Sequel PAUL SMITH’S COLLEGE THE COLLEGE OF THE ADIRONDACKS SUMMER 2008
Tool time
Steve Dancho loves his Leatherman – open up to see what other Smitties can’t live without
[ table of contents ] Paul Smith’s College
Summer 2008 On the cover: Junior Steve Dancho uses his Leatherman for just about everything – skinning game, opening envelopes, cutting food, you name it. “Everyone gets a Social Security number and everyone should get a Leatherman,” he says. PHOTOGRAPHED BY PAUL BUCKOWSKI
[ DEPARTMENTS ] To Our Readers
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Letters
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Good Taste
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Faculty & Staff Notes 6 Our Adirondacks
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Shore Lines
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Evergreens
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Q&A
16
Spaces
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Alumni Life
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Class Notes
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Parting Shot
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Write to Sequel: PSC Alumni Office PO Box 265 Paul Smiths, NY 12970-0265 Fax: (518) 327-6267 E-mail: alumni@paulsmiths.edu
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5 To die for This leek and goat cheese tart, created by culinary student Nathan Scott, will kill at your next dinner party. 8 Shore Lines Recycling puts us on top of the heap … sugar bush gets sweeter … athletics update … and more. 16 Runway success Technical designer Sue Quinn dishes on high-tech fabric, fashion inspiration and the merits
8 of Orvis’ Amphibious Ranger Jacket in Q&A. 18 Spaces Got boats? You bet – plenty of ’em, under the Joan Weill Student Center.
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PAUL SMITH’s COLLEGE THE COLLEGE OF THE ADIRONDACKS SUMMER 2008
President John W. Mills, Ph.D. Managing Editor Kenneth Aaron Director of Communications kaaron@paulsmiths.edu Institutional Advancement Staff Hillarie Logan-Dechene Vice President for Institutional Advancement Stephanie M.R. Colby Director of Annual Giving Jamie Dyer Major Gifts and Grants Officer Deborah Holmes Alumni Relations Coordinator Mary L. McLean Director of Events and Conference Services
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Amy White Director of Advancement Services Andrea Wilcox Institutional Advancement Assistant Contributors Paul Buckowski Denys Bulikhov Mark Cartmill Jorie Favreau
Pat Hendrick Kathleen O’Rourke Nathan Scott Jim Tucker
DESIGN Maria M. Stoodley Printing Kenyon Press Inc.
20 What a tool! A shovel, a plastic scraper, a radio-tracking device: They’re all among Smitties’ favorite tools. 28 College for all The road from rural and urban
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America to college is rough – we help smooth it. 30 Alumni life Our new residence hall is taking shape – help put the finishing touches on before it opens in August!
Trustees of Paul Smith’s College Stuart H. Angert, Amherst, N.Y. Ralph Blum ’54, West Falls, N.Y. Paul M. Cantwell, Jr., Malone, N.Y. Richard C. Cattani ’64, Hoboken, N.J. Paul F. Ciminelli, Eggertsville, N.Y. Michael Cropp, M.D., Amherst, N.Y. David C. Cuthell, Weehawken, N.J. Jim Gould, Glastonbury, Conn. James E. Himoff, Brant Lake, N.Y. Pieter V.C. Litchfield, Gansevoort, N.Y. Caroline D. Lussi ’60, Lake Placid, N.Y. Edward McAree, Rowayton, Conn. Charles B. Morgan, Cazenovia, N.Y. William Murray ’79, Plattsburgh, N.Y. E. Philip Saunders, Dansville, N.Y. James L. Sonneborn, Syracuse, N.Y. Francine D. Walker, Bedford Hills, N.Y. Joan H. Weill, New York, N.Y. Katharine H. Welling, Wilton, Conn. Ross S. Whaley, Tupper Lake, N.Y. George F. T. Yancey, Jr., Rochester, N.Y. Trustees Emeriti Donald O. Benjamin ’56, Port Charlotte, Fla. John T. Dillon ’58, Greenwich, Conn. C. Convers Goddard, Calistoga, Calif. William B. Hale, Rochester, N.Y. Calista L. Harder, Yarmouth, Maine John W. Herold ’65, Scottsdale, Ariz. M. Curtiss Hopkins ’48, Sodus, N.Y. Frank M. Hutchins, Rochester, N.Y. Sheila Hutt, Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y. Charles L. Ritchie, Jr., Saranac Lake, N.Y. Honorary Trustees W. Peter Ahnert ’64, Marshalls Creek, Penn. Thomas H. Gosnell, Webster, N.Y.
