think makes a good fan? Someone who’s loud and encouraging.

Raiders 13th in College Colors

Colgate finished an impressive 13th during the College Colors Day, an annual competition in which fans wear their team colors and share their school spirit on social media. Colgate not only was the top Patriot League school with 7,720 points, but also eclipsed more than 125 competitors, including Arizona, Florida State, Virginia, and Florida. For those efforts, the Collegiate Licensing Co. made a donation to Colgate’s general scholarship fund. Thank you, Colgate fans!

Wendy Nicolas ’15

Marlborough, Mass. Game: Football vs. Lafayette, Senior Day (L, 19-16) on 11/8/14 What brings you to the game today? It’s the last home game, and it’s Senior Day for a lot of my friends. What would people be surprised to know about you? I used to be a three-sport varsity athlete. I played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse, and tennis for a year or two, but soccer was always my big sport. Is there a lesson you’ve learned from watching sports? Never give up hope! Colgate football is a really big second-half team, so if you leave in the first half when we’re losing by a touchdown or two, it’s too bad because something fun always happens in the second half. — Interviews by Jessica Rice ’16, photos by Phil Inglis

Andrew Daddio

6/7 St. Cloud State on October 10. The performance marked the ninth time in his career that he recorded 30 or more saves in a contest. He also stopped all 75 shots faced in three home contests at Starr Rink in October, blanking Northeastern twice and Mercyhurst once, while allowing more than two goals in a single game on just one occasion. In addition, Finn picked up a pair of road victories in a weekend sweep at Sacred Heart, which helped the Raiders to a No. 4/4 national ranking. Logging 417:16 minutes in net, Finn finished October with a 1.15 goals-against average and a .952 save percentage mark, as he turned away 152 of 160 shots faced. Finn was tabbed ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Week and NCAA.com

Chagrin Falls, Ohio Game: Volleyball vs. Army, Stand Up To Cancer Match (L, 1-3) on 10/31/14

News and views for the Colgate community

new, noted , & quoted 26

scene: Winter 2015

Books, music & film Information is provided by publishers, authors, and artists.

Class Not Dismissed

Anthony Aveni (University Press of Colorado) In Class Not Dismis-sed, astronomy and anthropology professor Anthony Aveni tells the story of his six decades in college classrooms and some of the approximately 10,000 students who have filled them. A passionate proponent of the liberal arts and core requirements as well as a believer in sound teaching promoted by active scholarship, Aveni is known as a consummate storyteller. Through personal anecdotes — some amusing, others heartrending — about everyday college life, he lays out his rules on classroom discipline and secrets on crafting an engaging lecture, creating productive dialogue in class discussions, and promoting the lost art of listening. Along the way, he sheds light on serious educational issues and shares his thoughts on the future of higher education.

The Montana Vigilantes 1863– 1870: Gold, Guns, and Gallows Mark Dillon ’82 (Utah State University Press)

Historians and novelists alike have described the vigilantism that took root in the gold-mining communities of mid1860s Montana, but Mark C. Dillon examines the subject through the prism of American legal history. Using newspaper articles, diaries, letters, biographies, invoices, and books, Dillon examines the conduct of vigilantes in the context of the due process norms of the time. He considers the state of criminal justice and law enforcement in the Western territories as well as trial procedures, gubernatorial politics, legislative enactments, and constitutional rights.

Dillon implicates the lawyers and judges who, along with their nonlawyer counterparts, shaped history during the rush to earn fortunes in gold. His perspective as a New York State Supreme Court justice and legal historian uniquely illuminates the intersection of territorial politics, constitutional issues, corrupt law enforcement, and the basic human need for social order.

The Nature of Time

Ulrich Meyer (Oxford University Press) Einstein’s theory of relativity convinced many philosophers that space and time are fundamentally alike, and that they are mere aspects of a more fundamental space-time. In The Nature of Time, Colgate philosophy professor Ulrich Meyer argues against this consensus view. Instead of a “spatial” account of time, he presents the first comprehensive defense of a “modal” account, which is naturally cast in terms of tense logic. Tense logic was originally developed to provide a linguistic theory of verb tense in natural languages. Here, Meyer proposes that it can be treated as a metaphysical theory of the nature of time. Contrary to popular belief, he says, modal accounts of time do not commit us to the view that there is something metaphysically special about the present moment, and are easily reconciled with the theory of relativity.

Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman Robert L. O’Connell ’66 (Random House)

America’s first “celebrity” general, William Tecumseh Sherman was a man of many faces. Some were exalted in the public eye, others known only to his intimates. In this portrait, Robert L. O’Connell captures the man in full. From his early exploits in Florida, through his brilliant but tempestuous

generalship during the Civil War, to his postwar career as a key player in the building of the transcontinental railroad, Sherman was, as O’Connell puts it, the “human embodiment of Manifest Destiny.” Here is Sherman the military strategist — a master of logistics with an uncanny grasp of terrain and brilliant sense of timing. Then there is “Uncle Billy,” Sherman’s public persona, a charismatic hero to his troops and quotable catnip to the newspaper writers of his day. Here, too, is the private Sherman, whose appetite for women, parties, and the high life of the New York theater complicated his already turbulent marriage. This is a character study of a warrior, a family man, and an American icon.

Blood of a Mermaid Katie O’Sullivan ’87 (Crescent Moon Press)

Last summer, Shea MacNamara sank to the bottom of the ocean and survived. As the son of a mermaid, the sea is in his blood. Literally. He discovered a whole new world under the waves, one more complicated than he ever imagined. In Blood of a Mermaid, the sequel to Son of a Mermaid, Shea is still trying to navigate both his newfound abilities and the politics of underwater life. When a dark sorcerer kidnaps his girlfriend, Shea is reminded that having royal blood means making tough choices. An Arctic dungeon, a fiery plane crash, the legendary halls of Atlantis … and narwhals? Having mermaid blood just got a lot more complicated.

Haunting and the Educational Imagination Barbara Regenspan (Sense Publishers)

Using an auto-ethnographic approach, Colgate educational studies professor Barbara Regenspan seeks to identify some promising thinking and teaching practices, especially for work in our contemporary “corporate university of excellence.” She weaves personal reflections of her teaching life while drawing upon Marx, Dewey, Freud, and a cast of

In the media contemporary social theorists to trace “hauntagogical thinking” and related classroom practice. Her concern is how conceptions left unexamined in the classroom may haunt a student’s education, contributing to and perpetuating issues of social justice and social marginalization. Regenspan offers a way of conceiving of the classroom as a place where contradictions in discourses are mined with, and for, future teachers. She provides a view of what historical materialism might hold for the relationship between democracy and education and what that relationship means for new, wild, conceptions of self, politics, and spirituality. B O L D

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Barbara Regenspan Colgate University, New York, USA

In a time when it seems like we’ve run into the limits on what Marx, Dewey, and Freud might hold for liberatory critique, this peculiarly uplifting book seeks to identify some promising thinking and teaching practices, especially for work in our contemporary “corporate university of excellence.” With auto-ethnography as a baseline for reflection on her personal teaching life in this troubling political era, as well as an insistence that all students are future teachers whether they seek formal work in classrooms or not, Barbara Regenspan selects insights descending from her horribly imperfect trinity (Marx, Dewey, and Freud), to revaluate what it means to have “obligations to unknowable others” in our complex and global reality. Drawing on an interdisciplinary cast of contemporary social theorists such as Avery Gordon, Deborah Britzman, Maxine Greene, Bill Readings, and Alain Badiou, this book traces hauntagogical thinking and related classroom practice–hauntagogy–pedagogy aimed to create wideawakeness through the unearthing of acts of historical and interpersonal hauntings. Balanced between critique and hope, Regenspan offers the field of Educational Studies including teacher education, but also higher education more generally, a way of conceiving of the classroom as a place where contradictions in discourses are mined with and for our students who will be future teachers in the formal or informal sense. Here is a view of what historical materialism might hold for the relationship between democracy and education and what that relationship means for new, wild, conceptions of self, politics, and spirituality. “Barbara Regenspan combines the personal, the political, and the educational in creative ways in this volume. In the process, she provides a number of important insights into the human complexities and necessary commitments involved in struggling toward an education that is worthy of its name.” – Michael W. Apple, John Bascom Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison and author of Can Education Change Society?

B O L D

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Haunting and the Educational Imagination

“So much of my experience as an American teacher fell into place while reading this book. Regenspan never veers far from the pragmatic and personal realities of being an American educator right now, grappling with indifference, short-sightedness and disillusionment of the system. Her deft, and often profound intellectual work is peppered with anecdotes, both personal and pedagogical, and these accounts of teaching and learning on the ground level make her case fierce and fresh. Haunting and the Educational Imagination is politically humane and intellectually electrifying.” – Tony Hoagland, Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Houston, National Book Award Finalist, teacher of high school English teachers, and author of Unincorporated Persons in the Late Honda Dynasty.

