Fall 2007 Potsdam People

The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of the State University of New York at Potsdam

P E O P L EFall 2007 Vol.2 | No.1

a NaturaL rEactiON 9

WizKiDs 15

PUTTING SOME MUSCLE bEhINd

GOING GREEN

w w w. p o t s d a m . e d u / f u n d f o r p o t s d a m

You go green! While green may not be an official SUNY Potsdam school color, it’s the environ-mental avenue that Potsdam continues to take under the leadership of George C. Arnold, food services director for the campus and proud Potsdam alum, Class of ’92.

“We’re not a green campus, but we’re working in that direction,” says Arnold. Used fat-free frying oil is donated to a farm for use as bio fuel, while vegetable scraps are donated to farmers to use as com-post instead of being thrown away. Last year alone, PACES purchased more than $100,000 in the local growers economy, but Arnold hopes the biggest impact will be realized by students who are experiencing the richness of eating locally. “If the rest of their lives they buy local food, then that’s big.”

GeorGe Arnoldsnapshot

w w w . p o t s d a m . e d u / p e o p l e 1

fall

On the cover:

Tatoo artist Ethan Henry of

Ogdensburg, NY, generously

donated his time and effort

for the faux-tattoo artwork on

Potsdam junior, Juan Valerio.

He currently works at Hard Luck

Tattoo in Syracuse and will be

spending the next four weeks

touring with his band, Freya

in Germany, Scotland, Czech

Republic, Italy and many other

European destinations.

Profiles

Jamie Szafran ’08Music Education + Computer Science =

Star Gazing for NASA

Philip Klein ’51Educator, Entertainer, Storyteller, Pianist

with Spontaneous Style

Nancy RehseKeeping Connections as Emeriti

Amy Kellogg ’99On the Fast Track to Remarkable

DepartmentsNews & Notes 3Class Notes 21In Their Own Words 27Alumni 28 Calendar of Events 29

WizKids

Putting muscle behind going green: Potsdam students prepare for environmental leadership through activism and unique curricula

T4P2: Tomorrow’s Professionals Teaching Today’s Professionals about Technology

a Natural reaction

POtsDam PEOPLE is iN thE GrEEN!Environmental accountability is something SUNY Potsdam takes seriously and every choice matters. Potsdam People is printed on Fsc certified paper and uses soy inks in its production. Soy inks are: more environmentally friendly, they improve the life span of the printers and makes it easier to recycle paper.

13

9

PotSdAm PEoPLE StAff AN d CoNtr I bUtorS

EDiToR

deborah dudley, director of marketing and Communications

Sherry (Allen) Paradis ’00, director of Alumni relations

WRiTER /EDiToR

deidre Kelly, media relations manager

ryan deuel, Communications and Government relations Coordinator

WEb MANAgER

mindy Collins, director of Web Communications

CoNTRi bUToRS

Christa Carroll, director of the fund for Potsdam

Nancy Griffin, development officer

boyd Jones ’95, Sports Information director

Jason Ladouceur ’94, Associate Vice President for College Advancement

mona ouimet Vroman ’85, development officer

donna Planty, Publications Associate

Laurie (balles) Simpson ’97, director of donor relations

Vicki templeton-Cornell, Vice President for College Advancement

DESigN & ART Di RECTioN

Jessica rood, director of Publications

PHoTogRAPHY

Principle Photography: Kathryn deuel

FAll 2007 Vol . 2 | No. 1a conversation with Debbie hind ’75, President of the alumni Board, and President John F. schwaller.

august 2007.

hind: As you have looked around the campus this last year, you have probably made lots of observa-tions about what is good and what can be even better. So what sort of imprint do you hope to make on the College?

schwaller: Well, I hope it will be varied. I think one of the contributions that people will look back on is that we have

improved the infrastructure and enhanced the beauty of the College. Part of that is going “greener” and being responsible

in our growth both economically and ecologically. I would very much like to see the construction of our proposed performing arts building come to fruition. It will capture the artistic spirit that is so much a part of the Potsdam culture and history. I would like to see us continue to grow in enrollment. I think a 5,000-student goal is feasible. It will take us to a level where some of the financial challenges that we currently have will be lessened by economies of scale. Five thousand seems to be the logical

break point in maintaining the personalized education and student/faculty relationships that are so much a part of the Potsdam tradition but also being

financially sound. I would also like to see the College’s excellence broad-cast on a larger stage so that when our alumni in California say “I went to SUNY Potsdam,” there will be a nod of recognition and appreciation. It will take time, but it can be done.

hind: And what can our alumni do to help you make it all happen?

schwaller: Our alumni are loyal and faithful in their support and good advocates for the College. I anticipate that this will continue and be further enhanced. Alums also let us know what is important to them and stay in touch. Alumni are what make Potsdam the best of the SUNY comprehensives. Alumni, such as yourself, who volunteer and lead are critical. The volunteer efforts of our alumni are absolutely astounding. Debbie, what keeps you excited as a volunteer having served Potsdam so much?

hind: What keeps me excited? We have had so many projects in the pipeline through the years and to see our hard work realized makes a

difference and re-energizes me. Implementing Alma Matters, the monthly electronic newsletter, for example is something that we have talked about for so long. To finally have it and see projects just blossom 10-fold because of improved communication is phenomenal.

schwaller: That is an excellent example. Part of what I have wanted to do in my first few years here is to help people realize that most of the things we aspire to at SUNY Potsdam are not pie-in-the-sky sorts of things. Most of the things are very concrete and real

and if we work together with alumni, faculty, staff, friends, and students almost all of this is achiev-

able. Campus beautification, enhancing the student experience, building an exciting legacy, yes, it takes

money, but we can make it work. Having the plan and vision is the key. We are building on a “can

do” spirit of nearly 200 years. We just have to get ourselves energized and go after it. I’m thrilled to be part of it.

Check out Alma Matters at www.potsdam.edu/alum/newsletter

wITH THE PRESIdENT


CAMPUS news & notes

SUNY Potsdam students Tiffany weller of Potsdam and Melissa Brewer of Voorheesville, NY, along with Erin Gandia of Natural Bridge, NY, (not pictured) traveled to Hong Kong this summer as the only American students presenting their theatrical work at the International drama and Education Forum in China.

Move over Broadway. Three SUNY Potsdam drama majors have hit the international edu-cational theatre scene.

In July, a trio of seniors pre-sented the performance they created in one of their applied theatre classes at the Hong Kong Drama/Theatre and Education Forum in China as part of a conference featuring theatre students from around the world.

Melissa Brewer of Vooheesville; Erin Gandia of Natural Bridge; and Tiffany Weller of Potsdam researched female soldiers’ experience in Afghanistan and

Iraq through books, magazines, articles and interviews with women who lived the experi-ence.

Dr. Jay Pecora, assistant profes-sor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, submitted the students’ piece to the con-ference, and though it was one of more than 100 entries from all over the world, he had faith in their work.

Dr. Pecora noted attending a conference of this caliber was not only great for the students, but for the Theatre Program and the entire College as well.

College News

Anthropology Kicks Off 50th Anniversary Celebration SUNY Potsdam’s Depart-ment of Anthropology recently kicked off a yearlong celebration recognizing 2007 as the 50th anniversary of the department’s academic develop-ment, excellence and success at the College.

The anthropology faculty teaches an average of 1,200 students per semester, which means that more than a quarter of all students on campus take an anthropology class every semester. The depart-ment also was the first among all other New York universi-ties to establish a chapter, the Alpha Chapter, of the national Lambda Alpha Anthropology Honorary Society.

“As faculty members and scien-tists, we pride ourselves in the ways we reach out to our students, both by working with them on real research projects and by emphasizing an applied approach to the discipline,” said Dr. John Omohundro, SUNY Potsdam distinguished teaching professor.

giviNg & AwArds

SUNY Potsdam Wins Admissions Advertising AwardSUNY Potsdam’s “Get There from Here” television commer-cials recently took home the gold from the prestigious “Ad-missions Marketing Report” Admissions Advertising Awards in the Television Advertising/Series category for schools with 2,000 to 4,999 students.

The annual Admissions Adver-tising Awards program is the oldest and largest educational advertising awards competi-tion in the country. More than 2,100 entries were received from more than 1,200 col-leges, universities and secondary schools. Entries were received from institutions in all 50 states and several foreign countries.

giviNg & AwArds

Endowed Scholar-ship to Honor Former Mathematics Chair The Vasily Cateforis Scholarship that was initiated in 2004 by the SUNY Potsdam Depart-ment of Mathematics faculty to honor their former chair and faculty colleague, Dr. Vas-ily Cateforis, was awarded for the first time in the fall 2007 semester to a student in the mathematics BA/MA program.

Thanks to the leadership of former Mathematics Chair Dr. Laura Person; current Math-ematics Chair Dr. Joel Foisy; Chair of the Vasily Cateforis Scholarship Committee Dr. Blair Madore; mathemat-ics alumna and professor of mathematics at Manhattan College Dr. Kathryn Weld ’77 (who served as the alumni chairperson for the scholarship fund drive) and the generos-ity of many faculty colleagues and former students, the Vasily Cateforis Scholarship was fully funded and endowed in 2006.

giviNg & AwArds

Leadership Through Service Award Bestowed Upon Dr. Neil R. JohnsonSUNY Potsdam selected Dr. Neil R. Johnson, former chair of the Department of Health and Physical Education and co-founder of the Stimulating Opportunities After Retirement (SOAR) program, to be the re-cipient of the 2007 Leadership Through Service Award.

SUNY Potsdam established the Leadership Through Ser-vice Awards to honor those outstanding individuals who have demonstrated a commit-ment of service to the Potsdam community. Each year, award recipients are acknowledged for demonstrating a special contribution to the betterment of the Potsdam region through dedicated service.

New iNitiAtives

Theatre Students Travel to Hong Kong to Present Work

develoPMeNt & AwArds

Before his passing in July, Bob Reinert, Cranefaculty emeritus and honorary 2005 alumnus, was selected to be an honorary member of the International Double Reed Society (IDRS). His name joined that of some very prestigious names in the bassoon and oboe world.

On September 21, a Celebration of his life was held on the stage of Hosmer Hall. In attendance were former stu-dents, colleagues, family and friends.

Reinert Named to International Double Reed Society

4 P o t S d A m P E o P L E f A L L 2 0 0 7

wA

iH 9

0.3

CAMPUS news & notes

studeNt sPotligHt

WAIH 90.3 Radio Receives UpgradeSUNY Potsdam’s student-run radio station WAIH 90.3 has updated its equipment, increased the quality of its broadcast and now includes a Web-cast option for listeners as part of the renovations to the existing station.

Upgrades include adding pop filters for greater clarity to the radio announcer’s speaking voice and purchasing a $6,500 studio control board to replace the one currently being used. This is just the beginning of the station’s efforts to increase the quality of the broadcast and additional equipment will be purchased in the future.

The radio station, which targets a college-aged audience, can also be heard through the computer and pod or netcast-enabled au-dio devices as well. The station is accessible for Web-streaming by visiting the Web site at www.theway903.com.

giviNg & AwArds

Shattuck establishes scholarship in mem-ory of Susan Holly Dierks ’75John E. Shattuck of Brownville, NY, has established a full-tuition endowed scholarship at SUNY Potsdam in memory of his wife, Class of 1975 alumna Susan Holly Dierks, that will help fi-nance the education of an early childhood education major.

The Susan Holly Dierks ’75 Scholarship for Early Child-hood Education will be awarded for the first time this academic year. To be eligible for the scholarship, a student must have completed a full year of study at SUNY Potsdam, have at least a 3.0 grade point average and be an early childhood education major.

Dierks passed away in April 2007 at the age of 54 after a 10-year battle with cancer. She was a project specialist for the Head Start program in Watertown,

NY, where she had worked for 12 years.

