Work & Play

Reliving the liberal arts at Summer on the Hill
Leaving behind jobs, bills, and Glee reruns, 47 Colgate alumni, parents, and friends returned to the Chenango Valley in June for Summer on the Hill. This year marked the second edition of the increasingly popular program, which provides the chance to relive the liberal arts experience. Attendees chose from a menu of courses in the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

photo by Heather Ainsworth
    “I used neuro-connectors that may have been dormant for 30 years,” said Jane Porter ’74. “I loved the class participation, and learned so much from the other alumni and friends.”
    When Porter and her classmates weren’t proving that they’d done their homework, they were enjoying electives like yoga, rock climbing, strength conditioning, and Zumba. A special night of Colgate-style trivia at the Colgate Inn, an improv comedy performance at the Palace Theater, and a unique conversation about African politics with President Jeffrey Herbst rounded out the schedule.
    Faculty have lined up for the opportunity to participate by retooling their traditional courses for this veteran audience.
    “Working with people who have a lot of experience and have done a lot of things, we’re not so much the teachers anymore,” said philosophy professor David McCabe. “We’re co-discussants with smart, thoughtful people. I benefit from those conversations, and I look forward to them.”
    Summer on the Hill will return in 2012.

Board of Trustees elects new leadership
Two accomplished alumni have been selected to lead Colgate’s Board of Trustees. Denis F. Cronin ’69 was elected chair, and Robert A. Kindler ’76 was named vice chair during the group’s June meeting. Cronin succeeds J. Christopher Clifford ’67, and Kindler follows Margaret A. Flanagan ’80.
    “Our university is operating from a position of strength, thanks to the efforts of outstanding leaders like Chris Clifford and Peg Flanagan,” said Cronin. “We must continue that advancement, highlight the teaching and research excellence of our professors, and expand access to the Colgate experience.”
    Cronin received a Maroon Citation and the Wm. Brian Little ’64 Award for Distinguished Service while compiling a lengthy record of alumni volunteerism and support for Colgate. He chaired the silent phase of the Passion for the Climb campaign, was a member of the search committee that hired Jeffrey Herbst as Colgate’s 16th president, spent two years on the Alumni Council, and was a member of the Parents’ Steering Committee of the Society of Families — a position also held by his wife, Linda. He served on the Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2008 and was re-elected last April.
    While a student, Cronin earned his bachelor’s degree in history, was the captain of the varsity basketball team, and was selected for Konosioni honor society membership. He is a former senior partner, now Of Counsel, to the law firm of Vinson & Elkins in New York City. He is also a trustee and past-president of the Fordham Law School Alumni Association. Read a “Get to know” conversation with Cronin here.
    Kindler, global head of mergers and acquisitions and vice chairman of Morgan Stanley, and former partner at the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, has been a member of Colgate’s Board of Trustees since 2002, serving as a member of the board’s executive committee and in a number of other leadership capacities.
    Like Cronin, Kindler is a Maroon Citation and Wm. Brian Little award recipient. He is a former Konosioni member as well, and his undergraduate degree came from the Department of English, magna cum laude.
    Kindler went on to earn his law degree from the New York University School of Law, where he is a trustee. Read a “Get to know” interview with him in the spring 2010 Scene.
    Both Kindler and Cronin are rooted in the Colgate community, not only through their own experiences, but also through those of their children. Kindler is the father of Emily ’04, William ’08, and Dylan ’12; Cronin is the father of Denis ’09 and Megan ’10.
    “It will be a privilege to work with each of the board’s 35 alumni and parent members because they all strive to help Colgate offer one of the best liberal arts programs anywhere,” said Kindler.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand stresses sciences in visit
Shortly after announcing her agenda that she hopes will focus New York State’s manufacturing efforts on clean energy and technology, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) stopped at Colgate on July 5 to talk to youths about their critical roles in science.
    “We can beat our competitors in the race to green energy, and I think all of you will be part of that race because those are issues you care about,” she told a roomful of teenagers who had just arrived for Colgate’s Science and Sports Camp. The senator’s “Made in America” Block Grant Program Act has been designed to support clean energy technology in an effort to retool struggling manufacturers and aid the state’s economy.