SensePublishers

ISBN 978-94-6209-816-9

BVER 43

Barbara Regenspan

Cover design by Madison Kuhn

Spine 12.522 mm

Teaching Big History

Edited by Richard B. Simon ’93, Mojgan Behmand, and Thomas Burke (University of California Press) Big History is a new field on a grand scale: it tells the story of the universe through cosmology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, and archaeology, thereby reconciling traditional human history with environmental geography and natural history. The Big History framework helps students make sense of their studies in all disciplines by illuminating the structures that underlie the universe and the connections among them. Teaching Big History serves as a comprehensive guide, sharing ideas about planning a curriculum and giving advice about the administrative and organizational challenges of instituting a general education program constructed around the subject. It’s also a firsthand account of how a group of professors built an entire Big History general education curriculum for first-year students, demonstrating how this integration of disciplines exemplifies liberal education at its best.

Also of note:

Richard Bucher ’71, a sociology professor at Baltimore City Community

College, has released two books. In Diversity Consciousness: Opening Our Minds to People, Cultures, and Opportunities (4th edition; Pearson), he describes a lifelong process that requires an ongoing commitment to learning. Building Cultural Intelligence (IQ): Nine Megaskills (Prentice Hall) helps readers develop cross-cultural awareness skills. Under the nom de plume Owen Magruder, William E. Edmonston Jr. (professor of psychology and neuroscience, emeritus), has published his third mystery novel. The Feud at Glencoe and Other Adventures (Cosy Cat Press) continues the sleuthing efforts of John Braemhor, a retired member of the Rhodesian constabulary. An author and professional speaker, Devin Hughes ’91, who calls himself “the chief inspiration officer,” is now also featured as a superhero in a comic. The main theme of “Crusaders” (Round Table Comics; for 5th grade and up) is that we can all be everyday superheroes. Hughes, a.k.a. Gray Guardian, is one of seven real-life superheroes who fight drug peddlers, bullies, and dream suckers. In 2094 (Irving Place Editions) by John Lauricella ’83, a grateful J. Melmoth is living a futuristic life. SmartBots do all the work, CelRenew keeps him young, organ cloning keeps him healthy, and a microchip integrated with his brain keeps him connected. The paradise promised by a century of high technology seems at hand. Or is it? George Lemmond ’57 offers advice based on his 40+ years of marketing experience in To Market, To Market, to Sell a Fat Pig! An Insider’s Simple Guide on How to Think Like a Marketer (Lemmond On-Target Marketing), which he’s using in his marketing course at Georgia State University. Rachmaninoff’s Complete Songs: A Companion with Texts and Translations (Indiana University Press) is a collection of the 83 songs by the Russian composer and pianist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Author Richard D. Sylvester, a Colgate Russian professor emeritus, provides English translations of the songs, along with accurate transliterations of the original texts and detailed commentary.

“It would be irresponsible to ignore the data and continue with business as usual.” — President Jeffrey Herbst, in “Colgate University Announces New Protocol to Limit Head Trauma for Athletes” on Syracuse.com (read more on pg. 22)

“Sunlight, we are told, is the best disinfectant. But has transparency ever been an effective corruption fighting tool?” — Bertram J. Levine ’63 and Michael Johnston (political science professors at, respectively, Rutgers and Colgate) in a Washington Post op-ed, “Campaign Contributions Should Be Anonymous”

“The risk in selling these ‘snake oils’ is that they contribute to a general sense of hype and frenzy about the situation in the U.S., which detracts from the actual need for intervention in West Africa. Our attention should be focused on strengthening the public health care infrastructure in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia; that will be a much more effective way to end the Ebola threat to the U.S. than any measures we take here.” — Colgate biology professor Geoff Holm in the International Business Times article “Ebola ‘Cures,’ ‘Protection Kits’ & Hazmat Suits A Waste of Money, Experts Say”

“If you’ve ever heard a Dr. King or Malcolm X speech, listened to songs by Woody Guthrie or Janelle Monae, seen art by Frida Kahlo or Carrie Mae Weems, or watched The Boondocks or The Hunger Games, you and I might hold a similar analysis as to what the big issue is in public education.”

— Mark Stern (Colgate assistant professor of educational studies, visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania), in a letter to Philly. com in response to the School Reform Commission canceling the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers contract

News and views for the Colgate community

others cascade down farther than you could reach. The density of plants growing in the treetops intrigued Cardelús from the first time she climbed a tree here as an undergraduate student. “I looked at a branch, and I had an entire other forest. And I thought, holy cow, how does this function?” said Cardelús, now an associate professor of biology at Colgate. Her longtime colleague and friend — and a visiting professor — Carrie Woods, once found 65 different species of epiphytes in a single tree.

Insects buzz around you constantly, wanting a taste of the sweat that drips from beneath your helmet and soaks your clothes. People are suspended like spiders on a web above and below you. Exertion and adrenaline mix in equal parts. After all, you’re dangling from a rope 70 feet above the ground in a Costa Rican rainforest. We’re used to seeing a forest by looking up. But Professor Catherine Cardelús wasn’t content staying anchored to the ground. She thinks nothing of climbing up 100 feet or more into the jungle canopy. What’s she looking for? Epiphytes — plants that grow on other plants. To get to them, she fires a crossbow into the branches of trees that are nothing like those you might have climbed when you were young. The trunk of the giant Lecythis ampla, for example, towers above you, its lowest branch a dizzying 90 feet high. For the past five years, Cardelús has used this unique setting to design and carry out the first experimental study of epiphytes, essentially turning the jungle canopy into her lab. About a third of all plant species, and most animals, live in rainforest canopies. From the treetops in this lowland tropical rainforest, you see howler monkeys dozing in the mid-day heat, parrots and oropendolas flying past, and exotic butterflies examining the flowering trees, all invisible from the ground below. “There is a real ‘wow’ aspect to the work I do,” she said, “I get to see things nobody else gets to see.” In the forest around La Selva Biological Field Station in Costa Rica, epiphytes grow with an astonishing abundance and diversity. From the farthest tip of a branch to the trunk, almost every inch hosts a plant, some not even as long as your finger, while

Epiphytes include ferns, orchids, and bromeliads. They play a crucial role in the health of the rainforest ecosystem. But the difficulty of getting into the canopy means that they’re little studied — and often overlooked. Whole communities of species live in these plants. Some species of frogs and dragonflies will only lay their eggs in epiphytes. Some lichens, rare on the forest floor, grow richly on epiphyte leaves, and mites inhabit the shallow layer of organic soil that forms over time on the branches. The treetops may be the last place you’d think of soil forming, but the combination of large surface area and abundance of decaying organic matter on these massive branches produces a dark, rich layer with a composition distinctly different from the ground soil. Epiphytes also influence the trees on which they live by minimizing water loss and providing a source of nutrients to the forest floor. In the treetops, epiphytes compete fiercely for both nutrients and space to grow. Like all plants, they need nitrogen and phosphorus, and those in the canopy don’t have access to the vast nutrient pool found in ground soil. Instead, they are specialists at extracting the limited nutrients that arrive dissolved in rainwater or that land as dust on their leaves. But air pollution changes all this. Every day, a wide range of human activities, from industrial pollution to the burning of fossil fuels, pumps more and more nitrogen and phosphorus into the air, dramatically increasing the levels beyond what would naturally occur. Research indicates that atmospheric nutrient levels will increase by 50 percent in the coming decades. Cardelús and Woods predict that epiphytes, living at the interface between the atmosphere and the rainforest, could be the first to respond to changes in nutrient levels. Cardelús refers to them as canaries in the coal mine. More nutrients must equal more growth, right? It’s not that simple. The presence of more nutrients shifts the playing field. The growth and reproduction of some species might be favored over others, allowing some to outcompete the rest for resources. Ultimately, the diversity of life in the canopy will be diminished. “Who’s going to win this competition?” Cardelús asked. “I don’t know

Rather than wait for pollution levels to rise, Cardelús had the ambitious idea to bring the pollution to the canopy — or at least, to 10 trees. She picked five trees each from two species that grow taller than most of the trees around them: Virola koschnyi, the nutmeg tree, and Lecythis ampla, a relative of the Brazil nut tree. Cardelús can’t be in Costa Rica year-round, so she arranged for local field assistants to climb into the canopy every few days for five years. They hauled heavy canisters of rainwater premixed with 50 percent more nitrogen or phosphorus than normal, to spray on the branches. The five experimental branches in each tree received different treatments — excess nitrogen for one, phosphorus on another, both

nitrogen and phosphorus together, partially blocking rainwater on the fourth branch, and finally, a control branch with no treatment. Each year, Cardelús and Woods have brought teams of student researchers from Colgate to assist with data collection. Along the way, the experience turns into broader lessons about the process of science, conservation, and the fragility of ecosystems. The students spend six weeks climbing the experimental trees to collect samples and assess the diversity, growth, and nutrient content of the canopy epiphytes, all to answer the pivotal question, how will pollution impact the rainforest?