The couple was married on April 9, 1995, in Black River, NY. Shattuck is a computer pro-grammer with Jefferson County.

giviNg & AwArds

SUNY Potsdam Earns Accolades For Fundraising Work On Mary E. English CommonsSUNY Potsdam’s Ad-vancement team, led by Development Officer, Nancy Griffin, earned top honors from the State University of New York Council for University Advancement (SU-NYCUAD) in Development – Comprehensive Four-Year Colleges category for work on the “Campaign for The Mary E. English Commons: Celebrating the History and Traditions of SUNY Pots-dam.”

Griffin led the effort to raise $100,000 to create the project and an additional $47,000 to create an endowment to fund updates to the exhibit. Approximately 50 donors contributed to the exhibit, including alumni, emeriti, faculty, staff, reunion classes, two alumni associations and organizations.

The Mary E. English Com-mons is a permanent exhibit area designed to showcase SUNY Potsdam’s rich history and traditions dating back to the founding of the St. Law-rence Academy in 1816.

Project freelancers included Peter Shrope, exhibit designer; Suzanne Langelier-Lebeda Hon. ’06, graphic designer; and Betsy Baker, editor. Project volunteers included co-chairs Molly Hershman Amoriell ’71, Vicki O’Neill Hayes ’90 and Jane Gatta Sub-ramanian ’72, along with 40 researchers that included cur-rent faculty and staff, alumni, emeriti and students.

giviNg & AwArds

Teaching and Non-Teaching Faculty Member Share SU-NYCUAD Kudos for Work on OperaMona Ouimet Vroman ’85, SUNY Potsdam development officer, and Carleen Graham, director of SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music Opera Ensemble and faculty mem-ber, organized the November 2006 world premiere opera event “The Sailor-Boy and the Falcon” featuring Metropolitan Opera star and alumna Stepha-nie Blythe ’93 was selected by the State University of New York Council for University Advancement (SUNYCUAD) in Development Best of Category Award in the special events category.

Planning for the very detailed event began in June 2005. Over the course of the project, Vro-man and Graham led a team of College Advancement profes-sionals in a number of planning activities.

The opera’s four performances raised more than $200,000 for the renovation of the Sara M. Snell Music Theater. More than 1,700 people attended the four performances. The produc-tion was an example of campus and community collabora-tion with Dr. Paul Siskind ’86, composer; Carleen Graham, director; Dr. Christopher Lanz, conductor; Dr. Alan Steinberg, librettist; Dr. Robin Collen, choreographer; and Jefferson Reed, technical director and set designer.

Blythe’s return to SUNY Pots-dam for a three-week residency provided a once-in-a-life-time opportunity for college students of Crane’s Opera Ensemble to work and perform with her on the same stage.

ste

PH

AN

ie B

lytH

e ’9

3e

Ng

lis

H C

oM

Mo

Ns


CAMPUS news & notes

reseArCH

Closing Cultural Gaps Through Music: Crane Students Perform in China A group of 25 SUNY Potsdam students from The Crane School of Music’s Touring Concert Choir traversed the globe in July to participate in the 2007 Beijing International Choral Festival. The choir performed both traditional western songs and Chinese folk songs. The concerts were held in Beijing at the Tianjin Grand Theater and the Beijing Concert Hall at Xinhua Gate.

Under the guidance of conduc-tor Dr. Rebecca Reames, an associate professor of choral music education at Crane who accompanied the choir, the students practiced weekly, and to prepare themselves for their cultural immersion, they took turns presenting information about modern Chinese culture to the class.

“The festival is designed to unite people from different cultures and demonstrate that as educators, we are embracing music from a global perspec-tive,” Dr. Reames said. “This experience helped prepare the students for future endeavors as music educators and members of a global world.”

College News

Faculty Member Selected as Fulbright ScholarDr. Gregory A. Gardner, assistant professor of business adminis-tration at SUNY Potsdam, was selected by the U.S. Department of State as Fulbright Teach-ing Fellow in Ukraine for the 2007-2008 academic year. He is teaching classes in Western busi-ness practices and approaches and conducting research in eco-nomic development at Kherson State University in Kherson, Ukraine.

Recipients of Fulbright Scholar Awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement and because they have demonstrated extraor-dinary leadership potential in their fields.

New iNitiAtives

Online HERC Consortium Helps Potsdam Recruit the Best Faculty and StaffSUNY Potsdam is now one of 23 Upstate New York col-leges that is participating in the new Upstate New York Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (UNY-HERC) that works to effectively recruit and retain diverse and qualified faculty and staff and assist the spouses and

partners of faculty and staff in securing area employment.

UNY-HERC’s Web site www.unyherc.org features the col-laboration of nearly two dozen Upstate New York colleges and universities that are working together to cohesively provide employment listings at each of their respective higher educa-tion institutions and address dual career needs in higher education. UNY-HERC also provides online information on local real estate, healthcare, arts and cultural resources and childcare, along with other helpful centralized links that can assist individuals and families new to a particular area.

studeNt sPotligHt

Four Students Win Prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s AwardFour SUNY Potsdam seniors were awarded the very presti-gious Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence in April for demonstrating outstanding achievement as a student in the SUNY System.

Colette Hall, a music education major from Red Hook, NY; Danielle Hall, a psychology and dance major from Springfield Center, NY; Shari Jessie, a psy-chology and English major from the Bronx, NY; and Rebecca Polmateer, an anthropology and archaeology major from Schuy-lerville, NY, were honored by then SUNY Chancellor John Ryan and received a framed certificate and a medallion that may be worn at Commence-ment.

The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence was created to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and been recognized, for the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts or career achievement.

SUNY Potsdam freshman Eric Sammis of North Syracuse rolled up his sleeve to donate at the Adirondack Seaway and Park Blood drive sponsored by SUNY Potsdam’s Sigma Pi Fraternity. Along with Sammis, 102 other students, faculty and staff members stopped in to donate.

Applying their talents and the knowledge they have acquired in the classroom, SUNY Potsdam’s students have been afforded the distinct oppor-tunity to devote time and resources back into the local community and beyond, and they are doing it in record numbers.

The Office of Experiential Education capital-izes on this winning concept, which allows both students and employers the ability to profit from the experience. The office, formerly known as

the Internship Program, coordinates internships, service learning and volunteerism opportunities for students.

Statistics show that in the fall 2006 semester alone, 144 students participated in an internship opportunity earning 472 college credit hours and completing 18,880 contact hours at a wide range of sites. This number is an increase of 12.5 percent over the fall 2005 semester, when 128 students participated.

studeNt sPotligHt

Hands-On Opportunities Prepare Students for the Workforce in Record Numbers

6 P o t S d A m P E o P L E f A L L 2 0 0 7

CAMPUS news & notes

giviNg & AwArds

DiGiovanna Named SUNY Distinguished Teaching ProfessorThe SUNY Board of Trustees recently approved the appoint-ment of Dr. Joseph DiGiovanna, SUNY Potsdam professor of philosophy, to the rank of dis-tinguished teaching professor.

The Distinguished Teaching Professorship recognizes and honors mastery of teaching. For this prestigious tribute to be conferred, candidates must have demonstrated consistently superior mastery of teaching, outstanding service to students and commitment to their ongoing intellectual growth, scholarship and professional growth and adherence to rigor-ous academic standards and requirements.

Three Faculty Win Chancellor’s Awards for ExcellenceThree SUNY Potsdam faculty members were recently hon-ored by the State University of New York with the prestigious 2007 Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence.

Professor of Geology Dr. Robert Badger was given the Chancellor’s Award for Ex-cellence in Faculty Service, Professor of Chemistry Dr. Maria Hepel was given the Chancellor’s Award for Ex-cellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities and Associate Professor of Modern Languages Dr. Lora Lunt was given the Chancellor’s Award for Excel-lence in Professional Service.

The Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence are system-level honors conferred to provide system-wide recognition for consistently superior profes-sional achievement and to encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence.

Russells Create Scholarship to Encourage Distance Education

To encourage SUNY Pots-dam students to broaden their educational experience by taking courses through distance education, Thomas L. and Jane D. Russell of Raleigh, NC, have established a distance educa-tion scholarship that coincided with Mr. Russell’s 50th Class Reunion at SUNY Potsdam. The first recipient of the $1,000 scholarship will be awarded in 2008.

The Thomas L. and Jane D. Russell Distance Education Scholarship also honors the memory of Mr. Russell’s par-ents, Lee and Ella Russell, who made it possible for Mr. Rus-sell to be a student at SUNY Potsdam.

Along with students tak-ing more distance education courses, the Russells’ scholarship encourages the College to de-velop more distance education programs, particularly in The Crane School of Music.

A 1957 alumnus of The Crane School, Mr. Russell is director emeritus of the Office of In-structional Telecommunications at North Carolina State Uni-versity in Raleigh. His career, spanning more than 40 years, includes teaching instructional technology, research and dis-tance education at elementary through university levels.

Mrs. Russell taught at the elementary through university levels and then enjoyed her ca-reer as a university law librarian. From The University of Florida, she moved up to a position at The University of Missouri, Kansas City, and on to The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Alumni AssociAtion scholArship Applications are due March 1, 2008Children and grandchildren of suNy Potsdam alumni are eli-gible to apply for this one-time scholarship. The nature of this scholarship has become quite competitive, awarding $10,000 in the last four years alone. to learn more about how you can nomi-nate a student or contribute to the scholarship, contact the office of Alumni relations.

www.potsdam.edu/alumni

The 2007-2008 academic year marks the 40th anniversary of the Potsdam Brass Quintet, which will be celebrated dur-ing a three-day festival from April 18 to April 20, 2008. All members of the Potsdam Brass Quintet from the past 40 years will return for a weekend of recitals, clinics and master classes. Canadian Brass will join the festivities with a recital in Hosmer Hall on April 19.

A Saturday banquet to honor the quintet’s former mem-bers and a Sunday Crane alumni brunch will provide opportunities to socialize with former faculty and friends as

the Potsdam Brass Quintet enjoys its place as one of the nation’s longest-running brass ensembles.

Established in 1968, the quintet has performed in concert throughout the United States and Canada and is active in its longstanding role as music educators through the presen-tation of clinics and workshops for teachers and young audi-ences alike throughout New York State and the nation.

Additional information is available at http://www.potsd-ambrassquintet.com.

College News

Potsdam Brass Quintet’s 40th Anniversary Celebration

from the left Kelly drifmeyer, horn, James Madeja, Trumpet,John Ellis, Trumpet, Mark Hart-man, Trombone, (center) Charles Guy, Tuba


CAMPUS news & notes

Are you receivinG AlmA mAtters?

Alma Matters is suNy Potsdam’s monthly electronic newslet-ter for alumni and friends. visit www.potsdam.edu/alum/newsletter to check it out!

sPorts

Alisha Schaad Repeats as All-SUNYACAs a sophomore, Alisha Schaad of Central Square, NY was named to the 2007 SUNYAC Women’s Lacrosse All-Conference Second Team. The Bears’ leading scorer in 2007, Schaad finished with 43 goals and 11 assists, setting school records for goals and points in one season.

Schaad was on the All-SUNYAC Second Team following her 2006 season, when she scored 34 goals and four assists. She was also the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year.

Bear Women Among Nation’s Most Improved TeamsThe SUNY Potsdam women’s basketball team was recently noted as being the 12th-most improved NCAA Division III program. After finishing 2-23 in 2005-06, Tara Ruckh’s Bears went 11-15 in 2006-07 and earned its first SUNYAC playoff berth since the ’97-’98 season.

“It’s all on the players,” Ruckh said. “Because of them, we have a higher level of expectations. It was an expectation we had coming into the season.”

Now that the Bears have cracked into the conference’s top eight, team goals are being set higher.

Berkman, Hondorf Earn Top SUNYAC HonorsSenior goalie Brian Hondorf of Webster, NY, was named to the 2007 SUNYAC Men’s Lacrosse All-Conference First Team while SUNY Potsdam head coach Rick Berkman earned Coach of the Year honors following a 4-2 cam-paign within the SUNYAC.

Three other Bears, senior Matt Vaverchak of Binghamton and sophomores Corey Reinhart of Albany and A.J. Lalonde of Rochester, were selected to the All-SUNYAC Second Team. Hondorf and Vaverchak were selected to the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team.