Printed on recycled paper.
Published by the Office of Institutional Advancement.
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[ to our readers ]
Leaving our mark
O
ne of the most rewarding parts of my job is when I hear from people about how much a Paul Smith’s College education has meant to them. In the letters column below, a former student who was here for a year dropped me a note after seeing the college featured in “The Adirondacks,” a PBS documentary that aired last month. (If you haven’t seen it, look for it on DVD.) Jon Mills – no relation – wrote that while his time here
[ LETTERS]
Sequel | Summer 2008
is a perennial challenge. Read about our work with CFES and rural schools on page 26. This issue is packed with news about the Paul Smith’s experience. As you flip through it, I’m willing to bet you’ll be reminded of something that made it worthwhile to you.
JOHN MILLS | PRESIDENT
Thanks
Gridless and happy
I was a Paul Smith’s student in 198182. I was a marginal student in high school and I’m still not exactly sure how I was accepted. I suppose my interview showed some potential regardless of the grades. PSC was a great experience. Although I transferred after my freshman year, PSC gave me the selfconfidence to be successful academically and professionally. Looking back, without the support and challenges the faculty at Paul Smith’s gave me, I wouldn’t be where I am. I am very proud of Paul Smith’s and my year there. Seeing “The Adirondacks” on PBS prompted me to finally say “thanks.” I doubt any of my professors are still around but I am sure the spirit there remains the same.
My husband and I are among the Paul Smith’s families who live off the grid (“Off the Grid,” Fall ’07). We’ve been solarpowered since 1994 and recently upgraded, allowing us to use amenities such as a cordless phone and more time on the computer without needing our generator. Living without the “endless power” available from the grid has strengthened our resolve to live as simply as possible and still be culturally engaged. We gave up clock radios and central heating (save for our woodburning stove). In turn, we gained a greater tie to our environment. We wash clothes in the washer when there is enough sun, dry them on a clothesline, turn off the computer when unused, and eschew any superfluous plug-in item. We are blessed with a roof over our head, warmth, food in our gas-powered fridge and a great view, to boot. But going off the grid takes energy and non-renewable resources to produce solar panels, wind generators and other alternative energy producers. It’s not just about finding alternative energy sources – it is also about reducing our country’s energy demands. What do we REALLY need to LIVE?
Jon Mills
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was short, the impact has been deep: Many years later, he credits Paul Smith’s with lasting change in his life. The transformative power of education is one reason we’ve been so supportive of College for Every Student, a Vermont-based organization that works to make college a reality for students in places where they often don’t continue their educations. While there are plenty of Jon Millses out there who would benefit from going to college, getting them to continue their schooling
Andrea Holland-Sears ’76
[ good taste ]
To die for By NATHAN SCOTT
The
guests and administrators who tucked into a 13course dinner following the college’s 11th annual hospitality symposium got more than chestnut tortellini, spiced pumpkin soup and a summer bean cassoulet prepared by culinary students. They got a murder, too. On stage, that is. As they dined, the guests watched a murder-mystery written and directed by yours truly – a play that incorporated all those dishes, and more, into the action. In addition to the roasted vegetable terrine and leek tartlets, they watched “Murder in Thirteen Courses,” a 1950s-era murdermystery following the elegant dinner party
of Mr. Graves and his six guests. After an unsettling cocktail hour in which the pianist dies of a “heart attack,” the guests follow Mr. Graves to the dining room for a bit of polite conversation. But when the lights suddenly go out and Mr. Graves turns up dead, the guests soon realize there is a murderer among them. It is a story of suspicion, intrigue, and humor. As the executive chef, I also directed the evening’s menu. I settled on 13 courses for a very simple reason: unlucky 13 seemed to be an appropriate number for a deadly dinner. When choosing the various courses I looked for elegant, classic dishes that would evoke the 1950s. Dishes such as port-infused foie gras baked inside a loaf of rich brioche set an upscale mood in the dining room. Never being one for upscale moods, however, I introduced a sense of play by developing unique twists on the traditional recipes. The sea bass was accompanied by a saffronvanilla sauce, the cheese course was served with a spiced golden raisin puree, and the warm citrus salad featured an interesting champagne beurre blanc. The theme of the play was further conveyed to the audience through the centerpieces on each table. A black and white color scheme, simple menus, and
COURTESY OF NATHAN SCOTT
The cast of “Murder in Thirteen Courses” (before they started dying off.) Nathan Scott, the author/chef, is on the right.
candlelight enhanced the elegant appeal of the party. But once again wanting to introduce that same sense of play, each centerpiece featured two weapons (a candlestick, a wrench, a bit of rope, or a lead pipe). And to top it all off, I developed playing cards featuring the cast members, weapons, and places so the audience could participate in their own game of whodunit. So who was the murderer, you might ask? Was it Dr. Milbourne, a man attempting to settle the score with the manipulative Mr. Graves? Or was it Ms. Spencer, a black widow silencing her only accomplice? No … it was Mr. Graves’ fiancée, Miss Thorn, in the dining room with the candlestick. S
» Nathan Scott is a senior majoring in culinary arts and service management.