U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand with Colgate geologist Bruce Selleck (photo by Heather Ainsworth)

    “We want to teach people your age to care about math and science because that’s the future,” she told the teens. “The future for New York is in high tech, biotech, nanotech, energy tech, clean tech, all these growing industries — that’s how we’re going to replace the old manufacturing jobs that we lost.”
    Prior to meeting with the campers, Gillibrand toured the Ho Science Center and met with faculty. In the Linsley Geology Museum, geology professor Bruce Selleck talked about Colgate students’ research and pointed out museum treasures like a whale jawbone found in upstate New York. Then, physics and astronomy professor Beth Parks showed the senator a mini-solar car that was one of the projects that camp students would be working on.
    Over the next two weeks, the adolescents — who came from as nearby as Utica and as far away as Chicago — delved into scientific research and a variety of sports.     
    Gillibrand answered questions from the campers about her favorite presidents, the challenges in representing New York State, and how she first became interested in politics.
    Having just been featured in the New York Times for her campaign to get more women involved in politics, Gillibrand also talked about being inspired by her grandmother, a secretary in the state legislature who rallied other women to get politically involved. “It taught me an important life lesson that grassroots activism matters, that women’s voices matter, that you should care about who represents you … and I always wanted to serve because of it,” she said.

Zipcar program revs up
“Insight Ivana” and “Fountain Focus” rolled onto campus in September as part of the Zipcar car-sharing program that the Student Government Association (SGA) has brought to Colgate. Zipcar is an international program that provides an alternative to owning and renting a car in cities and on college campuses. Colgate received a 2011 Honda Insight Hybrid and a 2012 Ford Focus — both Smart Way fuel-efficient vehicles.
    Alex Restrepo ’12, who spearheaded the initiative for the SGA, explained that Zipcar will help improve Colgate’s growing sustainability efforts by reducing the overall number of vehicles on campus; approximately 15-20 personally owned vehicles are expected to be eliminated from campus roads through use of the program. Another perk is to provide a way for students to explore the surrounding area, and to improve mobility for one-car families on the staff and faculty.
    To sign up with Zipcar, a student, staff member, or faculty member completes a short online form. Any student age 18 and over can take part. Members age 18-20 can use the two Zipcars that are on campus. Members age 21 and over also have access to thousands of Zipcars around the world.
    On a sunny Tuesday afternoon in early September, Restrepo handed out information to numerous students who signed up for the program at the O’Connor Campus Center. Initial student opinion about the program was positive.
    “Zipcars are great for campus because they allow transportation for those who can’t bring cars to campus,” said James Speight ’14.
Village Green


When the Scene called Ben Barrett to learn more about what’s been fueling Hamilton’s summer weekly car show, he was in the middle of sanding his 1931 Model A Ford. The car show organizer (who also owns a 1951 Ford pickup) started running the Tuesday-evening event with his wife four years ago. From the Tuesday before Memorial Day to the Tuesday after Labor Day, approximately 25 to 35 cars, trucks, and even tractors line Broad Street, which is blocked off for the event. “Anybody in the area who’s got a classic, antique, or muscle car” stops to pop their hoods, Barrett explained. “We get an eclectic mix,” he said, noting that the most unique vehicles he’s seen around the Village Green have been an antique John Deere tractor, a Reo from the early 1900s, and a 1930s sprint car. The auto expo has also been a good way to ignite business downtown, according to Barrett. “It’s brought in a lot of spectators,” he said.