Jay Green to Head Women’s Hockey ProgramJay Green, a member of the Bears’ staff, has been selected to lead the women’s hockey comeback at SUNY Potsdam. He transitions from serving as the director of athletic facilities to serving as head coach.

“Isn’t it ironic that a nationwide search for a women’s hockey coach led us right into our own back yard and uncovered Jay Green. He clearly distinguished himself from a very strong pool of candidates with his enthusiasm for returning to the coaching world, his knowledge of the sport, and his own playing background. I have been amazed at the community’s show of support for the addi-tion of women’s hockey to our sports offering and am confident that the program’s development is in capable hands with Jay as our coach,” said Athletic Director James Zalacca.

Green was the assistant men’s hockey coach with former coach Ed Seney for three seasons. Prior to coaching the Potsdam men, Green was head coach at Nor-wood-Norfolk for six years. After college, Green played professional hockey in Europe for three years before serving as a head coach in the Bay Harbor California Minor Hockey Association. Green was also head men’s hockey coach at North Adams State College of Massachusetts in 1988-89. In 1989, he returned to Europe to head Sweden’s Sudrets Hockey Club for two years.

Aaron Saul Named Men’s Hockey CoachAaron Saul, a former Potsdam assistant coach, has been named the new head coach of the men’s hockey team. Saul will replace Glenn Thomaris, who retired in the spring.

“We’re tremendously excited that Aaron has agreed to coach our men’s hockey team. While the competition for the position was great, his passion for coaching, his ability to recruit high qual-ity student athletes, and his work

ethic clearly separated him from the rest of the field. Our depart-ment is happy to be reunited with him and we look forward to many years of top flight hockey with Aaron Saul as our coach,” said Athletic Director James Zalacca.

Coach Saul comes to Potsdam from Elmira College where he has been the assistant hockey coach since first leaving Potsdam in 2001. He is also the head men’s golf coach at Elmira. In addition to his work with the Soaring Eagles, Saul has also been active in hockey schools and clinics hav-ing coached in the Paul Vincent Hockey School since 1998.

SUNY Potsdam Diver Places Eighth in NCAA 3-Meter EventNathan LaRowe of Latham, a freshman diver at SUNY Potsdam, finished eighth in the 3-meter diving competition at the NCAA Division III Championships at the University of Houston. By finish-ing among the nation’s top eight divers, LaRowe was automatically named an All-American.

LaRowe’s success in the 3-meter dive followed a 10th place finish in the 1-meter dive the previous day.

gr

ee

Ns

CH

AA

dH

oN

do

rf

lAr

ow

eB

er

kM

AN

sA

ul

8 P o t S d A m P E o P L E f A L L 2 0 0 78 P o t S d A m P E o P L E S P r I N G 2 0 0 7

Me

mb

ers

of

Mid

dle

Gro

un

d s

tud

en

t o

rgan

izat

ion

(se

e p

g. 1

1)


anatural

reactionby Ryan Deuel

article adjective

byline

Consider a single paper cup. Seems harmless. It is only pa-per after all. Multiply that cup by a student population of 4,350 who may purchase up to three beverages per day

using paper cups. Then consider the 210 days per year those 4,350 individuals are using those said cups three times daily…

Yes, 2.7 million cups each year on this small campus being used and discarded. Enter in the “enviro-mug” program allowing stu-dents to reuse a single mug for coffee across campus. Does it make a difference? You do the math.

SUNY Potsdam is considering this and a whole lot more. With all the national attention given the environment these days; as well as the College’s 200-year commitment to stewarding the health and well-being of the North Country and Adirondacks, it is more than just skin deep. It has become part of the muscle tissue that moves the campus in both living and learning, infiltrating the very nature of our liberal arts and sciences education. With a generation of students taking the lead supported by Potsdam opportunities like the only Wilderness Education minor in the SUNY system, an Environmental Sciences program where the Adirondacks are your classroom as well as leading research in endangered species of the region, the Potsdam experience now, more than ever, includes developing environmental leaders of the future.

AS OUR

ENVIRONMENT

CHANGES, SO

DOES SUNY POTSDAM

noun


MAKING THE BIG HIKEWearing both a New York State Department of Environ-

mental Conservation and a Friends of Mt. Arab patch on her sleeves, 21-year-old Katie Christman of Canton, NY, greeted a group of hikers in early July who had made their way to the 2,503-foot summit of Mt. Arab in the northern Adirondack Mountains. She was there for several weeks this summer serving as the de facto interpreter for the mountain, where 15,000 visitors climbed up a nearly 90-year-old steel-framed fire tower that stands on top to take in majestic views of the Adirondacks.

“Mt. Arab has an interesting history,” she told the crowd who were catching their breath after a moderately difficult half-hour hike. “A plain, wooden structure was built in 1912 for viewing purposes only. But a series of devastating fires in the early 1900s took a heavy toll on the Adirondacks. Farmers scorched the land to encourage blueberries and raspberries to grow, and sparks from trains caused many fires. The state built this steel tower in 1918 as part of a program to detect fires across the Adirondacks.”

On the one hand, this is an internship for Christman, and on the other, it’s a job. She was stationed at the top of Mt. Arab as part of the capstone re-quirement for her Environmental Studies major at SUNY Potsdam. But she got paid too.

For students majoring in Environmental Studies, or ES for short, the capstone requirement is taken between the junior and senior years. But it’s hardly a chore for ES students since many will go on to pursue careers related to the outdoors

and environmental conservation. Most of the students serve as interpreters at several fire towers scattered across the Adirondacks. The capstone requirement also dedicates the ES program and its students to service learning, giving back vital time and resources to the Adirondack region for very little cost to the state.

Potsdam’s ES program is also unique in that it places SUNY Potsdam students in the center of a debate that dates back more than 35 years between the state, specifically the Adiron-dack Park Agency, and the residents who live within the Park’s “Blue Line.” The APA has the authority to regulate develop-ment even on private land, and it often has drawn scorn from local residents for infringing on their property rights.

Since aerial reconnaissance rendered the use of fire tow-ers obsolete for decades, the state has either dismantled or abandoned dozens of the structures — some of which date back nearly a century. Local residents and visitors, however, see the fire towers as both a great destination to view the Ad-irondacks as well as a strong symbol of the region’s history.

“The fire towers are a symbol of this region’s history and the mark people left on the landscape,” Dr. Wilson said. “Resi-dents often view the DEC as inept and the state as not caring about their land rights, and there has been little attempt to ease residents’ concerns. Our program and the students who participate are the glue that bring the state and the local com-munities together.”

Recently the New York State Department of Environ-mental Conservation awarded SUNY Potsdam $186,000 in start-up funding for the new Adirondack Fire Tower Associa-

tion, a nonprofit educational group organized by Dr. Wilson. Those funds will be used to

support educational programs at 18 fire towers throughout the Adirondacks and benefit

the ES capstone program at the towers.

This model of student interns partnering with DEC rangers and local tower communities, Wilson

said, will become the stan-dard operating procedure written into the State Land

Use Master Plan.

1 0 P o t S d A m P E o P L E f A L L 2 0 0 7 Mt. Arab

“Most environmental programs place an emphasis on the sciences,” said Dr. Michael Wilson, director of field studies for the ES program. “Our emphasis is on the social sciences and humanities. In addition, the capstone dedicates students to service learning through interpretation at the fire towers. There’s no other program like it in the state.”

Katie Chistman, a senior of Fort Plain, nY, describes the role the fire towers play in the Environmental Studies program as well as in the adirondacks. Several alum made the hike up Mt. arab during reunion Weekend 2007.

w w w . p o t s d a m . e d u / p e o p l e 1 1

MIDDLE GROUND will hold weekly meetings on campus during the fall and spring semesters. For more information, visit www.potsdam.edu/middleground.

OUR GRASS IS GREENER The Environmental Studies program took years to

develop, and Dr. John Omohundro, distinguished teaching professor of anthropology and director of learning com-munities, was one of the principle founders.

In the late 1990s, about a dozen faculty members got together to discuss putting together an interdisciplinary program modeled after the one at Middlebury College in Vermont. The group decided the program would be comprised of one-third science, one-third humanities and one-third skill.

Begun in 2003, the program quickly swelled to 34 ma-jors by the end of the spring 2007 semester. Currently the program has only two professors: Drs. Omohundro and Wilson. But, there are plans to hire an additional profes-

sor this fall and expand the program to 40 majors.

For Dr. Omohundro, the reasons for creating the ES program were obvious.

“We live in one of the neatest places in the world,” he said. “It’s not a question of if SUNY Potsdam should teach something related to the environment. We have to teach this course.”

The ES program is not about creating scientists. The program is designed to give students a liberal arts grounding that they can take out in the world as environmental interpreters, educators, communica-tors, writers, nonprofit and corporate leaders, and even policy analysts.

Think of the capstone experience as an internship preparing ES majors for their first job in the field. The students aren’t there just to give the facts and figures; they’re there to pro-vide guests with a sense of history, where things stand now and what must be done

to preserve the environment both locally and globally.In addition, the students must work on their own inter-

pretive project, the equivalent of a senior thesis. Last year, a student constructed a wrap-around sketch for the fire tower of what visitors were seeing, listing mountain names, elevations and factoids.

Katie Christman, is planning on putting together a recreational guide for several of the mountains with fire towers, including Mt. Arab, Blue Mountain, Bald Mountain and Pokomoonshine Mountain. While she’s not completely sure how to put it together, she believes it will benefit visi-tors to the fire towers.

That’s the difference with ES students. They’re not just interested in completing the work required to get their degree. These students want to give back something to the region and enhance the environment while educating those who visit the Adirondacks.

COMING TO A MIDDLE GROUNDOn April 14, under the watchful gaze of the distinctive

of the Satterlee Hall clock tower, several dozen students began assembling just before 10 in the morning, donning sweatshirts, knit hats and gloves and disheveled hair from waking up much too early for a Saturday. Joining the group were several college professors, who had come in sup-port of this young group that was about to take part in its defining moment as a new student organization at SUNY Potsdam.

From Satterlee Hall, they began their short trek into the village of Potsdam, armed with a message that was being delivered at that exact moment in rallies similar to this one all across the nation: “Stop global warming and cut carbon emissions by more than half by the year 2050!” The group called itself Middle Ground, and they were taking part in a national day of climate awareness known as Step It Up.

Middle Ground began as an idea back in 2005, when Dr. Michael Wilson, director of field studies for the Environ-mental Studies program, suggested to Kevin Chlad, senior at Potsdam and current president of Middle Ground, and recent graduate Sarah Cihak that they should organize a student group that was committed to environmental awareness.

Chlad and Cihak decided to play Al Gore’s movie An Inconvenient Truth on campus last fall and use the screening as a way to tell the audience about their new organization.

MIDDlE GrOunD’S VISIOn: to pursue the idea of community by including the surrounding vil lage, town and county:

HELP the campus go greenWORK with the Art Department to sculpt decorative recycling bins to be placed around campusHOLD an end-of-semester recycling event rather than throwing out books and papersBECOME resourceful in every way imaginable

This fall, Middle Ground members plan to main-tain their level of enthusiasm. They are already planning camping trips, potluck dinners, movies, community service events and guest speakers. Their goal is to continue attracting students to the group while drawing community attention to the broader issue of global warming.

Middle Ground members have their sights set on Jan. 31, 2008, for an event known as “Focus the Nation.” The nationwide day of awareness will feature teach-ins across the country engag-ing students and citizens about global warming solutions.

“It’s not a question of if SUNY Potsdam should teach something related to the environment. We have to teach this course.”

Nearly 75 people attended the showing of the film, and close to 20 people showed up at the first Middle Ground meeting.

“I had no idea how the campus would respond to the movie or our group,” Chlad said. “Then I saw all of the people at the movie, and I realized people really do care about this.”

