Packers president shares life experiences with graduates
Life, it turns out, isn’t always what it is cracked up to be, even for the president of one of the most well-known franchises in the history of professional sports. Mark H. Murphy ’77, president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, said that in addition to making sure that MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers is happy, he needs to keep happy the thousands of shareholders who own the NFL team. Take Patrick, from California, who wrote a letter to him that said: “I’ve been to Lambeau Field three times in the last four years. On December 5th, I did have some issues come up that I wasn’t very happy with, and thought that I would let you know. The concession stand outside Section 123 ran out of bratwursts in the third quarter. How can they be out of brats at a Green Bay Packer game in Wisconsin? I look forward to working with you.”

Commencement speaker Mark Murphy ’77 dons a cheesehead, the headwear made famous by Green Bay Packers fans, as he concludes his remarks. (Photo by Andrew Daddio)

    That anecdote was one of several Murphy shared with members of the Class of 2012 and their families and friends who gathered in Sanford Field House for Colgate’s 191st commencement. The class’s graduation rate of 89.7 percent was the highest in recent decades.
    After his stint as captain of the Raiders football team, Murphy played eight seasons with the Washington Redskins, and is believed to be the first person to earn a Super Bowl ring as both a player and a team chief executive. In addition to serving as assistant executive director of the NFL Players Association and trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, he was athletics director at Colgate and at Northwestern University before joining the Packers in 2007.
    Donning a cheesehead — made famous by Packers fans around the country — Murphy talked about all that Colgate has given him: the invaluable education, lasting friendships (he met his wife, Laurie, on campus), and a job that changed his career path.
    In his concluding remarks, Murphy wished the men’s lacrosse team good luck as they prepared to play Duke in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament that afternoon [sadly, they lost]. Because they were missing their graduation ceremony on campus, nine seniors on the team received their diplomas during a special ceremony overseen by Board of Trustees member Gus Coldebella ’91 the previous day.
    Check out more coverage of commencement weekend at colgate.edu.

Seniors get ready to take part in Colgate’s 191st commencement exercises. (Photo by Andrew Daddio)

Honoris causa
In addition to speaker Mark H. Murphy ’77, the following were given honorary degrees at commencement:
    • Eboo Patel, founder and executive director of Interfaith Youth Core and a member of President Obama’s Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. This year’s baccalaureate speaker, Patel first visited Colgate last October to talk about his life and work, including his memoir Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation, which was the first-year reading for the Colgate Class of 2015.
    • Nancy Cantor, 11th chancellor and president of Syracuse University. Cantor has been an advocate for the status of women in the academy, racial justice and diversity, and the role of universities in serving the public good.
    • Robert Darnton, scholar of French cultural history and pioneer in the field of the history of the book. A recipient of the National Humanities Medal in 2011, Darnton is Harvard’s Carl H. Pforzheimer University Professor, director of the Harvard library, and founder of the Gutenberg-e electronic publishing program.
    • Francesca Zambello ’78, world-renowned director of innovative opera and theater productions. Zambello is general and artistic director of the Glimmerglass Festival and artistic advisor to the Washington National Opera.

Commemorating Krivitski
Vic Krivitski ’12, whom friends and family remember as being larger than life, was honored twofold during commencement weekend.
    Krivitski lost an eight-month battle with cancer in August 2011. But he lives on in the Victor Krivitski ’12 Memorial Scholarship Fund, created under the leadership of the Senior Class Gift Committee. In addition to the fund, at the awards convocation in May,  Krivitski was commemorated with this year’s 1819 Award, which is given annually to one senior “whose character, scholarship, sportsmanship, and service to others best exemplify the spirit that is Colgate.” His parents, Victor and Roxane, came to the stage on his behalf.
    In just five semesters at Colgate, Krivitski left an indelible mark. The 21-year-old was a geology major, rugby player, member of the Geological Society, a WRCU radio host, and recruitment chair of Phi Delta Theta.
    President Jeffrey Herbst quoted a faculty member who knew Krivitski well: “He showed us how to face our own destinies with an outstretched hand — inviting us to not be afraid of the inevitable, but rather, to embrace every moment with a contagious sense of humor and deep gratitude.”
    Krivitski was also given an honorary, posthumous bachelor of arts degree.
    Thanks to 680 gifts to the Krivitski fund, the Class of 2012 set a new senior class gift participation record of 95 percent. A total of 1,318 students, alumni, parents, and friends invested in the scholarship, which now holds more than $96,000.

Richard Branson launches Entrepreneur Weekend
Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson kicked off Entrepreneur Weekend on Colgate Day, Friday, April 13. His presentation, which was part of the fifth annual Kerschner Family Series Global Leaders at Colgate, launched the weekend tribute to the business acumen of Colgate students, alumni, and parents, and the translatable skills of a liberal arts education.