This past May, four Colgate student researchers landed at San Jose airport: Thomas Wobby ’15, Lindsay McCulloch ’16, Shannon Young ’17, and Providence Ryan ’16. Before landing, they hardly knew each other. A couple were world travelers, while the others proudly showed off their first passports. But the

rainforest was new to all of them, and they all shared the same fears: snakes, heights, spiders, and an understandable anxiety about the next six weeks. At La Selva, the team has almost celebrity status. Everyone knows who the tree climbers are, and in no time, the students will adjust to their new role. Life in the rainforest and the canopy soon becomes second nature. La Selva field station sits in the midst of a tropical rainforest in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica. Thousands of plant species, including about 700 different kinds of trees, represent every imaginable shade of green. The bird, insect, and animal life is equally diverse. The Puerto Viejo River separates the field station in two. The researchers’ cabins and laboratories sit on one bank. On the other sit the open-air cafeteria and the muddy soccer field, surrounded on all sides by dense jungle. The station’s iconic green suspension bridge spans the river, and from it, you never know what you’ll see: caiman, snakes, sloths, monkeys, iguanas, and any number of birds. For the students, this place is a crash course in what a tropical rainforest should be. Cardelús starts their rainforest education with a walk along one of La Selva’s bike trails, and points out the major tree families. Here, a tiny space hosts a massive variety of trees, so it takes them an hour to walk the length of a football field. The students crowd around to see every tree and leaf that Cardelús and Woods point out, soaking up their first venture into the forest as they learn about the distinctive branching pattern of the Myristicaceae family and the difference between the roots of the Welfia and Socratea palms. Cardelús is right — the rainforest makes an exceptional classroom. After that, the students challenge each other constantly to name plants, and are excited to point out the ones they know. But they have a lot still to learn. They haven’t yet climbed a tree. Days start early, and by 5:30 a.m., the air is thick with warm mist rising from the forest. The nighttime noises recede as the howler monkeys start calling to each other and the constant buzz of the insect day-shift begins. Over coffee, breakfast, and bird watching in the cafeteria, the team reviews the day’s plan. By 7 a.m., everyone has put on knee-high protective snake boots and stuffed the last scraps of gear into backpacks, already full with 40 lbs. of ropes, helmets, sample bags, pens, data sheets, food, and water. The target tree today is their tallest experimental tree, a giant Lecythis ampla, code-named LCC, and it’s almost an hour’s hike away, across muddy terrain. When they get there, guide ropes, made of banana twine and known locally as cocaleca, are already in place. The team uses them to pull the climbing ropes into place. Standing at the base of the tree, you see your rope reaching up and disappearing into the treetops. You hope that everything works like it should, but your mind still races over the possibilities — is my rope frayed, will

my anchors hold? Cardelús and Woods never skip safety steps. They go through everything carefully with each person on the first couple of climbs. Soon, everyone has picked up the lingo, talking about Jumars, descenders, and locking carabiners while debating the finer points of the single-rope technique. They also learn a series of crucial knots: one for attaching two ropes together, another for anchoring to a nearby tree, and the figure eight for attaching the harness to the climbing rope. The students quickly learn to trust their climbing partners; everyone performs vital equipment checks for each other. It takes almost an hour before everyone is set up and ready to climb. Surprisingly, the hardest part of climbing is just getting off the ground. The elasticity of the rope means you have to haul the excess through your pulley system to take up the slack. You grunt and heave for ages before the rope finally pulls taut. By then, you’re exhausted but swinging just a foot off the ground. Only another 100 feet to go. But then, you find a rhythm — slide the ascender up, push your feet down, pull your hips up, feed the rope through the descender. And if you’re afraid of heights, don’t look down. Little by little, you start to climb. You leave the understory, push your way through the grippy liana vines, and inch your way upward toward the openness of the canopy. Each foot gives you a new perspective of the forest. All of a sudden, you’re looking down on plants that you’d previously only seen from below. Everyone climbs at their own pace, and all the way to the top, you can hear excited laughter and breathless exclamations of, “This is amazing!” Some even sing.

It’s 30 minutes later, and you need one last effort to swing your leg over and pull yourself up so you’re straddling the giant branch of the massive Lecythis ampla that the team affectionately named Blanche. You let your heart rate settle, sip some water, and take it all in. The grueling climb rewards you with a view few people will ever see. You’re looking out across a sea of treetops with a new world of birds and butterflies, the feel of the sun, the scent of the flowering trees, and a forest of epiphytes covering the branch you’re sitting on. “I remember how awesome it was the first time I went up,” Woods said, “When you’re up here, you’re living the rainforest life.” The adrenaline makes it easy to forget that the climb is just the means of getting to work. Now the hard part begins. The researchers collect a massive amount of data, looking at every plant from the trunk to 6 feet out, often numbering more than 100 on a single branch. They count the number of leaves, measure the longest one, and collect

content later. The students quickly learn to distinguish an Anthurium upalaense from an Elaphoglossum latifolium, with Lindsay calling out: “Look for an Ela lat, number 76, and get a leaf sample!” Sometimes the plants are within an arm’s reach, but often the researchers contort themselves like trapeze artists in suspended animation, horizontal in midair, just to measure a couple of leaves. The canopy has other dangers as well. Massive bullet ants are everywhere; their bite feels like a gunshot. Monkeys can chew through ropes, so if they leap into your tree, you need to descend fast. And the gusty afternoon wind can blow trees down — something especially disconcerting if you’re perched in one yourself. On a good day, the researchers finish a branch in five painstaking hours. Thankfully, the end of a branch usually signals the end of the day, and getting down is a lot easier than getting up. With just a flick of the descender, it’s a quick zip back to the forest floor. The stress and exhaustion of several consecutive days’ climbing

takes its toll. Emotions run high at times, but the group rapidly molds into a team. As the weeks progress, they give each other needed encouragement when fears, heat, humidity, or vicious biting ants threaten. Collaboration and teamwork underlie the whole project. For Cardelús and Woods, their complementary approaches are what make this 10-year collaboration work so well. Woods began as Cardelús’s field assistant, but now they’re scientific confidantes. Because so few people work in the canopy and understand how the ecosystem functions, they use each other as sounding boards. “When we work together,” Cardelús said, “we work exponentially better than either of us would work alone.” And they push each other — hard. Treetop sample collection comprises only a fraction of the work. The team spends countless hours processing samples and analyzing data both at La Selva and back at Colgate. Cardelús ensures that each student learns every angle of the project. They establish a punishing schedule to get it all done. Cardelús and Woods set the standard, grabbing takeaway field lunches even when they’re not in the field to save time walking to the cafeteria. When you step inside the well-equipped labs at La Selva, the shock of the air conditioning makes you temporarily forget that you’re in a rainforest. Here, the students meticulously separate the twigs and detritus from the rich organic canopy soil and learn the chemistry to analyze the soil’s nutrient content. In

scene: Winter 2015

the outdoor ambient temperature labs, they run experiments on plants growing in a modified greenhouse, known as a shade house. The students learn to use a finicky Li-Cor machine to measure photosynthetic light curves, and every plant in the shade house needs measuring. The shade house feels like a small secret garden, a jungle within a jungle. The mesh walls slightly muffle the sounds outside and mimic the shade of the high canopy by letting in only 20 to 30 percent of the daylight. By comparison, the forest floor sees only 5 to 10 percent of sunlight. More than 50 epiphytes hang suspended from the ceiling in their own little pockets of canopy soil; they receive the same nutrient treatments as their canopy counterparts. Woods maneuvers between the hanging plants, carefully examines each one, and touches them like they’re old friends. She takes pride in the shade house, her pet project. For the last two years, the field assistants have tracked the growth of each leaf and flower on every plant. Woods points to one that grew 10 leaves in one year, each leaf measured and recorded. This level of detail has never been documented before. Between the shade house and canopy, the volume of data will keep the researchers busy analyzing and publishing for a long time to come.