SUNY Potsdam already has the luxury of being located in a very rural portion of New York, a state with the third largest population in the country. The campus nearly touches the Blue Line that defines the Adirondack Park, which is the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States — bigger than either Yellowstone or Yosemite national parks. Yet despite its serene surroundings and relatively clean air, the students who comprise Middle Ground believe that they, too, must address the issues affecting global warming and take immediate action to preserve such sacred lands as the Adirondacks.

Instead of staying on campus, Middle Ground brought their message to the surrounding community in an attempt to broaden the scope of their reach and deliver their message to a larger audience.

The community not only listened, they embraced what Middle Ground had to say. First, a Clarkson University group also staging a Step It Up rally joined Middle Ground. As the rally wound its way through the streets of Potsdam, community members honked their horns, raised their fists in support and even changed the direction they were walking in order to join the marchers that were growing in numbers.

“We started with about 20 students and some professors,” said Chlad, “but as we were marching through town, people kept joining in, and the group just kept getting bigger and big-ger. It was absolutely amazing.”

Chlad credits his grounding in the outdoors from being an Eagle Scout and his fondness for hunting and fishing that moti-vated an interest in preserving the environment and majoring in Environmental Studies.

Chlad, who began his college career at Clarkson University, transferred to Potsdam specifically because of the College’s ES program. In fact, most of Middle Ground’s founding members also are ES majors who literally have used the Adirondacks as their classroom.

Now that they have returned to campus this fall, Middle Ground members plan to maintain their level of enthusiasm. They are already planning camping trips, potluck dinners, mov-ies, community service events and guest speakers. Their goal is to continue attracting students to the group while drawing community attention to the broader issue of global warming.

By the time Middle Ground’s march had ended, close to

100 people had filed in to take part in the Step It Up rally. In addition to the Middle Ground students were senior citizens, young professionals and even families and their children. The crowd carried with them an enthusiasm that this small rally in a rural town was actually making a difference and drawing attention to the issue of global warming.

A TURTLE GREEN WITH ENVY

Trudging through water and bog up to their knees, Dr. Glenn Johnson and a group of students are looking for clues.

A victim: Yes.Its name: the Blanding’s turtle.The misdeed: A loss of natural habitat, namely swampland

across the northern tier of the United States and the Mari-times of Canada.

The perpetrator: You, me and everyone who has en-croached upon lands that once belonged to nature.

Even as a child, Dr. Johnson, currently an associate profes-sor and chair of the Department of Biology, always loved the creepy, crawly things that either intrigue or scare little kids silly.

Fast forward several years, and Dr. Johnson became more and more interested in conservation as well. He went on to attend SUNY College of Environmental Science and For-estry in Syracuse and earned his Ph.D. in biology

in 1995.As a professional bi-

ologist, Dr. Johnson became interested in the Blanding’s turtle while conducting research during the 1990s, a reptile that is listed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conserva-tion as a threatened species.

The turtles seem to have very specific wetland habitat requirements, which means not all wetlands have the ability to support the species. Their habitats often are cut in two by roads traversing the low wetlands of northern St. Lawrence County. And like sea turtles and tortoises, Blanding’s turtles are late to mature, limiting their reproductive potential. The turtles’ ge-netic diversity also remains largely unknown, and low Senior Colden McClurg of Skaneateles, nY, holds a Blanding’s turtle during an excursion into the field.

The perpetrator: You, me and everyone who has en-croached upon lands that once belonged to nature.

1 2 P o t S d A m P E o P L E f A L L 2 0 0 7

levels may indicate the species has splintered into small, isolated populations that suffer the negative consequences of inbreeding.

“There are several environmental challenges,” Dr. Johnson said. “The turtles can be found in wetlands of the St. Law-rence River and Adirondack watersheds, but they have very specific requirements. We’re trying to learn more about their environments and their genetic populations to find out how we can help increase their numbers.”

Dr. Johnson has become an expert in his field. He recently co-authored The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State: Iden-tification, Natural History and Conservation, a book that carries the themes of identification, natural history and conserva-tion. The book is the first of its kind produced to identify the amphibians and reptiles of New York, a large and heavily populated state that hosts a surprisingly diverse and interest-ing community of amphibians and reptiles.

Dr. Johnson authored the section concerning snakes and contributed to all the other sections as well.

Armed with a team of seven Potsdam students, Dr. Johnson and his assistants spent the summer searching wetlands throughout St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties, trying to un-derstand the species a little bit better. In the end they found that the largest concentration of Blanding’s turtles in the state lives in wetlands scattered around Potsdam.

Dr. Johnson wants to improve the conservation outlook by understanding the distribution of the turtles throughout the North Country, their aquatic versus nesting habitats, and where the turtles winter. Dr. Johnson is also working with a team from Clarkson University to understand the impact of roads and traffic on the turtle population.

“Many roads in the North Country cut right through low-lying wetlands,” he said. “Barriers have been set up in some places to limit the amount of road kill of different animals. I’m currently working with the Department of Transportation to see how we can do something that would keep turtles away from the road and in their habitat.”

Dr. Johnson has received a number of internal and external grants in support of his research and a faculty-student sum-mer research program. Recently, he was awarded funds from the Robert J. Hill ’77 Endowment for Environmental Science, established by Potsdam alumnus Bob Hill for the investiga-tion of and solutions to environmental challenges facing the Adirondacks and St. Lawrence Valley regions. Dr. Johnson plans to use the funds awarded to further his research of the Blanding’s turtle.

Dr. Glenn Johnson put to rest a local controversy that has been stirring in Potsdam for quite some time. For years, the proposed Super Wal-Mart on a site just west of the village has been controversial for many reasons. At one point, plans were halted because a Blanding’s turtle had been found dead on the side of the road near the proposed Wal-Mart site.

Environmentalists claimed Wal-Mart was proposing building a store on a site inhabited by an endangered species and even threatened to sue the company.

While a few Blanding’s turtles may live in the general vicin-ity, Dr. Johnson said the wetland near the proposed site does not display the preferred characteristics of Blanding’s turtle habitat. It is also quite unlikely, Dr. Johnson said, that the land near the site is used by the turtles for breeding.

“The turtle really has very specific nesting requirements,” he said. “And while we don’t completely understand all of their needs, there’s not much evidence that shows this site is one preferred by the turtle.”

Senior Colden McClurg of Skaneateles, nY, holds a Blanding’s turtle during an excursion into the field.


Students look for turtle cages and tracks while then-senior Christina Domser of Barneveld, nY, leads the class.


Remembering Potsdam through a planned gift is the definitive expression of how much Potsdam means to you. A planned gift is a personal way for you to help ensure the mission of the College continues long after your lifetime. Planned gifts are essential to Potsdam’s future and represent your confidence in that future.

For more information, visit us on the Web at www.potsdam.edu/advance/giftplan or contact Jason Ladouceur, associate vice president for College Advancement, directly at (315) 267-2123 or [email protected].

Join the more than 150 members of the Benjamin F. Raymond Society.

As you plan your future, invest in Potsdam’s

Do you have your SUNY Potsdam VISA yet?Visit www.potsdam.edu/creditcard or call 1-800-

853-5576 ext. 8723 to learn more about the SUNY

Potsdam Visa card. Show yours off today!

Planning your future? About to retire? Preparing to visit your attorney or financial advisor?

Visit us on the Web at www.potsdam.edu/advance/giftplanFind essentials for Financial & Estate Planning* Glossary of legal terms* Wills* Power of Attorney* Living Will* Health Care Proxy* Read donor stories* Explore ways to give* Use a gift calculator* Request e-brochures on a

variety of topics


“There was always

a Mac in the house,

and it encouraged

me to explore the

computer and push

it to its limit.

I actually find being

on the computer

relaxing.”

-Andrew VanNess

To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu/t4p2

Unlimited tech support and training, with office visits, available at your con-venience - for free. Who are these wizards of computer knowledge willing to lend their immeasurable talents to helpless staff and faculty across campus?

The answer is SUNY Potsdam students. Their names are Chris Urban and Andrew VanNess, and together they make up T4P2: Tomorrow’s Professional Teaching Today’s Professional About Technology. Urban and VanNess possess extensive computer knowledge and lend their skills to Pots-dam faculty and staff whenever necessary.

Advised by both the departments of Computing and Technology Services (CTS) and the Col-lege Libraries, Urban and VanNess more or less administer the entire T4P2 program themselves, providing faculty with personally-tailored men-toring sessions on a variety of technology needs.

Urban is from Chestertown, and he handles the PCs. VanNess is from Red Hook, NY, in the Hudson Valley, and he’s all about Macs. Neither have any formal training, yet both have more computer skills than most professionals who use computers every day in their jobs.

Even more interesting is the fact that Urban and VanNess are both major-

ing in music education and hope to teach high school band. Urban is

also enrolled in the Honors Program, and VanNess is taking part in the BA/MA program and will graduate with both a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in mathematics.

So, how did two music education majors wind up knowing so much about computers? “I grew up with computers,” Urban said. “I train myself on various programs, and then take what I’ve learned and help others.”

VanNess, who began working for T4P2 in the spring semester of his freshman year, said he has been using a computer for literally as long as he can remember, and always pushed himself to learn more.

“There was always a Mac in the house, and it encouraged me to explore the computer and push it to its limit,” he said. “I actually find being on the computer relaxing.”

For staff members who want to take advantage of T4P2’s services, it’s easy. Urban or VanNess will schedule a session, depending on the request, and make a “house call” to the person’s office. Both say the response from Potsdam employees has been overwhelmingly positive.

“We offer another resource for faculty to learn more about their software, and we usually have more time to spend with them than the CTS help desk,” Urban said. “Faculty really love the T4P2 program.”

kIdswIz


’51’08

PoTSDAM profile

Jamie SzafranSo what would be the ultimate in-

ternship for a college student who always has marveled at the won-ders of space, who is interested in

computers and whose goal in life is to work for NASA? Well, what about an internship at NASA?

For Jamie Szafran, a senior from Colton, NY, being awarded that opportunity this past summer was a dream come true.

Szafran took part in a highly selective internship program at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL, which focused on exploration systems and mission control directives. She was just one of 20 interns selected from a pool of more than 1,000 applicants.

Now, it’s fairly safe to say that Szafran is a bit of an overachiever. She is the recipient of a four-year Newell Scholarship, which has paid her tuition. She serves on the Campus Rescue Squad and will become a certified emergency management techni-cian this fall. She has worked for Potsdam’s Tomorrow’s Professional Teaching Today’s Professional About Technology (T4P2). She is registered in the College Honors program, directs the Crane Hand Bell Choir and is also a teaching assistant in the De-partment of Computer Science.

And, she did such an amazing job at

the Kennedy Space Center, her supervisor arranged to have her return next summer for a co-op where she will attend gradu-ate school for a semester and then work at the center in alternating semesters until she graduates. She is nearly guaranteed to be hired on as a full-time NASA employee. With the co-op, she will have the rights and salary of a full-time employee, and the center will pay for her tuition and reloca-tion fees if she attends a school more than 100 miles away.

When she graduates in spring 2008, she’ll have earned a Bachelor of Music Studies degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science — an unlikely combination until she explains how she got there.

“I came into Potsdam as a clarinet education major, but I realized after a year of education courses I didn’t want to teach,” she said. “And I knew I was never going to make a career out of performing. But mu-sic will always be a passion in my life, and I wanted to finish what I started.”

Computer science also had interested her. She used to design Web pages in high school and had led an information technol-ogy distance-learning program.

In addition to all that, she loved learning about outer space and always dreamed of

being an astronaut. “I just think it’s one of those dreams kids have,” she said. “But I still have that dream.”

Szafran garnered the help of several faculty members, including Dr. Susan Haller and Dr. Timothy Fossum in the Department of Computer Science, who wrote letters of recommendation and helped identify schol-arship opportunities. They worked with Szafran to secure a scholarship funded by Potsdam alumnus Haden Land ’84, awarded to a computer science or mathematics major who is interning in the aerospace or defense industry.

“Dr. Haller and Dr. Fossum have helped me get the teaching assistantship and have mentored me every step of the way,” she said. “The Department of Computer Sci-ence is a small department that can afford to be deeply involved with the students. They have gone above and beyond what I ever could have imagined.”