BBC GOODFOOD
Leek & goat cheese tart A delectable tart that combines delicate leeks with salty pancetta in a buttery puff pastry crust. At the 11th Annual Paul Smith’s College Hospitality Symposium, it was a second course worth dying for. Serves 8 second-course servings.
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds leeks 6 tablespoons unsalted butter Salt & freshly ground black pepper ¼ pound pancetta, cut into ¼ inch cubes 1 egg ½ cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard Pinch of curry powder ¼ pound goat cheese, crumbled ¾ pound prepared puff pastry ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Procedure:
1) Trim and discard the green stems and roots from the leeks. Thinly slice the leeks and rinse them well under cold water, being sure to wash away any sand you may find. Place the clean leeks in a large sauté pan with 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Over low heat, cook the leeks until they are soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow the leeks to cool. 2) Cook the pancetta in a separate sauté pan over medium heat until slightly crispy and the fat has melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain off the excess fat and cool the pancetta. 3) Whisk together the egg, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and curry powder in a large bowl. Add in half of the goat cheese, as well as the cooled leeks and pancetta.
4) Roll out the prepared puff pastry to a 1 /8 -inch thickness. Transfer the puff pastry to a greased, 9-inch tart pan. Press the puff pastry into the tart pan and remove any excess pastry. Using a fork, prick the tart shell every ¼ inch. This will prevent the puff pastry from rising too much while baking. Refrigerate the tart shell for 30 minutes. 5) Assemble the tart by filling the tart shell with the egg and leek mixture. Top with the remaining goat cheese and the panko breadcrumbs. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the surface of the tart. 6) Bake the tart in a preheated 400°F oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is set. Serve immediately. Sequel | Summer 2008
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[ OUR ADIRONDACKS ]
Rapid response
KENNETH AARON
[ FACULTY & STAFF NOTES] Forestry, Natural Resources and Recreation John Bean, associate professor, was named a fellow of the Geographic and Land Information Society/American Congress on Surveying and Mapping at the group’s annual conference for his long-term commitment and service to both
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the organization and the surveying and mapping community … Andrew Egan, dean, voted professeur associé, Faculté de foresterie et de géomatique, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, through February 2011; also voted to the graduate faculty, University of Maine, through June 2013. Additionally, Egan spoke at a USDA Forest Service Workshop on
mechanical fuels treatment in Memphis, Tenn., in February, and at a Forest Resources Association meeting in Maine in May … Randall Swanson, associate professor, is working with the Village Improvement Society of Saranac Lake to inventory and develop long-range management plans for the village’s parks … Jeff Walton, associate
professor, published “Difficulties with estimating city-wide urban forest cover change from national, remotelysensed tree canopy maps” in Urban Ecosystems (March 2008).
Science, Liberal Arts and Business Tom Huber, adjunct instructor
For
10 years, Kirk Peterson has been taking students in his Adirondacks 232 class on an end-of-semester whitewater rafting adventure through the Hudson River Gorge. The Hudson is an angry river when there’s a winter’s worth of snow melting into it, but what might really get your attention on the 17-mile journey from Indian Lake to North Creek is how the trip so neatly encapsulates the conundrum of the Adirondacks. Is this six million acres wilderness? Or a place where, as Peterson wonders in the syllabus, “people working to earn a living are an integral part of the landscape and deserve the same rights to manage their land as other New Yorkers?” Many of the components of that question – history, ecology, economy – go whizzing by on the spin-cycle down the Hudson, which about three dozen of Peterson’s charges braved in late April. (Braved is the right word, too. Some of them, like Katie O’Neill, admitted being “paranoid” about the trip beforehand – and she came away wanting photos and another go-round. “This small campus kind of shoves everybody together and they learn from one another,” Peterson says. “It’s almost more important than what I do in the classroom.”) The shores on both sides of the river sure look like wilderness. For most of the trip, taken on a quartet of Adirondac Rafting Co. boats, we’re the only people around. There’s a near complete lack of structures on shore, too. If your head weren’t thrumming dontfallindontfallindontfallin for four hours straight, you might have noticed that complete lack of development before a couple of small camps pop up at the end of the journey.