(photo by Andrew Daddio)

    Adolescents from central New York and beyond learned the basics from A(ngles) to Z(oom) during the Youth Film/Video Workshop hosted by the Hamilton Movie Theater from July 11 to 15. Geared toward beginners, the workshops were led by Henry O’Connell, Dennis Kiely, and Kenny MacBain, all graduates of film and broadcast programs at Oswego State University. The trio taught film and video techniques, language, and processes to 18 youths (ages 11 to 16), who gained hands-on experience in conceptualizing, writing, recording, editing, and finalizing short film videos. Each group of students produced a short film that was featured at the Hamilton International Film Festival during the first weekend in August.
    People were levitated, items disappeared, and objects changed color — all during the Science of Magic event held at the Hamilton Public Library. Jeff Boyer, a.k.a. “the Amazing Mr. Snide,” performed illusions related to sound, light, solar power, and electric and kinetic energy. The event was part of the library’s summer reading program that invites guest speakers and performers every Wednesday in July to provide educational entertainment for the whole family.
    Parry’s, the staple shopping destination for students’ dorm and apartment supplies, has moved to the old Grand Union building on Route 12B. The new location gives Hamilton’s “modern-day general store” additional space for its wares.

University marks 10th anniversary of 9/11
Across Colgate’s campus on September 11, in private discussions held in dorm rooms to comments shared in community spaces, the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks was marked. Echoing the themes of remembrance and sacrifice that resonated around the nation and the world, students, faculty, and staff members took part in several events.
    A non-denominational memorial service was held at Memorial Chapel, and an afternoon of community service took place on campus. RSVP of Madison County, which matches adults age 55 and older with local volunteer opportunities, joined Colgate students in writing letters to an “adopted” platoon stationed in Afghanistan.
    The ALANA Cultural Center hosted an interfaith community dinner. English professor Jane Pinchin, who was serving as Colgate’s interim president at the time of the 2001 attacks, spoke about her recollections of the tragic day and its aftermath. She recalled how staff members searched lists of alumni to determine who was missing, and who might be dead. The number of deceased reached seven, and Pinchin said their names are now forever part of Colgate history: Sharon Balkcom ’80, Nestor Cintron ’96, Scott Coleman ’94, Edward Porter Felt ’81, Aaron J. Jacobs ’96, Todd Pelino ’89, and David Retik ’90.
    The alumni were among the 2,977 people killed in the attacks. An untold number were, and still are, deeply affected by the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. And so it was at Colgate, and at venues across the world, a day to remember and a day to renew the vow, “To never forget.”

Community mourns loss, celebrates life of student
Tears, smiles, and poignant remembrances merged on Saturday, September 10, to mark the passing of a Colgate student whose deep love of life, fun, and occasional “chaos” left an indelible mark on campus. Victor Krivitski ’12 died August 22 after an eight-month fight with cancer.

(photo by Ashlee Eve ’14)

    Krivitski was a geology major, rugby player, member of the Colgate Geological Society, WRCU radio host, and recruitment chair of Phi Delta Theta. The 21-year-old was from Cape May Court House, N.J.
    In September, hundreds of members of the Colgate community attended what was called Victor Krivitski Family Fun Day at the rugby pitch. Krivitski’s life was celebrated during a ceremony held between the men’s and women’s rugby games and throughout the afternoon, with a barbecue, a bounce house for children, and other activities.
    “His life was filled with happiness and joy and fun, and that’s exactly what the day succeeded in representing,” said Michael Schon ’12, co-organizer of the day and Krivitski’s close friend.
    A memorial service was held later in the day at Memorial Chapel, where it was standing-room only. In his eulogy, Schon noted his friend’s capacity for life. “Vic was driven by a pure, unadulterated love of life and a profound passion to live it beyond its normal boundaries. You could also rest assured that, ultimately, in some unexpected way, something good would come of the chaos he was inciting.”
    Schon said that, although the service was at times overwhelming and sad, it also was marked by an immense display of compassion and caring. “Everyone wore bright colors to celebrate Victor’s colorful and joyous life,” he said. “It was an amazing and inspiring show of unity by the Colgate community.”
    In addition to his Colgate activities, Krivitski worked summers as a whitewater rafting guide on the Arkansas River in Colorado. He enjoyed hiking and rock climbing in the Adirondack Mountains, Colorado, and New Hampshire, and he was a fan of scuba diving, camping, and riding his motorcycle.




Views from the hill

What’s your favorite thing to do at Colgate in the fall?