Szafran hopes to one day become a systems analyst for NASA, writing code for computer programs that would propel the first mission to Mars or beyond. Interning for NASA this summer may have brought the likelihood of that career dream one step closer to reality.


PoTSDAM profile

’51Philip Klein

As written by longtime friendRalph Hastings ’70

Central New York’s “Premiere Pi-ano Man” possesses a legacy that extends beyond his reputation as a superb pianist, entertainer,

engaging storyteller with spontaneous style, and influential educator. Phil Klein’s story is a narrative of a multi-faceted musician, bandleader, songwriter, lyricist, humorist, vocalist and friend.

Klein ’51, began his professional musi-cal career playing the piano in clubs in the Potsdam area and Lake George, NY, during summer breaks. Upon graduat-ing from Potsdam, he began his career as a public school music teacher with a three-year position in the Lake George Central School, followed by a year at Ithaca College (earning an M.S. degree) and an eight-year tenure at Skaneateles Central Schools.

In 1963, at the newly established Onon-daga Community College, he co-founded the music program and taught keyboard harmony, sight reading and theory. His tenure at Onondaga spanned 22 years, dur-ing which he composed the school’s alma mater, still sung today.

Augmenting his musical experiences, Klein had long-standing gigs and regular performances throughout the Syracuse, NY, area. He played for countless weddings, social occasions, staged hundreds of one-person shows and sat in as a regular guest on a popular radio program during which he provided background comments and anecdotes about the songs.

Klein onstage has inevitably meant audience involve-ment – through singing, repartee, questions and much laughter – generated by a rich store of anecdotes relating to the songs, compos-ers and lyricists. The best part is that he is still at it!

Highlighting Klein’s career has been his collabora-tion with Syracuse native Maria DeAn-gelis – vocalist, lyricist, entertainer and producer. She and Klein have written more than 100 songs, some of them having found their way to becoming background music in films and network soap operas including “The Young and the Restless.” DeAngelis has profes-sionally produced four albums that feature her singing songs that she and Klein have written. Together with her husband Pierre Frison, she also wrote French lyrics for several of Klein’s compositions.

Klein has independently produced six CDs (available online,) composed music for casinos, state fairs and political campaigns. Two of his songs, “Storytown, USA” and “Happiness is Children” were written especially for the original Storytown, USA, now known as The Great Escape in Lake George, NY.

Klein has received many awards throughout the course of his career. In 2001, he was inducted into the Syracuse Area Musicians’ Hall of Fame (SAMMYS Award.) And just this summer during Potsdam’s Reunion Weekend, Klein was presented the prestigious Helen M. Hosmer Excellence in Music Teaching Award in recognition of outstanding professional achievement in the teaching of music.

When asked what advice he might of-fer to Crane students and alumni, he said, “If you’re going to be a musician, make multiple plans. By all means, be a per-former if possible but don’t neglect the wonderful world of music teaching, through which you may experience the wonder of positively influencing younger people and, yes, make a comfortable living for you and your family!”

before attending Potsdam, ralph hastings ’70 was a student at onondaga Community College, where he was privileged to know and receive instruc-tion from Professor Philip Klein. Hastings shared that not only is Klein a gifted teacher, musician, composer and performer, but as an advisor he was and remains a confidante and friend.

’08


Bob Hill ’77

PoTSDAM profile

As the SUNY Potsdam registrar, Nancy Rehse felt as though she had her finger on all aspects of the College’s operations.

“The registrar is the person who greases the wheels on the campus to get things done and keep them running smoothly,” she said. “Potsdam has a unique relationship among all the different departments. I’ve been to several colleges and seen other campus op-erations. I can tell you no place runs as well as Potsdam.”

Rehse first arrived at SUNY Potsdam in the mid-1980s as the direc-tor of research and sponsored programs before moving to the position of assis-tant to the provost. That’s where she came to know not only how the campus operated but also how well it operated.

Then in the early 1990s, Rehse became the registrar, and she became intimately involved in the day-to-day operations of the College, structuring general education requirements and making sure students graduated on time.

Rehse retired in 2002 for a number of reasons, but mainly because her mentally disabled son was living in a group home. She incorporated a board of directors,

secured state assistance and founded LEAP Inc., a home for the mentally disabled. The organization opened its first house for four men back in 1996. Today, the organization has three residences and a day habilitation house, housing more than 50 people and employing 55. Rehse cur-

rently serves as the organization’s president and CEO.

Though Rehse already serves on a number of boards throughout the region, she recently accepted to chair the SUNY Potsdam Emeriti Board. She replaced Dr. Judith Ranlett, professor emerita of history.

“I agreed to take this on because I love the people at Potsdam and what they all do,” she said. “I don’t want to lose that con-nection.”

Rehse doesn’t want others to lose that connection to Potsdam just because they retire. She points out many younger people are retir-ing who are not ready to be cut off from the community that is SUNY Potsdam. She wants to create “pathways” that will help retirees stay connected to the College even after they’ve turned in their retire-

ment notice. She also is looking to work with the College Alumni Association to help former students connect to faculty and staff members who have since retired.

“People want to feel needed,” she said. “And people are constantly looking for ways to stay involved. I want to make it easier for faculty emeriti to stay connected to the College community that has meant so much to them throughout their lives.”

faculty emerita

Nancy Rehse

I agreed to take this on because I love the people at Potsdam and what they all do. I don’t want to lose that connection.“

”

’99


’99

“

PoTSDAM profile

When a person becomes a lawyer for a prestigious law firm, sits on several boards — including that of her

alma mater — and successfully lobbies for a statewide smoking ban, we would most likely call that person successful. When she’s only 30 years old, we would call that person remarkable.

Amy Kellogg ’99 exudes energy. She talks quickly — as in “I’ve got so much to say in such a short period of time” — and she is also a person whom many are watch-ing.

In addition to working for one of the top ten lobbying firms in New York state, Kellogg also serves as the president of the Tech Valley Business and Professional Wom-en, the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Women and Law and the Albany County Democratic Committee.

Kellogg grew up in Walton, NY, a small town on the edge of the Catskill Moun-tains in Delaware County. She came to Potsdam when she realized she couldn’t afford St. Lawrence University and after her high school guidance counselor (a Potsdam graduate) recommended the College to her.

Kellogg claims she knew she wanted to become a lawyer since the time she was 6 years old, even though she didn’t even know what exactly a lawyer did. She signed up for the pre-law program at Potsdam and was mentored by Dr. Richard Del Guidice, former chair of the Department of Politics. He helped her secure an internship in the

New York State Assembly in her junior year and helped her prepare for law school.

“The politics program at Potsdam is very demanding. There was so much writing involved,” she said. “I talk to my colleagues who went to Colgate, NYU and other prestigious schools, and I know they didn’t get nearly the education that I received at Potsdam.”

She attended Albany Law School and in her second year there had begun working at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP. After gradu-ating in 2002 and passing the bar exam, she began working fulltime for the firm.

Kellogg almost immediately began tak-ing on what would become a landmark piece of legislation, one that would come to serve as a nationwide model. In 2004, the Restaurant Association wanted the state Legislature to pass a statewide law ban-ning smoking in restaurants. Several local ordinances already had been passed across the state, and the restrictions often varied county to county.

The thought was that a single state law would eliminate complications caused by varying local laws and increase business from non-smoking patrons.

The Restaurant Association hired Harter Secrest & Emery to lobby for the changes, and Kellogg became the lead attorney in the case. Eventually the law was tied into the Clean Indoor Air Act, which banned smoking in any public place where employ-ees could be exposed to secondhand smoke.

“That was the biggest piece of legisla-tion I’ve gotten passed so far,” she said. “I’ve got to say I’m really proud of that.”

Amy also was named recently to the Potsdam Alumni Association Board of Trustees, the youngest member currently serving. She hopes the assignment will al-low her to give back what she has learned and experienced to current students and recent alumni.

“If I can help a student get an intern-ship, or their first job, or even give them a place to rent while they’re here, I will. I got where I am today because of the people at Potsdam who helped me every step of the way,” she said. “I hope that now I can begin returning the favor.”

If I can help a student get an internship, or their first job, or even give them a place to rent while they’re here, I will. I got where I am today because of the peo-ple at Potsdam who helped me every step of the way. I hope that now I can begin returning the favor.

”

Amy Kellogg


2 0 P o t S d A m P E o P L E S P r I N G 2 0 0 7

Your Alumni Association wants to know where you are and what you are doing. Please use this form to update us about yourself or add your information to the upcoming issue of Potsdam People.

q I would like to receive Potsdam People electronically. Please send me an e-mail reminder when the latest issue is available on the Alumni Web site. I realize that I will no longer have a printed copy mailed to me.

q I am pleased to provide the enclosed gift to support SUNY Potsdam $____ (Please make checks payable to Potsdam College Foundation.)

q I would like to receive a free lifetime e-mail account.

ClASS notes

As her 50th reunion approached, Elizabeth “Liz” Jackson-renner, Class of 1957, became involved serving as class co-chair. Her enthusiasm was contagious; this was an occasion worthy of celebration, and for Jackson-renner, a time to give back.

“Potsdam gave me the tools to be successful throughout my life,” said Jackson-renner, who

earned her degree in early childhood educa-tion at Potsdam followed three years later by a master’s degree in education from tufts Univer-sity. “for example, at Potsdam I learned how to listen well and to be at ease in front of a group.”

Jackson-renner believes that the lessons she learned at Potsdam helped prepare her for her various careers, as a teacher, editor and consultant for an educational publishing com-pany, social services counselor and retail sales associate.

In meeting with her trusted financial advisors, Jackson-renner shared her appreciation for Potsdam and with that, her desire to support current students. A thoughtful review of her assets and long-term financial plan led Jackson-renner to explore the possibility of establish-ing a charitable gift annuity (CGA) with the Potsdam College foundation. In return for her outright gift, the foundation agrees to provide her with guaranteed income for life.

because she believes that “education is the best way to improve the world and leave it a better place,” Jackson-renner is designating her

gift for the scholarship fund at SUNY Potsdam. “Perhaps someone can better their life through me,” she said. “this is my way of making a contribution to society – you could call it my social legacy.”

Jackson-renner chose to establish a gift annuity because it will provide her with a stream of income for life while also providing financial support to Potsdam. She also appreciates the tax benefits, which include significant savings on capital gains taxes.

the best benefit for Jackson-renner, however, is the satisfaction of knowing that she has made a lasting gift that will make a difference in the lives of our students. “After all,” she says, quot-ing author Jackie mutheson, “It takes each of us to make a difference for all of us.”

for more information on charitable gift annui-ties or for a free projection, please visit us on the Web at www.potsdam.edu/advance/gift-plan or contact Jason Ladouceur, associate vice president for College Advancement, directly at

(315) 267-2123 or [email protected].

Jackson-Renner Celebrates 50th Reunion with Charitable gift Annuity



ClASS notes

1950s roger mcKinney ’53 celebrated 50 years of teaching music at the College of New Jersey and was honored by the college with a daylong musical gala. mcKin-ney teaches clarinet performance and music history.

mable storie schlieman ’54 has retired after 30 years as director of Christian Education at Niskayuna reformed Church. She is currently volunteering for various church activities near her home in Schenectady, NY, and enjoys reading and spending time with her 13 grandchildren.

robert “Bob” Boyd ’57 re-tired in 2005 after working as a music educator for 44 years. He recently served as pianist for Aretha franklin, bernadette Peters, martin Short and Shirley Jones. Currently, he is the resi-dent music director of the Salerno theatre Company and the American Concert Company.

ron Farra ’57 was so impressed with the great time he experienced at his wife’s 50th class reunion that he immediately volunteered to serve on his class committee for their reunion in 2007. He learned much about his alma mater through his voluntary efforts this year, which he most likely would not have learned other-wise. both he and his wife, Johanna Dicroce Farra ’56 are retired educators. they love to travel and spend much time visiting their five grown children and 10 grandkids.

Vincent E. Jay ’57 and his wife, betty Jean, were recently inducted into the tupper Lake High School’s (NY) Athletic Hall of fame.