Cardelús always looks to the future. Her first climb got her hooked. She even got married in one of her experimental trees (her husband is fellow Colgate biology professor Eddie Watkins). Now, she says, it’s how little we know about epiphytes and their role in the health of the rainforest that keeps her coming back. “What rainforests do is important to us in terms of the way they cycle water, the way they cycle nutrients, and we threaten that rainforest by the way we consume, how much we overconsume.” As she speaks, a giant iguana wanders past the shade house, skirting around the watchful peccaries, while an emerald basilisk surveys the scene from a nearby tree. Inspiration for conservation comes easily in this place. The challenge is

to make that feeling stick, and Cardelús constantly searches for more effective ways to drive her message home. First and foremost, Cardelús leads by example. She insists on using a single plate at dinner to minimize her own contribution to the dirty dishes. Whether or not the students followed suit, they all noticed and likely thought twice about their own actions. “I show my students that small things can make big differences,” she said. She also works on projects in forests in the Adirondacks and Ethiopia, leads the sustainability program at Colgate, and teaches a course that tackles related issues on campus. One of her class’s projects recently spurred the university to replace the shower heads in the first-year dorms with the low-flow variety. In one year, the university saved a million gallons of water. “I hope to inspire students to think about how they can help solve the problems that we have created,” she said, “so I am constantly teaching students about

the importance of contributing to a solution.” Students struggle to grasp that things like deforestation are related to what they purchase and consume, but, “you try and fill in as many of the steps as you can, and if you show them the rainforest and they see firsthand that this is what’s being cut down, it has a much stronger impact.” The project began with a leaf, only an inch long, of one tiny epiphyte, sprouting from the side of a branch on a tree in the middle of a rainforest. Five years later, and countless exhausting hours of work from dozens of people, the research team now has thousands of data points. But the project has come to an end, and this year’s students measured the last leaf, dismantled the shade house, and climbed the trees for the last time. After so many years at La Selva, Cardelús and Woods have no immediate plans to return. With Cardelús’s vision, they successfully navigated the logistical complexity to complete the first experimental study of epiphytes in the canopy. The students who contributed along the way stepped out of their comfort zones to learn what it means to do research in a tropical rainforest, and even more about teamwork and conservation. “The predictions about what is going to happen to forests all over the world are not pretty,” Cardelús said. She would like her research to spur people to action, to stop destroying what we have. “All we have is the hope that

scene: Winter 2015

Illustrations by Peter Horjus

intersections between race, gender, and sexuality, it’s helping you learn. For example, I didn’t know what it meant when a friend said they were asexual. Hearing these different experiences and thought processes made me understand that sex is very fluid, and it changes from individual to individual.

et’s face it. It’s not easy to talk about sex at any age. But when young people get to college, navigating that aspect of life takes on a whole new dimension. Since 2009, students at Colgate have had a forum to discuss the taboo subject in structured, frank — even intellectual — terms. Yes Means Yes (YMY) is an interdisciplinary, sixweek seminar addressing positive relationship skills and behaviors. Jacklyn Berger ’09, a sociology and anthropology major, created it for her senior thesis as a response to her perception of a prevalent “hookup culture” on campus. She borrowed the name from Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape, edited by Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti, which is the seminar’s core text. The course began making such a positive impact, it was recently approved for PE credit, and it was featured on NBC News last fall, in the context of the national conversation on “affirmative consent.” And YMY is just one of the many ways in which the issue is being addressed on campus. Those who have taken part in YMY have gained finely tuned perspectives on the issues of sexual safety and assault. To supplement what we read in the national news, we wanted to get these students’ perspectives on the sexual culture on campus today. So, we invited former student participants to a lunchtime chat. They were joined by faculty/ staff advisers Dawn LaFrance, associate director of counseling services; Scott Brown, dean of students; and Meika Loe, sociology professor and director of women’s studies, whose co-authored paper about the program has led to its adoption at several schools around the country. The conversation revealed that it’s a new day: Many students say they are hungry for open dialogue about relationships, romantic life, and sexuality — and they’re empowering themselves to do just that. — Rebecca Costello Scene: What does healthy sexuality mean to you? Nick Yap ’15: Whether it’s abstinence, hooking up, or long-term relationships, it has to be your choice. You want to hook up because you get something out of that and you enjoy it, not because there’s peer pressure telling you to hook up. If you are abstinent, you are waiting for a reason, and that reason has to be because you want to, not because you feel pressure from your family or some institution telling you that you have to do that to be a good person.

Katie Williams ’15: I think it’s a combination of action and dialogue. You should be able to, and I feel I can, talk about sex or sexuality with friends, or with a partner in a sexual experience or outside of it. Elizabeth (Biz) Yoder ’15: It’s important to think about respect. Being honest when you’re talking to a partner about sex, but don’t ‘yuck their yum.’ And also respect in terms of, if you see them [a person you’ve hooked up with] around campus, say hi. Manny Medina ’17: It has to be something explored within yourself first. It takes a lot of serious thought about what you want at different stages of your life. Once you can be true to yourself, a healthy relationship’s a step from that. Scott Brown: It goes back to identifying what it means for them [students] to succeed and be comfortable. What choices make sense for you and don’t harm somebody else? Scene: Some might hear ‘Yes Means Yes’ and think, that sounds like a ‘how-to’ class, advocating sexual activity. How do you respond to that? Katie: It’s not. It’s giving you the tools and permission to talk about these things. In many ways, it’s about making sex less scary, but it’s really about the conversation that’s going on rather than the act itself. It’s been interesting trying to explain to my parents what YMY is, why it matters. It’s a different type of conversation because it’s amongst peers, and it can be more fun. Eloise Lahorgue ’15: I think of it in terms of learning your own opinion. Oftentimes, casual conversations with friends have to do more with fitting in than thinking about what’s best for you. Reading the book was a great part of the course for me because it helped me define my own opinion about issues I didn’t even know about. Salem Hoffman-Sadka ’17: A big part is, you spend six weeks with a group of people. You get close and there’s a lot of sharing. To understand the perspective of a woman about sexual encounters, you begin to empathize. So when you’re actually in the moment or trying to create a dialogue, that can give you a totally different understanding of your partner. Manny: YMY also challenges standard narratives about sex — roles and expectations and identity. Whether it’s the hook-up culture, or consent, or

Biz: We try to break down stereotypes. We use gender-neutral pronouns — hir and zir — which a lot of people haven’t heard before. Changing the language is important to get more respect and be more comfortable on campus. Emily Hawkins ’15: And it gives people whose gender identities and sexual identities aren’t often represented space to talk about those things with people of the ‘normative culture.’ YMY is a launching point for a lot of people’s entry into this conversation. Several of us also now do sex-positive work on campus. We’re trying to change a cultural narrative that says women need to protect themselves from predators. Eloise: What’s really interesting about YMY is, I knew half of the group and I didn’t know half of them, and that led to really open, honest communication. This goes beyond sex education in that it’s very relevant. I think what happens on this campus will stay with people for the rest of their lives. So if we can change the dialogue and make it more positive, that will lead to better things later on. Scene: Back to Nick’s comment, what defines a hookup? Emily: So, this is the definition agreed upon by YMY participants in the spring of 2010: ‘a casual, noncommittal sexual experience ranging from making out to sexual intercourse with a potential lack of mutual commitment, affection, attachment, emotion as well as a potential imbalance of power.’ Scene: How prevalent is the hook-up culture on campus? Emily: That is a hard question because we try not to talk about it in that way. It makes an assumption that everybody is participating. Also, with the hook-up culture, we’re often talking about malefemale sexual interactions, and we try to stay away from those kinds of heteronormative conversations. And, the hook-up culture assumes that people aren’t looking for relationships, or that if you’re upset with the hook-up culture, you are looking for a relationship. When we talk about hooking up during the first session, the feedback is, that’s the first time people are thinking about it as something you decide to participate in, as opposed to this green slime that lives over us. Salem: Personally, I don’t have an issue with the idea of a hook-up culture. A lot of people don’t have time for a relationship. The big problem for me is the other things that are tied in. For example, I felt that I almost have to fill a quota, or that if I have a great

News and views for the Colgate community

Dawn LaFrance: We try to help students claim what they need in relationships with a wide range of possibilities. That encompasses everybody, because people feel pleasure in lots of ways. Scene: The definition of a hookup mentioned imbalance of power. Speak more about that. Emily: In my mind, sexual assault prevention and positive sexuality are intrinsically linked, and we’re inverting the narrative. In talking about desires and pleasures, you are opening up a place for dialogue that limits the situations where people are on different pages. two weeks but there’s not a hookup, somehow I’m not being male on campus. Or that female friends have said they feel guilty for hooking up. Meika Loe: We know from the 2005 sexual climate survey that the hook-up culture was highly exaggerated. When we asked people how often they hooked up, it was zero to one partner in a year. I get a sense from visiting YMY once a semester that there’s a lot of diversity in the room: people who opt out, people who are very sexual, some who try it, some who have exclusive relationships, people who date. Scene: Also, someone referred to the hook-up culture as scary. Why? Eloise: What’s scary is, I felt it was thrust upon me when I set foot on this campus, not necessarily about what went on. It was something that I immediately bought into, and I didn’t even know how I felt about it yet. I’m a senior, so it’s been great for me to reflect on how far I’ve come. I learned it’s not my thing. Meika: And then, once you decided it wasn’t for you, did you feel you could find others like you? Eloise: There is a whole session on losing your virginity. I was with friends who were virgins and felt very much bothered by the conversation. A lot of my friends, and I will include myself, do not have a lot of sex. People are proud to make good judgment calls. It’s not necessarily seen as something to be proud of if you’re always making random hookups. Asabi Rawlins ’16: I didn’t realize how conservative my background was until I came to Colgate. I believed in abstinence until marriage, and then there was all this pressure to not only be a part of not just the hook-up culture, but also to identify with beliefs I didn’t ascribe to. YMY didn’t just empower me in terms of my views on sex, but also in terms of standing up for myself in any relationship.