and director, TRIO – Student Support Services, presented a workshop called “Homesteading in the 21st Century: A Permaculture Approach” at the 2008 North Country Sustainable Energy Fair in Canton, N.Y., in April … Curt Stager, professor, published three papers: “The late Pleistocene dessication of Lake Victoria and the origin
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At some points, we were miles from the nearest road. “Once you’re in the gorge, you’re committed to running through the gorge,” says Bob Rafferty ’77, the Paul Smith’s alum who owns the rafting company. “It kind of adds to your day.” It feels wild – but even out here, you’re not alone. Not least of all with the history of the place, which was at every bend in the river. A lot of the rapids we screamed our way through had been named by the lumberjacks who toiled there for generations. “More logs went down the Hudson than any other river,” Peterson says. In 1872 alone, 1 million were sent hurtling toward Glens Falls. The lumberjacks who helped get those logs downstream probably wouldn’t have considered a raft trip much of a holiday. “I think their idea of recreation may have been different,” says the sly Rafferty, hinting at the bawdy city that Glens Falls became when the loggers got off the river and collected their pay. Today, those forests remain in use. But they’re engulfed in the wilderness debate now, too. Because under a deal signed last year by Finch, Pruyn & Co., which owns
of its endemic biota,” with T.C. Johnson, Hydrobiologia; “Paleolimnological evidence for the onset and termination of glacial aridity from Lake Tanganyika, Tropical East Africa,” with several others, Palaeo-3; “Holocene vegetation and climate records from Lake Sibaya, KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa),” with several others, Review of Palaeobotany and
County
North River
Far left: Prof. Kirk Peterson and students during a calmer moment in the Hudson River Gorge this April. Left: This map shows the 17mile route from Indian Lake to North River.
161,000 acres near the gorge, that land will never be developed. And while that means all of us may get to use it for recreation, some would prefer something else. Peterson says part of the goal of the class is to introduce a local perspective on the Adirondacks. That means bringing in guest speakers who can give insiders’ views on the area’s history, and environmental issues. It also means teaching that in an era when a balance between preservation and development has sometimes been hard to come by, he says, neither preservation nor development are dirty words. So is it wild? Or wild-ish? “It all kind of meshes together,” says Rafferty, who spent a few years in Montana with the U.S. Forest Service post-graduation before returning east. “It’s a complex arrangement. The economic vitality of that region is tied to rafting. Certainly, I appreciate the wilderness aspect as well. There are very few rivers that are as – Kenneth Aaron wild as the Hudson.”
» Paul Smith’s College is an inextricable part of the Adirondacks – and the Adirondacks an inextricable part of Paul Smith’s. This column examines the ways both interact.
Palynology. Stager was also plenary speaker at the annual meeting of the New England Association of Environmental Biologists in March … Phillip Taylor, dean, has been invited to join the faculty of the Society of College and University Planning’s training institutes.
Other faculty and staff Mike Beccaria, systems
librarian, co-authored “Fac-Back-OPAC: An Open Source Interface to Your Library System,” in Computers in Libraries magazine … Roxanne McCarty, a learning specialist in accommodative services, was appointed vice president of the independent sector of the New York State Disability Services Council.
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[ shore lines]
Symposium goes green S ustainability is transforming the hospitality industry. In March, it was the focus of the college’s 11th annual hospitality symposium. The event featured demonstrations and lectures highlighting the value of going green. Featured speakers included Tony Henthorne, a professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, and
Dick Cattani ’64, chief executive officer of Compass Group’s Premier Catering Division. That firm handles such accounts as Google, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the U.S. House of Representatives’ cafeteria, which has managed to put red and blue aside and just go green: waste there is composted, Styrofoam is outlawed and the eggs are cage-free. Cattani says his company’s clients are demanding food grown and raised nearby rather than flown in from exotic locales off season. “Local is the new organic,” Cattani says. “Food tastes best when it’s local.” It can also be better for the environment: John Vargas, owner and executive chef at the Eat ‘n’ Meet Grill of Saranac Lake, compared the carbon footprint of local foods to exotic ones during
PHOTOS BY KENNETH AARON
RIGHT: Dick Cattani ’64 tells how his company is going green. LEFT: Pat Mercurio ’07, a chef at the Wegmans supermarket chain, discusses the use of organic ingredients as students (above) listen.