1960s

Nancy cauvet ’60 recently reunited in Sarasota, fL, with her three best friends from Potsdam, all from the Class of 1960, Barb (Yost) mccann, Phyllis (Young) stearns, Freda (aseel) Bradt. All of them were in Agonian. Pictured are (l to r) mcCann, Stearns, bradt and Cauvet.

constance murray Lytle ’61 performed with the man-tovani orchestra in a re-cent tour of China. She also has performed with the Solisti Chamber orchestra and several others.

carol Guarnieri Johnson’63 currently volunteers for her local emergency room and works for the municipal court as a police volunteer in St. Simone, GA. She plays in her church’s hand bell choir and is taking belly-dancing lessons. She also keeps in close contact with her two former SUNY Potsdam roommates, martha trembley hammill ’63 and rosemary Ellis marino ’63.

Norma regan murray ’63 enjoys teaching piano, directing a Sweet Adeline Choir and spending time with her grandchildren. She also makes time to play golf with her husband, George, near their home in Westford, mA.

Karen rudikoff athey ’66 recently retired from a 36-year career in educa-tion, having spent the last 28 years teaching kindergarten. In 2004, she successfully underwent heart transplant surgery and maintains an ongo-ing relationship with her donor family.

Wally siebel’s ’68 famous Potsdam store, North-ern music & Video, was featured in the march/April issue of music, Inc. magazine. Along with co-owner Alex Vangellow,

Wally opened the store more than 30 years ago. the article highlighted their keen sense for hiring enthusiastic and passion-ate employees, as well as always going above and beyond with customer service.

marilyn Bean Barrett ’69 and her husband, Joe, traveled to Cuernavaca, mexico, this past summer. She continues to prepare mainstream classroom teachers for teaching to English language learners.

Linda munde Farrell ’69 received the Harrisburg Symphony orchestra Play-ers Choice Award. based on a vote by the members of the orchestra, this award is given to one of the players for outstanding service to the orchestra and community. She just completed her 13th year as a member of the orchestra and continues to serve as second clarinet and music librarian. In addition, she is a member of the major orchestra Librarians As-sociation (moLA) where she often consults with her colleagues from around the world.

carol rose reed ’69 has re-tired from Canton Central School but remains active in the Potsdam and Canton Central Schools’ french stu-dent exchange.

Ghislaine Kubica stewart ’69 and Wendi thompson stetson ’91 recently took their choir, the Parlor City boys’ Chorus of bingham-ton, to perform “Carmina burana” at the bingham-ton University Choir and orchestra.

1970s

retired Superintendent of Schools of the ogdensburg City School district William h. Flynn ’70 & ’72 was the featured keynote speaker during SUNY Potsdam’s master’s Commencement Ceremony on may 19, 2007.

Goldstein honored by Navyalan P. Goldstein ’68 was recently awarded

the U.S. Navy Superior Civilian Service Award at a ceremony in the Pentagon in Washington, d.C. this is the highest honorary award given to the Navy’s civilian employees for exceptional service to the department. He was presented the award for his pioneering work in the design, creation and maintenance of the original department of the Navy’s Web site. He is also the founder of SUNY Potsdam’s radio station, WAIH (called WrPS when Goldstein founded it). He and his wife, mary m. Post, and their son, mark, reside in Springfield, VA.

Rich Johns Nominated for National Tennis Award

rich Johns ’72, the long time girls’ tennis coach at Saratoga Springs High School, has been nominated for the United States tennis Association’s Annual Starfish Award Nominated through the Eastern Section of the UStA, this national award is given to one coach in the country. the Starfish Award recognizes high school coaches who implement a no-cut policy for their tennis teams. these coaches serve as positive role models and make a dif-ference by spending the extra time and effort to ensure that thousands of young players experience the fun of representing their high school tennis teams.

Johns has been the Varsity Girls’ tennis coach at Saratoga since 1981. He is also the Varsity boys’ coach. A South Glens falls, NY, native, he has received numerous coaching awards throughout the years including recognition from the UStA Eastern Section honoring him as “Coach of the Year.”


ClASS notes

friends and colleagues of Crane Professor Emeritus scott LaVine ’71, former director of Crane Youth music, have established the Scott LaVine CYm Scholarship to assist Crane Youth music campers who have financial need. Selection of CYm scholar-ship recipients is based on financial need as well as musical ability. LaVine conducted the Symphonic band at SUNY Potsdam and served as co-direc-tor of Computer/music technology. He also taught music technology, theory and ear training courses, and was the Web master for the Crane School.

June Barnett simons ’71 is an independent contrac-tor for New York State medicaid. She serves as a pediatric homecare nurse for severely disabled children.

David Paciencia ’72 retired as superintendent of taconic Hills Central School district in June 2007. He retired after 35 years in the field of education, 21 of those years as a superin-tendent.

SUNY Potsdam Archives and Special Collections Librarian Jane Gatta subramanian ’72 recently received the 17th Annual Award for Excellence in Library Service from the

Northern New York Library Network during its Annual meeting in Lake Placid, NY. Each year, the network asks library directors/supervi-sors, co-workers or board members for confidential letters of nomination of a fellow colleague or supervisor they feel should be recognized for his/her outstanding service to libraries.

Peter mahigian ’73 retired from teaching after 32 years at the brunswick Central School district. He was retired for two weeks when the Cathedral of All Saints in Albany asked him to be the interim organ-ist. In November 2006, he took over the two choirs and was director of music at the cathedral until April 1, 2007. the new music director asked him to con-tinue on as the assistant organist.

michael m. messitt ’73 and his wife, sheila Dai ’73, recently moved to Latham, NY.

carol Fleming O’horo ’73 recently retired after 33 years of teaching at Hermon-dekalb Central School. She is looking forward to spending time with her children and two grandchildren.

sandra Linsky simpson ’73 is the current district

superintendent of Her-kimer boCES. She is also teaching graduate courses at Utica College for their Educational Administration program. In her free time, she and her husband, Kirk, enjoy their memberships in the rochester Yacht Club and make sailing a family endeavor.

Eileen Dolan-heitlinger ’74 and her husband, John Dolan-heitlinger ’74, are currently residing in Key West, fL. Eileen plays the organ for several churches, teaches Catholic confir-mation classes and home schools their daughter.

margie steve Buchanan ’75 was promoted in July 2006 to director of Air force libraries, overseeing 110 academic, research, techni-cal and general libraries at more than 80 Air force installations worldwide.

schuyler “skip” rhodes ’75 is in his seventh year as senior pastor at the temple United methodist Church in San francisco, CA. He lives there with his wife, Lisa Quoresimo, and their twins, Emma and Aaron. this past April, his fourth book, Words for Healing a Community was published. In addition he and his friend, Jack Kane, have released their debut Cd, Live in the Light.

mary Beth allen Jones ’78 continues to publish a weekly newspaper, the tioga County Courier. She is also active in several community organizations including the friends of the

Apalachin Library, Special olympics and the local Cor-nell Cooperative Extension board of directors.

claire rieker-Dellerson ’78 has been teaching gifted students in South florida for most of her career. Now two years from retirement, she is contemplating what the next chapter may bring and where it will take her.

Jerome “Jerry” manor ’78 is the current market-ing director at SeaComm federal Credit Union in massena, NY.

catherine Vanderbles censullo ’79 and her husband, Louis, recently returned from a vacation in Washington, d.C., and Charlottesville, VA. the couple toured the Smith-sonian National Air and Space museum and the home of thomas Jefferson in monticello, VA.

mark curtis ’79 is currently a senior supervisor at the florida department of Cor-rections. He and his partner, John maring, are building a new home near brecken-ridge, Co.

mike Donnelly ’79 has completed his second year of teaching wellness at Houston, texas’ elite Episcopal High School. He also directs the school’s outreach program and coaches lacrosse.

1980s

SUNY Potsdam Crane faculty member and Crane Institute for music business director Kickie holloway Britt ’69 speaks with John milton “Jack” Knight ’80, vice president of operations at Samson technology, about his recent appearance at the College. Knight was named the spring 2007 executive in residence for the Crane Institute of music business and given a special cita-tion as part of his visit. He spoke to students about Samson products and chal-lenges in the new global economy.

Phyllis shafer ’80 is a full-time artist and college art professor at a California Community College in South Lake tahoe, CA. Her work has been presented by the Stremmel Gallery in reno, NV, and it recently held her solo exhibition titled, A Painter’s Journey: the Sonoran desert to the Sierra Nevada. Shafer’s work can be viewed on her Web site www.phyllisshafer.com.

Paul spengler ’80 is a licensed psychologist in a private practice and a professor at ball State Uni-versity, where he teaches in both the master’s and

Kassoff Performs with Famous ArtistsPerforming as a touring pianist for over 20 years, russ Kassoff ’74, is a multi-talented musician who has worked with several high profile artists. He has served as an ac-companist on solo tours for frank Sinatra and Liza minelli as well as the lead pianist in the 1988 Ultimate Event tour, which featured Sinatra, minelli, Sammy davis Jr. and dean martin. He has also recorded with rod Stewart and Carly Simon. recently, Kassoff has formed his own group, the russ Kassoff big band, which includes fellow New York studio and broadway musicians.

Darlene Kerr ’73 recently came out of retirement to take on the role of president of the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. She is the chamber’s first fe-male president. She wants to see the area thrive and as a Syracuse native, her decision to leave retirement came from an affinity to her hometown. “I love this commu-nity,” said Kerr. As the former president and chief officer of the Niagara mohawk Power Corp., leadership is a role Kerr carries with confidence, and she has set many goals for her community in the upcoming term. She currently resides in onondaga, NY.

Kerr First Female Chamber President


NoTES

ClASS notes

doctoral programs. He recently completed his term as associate editor of the psychology journal the Counseling Psychologist. He resides in muncie, IN, with his wife, Polly, and their three boys.

SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of music and Insti-tute for music business recently invited distin-guished music alumni back to the classroom. chris apostle ’81 runs a production manage-ment company as part of Hoffman Entertainment and has a long history with SoNY/bmG. anthony Verderosa ’86, is an execu-tive producer and a leading expert in the field of electronic percussion. both alumni shared their experi-ences with students and faculty and spoke of career possibilities in the music industry. Pictured (l - r) are distinguished teaching Professor James Peter-csak hon. ’03, Apostle, Crane faculty member Kickie holloway Britt ’69, Northern music and Video co-founder Alex Vangellow and Verderosa.

andrew Doetsch ’82 is currently teaching high school special education in Alpharetta, GA. He is active in the local Harley davidson owner’s Group and enjoys riding. He recently took a trek from Atlanta, GA, to Lake George, NY, and back for the Americade rally.

F. richard Ferraro ’82, a faculty member at the University of North dakota, was recently named a Chester fritz distinguished Professor, the university’s highest honor. ferraro has spent 15 years in the university’s department of Psychology.

SUNY Potsdam presented Linda i. Gibbs ’82, New York City deputy mayor for health and human services, with a SUNY Honorary doctor of Humane Let-ters degree at its 173rd bachelor’s Commencement Ceremony on may 20, 2007, for dedicating her career in government to helping those who cannot help themselves.

robert P. Kinslow ’83 was recently promoted to vice president of strategic communications at Seidler bernstein. He also serves as president for the Inter-national brotherhood of magicians in boston, mA.

steve (cheech) hillebrand ’84 is the executive produc-er of a show on fox’s Speed Channel called Unique Whips. It’s a celebrity car customizing show that has featured celebrities such as Pamela Anderson, Jeff Gordon and 50 Cent.

anton schwarzmueller ’85 currently works for the U.S. Customs and border Protection in buffalo, NY, and was recently promoted to supervisor.

michele serrao ’85 man-ages the multi-manager Investment Program at the Atlantic trust Company, overseeing $3.5 billion in invested assets. In october 2006, she was promoted to the executive committee, which manages the boston office of Atlantic trust.

terri cromer schwab ’86 currently teaches eighth grade social studies at Canajoharie middle School. She lives in Palatine bridge, NY, with her husband, tim, and their four children.

charles “chuck” schmidt ’88 and his wife, Deborah snyder schmidt ’87, cur-rently teach instrumental music and are active in fundraising for Autism Speaks and Autism Society of America. Chuck was re-cently awarded the banks family Endowed faculty Chair at the Langley School in mcLean, VA. this award honors excellence in teach-ing and is given every three years.