scene: Winter 2015

Scene: It sounds like you are talking about selfmanagement of individual behavior, and then how that trickles out to the broader culture. What is your take on the sexual culture here? What concerns do you feel you’re addressing? Manny: Most conversations teach you what not to do. You can tell people when something does not constitute consent. But when you ask, ‘What are ways you see consent?’ you hit a wall very quickly. YMY forces you to explore those ways, not only with yourself but with other people, too. It’s the greatest way, I think, to challenge sexual assault on campus. Sarah Rende ’15: I don’t think you can talk about the hook-up culture without factoring alcohol in. Liquid courage is real, but it sucks the next day when you don’t remember what happened. And so, how you can balance the inevitability of alcohol, but also integrating respect into that. We talked a lot about how you can have consent while you’re intoxicated but, (A) do you really want to, and (B) where is that line? Katie: YMY pairs sexual assault and positive sexuality in the right way, I think. It teaches you, if you don’t like the culture, here are ways that you can change it as an individual. Or, if you do like it — that’s also affirmed. That has been good because change in the culture is so often looked at — at all levels, in conversation, in actuality, in policy — from a negative approach. Dawn: One session of YMY is dedicated to critically analyzing power and how that plays out on campus. We talk about oppression, sexism, racism, heteronormativity, and think about how people live in those different dynamics here on campus. Emily: Geography comes up every time. It’s a huge issue in general — where a party can or can’t be thrown, the places where people have to go in order to have a certain social experience. That a frat can throw a party and a sorority can’t. Also, issues of so-

cioeconomic status, the downtown scene, like what happens at The Jug. Asabi: I think real estate on Broad Street plays into it, so place and space are important parts of the hook-up culture. The things leading up to someone in bed seem dictated by where you met up earlier in the night. I think the institutions of power are overwhelmingly Greek, so our conversations often steer in that direction. And, whether we want to admit it or not, race and socioeconomics factor into it. Eloise: The obvious one is gender. Especially if you’re looking at it from the male versus female side, it’s interesting to have men in the class and hear their side. There were six men in my YMY class, so it was easy for the blame game to be directed at the men. In that last conversation about power, people realize that it can go both ways. Salem: The biggest eye-opener for me was involving a relationship. There are two readings that I found most interesting, one about your first time having sex and one about enthusiastically engaging in sexual activity. We were talking about men as pioneers in sexual relationships, always the initiators. That’s how I unconsciously dealt with my last relationship. I had never felt like I was an aggressor, but I’d never considered what the ideal sexual interaction should be. Emily: The conversations about power are also rooted in Colgate’s history, being all male for so long, the lack of racial and socioeconomic diversity. The last session points to Colgate’s history, in order to talk about its current climate. We end with, what is your ideal Colgate, and what are the tangible steps we can take to make that happen? A lot of them have to do with personal [behaviors]. Scene: At the open forum a few weeks ago, someone said you can’t walk holding hands on this campus. What was that was about? Eloise: There’s a monologue in This is Not a Play About Sex about how there’s a reversal of the ‘bases’ here. Sex is first base, holding hands second base — or breakfast is — I don’t remember which. I’ve seen the play twice and everyone always laughs at that, but I think it’s a laugh of being, like, wow. Scene: Can you name specific examples of change you’ve seen on campus? Sarah: In our group, we agreed that there’s not a lot of spaces at Colgate where you can put your feelings out there. Everyone’s honesty helped make me feel more empowered in my own experiences. Hearing from someone who isn’t sexually active because X, Y, and Z, or someone who is because of X, Y, and Z, made me feel much more comfortable with what I want and being able to vocalize that.

Eloise: I feel like the conversation’s really shifting here. A lot of other organizations are talking about this stuff in a greater way. Biz: Salem, Manny, and I are now Bystander Intervention facilitators. It’s a two-hour training program, so if you’re out at night and you see a situation where two people are drunk and you think it could lead to something bad, you can recognize those signs and learn how to act. Salem: Yeah, whether it was through the readings or hearing stories of students, once the course was done, I immediately signed up for the bystander class and then applied to be a facilitator. It’s a natural reaction. You feel obligated toward the community to add a positive dynamic. Manny: Maybe this semester I got too involved in positive sexuality! But I felt it affected every aspect of my involvement, so doing This is Not a Play About Sex, I can engage in the conversation more because I know the terms. I created a brown bag discussion about the hook-up culture. At an all-male brown bag panel on sexual assault, I pulled out quotes from the book that I thought were helpful. Biz: One of my good friends and I had been talking about consent a year ago. It didn’t occur to him that if a girl didn’t say no, that did not mean yes. But after taking YMY, he told me about a sexual experience and he said, ‘I asked her explicitly for different steps.’ That’s a great transformation. Katie: Emily and I have a Thought Into Action project founded on positive sexuality. Hearing the immense

response from all corners of campus has been awesome. Explaining positive sexuality and why it’s important has been rewarding. I feel so much confidence that we can reach out to anybody with our idea and have there be a personally invested response. Especially because I’m picturing the audience of the Scene and who’s gonna be reading this (like my grandpa), I don’t want people to see ‘Yes Means Yes’ and think it’s horny college students talking about sex. It’s so much bigger — it’s a movement. To see how it’s expanded at Colgate, in tandem with all the different movements that are happening on other college campuses, it’s been interesting. What I’ve seen in the media is, the conversations are geared more toward sexual assault. Coming out of YMY on the positive sexuality side is a really beneficial addition to what’s already going on amongst our peers. People are always like, ‘Oh, your generation doesn’t care about anything.’ This is a big one that we do care about. Salem: One of the best things I saw was a gettogether of everyone who had taken YMY that year. It was one of the best nights I’ve had at Colgate. The dynamic between genders was what I thought it should be all across Colgate. Not the way you see at The Jug, which is purely physical. People were talking to people they hadn’t met before. Asabi: I took it sophomore year, and the great thing was the guys in the suite next door to me were taking it, too. We would talk about this stuff, like the articles. We weren’t talking about schoolwork, but we also weren’t talking about what party are you going to.

Katie: Sarah was saying earlier how a friend told her, ‘I took YMY before it was cool!’ Scene: So, if you could meet your first-year self, what would you tell that person? Sarah: In terms of sexuality and every other aspect of life, (A) calm down, and (B) have a sense of confidence. I think I’ve grown exponentially, so I wish I could instill that in my first-year self. Nick: Find spaces and people on campus that you’re comfortable with. In your first year, you’re somewhat pressured because that’s what people are talking about — going downtown, hooking up — because that’s perceived as cool or the status quo. But when you get older, you find groups of friends where you can talk about what you wanna talk about. You’re more comfortable, and that social pressure goes away. Manny: I don’t think I would tell my first-year self much because those experiences really shaped my outlook right now. I guess in an ideal world, I would like to tell myself, be more conscious of what you’re doing and ask other people, how do they feel about it? Katie: I actually had this experience two weeks ago. I was talking to a first-year. I was telling her, put yourself first. If you want to kiss more people, do that. If you don’t want to, don’t. You should feel comfortable having a conversation with someone about whether you want to pursue a relationship. Salem: If you wanna hook up, go for it, but make sure you really want to, not to prove something or fulfill those weird long-term notions that your memory of college will be the X number of times you hooked up. I already know the memories that are so much stronger for me are going to a Frisbee tournament or camping out with outdoor education. Biz: First year, I cared a lot about what other people thought of me. As a senior, I don’t care if I don’t hook up with anyone for a while, or if I hook up with someone my friends don’t think is cute. If it’s what I’m comfortable with, then I like it. Emily: There are so many people who have come and gone from Colgate to credit with our current state of sex-positive love. Now it’s unreasonable to ignore these types of conversations; people are talking about it everywhere. It’s fine if you choose not to participate, but in changing the conversation and giving respectful language and entrance to dialogue, there’s just no excuse anymore. Read more about Yes Means Yes and other positive sexuality initiatives at colgate.edu/healthysexuality.

News and views for the Colgate community

BY SALLY ANN FLECKER

John Altdorfer

Vic Walczak ’83 fights for civil liberties of all kinds. After all, it’s his job.