his presentation. “It’s a huge trend in the industry,” says Cassandra Wells, a junior in the hotel, resort and tourism management program who was among a dozen students who organized the event. “It’s going on not just in our area, but all over the world.” – KENNETH AARON
Refuse to win
T
Simply marvelous Freshman Maegen Dills gives an insider’s perspective on the axe for a crew taping an episode of “Modern Marvels” in March for the History Channel. The crew worked all day with several members of the woodsmen’s team for the show, which focuses on the axe. The episode first ran on May 30. KENNETH AARON
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hat’s refuse, as in trash, a lot of which is better off recycled than dumped. And the college recycled a lot of it this winter as it participated for the first time in Recyclemania, a nationwide event that pitted 400 colleges and universities against each other as they tried to pile up the most. In the end, the Paul Smith’s community recycled more than 24,500 pounds of paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, aluminum and tin – enough to make it the top recycler of paper in the state on a per-capita basis, and in the top two in two other categories (per-capita cardboard, and overall per-capita recycling.) “We wanted to create long-standing behavioral change by joining this competition,” said Melony-Ann Jones, a student in a new Campus Sustainability class who helped lead the effort. In this case, the change will be jumpstarted with not just a revitalized recycling program but an effort to analyze all the places where the college can get greener. “It’s all connected to the climate commitment,” said Thomas Huber, the class’ instructor, in regards to the pact that college President John W. Mills signed to drive down the campus’ ecological impact. “We’re all about sustainability. We have to do better.” – KENNETH AARON
Tapping a trend
T
PHOTOS BY Nancie Battaglia
A student boils sap at the college’s sugar bush, located on White Pine Road. The college is among about a dozen other producers in the state that make organic syrup.
he maple syrup just got sweeter at the Paul Smith’s College sugar bush: it is now officially organic. The whole college is heeding the call of sustainability. So Hans Michielen ’73, an assistant professor of forestry and recreation and manager of the sugar bush, said putting the stamp on the 400 gallons of syrup produced annually at the 40-acre stand was logical. “We’re already a natural product,” he says. “This is just one more step down that road.” (He’s already helping campus dining buy local: a lot of the sugar bush’s annual production gets used in the dining hall.) Even though the designation is new, today’s organic syrup isn’t much different from the stuff being produced there since 1948. To win the certification from NOFA-NY Certified Organic LLC, which is part of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Michielen needed only change a pair of cleaners used at the sugar shack. – Kenneth Aaron
Grads urged to get real
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ill McKibben didn’t come to the college’s 61st Commencement to blow sunshine at the crowd of 280 graduates. The planet is changing – for the worse, he said. Fossil fuels are running out. People are increasingly dissatisfied with their own lives. “You are graduating in what is not an easy moment in the history of our country, or the history of our world,” he said at the Sunday, May 11, celebration. But he has faith that the turnaround is coming, because he has faith that this generation is ready to get back to what’s important: community, and values that come from people connecting with each other instead of things. McKibben, an environmentalist, has written a dozen books, including several on community and climate change (his 1989 book on that subject, “The End of Nature,” is considered the first to bring that crisis to a mainstream audience.) The way he sees it, we’ll get better soon because more people are starting to re-examine whether having a big house on a gated lot really beats knowing one’s neighbors. Farmers’ markets are booming, he points out. More people are becoming reacquainted with the joy of community (the type of community they experienced living on campus – and are able to leave, ironically, because of their education). His own attempts to get Congress to take a stand against greenhouse gases resulted
DENYS BULIKHOV
Author and environmentalist Bill McKibben, above, addresses the Class of ’08 at the college’s commencement ceremony. McKibben told the new alums to value things that count, such as community.
in the pair of Step It Up events held in 2007, which generated demonstrations in all 50 states that brought tens of thousands of people together. So the Class of 2008, he said, is on the cusp of change. “It’s an enormous burden, and an enormous opportunity,” said McKibben, a former Paul Smith’s trustee who is now scholar-inresidence at Middlebury College in Vermont.