Basil a. Piazza ’87 is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and has served overseas in operation Iraqi freedom in Kuwait and Qatar for the past two years. His duties during this time have been to aid in the engineer planning and construction efforts of infrastructure improve-ments in Iraq.

tom caprio ’87 was re-cently promoted to CEo of meyer Associates, Inc. in St. Cloud, mN. meyer Associ-ates is an employee-owned direct marketing agency that helps other compa-nies market their products nationally by means of Internet, phone and direct mail. Caprio oversees 347 employees in three loca-tions across minnesota.

maryann m. Bingham ’88 was appointed to the Cali-fornia State Instructional materials Adoption Panel for mathematics.

Dave alderson ’89 contin-ues to teach instrumental music at J. William Leary Jr. High School in massena, NY. He also performs with the Wally Siebel All-Star big band on their short North Country tours every sum-mer. When not busy with music, he spends time with his wife, Evelyn, and their two children, tiffany, 10, and Nathaniel, 7.

Keisuke hoashi ’89 is the co-founder and co-director of the New York Sum-mer music festival, an advanced level music camp

hosted at SUNY oneonta. He is also currently pursu-ing an acting career in Los Angeles, CA.

Gregory m. Kelly ’89 is the founder and director of the American Veterans Aid fund, a nonprofit organiza-tion that assists veterans and their families in obtain-ing and maintaining the respect, dignity and honor earned through their service and sacrifice. He currently resides in Central Valley, NY.

molly sprague Kurent ’89 is entering her fifth year as director of marketing and development for the University of Vermont’s department of theatre. She spends her free time hiking, biking and kayaking with her husband, Jim, and their black lab, Sophie.

amy Jean strunk mcKeown ’89 is an EPA on-scene coordinator currently re-sponsible for responding to environmental emergencies and supervising the cleanup of hazardous waste sites.

Joel smales ’89 is cur-rently the band director at binghamton High School’s rod Serling School of fine Arts where he conducts the symphonic band, wind en-semble, jazz ensemble and stage band. He has pub-lished four original com-positions, most recently a piece titled “the General” that was dedicated to and inspired by Crane Professor James Petercsak.

1990s martin curry ’90; his wife, Susan; and their three chil-dren are now living in China. they are both teaching there on two-year contracts.

Debbie Byrne Kasson ’90 & ’92 and hans Loland ’90 met at Potsdam when they were both Summer orientation Leaders in the summer of 1989. they have remained friends since. Kasson’s family (hus-band Cliff, Alicia 9, Sarah 7 and Julia 4) recently went to visit the Loland family (wife Cynthia and Christian 1) in Seattle.

Paul Geer ’91 has been working with at-risk teens teaching vocal music and theory, which has earned him recognition in Who’s Who Among distinguished Americans. Under his leadership, five choral ensembles have won top honors at different festivals.

Jacqueline Levy Berge ’92 was recently appointed associate at turner Invest-ment Partners. In her new position, she is responsible for mutual funds admin-istration and compliance. She currently resides in media, PA.

Kimberly Brown cabrera ’92 was awarded her mas-ter of divinity degree and continues to serve as youth minister for Harvey browne Presbyterian Church. She currently resides in Louis-ville, KY, with her husband and two children.

tonya Warner Frickey ’92 has been a high school English teacher for the past 13 years. for the past three years she has been recog-nized in the Who’s Who Among America’s teachers. She and her husband, rev-erend mark frickey, reside in Ancram, NY, with their three adopted children.


christian miller ’92 re-turned to campus in march to speak to students in the mathematics Undergradu-ate Colloquium Series. miller, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics at SUNY Potsdam, is senior director of corporate phar-macy services for Health Now New York, Inc., parent company of blue Cross/blue Shield of Western New York and blueShield of Northeastern New York. His topic was “time to graduate … now what?” Also attending the lecture were dr. Vasily Cateforis, emeritus chair of the department of mathemat-ics; dr. Joel foisy, current chair; and dr. blair madore, member of the mathemat-ics faculty and coordinator of the colloquium series.

shawn “Fusion” Benjamin ’93 is the senior housing coordinator at Virginia State University. He and his wife, Katrina, currently reside in richmond, VA.

ilissa mandelik miller ’93 has joined tel (x), a U.S. based core interconnection facility provider for the global telecommunications industry. She has worked in the telecom sector for more than 10 years for a variety of companies in both the Unites States and U.K.

Jan Fredrickson thome ’93 continues to teach high school Spanish and french and has been featured in Who’s Who Among Amer-ica’s teachers four times. for the past 11 years, she has worked as the day-camp director for the Girl Scouts of Niagara County. She is also an instructor at a bally’s total fitness in Clarence, NY, where she currently resides.

Beth mcGann Winter ’93 just received her m.A. in Public School Administra-tion from Castleton State College. She currently teaches general and instru-mental music at the Poult-

ney Elementary School in Poultney, Vt.

mark hayman ’94 recently became an associate in the Patent Counseling and Prosecution practice group for the Cooley, Godward and Kronish, LLP firm. He has earned both his Ph.d. and J.d. and resides in Washington, d.C.

cassie Dionne meyers ’94 teaches 4th grade inclusion classes and was recently awarded the National board of Professional teach-ing Certification. She has also founded a local chapter of the Council for Excep-tional Children, a non-profit organization that promotes and helps gifted and disabled children succeed in school. She currently resides in Palm Coast, fL.

In its top ten listing for 2006, time magazine’s fifth-ranked Web site is the creation of mykel ruvola ’94. His Web site, www.finetune.com, is an online music-sharing service that allows people to compile playlists from a library of over two million songs and its free. the site has 40,000 registered users and continues to grow. ruvola worked for Napster briefly before moving to Nex-tradio, a company out of boston that supplies digital music products and services to bellSouth and others. ruvola and his wife, ann Brown ’93 currently live in the boston, mA, area.

Kristin Bourdage reninger ’93 received her Ph.d. in education and linguistics on June 10, 2007 at ohio State University. She is currently teaching at otter-bein College in Westerville, oH. She previously worked at Lewiston-Porter High School in Niagara County, where she taught and mentored students in GEd and English as a Second Language programs. She resides in Columbus with her husband, donald.

Eric s. Burke ’95 has recently been named middle and high school principal for the Lisbon Central School district. He is also a former director of the St. Lawrence Valley Sportsmen’s Club.

tierney Jayne mcKee ’95 is an English and Language Arts teacher for the Sodus Central School district in Sodus, NY. She lives in Newark, NY with her hus-band, Andrew, and their newborn, Colin Joseph.

aaron Fuller ’97 is the president of fuller Insur-ance Agency and oversees offices in Carthage, Canton and malone, NY. He re-cently finished his service as the Exalted ruler of Carthage b.P.o. #1762 and is currently a member of the Carthage Area Hospital board of directors.

David J. Benstock ’98 is the sales manager at Light-house ford in Copiague, NY, and his wife, monica F. (Erb) Benstock ’99, is the 9th grade band director in Half Hollow Hills, NY.

matthew Fossa ’98 gave the world premiere of his original oboe con-certo in September at the Pensacola Symphony orchestra. In addition, the Gulf Coast Chorale and the University of West florida Chamber orchestra have performed his other works.

mindy carlin cervoni ’99 is currently the vice president of the Administration for Community Services for the developmentally disabled in buffalo, NY. She and her husband, Jona-than, and their son, Noah, reside in Hamburg, NY.

2000samanda haney ’00 spent two years working as a VIStA with the Washington reading Corps and recently graduated in december 2006 with a master of Pub-lic Administration degree from Seattle University. She is now a public manage-ment intern/budget exam-iner for New York State.

Kelly E. mailler ’02 gradu-ated in may 2007 from Springfield College with her master of Social Work Advance Generalist degree.

Emily manor robideau ’02 is the current vocal music director at Salmon river Central School in fort Covington, NY.

Jennifer Walker chudacik ’03 is the director of the choral department for the Johnson City School dis-trict in Johnson City, NY.

George Father ’03 joined the U.S. Air force band of Liberty in August 2005 and is currently stationed at Hanscom Air force base, mA. In April 2007, he was the featured bass

trombone soloist with the group on a New York tour.

Elsa schmidt ’03 was re-cently admitted to the New York State bar Association and is working for the Ste-phens & Stephens, LLP firm in buffalo, NY. While earn-ing her J.d. at the University at buffalo Law School, she was awarded best oralist in the preliminary rounds of the National Environmental moot Court Competition at Pace University.

Jill DiPaola ’05 currently works as an elementary general music teacher for massapequa Union free School district.

John czarnecki ’06 is the sports information director and publicist for SUNY Ath-letic Conference and works out of SUNY fredonia.

meaghan Lynn manor ’07, graduated in may from SUNY Potsdam with a b.A. in communications and thus joins her sister, Emily manor robideau ’02, and their father, Jerome “Jerry” manor ’78, in the SUNY Potsdam Alumni family. She performed for Com-munity Performance Series over the summer and began pursuing a career in communications in the fall.

Wegner makes Carnegie Hall Debut

melissa Wegner ’03 made her Carnegie Hall debut on April 15, 2007, in the Weill recital Hall as part of the Composer & the Voice series. She was one of eight students in the inaugural class of the Vocal Arts Program at bard College.

After graduating from Potsdam, she received a master of music degree in vocal per-formance at the manhattan School of music where she co-founded American music Productions, an ensemble dedicated to promoting, preserving and creating American music. She studies voice with Patricia misslin and was selected to participate in Song-fest, an internationally recognized summer vocal program in Santa barbara, CA.

class Notes for spring ’08 issue are due January 2, 2008


ClASS notes

anna ryan ’30, June 16, 2006.

Evelyn holt seeber ’30, dec. 13, 2006.

ahleen Dexter Darling ’34, Nov. 3, 2006.

Frances Goodison collins ’39, 2006.

Ernest a. tebo ’40, may 2, 2007.

Betty Farmer Weaver ’40, April 21, 2007.

George harris ’49, feb. 11, 2007.

George Vosburgh ’49, September 2006.

Joseph t. smith ’51, Jan. 16, 2007.

Evelyn scheitl rieker ’52, November 2006.

Lawrence D. hiter ’53, march 26, 2007.

Genevieve Baxter ’57, April 7, 2007.

Palma iasiello stanton ’58, Nov. 18, 2006.

Linda Olsen Van heuvelen ’58, January 2007.

Joan sandberg ’59, feb. 11, 2007.

sandy Feldstein ’62, Aug. 30, 2007.

helen rogers Davis ’63, April 27, 2006.

ronnie Frech trinkle ’63, Aug. 26, 2006.

susan m. Fitzgerald Ged-des ’73, march 27, 2007.

Patrick mcGuire ’75, march 19, 2007.

Elizabeth myers Lewis ’78, 2006.

Wendy schmidt-chapp ’87, Jan. 2, 2007.

J. Daniel “Danny” O’Dea ’91, April 8, 2007.

mark Gugino ’84 mar-ried Leah Glogowski on September 23, 2006. Also in attendance were mark Davey ’84 (best man), tracy Kelly Davey ’88, Edward Gorton ’83 (usher) and maryanne teranna.

Wendy D’ambrosi ’88 mar-ried douglas Hadley on July 15, 2006, in rome, NY. the couple honeymooned in maui, HI.

amy Jean strunk ’89 was married to John mcKeown on June 11, 2006.

shawn “Fusion” Benjamin ’93 married Katrina brown on may 20, 2006. they spent their honeymoon in Aruba and now reside in richmond, VA.