Sir Richard Branson (photo by Janna Minehart ’13)

    In a nod to Branson’s roots in the recording industry, members of the student rap group Swagged Up Squad warmed up the crowd of more than 4,000 in Sanford Field House. The music continued as a flash mob emerged and escorted Branson, wearing a Raiders jersey, to the stage.
    What followed was a wide-ranging conversation between President Jeffrey Herbst and Branson, covering Branson’s philosophy of business, roots in entrepreneurialism, and vision for the future of his company.
    “Most businesses specialize in one area,” Branson told the audience. “Virgin has 400 companies, and we’re more of a way-of-life brand.” It started with a record company, founded because Branson heard a tape and thought it was brilliant. He wanted it to be heard. Virgin Airlines was born after Branson was bumped from a commercial flight. “I’ve gone through life and been frustrated with experiences,” he said. “I thought, ‘We can do it better; let’s give it a go.’” The same spirit that has turned Virgin into a commercial success is also driving Branson’s nonprofit efforts.
    While on campus, Branson met with members of Colgate’s Thought Into Action Institute, the Entrepreneurs Club, and the Benton Scholars. Asked his opinion on the biggest mistake one could make in starting a business, Branson cautioned against pursuing dollars: “Embark on something you can sing about.”

Awarding innovation
Before Sir Richard Branson took to the stage on April 13, President Jeffrey Herbst talked of entrepreneurial ideas and technology, and how important it is to try new things in order to prepare for the future. He then announced the winners of the Innovation Awards — cash prizes for ideas that would use technology and social media to improve the student experience either on campus, during the admission process, or after graduation. The winners are:
    Maroon: Srikar Gullapalli ’13, Brian Lemanski ’14, and James Zhang ’13, “More than 13 Reasons: A Visual Search Engine” (share a $1,000 prize)
    Silver: Christopher Crane ’12 and Andrew Greene ’12, “Colgate Research Connect” (share $500 prize)
    Bronze: Lisa Lee ’12 and Stephen Trostle ’13, “CommuniGate: Connecting Incoming Students with the Colgate Community”; Isaac Lee ’13, “The Colgate App” (each team shares a $250 prize)

Student triples support for nonprofit
For Maggie Dunne ’13, one good deed yields another, and another, and another. As winner of the 2012 grand prize in Glamour magazine’s Top 10 College Women Competition, she received $20,000 for the work she has accomplished through her nonprofit Lakota Pine Ridge Children’s Enrichment Project. She decided to donate the prize to her organization, and leverage its prestige to raise even more money.
    Opportunity landed a few weeks later, when Sir Richard Branson visited Colgate. During the Q&A session, Dunne boldly introduced herself and asked how she might use her Glamour prize money to motivate humanitarian celebrities to donate to her cause. She held up the oversized check she “happened” to have brought.
    To Dunne’s amazement, and that of everyone in the room, Branson agreed to match Glamour’s $20,000 award through his nonprofit Virgin Unite, provided she could secure another $20,000 from a certain prominent Colgate alumnus, who wishes to remain anonymous. So Dunne steeled herself for another big ask.
    Now, with two CEO donations and the Glamour prize in hand, Dunne’s recent awards total $60,000. To sustain the momentum, she has added a donation link to her website and hopes to raise another $20,000 from the community at large.
    “She has made a difference in the lives of thousands of Lakota children and deserves a chance to do more,” said Branson. “It is my pleasure to support her work.”
    Dunne met the children of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota while on a volunteer trip during high school in Scarsdale, N.Y. She started small, with a local coat drive and modest fundraising, and today her organization has distributed more than $100,000 worth of coats, boots, and books to members of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe who live there.
    At Colgate, Dunne found many students who wanted to get involved. Through the Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education (COVE), she held campus fundraisers and started a summer camp on the reservation. Through the university’s Thought Into Action Institute, she received advice from successful alumni who teach students to create jobs for themselves through entrepreneurial means.
    Dunne’s experience reaches beyond Native American populations. She has spent summers in Bangladesh, learning the language and working with Grameen Bank, the microfinance organization that gives small loans to the poor. In 2011, she received the Newman Civic Fellowship for “promising college student leaders who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country.”
    Follow Dunne’s progress at: http://www.razoo.com/story/Lakota-Childrens-Enrichment.

The art of conversation: Students are invited to share suggestions for Frank Dining Hall through comment cards. Dining Services then writes responses on them before posting them in the entryway. The artistic submissions of one former student, known by the alias “Russell, Senior Wilderness Explorer,” have given both the wall and the conversation an element of color. (Photo by Andrew Daddio)