McKibben, who was on the college’s board from 1996 through 2004, was also presented with an honorary degree at the event, as was architect Ronald De Lair. De Lair recently retired after a 40-year career at Wareham De Lair Architects, a Saranac Lake firm that designed several of the Great Camps that have become synonymous with Adirondack style. – Kenneth Aaron
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[ shore lines] Culinary and hospitality students handle all the duties at the St. Regis Café, the newly opened training restaurant on campus. PHOTOS BY Nancie Battaglia
Cookin’ at the St. Regis H ow’d you like some nice seared yellowfin for dinner? Or maybe you’d prefer the tenderloin? No problem – head to the Joan Weill Student Center. That’s where the college’s culinary and hospitality students are running a training restaurant, the St. Regis Café, for lunch and dinner when classes are in session. It’s open to the public – and because it’s one of the best deals in town, the public often shows up. The 20-odd culinary students working at the café are responsible for all things food, from putting the menu together to preparing all the dishes. The hospitality students take care of all the front-of-house operations, such as waiting and bussing tables.
ou ! y h s Wi e here wer
Fish and wildlife science majors went to The Wildlife Society’s Northeast regional conclave in Pennsylvania at the end of March. Students participated in workshops such as Chemical Immobilization Techniques, Deer Management, Coyote Trapping, and Wildlife Forensics. That was a huge hit, as students determined time of death on a deer and extracted embryos. But the biggest hit may have been the visit to the outdoor-gear wonderworld known as Cabela’s (above) – half of the students would have walked on their knees to Cabela’s from the conference if that was the only way they could’ve gone. – jorie favreau
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Jackie Farina, a senior from Guilderland, N.Y., first worked at the St. Regis when it opened last fall. Now, she’s signed on for a summer job. Her favorite part? “It’s run by us,” she says. The St. Regis will be open until June 26, with service resuming from July 15 through August 14 before closing until the fall semester. Hours: Tuesdays through Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., lunch; 5-8 p.m., dinner. Reservations are recommended. Call (518) 327-6355. (Note: Reservations are required during the summer, when service is in the Wally Ganzi Jr. Restaurant Training Center in Cantwell Hall.) – KENNETH AARON
Honor society chartered
T
he college inaugurated its first members into Eta Sigma Delta, the international hospitality honor society, this spring. The Paul Smith’s chapter is among more than 80 others. Inducted students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and perform community service.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Front row, left to right: Emma Burnell, Rochelle O’Neill, Megan Feld, Veronica Huanca, Ian Mitchell, Justin Congdon. Back row, left to right: Morgan Madrick, Danielle Fuller, Kirsten Smuts, Everett Rubin.
Evaluators give college once-over
Teams heat up in winter Nordic skiing – In their second season back on the trails after a long absence, X-C skiers posted solid results. The men’s team finished fourth at the Eastern Regional championships in Waterville Valley, N.H., and Stefan Bibb, Jon Santor and Cameron Lewis represented the team at the national championships; Bibb was named a two-time All-American. PSC’s first-ever women’s squad had a solid season led by Dana Miller.
S
tudents aren’t the only ones to sweat exams: colleges are evaluated, too, in a once-a-decade process that results (one hopes) in accreditation. This spring, representatives from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education came to Paul Smith’s to size up where we are and how we’re doing as an institution. The final report isn’t in yet – it’s expected in late June – but the team that visited the college in April gave a thumbs-up after three days on campus, interviewing dozens of members of the college community. Their visit capped nearly two years of work by almost everybody on faculty and staff to compile a self-study outlining the college’s practices and priorities. Prof. Gail Gibson Sheffield, who spearheaded the effort, sees the accreditation process as a springboard. “Our goal was to use the self-study to establish a strong base for strategic planning,” says Sheffield, who co-authored the 163-page self-study with Prof. Eric Holmlund. “We have room to improve, but the site visit team was very positive overall.” The group gave a special nod to the accomplishments made by the college in transitioning to a bachelor’s-degree-granting institution, while recommending that Paul Smith’s improve employee policies, strategic planning and institutional assessment. – KENNETH AARON
Alum leaves major gift
I
f you had met Stanley Jez ’69, your first thought wouldn’t drift to wealth. He lived modestly; for years, he didn’t even have a credit card. But when he died, he left behind a $1.8 million scholarship fund that will help forestry students for generations to come. Jez, who received a forest technology degree, directed that the fund be split between Paul Smith’s and the University of Massachusetts. Income generated by the fund will go toward forestry scholarships for students at both schools; the trust was officially established last year, and Paul Smith’s received $53,000 in the fund’s first disbursement. “He loved forestry and he loved Paul Smith’s,” said Donald Hoffman, the executor of Jez’ estate. He had known Jez, a Navy veteran, for more than 20 years, and said he spoke often of the college. The scholarship is intended for applicants from a pair of Catholic parishes in the Springfield, Mass., area, but if there are no eligible applicants from there, the scholarship can be awarded to a wider range of students and majors. For more information about the scholarship, contact the Office of Financial Aid at (518) 327-6220; to discuss how you can remember the college in your will, call the Office of Institutional Advancement at (518) 327-6315.