Vic Walczak ’83, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, at the celebration rally in Pittsburgh on May 20, 2014, the day the state’s Defense of Marriage Act was overturned by a federal judge.

scene: Winter 2015

he sky is clear blue and the late-May weather is making its way into tank tops–and-shorts weather when a U.S. district court judge issues his ruling that Pennsylvania’s Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. This paves the way not only for gay couples to marry in Pennsylvania, but also for the marriages of couples who had already tied the knot elsewhere to be recognized in the Commonwealth. That evening in Pittsburgh, more than a thousand men, women, and children gather on a street in a trendy neighborhood to revel, reflect, witness, and, in some cases, publicly propose to longtime partners. Front and center is American Civil Liberties Union state legal director Witold Walczak ’83, who has been asked to emcee the rally. Walczak, called “Vic” by family, friends, and adversaries, has been instrumental in bringing the lawsuit against the state on behalf of 11 couples, a widow, and the two teenage daughters of one of the families. Walczak has won a number of high-profile cases over the course of his career as a civil liberties lawyer — among them, protecting the right to vote, immigrants’ rights, and the right to protest against the president, as well as challenging the teaching of “intelligent design” creationism as science in public schools. But at this rally — amid the considerable elation on the streets, the many hugs from strangers, his jacket lapels dampened by people’s tears — it strikes him that this case may have the most impact of any he has taken on. It is a decision, he thinks, that defines so many people. It says to them, “You are entitled to the same rights as everybody else. You are a full citizen.” He has never won a case that brought so much unabashed joy. It is a good night.

Vic Walczak loves nothing if not a good fight — unless it’s the good cause behind it. His resolve to fight injustice was formed in his Colgate years, in part, during a three-month investigative internship in the public defender’s office in Washington, D.C. The philosophy major found himself mesmerized by life in the crime-ridden inner city. For someone who had grown up primarily in middle-class neighborhoods in Tennessee, Oklahoma, and New Jersey, this was a whole different world — and a scary one, at that. During the internship, he gets to know the director of the D.C. Youth Advocate Program. When Walczak sees an opening for a counselor to work with kids at risk of entering the juvenile justice system, he tells the director he wants to work for her (he has close to six months left before the fall semester of his senior year). He is surprised when she hems and haws about taking him on. Then it hits him: she doesn’t want to hire him because he is white. So is she, but all of the counselors as well as the kids in the program are black. Walczak may only have been 20 years old, but he was as sure of himself then as he is now. He tells her she is discriminating against him, and offers her a deal: Give him a one-day tryout. See how he does. But if she doesn’t give him a chance, he will file a

Shawn Hennessey

Pulling no punches

complaint with the human relations commission in D.C. alleging discrimination. He gets the tryout. He gets the job. And he gets his feet wet — really wet. He works intensely with four kids who are 14 and 15 years old. Spends time in their homes, at their schools, getting them released from the police station, taking them to museums and the zoo. He learns a lot about living in the inner city, living in poverty. It is a rewarding experience. But it isn’t enough. He may have helped those four teens, but he wants to attack social change in a broader way.

In the clinch

The sense of right and wrong was in the air Walczak breathed growing up. He had been born in Sweden in 1961, two years after his parents fled Communist Poland. Walczak’s maternal grandmother had died at Treblinka; his maternal grandfather managed to escape and spent the rest of his life helping prosecute Nazi war criminals. His grandfather didn’t

talk about Treblinka or his work much. Walczak only recalls snippets. But it gave him a powerful sense of his heritage. In 1964, his parents emigrated to America, settling, for awhile, in Tennessee. The Civil Rights Act was enacted that year, but the South the family had arrived in was still Jim Crow — separate black and white restrooms, water fountains, schools, and pools. Walczak is 4 or 5 years old when his parents invite the neighborhood kids over to celebrate his birthday. His dad is the baker. What kind of cake does Witold want? The boy requests his favorite — a special torte made from walnut meal and topped with coffee frosting. The moment comes. Candles, the birthday song. His mom cuts the cake. Young Witold is wolfing it down when he realizes that, although a few kids have tried the cake, most of the others are just looking at it. It doesn’t look like the cakes they’re used to — yellow cakes with fluffy frosting topped with shredded coconut, or devil’s food cake smothered in fudge. It is an epiphany for Walczak. His family has different accents, different traditions. They are different. He is different. He would forever have a heightened sensitivity to what it means to be standing slightly outside the mainstream culture, how difference might hold someone back. Walczak lost his way for awhile when he reached adolescence. His parents had gone through a nasty divorce and he was imbibing and inhaling his way to a substance abuse problem. Still, he arrived at Colgate as a Division I soccer player. It took some time, but he credits his future wife, now-pediatrician Kathy Wagner Walczak ’84, and three professors with helping him get his life back on track. The first professor was Ted Herman, head of the Peace Studies Program, who taught Walczak’s first-year seminar, “Leaders in Nonviolence.” Walczak was captivated by the concept of nonviolent civil disobedience and the writings of Tolstoy, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King. A soccer fan, Herman took an interest in the young player. He spent a lot of time with Walczak outside of class, talking about life and helping him see more clearly. Herman also pointed him toward the legendary philosophy professor Huntington Terrell. Terrell, who specialized in the study of ethics, was one of the most notoriously difficult graders at Colgate (As are for God, Bs are for Hunt, Cs are for everyone else, the saying went). Walczak took every one of Terrell’s courses. A rigorous exploration of right and wrong was just what he needed. The third influence, Jerry Balmuth, who taught philosophy of law and philosophy of logic, became Walczak’s closest adviser. Walczak’s nine months in Washington coincided with the imposition of martial law in Poland. Although none of his family remained, he avidly followed events there. When he returned to Colgate for his senior year, he learned that the council of churches in Hamilton was resettling a Polish family ousted because of their involvement with the Solidarity trade union movement. The family had nobody to speak Polish with, so Walczak volunteered. He helped them with things like getting benefits, finding jobs, the kids’ schoolwork. He managed a fundraiser that covered the expenses the family incurred in coming to America. Having grown close to the family, he News and views for the Colgate community

scene: Winter 2015

vacation, maybe, or no long grocery lines. Instead, almost to a person, their answers were about the right to vote, freedom of speech, privacy, due process. He found it stunning. Despite how difficult everything was in their lives, what they wanted most was to regain their civil liberties. Walczak might not have been ready yet to take on the world, but he was ready for law school. There was no question about what he was going to do with his life. He was going to safeguard people’s civil rights and civil liberties. And that’s exactly what he’s done.

the first day of trial and going for a run to settle my nerves,” Walczak recalled. He ran by the courthouse. The entire street was lined with television satellite trucks. That didn’t do much for his jitters, but at least he wasn’t blindsided when he walked into the building a few hours later. Ultimately, the judge ruled in Walczak’s favor, calling intelligent design a religious view rather than a scientific theory, and thus inappropriate for teaching as biology. At the time called the most important case since Bush v. Gore by Court TV, it still stands as the definitive case on intelligent design and creationism, “a playbook for how to fight these challenges when they come back — and they’re already starting to come back,” said Walczak. On a recent October morning, Walczak sits at his desk. Every inch is covered with papers and files. There’s not much floor space, either. Boxes of clutter lend the air of someone who finishes one case while already in the throes of the next. Above the window, a handmade paper chain spells out VICTORY. Coworkers made it for him after his important victory in the Pennsylvania Voter ID case. But it’s never a solo effort for Walczak. There’s always a team, often

Going the distance

The Pittsburgh chapter of the ACLU, where Walczak has worked since 1991, is housed in a tall row house near several universities. Houses that have been in families for generations sit beside others turned into student apartments. Cars are shoehorned together along the sidewalks. Walczak came on board as an associate director and quickly rose to executive director. His promotion to statewide legal director in 2004 gave him the luxury of focusing on impact litigation; as he puts it, lawsuits that try to fix systemic problems, and “the luxury to go from big case to big case.” His most well known, Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, is billed by some as Scopes II — a reference to the famous 1925 creationism vs. evolution in teaching case. The school district in Dover, Pa., was the first in the country to adopt the teaching of “intelligent design” as science, as an alternative to evolution. The case received international attention, with film crews from Australia, the Philippines, China, Germany, and the BBC following the proceedings. “I remember waking up at four in the morning before