“I’m captain of the men’s rowing team, so my favorite thing is our biggest race, which is the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. It’s an international regatta — last year there were boats from New Zealand and China.
    “Also, I’m a deacon for the university church, so in October, we always do a big pumpkin picking and hayride in Cazenovia to get to know some of the first-years who are interested in church.”
— Rob Bickhart ’12, geology major from Villanova, Pa.

“A few of my friends and I are planning an ‘explore the county’ drive to see what we can find. I’m in a sorority — I’m a Tri Delta — and we went apple picking with our new members … it was such a gorgeous drive, so we talked about how much fun it would be to just explore the area.”
— Rebecca Silberman ’13, biology major from Somers, N.Y.

“There’s nothing I like doing more on an autumn day than to walk down Willow Path toward town. I’ll then kill an hour or two doing little things: running errands, stopping for coffee at the Barge Canal, a slice of pizza from Slices, and so on. Hamilton has some local businesses that I’ve grown to love, and in the fall, when the leaves turn orange, it sure is beautiful.”
— Christopher Esposito ’14, economics major from Santa Cruz, Calif.

Back on campus

Alumni help students turn thought into action
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” In quoting Theodore Roosevelt, Andy Greenfield ’74 charged the students taking part in this year’s Thought Into Action (TIA) Institute to have resilience and courage as they began their entrepreneurial adventures.
    Now in its third year, TIA is a monthly seminar on campus in which alumni serve as mentors to students who spend an academic year turning their business ideas into reality. Greenfield coordinates the program with Bob Gold ’80 and Wills Hapworth ’07. Since it began in fall 2009, TIA has ramped up its momentum — from Greenfield mentoring eight students in the first year, to now more than 20 alumni mentoring 53-plus students.
    “The interest from alumni entrepreneurs has been nothing short of staggering,” Greenfield emphasized.
    At the first class, on September 3, in addition to the three co-founders, the following came to lend their expertise and guidance: Jason Griswold ’97, Robert Johnson ’94, Kristine Michelsen-Correa ’07, Tim O’Neill ’78, Lynn Plant ’77, Jane Porter ’74, Matt Seconi ’09, Read Wall ’09, Dick Weiss ’73, and Zach Zaro ’07. These alumni have found success in such diverse fields as software (Johnson), textiles (Porter), and journalism (Weiss).
    Students’ projects are also wide ranging, from nonprofit ideas — like Kenya BioGas, an effort to install biogas plants in a Kenyan village in order to convert waste to high-energy methane — to for-profit ventures and campus-enrichment projects — such as Notebrush, an online student museum that creates an interactive artists’ community.
    Each class begins with a lesson on different aspects of entrepreneurship; the first focused on developing a personal brand and problem solving. After a group discussion, the class breaks up into smaller teams of 10 to 12 students, led by 2 to 3 mentors, to drill down on individual projects. Problems are hashed out and new goals are set by the end of every class.
    “What’s amazing is that we’ll start to see that the students have real entrepreneurial reflexes as well,” said Hapworth. “While we try to mentor and point them in the right direction, we first let the students sort out the situation and get input from others in the room. We want them to be the first ones to provide insight.”
    To learn more, including how to become a mentor for TIA students, visit www.tiainstitute.com.

Go figure –
The Colgate Scene

This is the 13th issue since the Scene became a four-color magazine in autumn 2008 — how could we not celebrate with some fun facts on what’s gone into those 13 issues?

1,395 photographs

21 “Colgate Seen” photos (see Alumni Spotlights for this issue’s selections)

197 alumni profiled

115 alumni-authored books spotlighted

64 Colgate couple weddings announced

529 births and adoptions announced

0.100.65.47 CMYK makeup of Colgate maroon ink

59,403 average words in class news
 
77 class editors

1909 oldest class represented in class news in the Colgate Scene’s original 13th issue (February 1974)

How are we doing in telling the Colgate story? Keep an eye on your e-mail inbox: in the coming weeks, you may be randomly selected for our reader survey. Or, you can always send feedback to scene@colgate.edu.