PHOTOS BY PAT HENDRICK
Jimmy Noel takes it to the hoop against Green Mountain College.
Men’s basketball – Cagers finished strong, in fifth place in the NAIA Sunrise Conference, after a tough start. They just missed the playoffs when they suffered a narrow loss to the conference’s top-ranked team in the last game of the season. Jimmy Noel and Paul Dudek turned in strong performances throughout the year.
Women’s basketball Season-ending injuries to several players took a toll, but the women competed hard every game and showed great spirit. Karlie Zurmuhlen and Bethany Garretson were team leaders. Woodsmen – Matt Bolton was crowned 2008 Stihl Northeast Collegiate Timbersports champ in April and will head to the national championships this summer; they’ll be televised on ESPN later this year. The team narrowly missed repeating as champions of the annual spring meet, held this year at the University of New Hampshire, and finished second. Striders – Snowshoers powdered the competition at several events, including the international snowshoe championships in Valleyfield, Quebec, Stefan Bibb, a member of where Cameron Lewis and Tiffany the college’s championshipwinning striders’ club. Drake won individual events and the men’s, women’s and mixed teams captured their respective 4x100-meter relay races. At the North American Snowshoe Classic in Vermont, 12 of the 13 striders finished with at least one top-three finish. Canoe team – Paddlers did well in several events. At the Canton Canoe Weekend, the foursome of Bibb, Santor, Drake and Megan Cook won the College Relay Race in 14:33, beating rivals from Clarkson U. by more than two minutes and St. Lawrence U. by three. They’ll have their names immortalized on the event’s trophy, which is kept at SLU. Annual awards banquet – At the annual athletic awards ceremony the outstanding athlete awards went to: Stefan Bibb – Cross-country and Nordic skiing Matt Bolton – Woodsmen Paul Dudek – Soccer and basketball Karlie Zermuhlen – Soccer and basketball Kim Plail – Volleyball
– MARK CARTMILL & JIM TUCKER
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[ EVERGREENS]
More cowbells Biathlon the main attraction at VP’s house STORY AND PHOTOS By Kenneth Aaron | Director of Communications FAR LEFT: Jack Burke ’78 with his wife, Mary Jean, outside their Paul Smiths home. LEFT: Burke and friends heat up in the final lap. BELOW: Tim Burke during a race.
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his is biathlon in Europe: tens of thousands turning out to the season-ending race at the Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, jangling cowbells and screaming. Millions more watch on television. This is biathlon in America: About a dozen people turning out to the Paul Smiths home of Jack Burke ’78, the college’s vice president of finance, watching a grainy online feed of the race. It’s a safe bet that it was the biggest gathering on this continent. But one that might have been heard across the ocean. Because the crowd there was hooting for Burke’s son, Tim, the best American biathlete in ages. Since Burke’s son burst onto the World Cup circuit two years ago, a klatch of family and friends, including several Paul Smith’s alums, have been waking up early on many weekends to catch him race. (Early, because the races are almost all in Europe, several hours ahead of the U.S.) Burke and his wife, Mary Jean, brew the coffee and provide the Internet connection; the rest bring potluck breakfast. So far this season, they’ve gotten together about 10 times. “We’re not going to see much of Timmy today,” Jack Burke warned as the group piled lox and French toast on plates and crammed into the living room. Tim Burke was starting 45th after a poor showing the day before; with Burke toward the rear he was unlikely to get much love from the cameras. American biathletes have never been huge on the world stage, anyhow. In Europe, though, they’re huge: the sport has speed, endurance, and gunpowder, which, come to think of it, would seem
tailor-made for American appetites. “Once you see it, you get hooked,” said Simone McConville ’78, who was there with her husband, Pete McConville ’77. The rules are simple: Skiers race, and after each lap, shoot targets. Miss a target, get penalized. Burke’s bugaboo has been shooting. The crowd crosses its collective fingers as he skis in to the stadium to take aim at the first five targets. One hit. Two hits. Three, four, five hits. “Timmy’s in 28th!” his father exults. The living room roars. Oddly, it seems that biathlon has a lot in common with Nascar. The typical fan is a lot more likely to pick up a beer than a pair of skis. There’s the drafting, or tendency to race in a pack, because it’s more aerodynamic to do so than race alone. And there’s an urge to modify stock parts for better performance. “One time, I filed a point on the hammer
NordicFocus
of his rifle, so he could feel it through his gloves,” said Pete McConville, who also decorated the basketball backboard above the Burke’s garage with the logo for the 2006 Olympic games in Turin, Italy, where Tim raced. Burke skis into the stadium again for another go-round with the targets. The crowd waits. He’s still far enough down the leaderboard that his progress is visible only on a graphic crowded with the shooting results of more than a dozen others. Two, three, four targets fall again. He’s moving up the board: Eighteenth, now. It’s getting real loud. “I said to him yesterday, ‘You will hear this crowd in Norway,’” says his mother, who was doing her best to fulfill the prophecy. By the time Burke skis into the stadium for the last time, the living room is a cauldron of expectation; Burke is far enough up the leaderboard now that his shooting is televised instead of confined to a graphic. More targets fall – he’s seventh, he’s seventh! the crowd erupts, as the viewers jump up and down. Somebody says to break out the Champagne, which is fetched from another room. He gets to stand on the podium with the top eight finishers. It’s the only time he’s been on the podium this year. With trials for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver on the horizon, it’s a good way to head into the summer. “This really does make the season,” Jack Burke says. S
[ EVERGREENS]
Onthe road More students hitting the books abroad LEFT: Sea turtle restoration in Gandoca, Costa Rica. BELOW: Borkholder at Cerro Negro in Nicaragua.