Photos : Scott Goldsmith

wanted to know more about what was going on in Poland. That summer, after graduation, he stayed in Gdansk with their relatives. More than a few times during his six-week sojourn, someone clapped a hand over Walczak’s mouth before his impetuous habit of speaking his mind could get them all in trouble. He learned to appreciate freedoms he took for granted at home. The relatives Walczak stayed with included a worker from the shipyard where Lech Walesa had started the Solidarity movement. Housing was hard to come by — three generations in one small apartment. Meat and toiletries were rationed. Everyone seemed fearful. In the 10th-floor apartment, before any discussion about politics, they would pull the drapes and turn up the radio. He could see that Solidarity was alive and well, albeit underground. Despite martial law, organizing was taking place. There were newspapers being printed, T-shirts being made — all illegal, but very exciting. One Sunday, Walczak and his hosts go to Saint Brigita Church, the original hub of Solidarity. As they come out of Mass, an impromptu demonstration is starting. Almost immediately, the ZOMO, or riot police, appear, beating protesters with nightsticks. Walczak pulls out his Nikon. He is looking through the viewfinder when he is knocked down on the cobblestone street. Three black-suited police demand his camera. Walczak argues back. All of a sudden, his host and two friends run up and, as though they were linebackers, knock the police down, screaming for Walczak to run. They all fling themselves, breathless, onto a streetcar that pulls away before the police can catch up. His camera is intact. A few weeks later, Walczak calls a family friend, the deputy consul in the American Consulate in Warsaw, to arrange a visit at his office. He can’t wait to tell him about all the activity he is witnessing. But when he gets there, as soon as he begins, the man shushes him and leaves the room. He returns with a big, old-fashioned radio, turns it up, and motions for Walczak to whisper. “You don’t think this place is bugged?” asks Walczak, surprised. “We know it’s bugged,” says the man. He insists that Walczak bring everything he’s collected — film, underground newspapers, memorabilia — to be sent home in a diplomatic pouch. “If you get caught with this, you’ll spend time in prison in Kraków,” he tells Walczak. “I’m not going to tell you that we won’t get you out, but it could take a couple of weeks. And it’s not a very pleasant place.” Walczak complies. Several weeks later, when he is leaving Poland, his train stops at the Czech border. The door to his compartment opens, and a policeman demands his papers. He takes everything out of Walczak’s suitcase, even feeling around the seams. Finally he has him disrobe for a strip search. Walczak could only shudder about what would have happened had he carried any contraband materials with him. As he returned to the States to begin law school, the lessons he took away from Poland affected him profoundly. He had taken to asking people there, if they could have one thing, what would it be? He expected them to say a car, their own apartment, a

including volunteer lawyers, with Walczak usually lead or co-lead counsel. Two model airplanes hang from fishing line from the ceiling, giving the illusion of flight. Those were gifts from a grateful Muslim client, a commercial airline pilot and Desert Storm veteran whose name had been placed on the no-fly list. Walczak took the case to court, where a judge insisted the Department of Justice produce evidence at a hearing. Like

“Not a day goes by that I don’t have to say, ’I don’t know.’” in 1996 on behalf of the ACLU and NAACP alleging a pattern of civil rights abuse by Pittsburgh police after two black men died in custody. The Department of Justice, on high alert to issues of police misconduct after the Rodney King case in Los Angeles, got involved in forcing the city to sign an agreement that led to an overhaul of personnel management in the police department. None of this endeared Walczak, who had brought the suit, to then-Mayor Tom Murphy. The following year, the two went head to head again when the Ku Klux Klan announced that they were going to hold a big rally in Pittsburgh. Walczak remembers Murphy making an announcement from the steps of the City-County Building: over his dead body would the Klan have a rally in Pittsburgh. “My first thought was, Tom, where would you like us to put the body?” Walczak said. He may not have been fond of the Klan, but he knew he would win when it came to protecting the Klan’s right to freedom of speech. At three in the morning, he found himself writing the brief for an emergency injunction to allow the Klan to proceed with their rally. It occurred to him that every case he cited to support the Klan’s right was from the civil rights movement. Murphy’s reasoning in not permitting the Klan to assemble in public was twofold, according to Walczak: The Klan message was not something Pittsburghers would embrace. And the city couldn’t guarantee that people wouldn’t do harm to Klan members. “Those are the same messages that George Wallace and Bull Connor and others used to say that civil rights marchers can’t march. It all comes down to, do you want to give any government official the power to decide who speaks and who doesn’t?” Walczak asked. “I can tell you, I didn’t, because I would be the first one censored by the mayor under that kind of standard. And, frankly,

Scott Goldsmith

magic, two days later, the pilot was back in the cockpit, his livelihood restored. Walczak, now 53, has light brown hair heading toward gray. No court appearances today, only phone conferences, so he’s dressed neatly but comfortably in a plaid shirt and jeans. His eyes are blue and thoughtful. He would appear formidable if he didn’t smile often (which he does), and if his smile weren’t from the heart (which it is). He’s attending the wedding of one of the plaintiff couples from the samesex marriage case the coming weekend. His satisfaction is palpable. Fiercely competitive — and occasionally cocky — Walczak still plays soccer. Or did, until a ruptured Achilles tendon sidelined him last March. The jury is still out on whether he’ll be able to play again. In the meantime, he bikes — most recently, a 100-mile arthritis fundraising ride with friends. Last year was a big one for Walczak. About a week before the marriage decision, he got a huge resolution on another issue — the legality of the Pennsylvania voter ID law. The previous January, a state court had struck down a strict Pennsylvania law requiring all voters to show certain forms of identification at the polls. But the administration had appealed. Then suddenly in May, Governor Tom Corbett changed his mind and withdrew the appeal. “I think the governor looked at the polls and said, ‘I can’t be fighting this during the election,’” Walczak said. “It’s ironic that so much of what the ACLU does is driven by politics. We have politicians all the time saying, ‘Yeah, we know we can’t do that, but it’s good politics, and you guys will just sue us, and it will get overturned, and we don’t have to be the bad guys.’ It happens all of the time.” By ACLU estimates, had the law requiring Pennsylvania voters to show ID been in effect during the 2012 election, 130,000 voters who turned up at the polls without the right kind of ID would have been disenfranchised. “When that law was first passed, I was willing to give proponents the benefit of the doubt that there was some fraud out there that would be prevented,” said Walczak. “But litigation is a wonderful fact-finding tool. Politicians can stand up in the legislature and make any kind of bogus claim they want. On the witness stand, when we asked them to identify every instance of voter fraud, almost every case had no evidence. There were some situations where they had evidence, but when we’d review how a voter ID requirement would prevent fraud, it turned out to be a problem with registration — not [at] the polls. On the eve of trial, we actually signed a stipulation — which is an admission — that they could not identify a single instance of the type of fraud that would be prevented by this voter ID law.” For Walczak, the suit hearkened back to his question to people in Poland. “More often than not, it was the right to vote,” he said. “When I asked why, they said because voting is paramount. It’s foundational. If you cannot elect your officials and hold them accountable, then all other rights are in jeopardy. And that’s how I felt about voter ID.” One of the cases that made people see Walczak as a force to be reckoned with was a class action suit

it’s usually the minority groups who need that free speech protection. Vigorously enforcing free speech with messengers you don’t like or whose message you don’t embrace is vitally important so that when you need that power, it’s there for you.” Still, Walczak admits, knowing what’s right and what’s wrong can be difficult. “Not a day goes by that I don’t have to say, ‘I don’t know.’ And I don’t think there’s any shame in admitting that,” he said. “When you’re dealing with things as important as people’s freedom, their livelihood, where they can live, whether they can stay in this country, and who they can marry — you can’t let the arrogance of pretending that you know everything stand in the way of getting it right. And getting it right always means listening to other views, ventilating the issues, before you make a decision.” His parents, he said, complain that he’s always so sure of himself. “But the issues they bring up are issues that we’ve discussed ad nauseam. I mean, gay marriage? I’m very sure, very sure where the line is drawn. I’ve heard all the arguments on the other side and I don’t think any of them are ethically or legally plausible. So in those kinds of situations, I’m cocksure. There’s plenty of situations where I have to say, ‘I don’t know the law on that, I don’t know how to resolve that, let’s talk about it.’ We have those calls every week. All the lawyers get together and sometimes we go two or three hours, trying to figure out, where do you draw the line, what rule should apply in this situation? It’s important to do the right thing. And what is right is not always so obvious.” Walczak isn’t sure what his next big challenge will be. But, he said, “To be able to uncover injustice and then fix it is more rewarding than anything I can imagine.” One thing’s for sure, he’ll never run out of work. We’ll always need a champion. News and views for the Colgate community

scene: Winter 2015

Andrew Daddio

News and views for the Colgate community

2015 Alumni Council Election

The Nominations Committee of the Alumni Council has selected the following slate of alumni for election at Reunion 2015. The candidates, chosen from approximately 300 nominees, have strong records of varied Colgate volunteer service, a consistent history of giving financial support to Colgate, and meaningful personal or professional accomplishments or contributions to the greater community. Complete information about the election and challenge petition process, as well as full biographies of the nominees, are posted at colgate.edu/ 2015candidates. Paper copies are available by calling 315-228-7433, or by sending an e-mail to alumni@colgate.edu. Era I: Alden Doolittle ’67 Era II: Amr Nossier ’76 Era III: Debra Duarte ’81 Era IV: John Hayes ’88 Era V: Scott Hague ’96 Era VI: Christian Johnson ’02 Era VII: Kelechi Oguh ’08 RVP Metro I: Susie Becker Gould ’03 RVP New England: Kaela Mueller ’09 At-Large: Gregory Threatte ’69 At-Large: Bob Fenity ’06

The Office of Alumni Relations is pleased to offer many ways for alumni to stay in touch with each other, and with Colgate! E-mail me with questions or concerns at tmansfield@colgate. edu. — Tim Mansfield, associate vice president, institutional advancement and alumni relations Questions? Contact alumni relations: 315-228-7433 or alumni@colgate.edu.

scene: Winter 2015

Jin Lee

stay connected

Alumni programs, volunteer opportunities, career networking, and more

At the 9/11 Memorial Museum, a retaining wall of the original World Trade Center serves as a backdrop to the “Last Column,” which is covered with mementos, memorial inscriptions, and missing posters.