Hangover-free fun
“College is short. Remember your nights.” So reads the poster for Late ’Gate, hanging in the Center for Leadership and Student Involvement. Late ’Gate is a student-led organization that “offers fun nighttime activities not centered on alcohol and other drugs.”
    This past semester, Late ’Gate put on a series of events, some new and others tried and true. Among their regular offerings are two held at Huntington Gym: the popular “Late-Skate” roller-skating and “Late Night at the Climbing Wall.” In addition, Late ’Gate events help celebrate the holidays. For Valentine’s Day, their “Stuff-A-Bear in the Coop” was like Colgate’s own “Build-A-Bear” but better: the stuffed animals were all free to assemble. When they closed up shop, all that remained was a box of wispy stuffing.
    All of the events start after 8 p.m., and, because anything “free” is a college student’s dream, they are well attended by students from all different corners of campus.
    Late ’Gate members also work with other groups on campus to co-sponsor activities. For example, when The Game’s Afoot — a student group that organizes gatherings to play board, video, and card games — hosted an event with support from Late ’Gate, it became the most well-attended in their history.
    During this year’s Spring Party Weekend, an event often associated with excessive drinking, Late ’Gate partnered with Sisters of the Round Table (SORT) to host two alcohol-free dance parties. “#$$& It! Let’s Dance!” at La Casa and “Insomnia” at the Hall of Presidents focused on eclectic music and provided an inclusive environment for students. The parties, lasting until the wee hours of the morning, were bumping with rap and hip-hop favorites. “Insomnia,” and its music from a DJ hired by SORT, inspired circles of break-dancing, something not usually seen on Colgate’s campus.
     “I stayed so late, I’m still making up my sleep two days later, but it was totally worth it,” said Jenny Uribe ’13.
— Katie Rice ’13

Village Green Erected by the American Legion Post 375 in September 2006, the Hamilton-Area Veterans’ Memorial commemorates those who have served in the nation’s military forces. Personalized brick pavers inscribed with veterans’ service information — name, service location, rank, military branch, and honors — constitute the walkway ringing the central memorial column. Six stone benches, one for each branch of the military, flank the perimeter of the plaza. (photo by Andrew Daddio)     Veterans or families of veterans can buy brick pavers in two sizes: 4" x 8" for $50 and 8" x 8" for $100. Chuck Wittig ’45 and Hal Heim ’45, who both served in World War II, were inspired to purchase bricks following their 65th Reunion. Recalling the fateful day that Pearl Harbor was bombed, Wittig said, “Within a few days, our whole class signed up for some branch of the service. Patriotism was at its highest.”     Order forms are available online at www.villageofhamiltonny.org or by calling 315-824-1111.     Fun took flight during this year’s Father’s Day Fly-In Pancake Breakfast at the Mid-York Business Airpark. Exciting activities included helicopter rides, a hot air balloon walk, and a classic car show.     In mid-July at the second annual Instrument Petting Zoo on the Village Green, children had the chance to become acquainted with a vast array of musical instruments, from an accordion to a didgeridoo. Also for the youngsters, the Kids’ Circus Workshop put on a classic three-ring show (minus the tigers and elephants) at the Earlville Opera House on August 3. Children who participated performed their newly acquired skills — clowning, tightrope walking, and juggling.     Featuring an ever-changing assortment of goods, garments, art, and delicacies produced by Colgate alumni entrepreneurs and artisans, Gate-Made is a new rotating display at the Colgate Bookstore. The commencement and reunion crowds checked out inspirational Quotable Cards by Matt Fernandes-Vogel ’92 and Gillian Simon ’92; paintings and prints of iconic Colgate campus scenes and student activities by Don Rith ’56; and the “Tumbalina” line of handcrafted greeting cards by Oak Atkinson ’87. See what’s new next time you’re in the bookstore’s first-floor gift wing.

Feeling like a kid at Sidekicks carnival
Energetic children dashed around Huntington Gymnasium, eager to explore an inflatable obstacle course, join potato-sack races, and play basketball during the annual Sidekicks carnival in April. The musical stylings of the Swinging ’Gates and Pep Band welcomed local children, Colgate students, and the public to the fun.

Suzanne Collier ’12 with her “sidekick” Clara (photo by Natalie Sportelli ’15)

    For more than a decade, students have been mentoring Hamilton Central School children through the Sidekicks program, organized through the Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education (COVE). Representatives from several campus groups — some who participate in the Sidekicks program and others who just wanted to help make the event special — set up tables around the gym. Each club offered a creative project, from mask making with the Italian Club, to face painting with the sisters of Delta Delta Delta and Kappa Kappa Gamma, to creating cornhusk dolls with the Native American Student Association.
    This past year, more than 35 students mentored Hamilton children ranging from 6 to 13 years old. “Sidekicks is a great way to connect with the community and balance my college life,” said Kapua Aiu-Yasuhara ’15. “And when I hang out with my sidekick, I feel young again!”
    Although students are only required to commit to the program for two semesters, they oftentimes forge lasting friendships with their “sidekicks” and mentor them for their entire four years on campus. That was true for Suzanne Collier ’12, whose relationship with 11-year-old Clara blossomed over time.
    “I have loved becoming close to her and her family,” Collier said. “I have really enjoyed spending birthdays and Hanukkah with them.”
    Clara piped up, “I think she always lets me win when we play dreidel.”
    Even when Collier spent a semester abroad, she corresponded with Clara through postcards and letters. In anticipation of Collier’s graduation, the friends promised to write to each other and maintain their close bond.
— Natalie Sportelli ’15