4 minute read
President’s Message
City and College rise together
On Feb. 20, 2018, I was introduced as Union’s 19th president. I asked that my schedule include a meeting with Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy. When we sat down, I suspected Mayor McCarthy may be wondering why I was there. I told him simply that Union and Schenectady can either be balloons or weights on one another. Given our physical proximity, it’s hard to imagine a neutral relationship, so I wanted to work with him and others to ensure that our fortunes would rise together.
And rise, they are. If one word could describe Schenectady today, it would be “excitement.” You can read about it in this issue.
Just a short walk from campus we have a major performance venue with Broadway shows (Proctors); a pedestrian mall (Jay Street) with a bookstore, coffee shops, restaurants and clothing boutiques; Mohawk Harbor with a concert venue, casino, boat rentals, shops, offices, restaurants and luxury housing. Lower State Street is bustling with shoppers, diners and theater goers.
As many alumni will attest, the city wasn’t always this way. Like many cities in the northeast, Schenectady was affected by corporate downsizing. Once known as “the City that Lights and Hauls the World,” Schenectady by the early 90s had suffered a steep population decline that left a wake of urban blight with vacant homes and businesses, drugs and corruption.
We can be proud that the push to revitalize the city began largely right here on campus. My predecessor, Roger Hull, teamed with trustee Neil Golub to form Schenectady 2000 and set about improving the look of the city and raising morale. The College hosted fundraisers. Students pitched in each year before the start of classes to clean parks, remove graffiti and plant trees and flowers. That event became the annual John Calvin Toll Day.
Union also invested in the community. In College Park, the neighborhood west of campus, Union renovated dozens of homes for student housing and converted a deteriorating hotel into a popular dorm and conference center (College Park Hall).
Integrating Union into the fabric of the Schenectady community is a priority in our Strategic Plan. We have created immersive experiences beginning with first-year orientation to introduce students to the city. The annual Taste Walk brings students to area restaurants to sample their offerings. Student Activities sponsors dozens of events at area businesses, parks and farms. The Ralph and Marjorie Kenney Community Center is a lively hub of community outreach where students get involved with everything from the Science and Technology Entry Program to after-school mentoring to volunteer tax prep assistance for our neighbors.
To help facilitate broad and deep connections between Union and the surrounding communities, we have a dedicated staff position for community relations.
Each year, our students, faculty and staff take advantage of all that Schenectady offers. They enjoy the best Italian, Pakistani and Caribbean food. They catch the latest movies at Bow Tie Cinema or see Broadway shows at Proctors. They get fresh vegetables and kettle corn at the Greenmarket. They indulge at our local bakeries. Our students find internships with local businesses, government and non-profits.
But they do something else. They get involved and make a difference. For all the visible improvements in Schenectady, and there are many, the city still has ample opportunities for students, faculty and staff to enjoy the rewards of working in service to others. For our students, engaging with people in the local community forces them to challenge their assumptions and develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others.
Mike Saccocio ‘84, executive director of City Mission, talks about the students from teams and Greek organizations who come to serve those in need. Will Rivas at COCOA House, a mentoring program founded by Rachel Graham Summer ’98, talks about the Union students who help youngsters aspire to a college education. (It is worth noting that Josh Kozack ’22, a senior forward on men’s hockey, received the Hockey Humanitarian Award for his work with COCOA House. See p. 15.)
The College and the city are not only linked by history. We each thrive as the other succeeds. That the College and its people can play a continuing role in Schenectady’s revival makes us a stronger institution of learning.
When you come back to campus for your next visit, I hope you’ll set aside some time to enjoy the excitement of the new Schenectady. I hope you’ll also appreciate what Schenectady’s success means to Union, and vice versa.