9/11 Memorial tour “Having been in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, I thought I had no need to be reminded of that horrible day by a museum,” said Allison Rosen ’82. “I was wrong.” Rosen was one of many alumni in the Club of New York City who experienced the new National September 11 Memorial Museum together in

November. Inside, they toured multiple exhibitions that tell the complex story of the rise and fall of the World Trade Center — and pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 people who died in the attacks of 1993 and 2001 (seven of whom were Colgate alumni). “The museum is powerful and overwhelming,” Rosen said. “If you can, go.”

Presidents’ Club celebrates 50th in D.C. The Presidents’ Club launched its yearlong 50th anniversary celebration Homecoming Weekend, and the commemoration continued in November, when members in the Presidents’ Club Washington, D.C., area gathered at the 50th Anniversary United States Institute for Peace. Together, they honored five decades of tradition, leadership, and impact — and had TRADITION the chance to hear from Sarah Deasy ’13, a LEADERSHIP former member of the NIH Study Group who IM PAC T is conducting breast cancer research as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute. “The generosity of the Colgate community has given so many students access to experiences that have shaped them personally and professionally, and allowed them to cultivate a desire to be part of something bigger than themselves,” Deasy told the crowd. “That type of learning begins on campus, but extends to the rest of our lives. “I hope that one day these opportunities will be open to any student, and the price tag that I worried about as I submitted my application back in 2008 will no longer have to be a concern. Now wouldn’t that be cool?” Since its founding in 1964, the Presidents’ Club (colgate.edu/presidentsclub) has grown its membership from 93 individuals to more than 3,600 alumni, parents, students, and friends — together, they have raised more than half a billion dollars throughout the decades. As hundreds of recent grads join the ranks, members also give their time, networking with students, providing advice, and offering internship opportunities.

By John Pumilio, director of sustainability I am still energized from my recent visit to Portland, Ore., with Steve Dickinson ’13, sustainability office program assistant, and Katie Williams ’15. We were in town for the annual higher education sustainability conference, AASHE 2014, where Katie and I presented on Colgate’s campus master plan and our institutional commitment to carbon neutrality by 2019. (More at colgate.edu/sustainability.) At the conference, we connected with other Colgate graduates who are doing incredible work in the field of sustainability: Lisa Cleckner ’86, director of the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges; Caitlin Steele ’01, director of sustainability and energy at San Francisco State University; Jessica Prata ’01, assistant vice president of environmental stewardship at Columbia University; and Adam Costello ’10, sustainability fellow to the SUNY Office of Sustainability and Research Foundation. Afterward, we met with the Club of Portland in a cozy downtown restaurant. A huge thank you to Richard Beck ’71 and Ginny Haines ’72 for all their work organizing the group. Of course, we discussed my favorite topic — sustainability! But I also heard fascinating personal stories of roads traveled since Colgate, including Richard’s impassioned work on the West Coast Electric Highway, a network of electric vehicle charging stations that run from Washington State to California. I returned from Portland feeling motivated and privileged that I have the opportunity to collaborate with so many incredible Colgate alumni. Thank

Steve Dickinson ’13 and Katie Williams ’15 check in at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education conference in Portland, Ore.

you to Laura Masse and Tim McEvoy ’13, assistant directors of alumni relations, for making this trip possible.

Alumni enjoy Snow in May On October 19, Kseniya Melnik ’04 visited Common Good Books in St. Paul, Minn., to read from her new book Snow in May, a series of fictional stories about life in her native Magadan, Russia. The Club of the Twin Cities, organized by club president and classmate Jeremy Striffler ’04, gave Melnik a warm welcome at the bookstore owned by Garrison Keillor.

iStock/chimpyk

Hitting the Oregon Trail

Read more about Colgate’s eight professional networks at colgate.edu/networks, and watch colgate.edu/alumni for events in your area.

the Dallas Chamber of Commerce. Another area business creator, Paula Andrea Gean, joined the lineup, and the conversation was moderated by Trey Bowles, a chair of Startup America Partnership: Texas. Nearly three dozen alumni and parents, as well as local admissions counselors and entrepreneurs, attended the panel discussion after a

networking reception and opening remarks by President Jeffrey Herbst. “It is a Dallas coming-out party for Colgate and its role in the emergent and transformative entrepreneurial sector,” Skerritt told the audience. “This is a sector that is shaping and reshaping industries and locales across this country, from central New York to North Texas.”

Author Kseniya Melnik ’04

Advent of the Atomic Bomb: a fusion of teaching and technology

Snow in May was released to rave reviews this year and appeared on the short list for the 2014 Dylan Thomas Award alongside books by Joshua Ferris and Eleanor Catton. To read more about Melnik’s premiere work, check out the Autumn 2014 Scene feature “You are Here” at colgate.edu/scene — just click “past issues.” To hear Melnik’s NPR Weekend Edition interview, visit kseniyamelnik.com.

Professor Karen Harpp met with members of the Chenango Valley Club on November 11 to talk about her plans to reprise her legendary Advent of the Atomic Bomb course. The legend grew last year when Harpp invited alumni to join the class from the comfort of their homes via ColgateX, the web-based teaching platform created through a partnership with EdX. During the spring 2015 semester, Harpp will once again capture the attention and imagination of alumni, parents, and students alike with dynamic conversations, hydrogen fireballs, and perhaps even another Twitter play — with students taking on the principal personas at the heart of the Manhattan Project. “The experience of actually sitting in the classes with students was especially rewarding,” said spring 2014 class member Art Steneri ’56. “It’s another way to be involved with Colgate on a number of different levels — online class discussions, contributing to thoughts about the course content, getting to work on a particular project. It can make you young again!” Learn how you can take a seat in the class at colgate.edu/atomic.

Entrepreneur Network starts up Dallas panel conversation Think of it as the domino effect of alumni club events. The Club of Dallas president, Devon Skerritt ’00, was sitting with Matt Himmelfarb ’02, Aaron Terwey ’06, and Robert Johnson ’94 at a Colgate Day happy hour last summer, mulling over ways to introduce his fellow Texan Raiders to the power of Colgate’s new professional networks. He looked around the table and made an important connection. Himmelfarb, Terwey, and Johnson each operate within the burgeoning Dallas start-up ecosystem — a perfect trio for an Entrepreneurship Professional Network panel. So, on November 10, the event was held at

News and views for the Colgate community

salmagundi

Slices Caption-contest champs

Arts and Letters

The names of seven Colgate departments were written out in lowercase letters and then converted into a visual code. In this code, all the consonants are green and all the vowels are gold. The shapes also indicate the heights of the letters — whether ascending, descending, or neither — as shown in the key at the bottom. Can you identify them? (See pg. 67 for the answers.)

Brass act

1 2 “Late one wintry afternoon, when the mercury was nudging an icy zero, five devoted and quite cool musicians set up by Taylor Lake.” So tells the 1959 Salmagundi spotlight on the Hi-Five jazz band led by Dexter Morrill ’60 (who later became a Colgate music professor). This photo was the cover of their first record, a 12-inch LP titled Dixieland Jazz by the Colgate Hi-Five. The group toured colleges in the northeast and even took a trip to Europe, playing nightclubs and the Brussels World’s Fair. Several Scene readers responded to our autumn “Slices” contest. Our favorite was from Bob White ’60:

3 4 5

“The Colgate Hi-Five, led by Dexter Morrill, was so hot that they had to get outside in January to cool off.”

Runners-up recollections:

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key

gjpq Puzzle by Puzzability

“With the Student Union and Taylor Lake playing backup, the Colgate Dixieland Five brought lively warmth to winter at the ’Gate. This group was a brilliant gem embedded in the 1950s modern jazz bracelet known as the Colgate Jazz Ensemble, also created and led by Dex Morrill.” — Bill Walling ’61, who played saxophone in the Colgate Jazz Ensemble “Hot jazz on a cold afternoon on the row.” — Frank Cook ’60 “Dexter Morrill was my adviser at Colgate. We spent a lot of time together at the electronic music studio and making audio recordings of music performances. I see him playing the trumpet and I presume he is the band leader! I don’t know the name of the band — I’ll leave that to the alumni of Dex’s era.” — Louis Quartararo ’79

scene: Winter 2015

Above: Students and staff members on the COVE 2014 Winter Alternative Break Trip showed their Colgate pride at Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park. During the two-week trip, the group traveled to St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, where they helped with a beautification project at Basseterre High School, painted nine classrooms at Dr. William Connor Primary School, and played with the children there every afternoon. Photo by Ashlee Eve â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14. Back Cover: In the wintertime, a moonlit Taylor Lake makes even the latest walk home from the library worth the cold trek. Photo by Andrew Daddio

News and views for the Colgate community

scene: Colgate University

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