Kristi Vivlamore ’94 mar-ried mike doyle in 2007.

heather reisdorf ’98 mar-ried Philip Hans on dec. 2, 2006. the couple honey-mooned on a cruise ship in the bahamas.

abram Linderberry ’99 married Karyn Perry on Sept. 30, 2007. they honey-mooned in the Yucatan Peninsula of mexico. the couple currently resides in Ithaca, NY.

christopher m. marino ’00 married megan St. Clair on April 8, 2006 in Platts-burgh, NY.

Lisa Beale ’01 and Jason buckley were married on July 30, 2005. the couple resides in Glens falls, NY.

thaddeus hotto ’01 mar-ried amy sladowski ’02 on July 29, 2006. the couple honeymooned in Jamaica and now resides in New milford, NJ.

sarah E. Kelleher ’02 and Kyle W. middlemiss ’02 were married on June 25, 2005. the couple lives in frederick, md.

andrew r. Ewing ’03 and his wife, Nicole, were mar-ried in July 2006.

Jennifer spinner ’03 and George Father ’03 were married on oct. 22, 2005 in Colonie, NY. Several Crane alumni were in attendance.

matthew VanDervoort ’03 and his wife, Emily, were married in April 2006. Attending the ceremony were numerous SUNY Potsdam alumni includ-ing several members of the delta Kappa theta fraternity.

Jennifer Walker ’03 mar-ried martin Chudacik on July 8, 2006. the couple enjoyed their honeymoon in Las Vegas, NV and maui Hawaii. they currently live in Johnson City, NY.

sarah Bodner ’04 married James Leahy on Aug. 12, 2006, in Saranac Lake, NY. the couple honeymooned at Grand teton and Yellow-stone National Parks. they now reside in florida.

Katherine Paradis ’05 and ryan hayes ’05 were married on Sept. 30, 2006 and now reside in Waddington, NY.

stephanie meilak ’05 married Corey mansfield on oct. 22, 2006. the couple currently resides in Hauppauqe, NY.

Jill DiPaola ’06 and John czarnecki ’06 were married on Aug. 12, 2007 on Long Island, NY.

mark curtis ’79 and his partner, John maring, celebrated their 25th an-niversary in october 2006.

Debra Widman Daly ’92 and her husband, Lawrence, celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary on Aug. 27, 2007.

anton schwarzmueller ’85 and his wife, Arlene, cel-ebrated the birth of their 13th child in 2006.

traci Bisaillon Flaherty ’88 and her husband, Steve, celebrated the birth of a son, Aidan James, on march 31, 2006.

michelle ruffos hall ’88 and her husband, Alan, welcomed the birth of their daughter, Anne Cath-erine, on dec. 31, 2005.

michele Kingdeski ’88 celebrated the birth of her first child, ryan michael, on April 10, 2007.

Becky J. Keenan Egnew ’91 gave birth to Kelcie Anne on Sept. 27, 2006. She was welcomed home by her big brother, Sean Patrick.

susan caruso sciorilli ’91 and her husband welcomed the arrival of Lucas Joseph on may 27, 2003 and Noah thomas on Nov. 30, 2006.

michelle miller shoen ’91 and her husband, duane, celebrated the birth of their fourth daughter, Sydney Ann, on march 24, 2007.

Lisa zaniewski Fendsack ’92 and her husband, Wil-liam, celebrated the birth twins, michael and trinity, on may 3, 2006.

heather macDonald schwartz ’92 and her husband, Phillip, welcomed their son, Nolan, on April 23, 2007.

steven shattuck ’92 and his wife, Vickie, celebrated the birth

of a daughter, Amelia margaret, on feb. 2, 2007. Amelia was welcomed home by her big brother, brayden Lee.

michelle Farkas smith ’92 and her husband, James, celebrated the birth of their second child, mer-edith, on Nov. 3, 2006. She was welcomed home by her big brother, Ethan.

PotSdAm PEoPLE

Anniversaries

PotSdAm PEoPLE

Marriages

PotSdAm PEoPLE

Memoriam

PotSdAm PEoPLE

Births


NoTES

ClASS notes

Kevin J. reed ’93 and his wife, tina, celebrated the birth of their second daughter, Katelyn Alexis, on Nov. 9, 2006. She was welcomed home by an older sister, megan Eliza-beth.

Debra trickey ’93 adopted takoda James and John dante on Sept. 26, 2006.

heather holliday roman-ski ’94 and her husband, Paul, celebrated the birth of a daughter, brooke tet-low, on Sept. 3, 2006.

Elizabeth adinolfi West ’95 and her husband, mark, celebrated the birth of their first son, John Vit-torio, on march 28, 2006.

Kirstin shave Vivacqua ’96 and her husband, michael, celebrated the birth of their second child, Vincent Joseph, on June 12, 2006.

colleen hayes carter ’97 and her husband, ron, cel-ebrated the birth of their second son, brandon Alan, on July 21, 2006. He was welcomed home by his big brother, Alexander.

David J. Benstock ’98 and monica F. (Erb) Benstock ’99 welcomed their first baby in July 2007.

mindy carlin cervoni ’99 and her husband,

Jonathan ’99, celebrated the birth of their first son, Noah matthew, on Aug. 15, 2006.

Erin Peters Lockwood ’99 and her husband, Jason, celebrated the birth of a son, brandon dominick, on Nov. 24, 2006.

Nena Vedder thompson ’99 and her husband, Lenn, welcomed the arrival of their first child, Jackson William, on Jan. 31, 2007.

Nancy Kelso O’hearn ’00 and her husband, Wade ’00,welcomed their first child, John Jack, on may 16, 2006.

maria Paestella cyr ’01 and her husband, ryan, welcomed the birth of their first child, brayden michael, on march 9, 2006.

michelle Frank szmarz ’01 and her husband, rob szmarz ’00, celebrated the birth of their first child, mcKenna Lyn, on feb. 1, 2007.

stephanie meilak mans-field ’05 and her husband, Corey, celebrated the birth of a daughter, Emma Grace, on may 28, 2006.

ElizabEth Shulman ’48 & daughtEr VanESSa Shulman SchaEfErPhoto takEn on hEr rEcEnt SummEr triP to PraguE

The Potsdam College Foundation recently received a gift from Elizabeth Shulman directly from her IRA. As a result, the Elizabeth Panzner Shulman ’48 Award was established.

“I have such happy memories of my days at Potsdam. It opened many doors of opportunity for me and is ever-present in my life. I loved the idea that, not only did I not have to pay taxes on my gift, neither did Potsdam. I’m so pleased to have established a named award to celebrate deserving Crane students.”

bEnEfitS of uSing your ira

•The transfer counts toward your minimum required distribution as long as you have not received your 2007 distribution.

•The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you will receive the benefit even if you do not itemize your tax deductions.

•You can witness the difference your philanthropic dollars make to Potsdam.

• Must be 70 1/2 years or older

• Transfer must be made by 12/31/07

• For more information call 315-267-2123 or visit us at www.potsdam.edu/advance/giftplan

takE

adVantagE

of your

ira

Visit the Alumni Association website

There are many ways you can get involved with the SUNY Potdam

Alumni Association, from attending an alumni chapter to men-

toring a current student. Visit our Web site and learn more today.

www.potsdam.edu/alumni


iN THEiR own words remembering the ice carnival Queens of Yore

As told by photographer Laird Chaffee, Class of 1967

The woman in the photo is andrea (rubach) copley ’67. She and I were Crane freshmen together way back in the last century in ’63. She was the first independent Ice Carnival Queen candidate. The theme was Gre-cian Grandeur and out of a hat she pulled Diana, Goddess of the Hunt. The car belonged to Bob Holiday, then a local lawyer, and the bow and arrow we borrowed from John Maxcy himself. She won much to the chagrin of the sorority candidates. I had a fire in 1980 when the original Isle of You burned thanks to the Potsdam arsonist, and I didn’t salvage a lot but I did salvage the negatives from that job. It is both of per-sonal and historical, or at least of collegiately historical significance. So that’s the story and I’m sticking to it.

Chaffee is busy these days welcoming twin granddaughters to the family.



AlUMNi opportunities

2007 Reunion Class Giving Reportthank you to all reunion donors for sup-porting your alma mater. Every gift has a direct impact on students and makes a difference at SUNY Potsdam.

Class Chair(s) giving Total50-year club $1,382,2441957 $90,212ronald farraElizabeth “Liz” Jackson-rennerEvelyn “Evie” (batchelor) mercer

1962 $11,3191967 $62,602Gary Jaquay

1972 $13,537tim Lindemuth“Gay” musumeciruss Sweezey

1977 $44,733mike Lahendrobill Sohl

1982 $25,002tim Christensenbrian mcdowell

1987 $27,673Victoria “Vicki” (Vissar) daymarty Venton

1992 $19,266molly CloughJustin Sipher

1997 $4,871matt fullerKristin (maginn) JordanLori middendorf

2002 $5,010Adam myattmorgan (Goot) myatt

2007 Reunion giving $1,688,999

“It really was a blast hearing

from those I remember and who

remember me! As a committee

member, I was able to assist the

College by encouraging class-

mates to consider a gift.”

-Ron Farra ’57

2007

Reunion Weekend

MoRE THAN 630 AlUMNi AND FRiENDS returned to Potsdam in July to celebrate

Reunion Weekend, breaking attendance records. guests

enjoyed a host of seminars, receptions, outdoor activities,

barbecues, dedications and more.


visit our online calendar anytime for a current list of events in your area.

www.potsdam.edu/alumni/calendar

October 27

November 17

November 30

December 2

January 25

Boston, NyBoston Chapter Alumni EventCatch up with fellow Potsdam alumni and friends in the greater Boston area at the Bell in Hand tavern!

Potsdam, NyAlumni Association Board of Trustees Fall MeetingPotsdam College Foundation Board Fall Meeting

October 26 rochester, Ny Alumni Reception at AMTNYS Annual Fall ConferenceMath teachers attending this conference can enjoy this special gathering for Potsdam alumni, faculty and students.

rochester, NyAlumni Reception at NYSSMA Winter ConferenceMusic alumni attending this conference will want to add this annual reception to their itinerary.

Potsdam, NyAnnual Candlelight Concert, Crane School of Musicfor many, this special concert serves as the unofficial start of the holiday season in Potsdam! watch your local programming for broadcasts of past Crane Candlelight Concerts.

Potsdam, NyBear Pride Day, Maxcy HallAlumni, students, faculty and community members come together to show their Potsdam spirit in this all-day campus event.

CAlENDAR oF events

Mark Your Calendar for Reunion weekend 2008: July 10-13

Plans for next summer’s Reunion are well underway and it promises to be another weekend you won’t want to miss. Committees are already working to plan events, contact classmates and ensure a Reunion filled with memories.

Watch for your spring 2008 issue of Potsdam People with complete schedule and registration materials. And as always, visit the Reunion Web site for housing information, class gift updates, special event list-ings and more! www.potsdam.edu/alumni/reunion


Watch for other alumni gatherings this spring including alumni chapter events in Florida, Washington, D.C., Albany and New York City!

44 Pierrepont Avenue Potsdam, NY 13676

Here’s why the College asks for and needs your support:The College continues to attract quality students who have financial need. Last year,

approximately 450 students were unable to meet their full financial need. Maybe you remember being a student with financial need, or maybe you were friends with or sat

next to a fellow student who wasn’t sure if she would be able to come back to college next year because of funding. You can change that for today’s students with a gift to The Fund for Potsdam. Through you, SUNY Potsdam can enable worthy students to chart promising courses for themselves. We hope you’ll support the College this year and make your mark for someone who aspires to become a Potsdam alum.

w w w. p o t s d a m . e d u / f u n d f o r p o t s d a m

In the Words

of Potsdam

Students:

“I work for the Phonathon because I have a lot of fun talking to former stu-dents to see what possibilities are out there after Potsdam.”- Josh Balles ’07

“Giving to SUNY Potsdam is important because it affects everyone, not just one student or one department, but everyone.” - Katie McClusky ’08

“I work for Phonathon because it gives me a chance to give back to the College while making the money I need to sup-port myself.”-Delia Wohlleben ’09

Why We Call You

Documents

Fall 2007 Potsdam People