By Kenneth Aaron | Director of Communications
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hen Jonas Borkholder struck out for Central America this winter, he was a little unsure what he’d get out of it. Would it change his outlook on life? Would it alter his career direction? He’s now convinced that, whatever he does, he wants a job that will help others. “If you have opportunities to go abroad, at least search them out and really think about them,” he says. Borkholder is among a growing number of Paul Smith’s College students who are studying abroad during their undergraduate careers. Borkholder, a natural resources environmental science major from Oakfield, N.Y., won a $5,000 scholarship from the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education to study in Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. This spring, he joined fellow students Lisa Hansen and Sarah Norton in presenting their experiences overseas to a group of a dozen other students; Hansen and Norton studied in Africa last summer. Their PowerPoint slide-shows were filled with beautiful pictures that showed off all kinds of things they’d never see here.
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(Such as the sign Norton shot warning drivers to look under their vehicles for penguins. Or the antelope that appeared one day lying dead in a field, only to disappear the next, having been devoured.) But those pictures just served to highlight the real reason to encourage heading abroad, says Elizabeth Stearns-Sims, the college’s director of retention. “International education helps broaden our students’ worldview,” she says. Paul Smith’s is mirroring a national trend. The Institute of International Education, which publishes an annual report about foreign study, reported that more than 223,000 U.S. students left the country to study in 2005, an 8.5 percent increase above the previous year. Since 1995, that number has more than doubled. Western Europe – the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and France – remained the most popular destination. But more students are walking in the shoes of Borkholder, Hansen and Norton, and opting for more exotic locales. Latin America and Africa saw 14 percent and 19 percent gains, respectively, over 2004. The institute’s president and chief
executive, Allan E. Goodman, says that the language and cultural skills gained by students in stints abroad makes them better job candidates. “Students should get a passport along with their student ID, and they should use it to study abroad at least once during their academic careers,” Goodman has said. While out of the country, Borkholder studied with the Center for Ecological Living and Learning, a Maine-based organization that gives students hands-on expe-
N degree th
Gift covers faculty development By Kenneth Aaron | Director of Communications
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illiam B. Hale has been journeying to the Adirondacks since 1934, when a doctor urged his family to take him here for relief from his asthma and hay fever. “They thought of the Adirondacks as having better air,” says Hale. He’s never stopped returning. Now, he’s given the college a $500,000 gift to bolster faculty development – the ultimate breath of fresh air to professors looking to pursue doctorates and other degrees. Hale, a trustee from 1990 to 2004 and now an emeritus member of the board, has established the fund to help the college build upon its successes as a bachelor’sdegree-granting institution by helping the people who teach its students. “If and when people scrutinize a college carefully, one of the benchmarks they look at – certainly academics do – is the percentage of faculty who have terminal degrees or are fully certified in their professions,” Hale says. “And I think it would be helpful if we had a larger
rience dealing with environmental issues and solutions. He participated in community service projects aimed at promoting sustainable practices, such as installing a solar-electricity system in a remote Nicaraguan village and restoring sea turtle habitats in Costa Rica. Going abroad can be an expensive proposition. Borkholder’s costs were greatly offset by the Gilman Scholarship, which is specifically aimed at students who are typically underrepresented in studyabroad programs: those who lack financial resources, for example, or students in fields such as the sciences and engineering. Borkholder participates in TRiO-
percentage of the faculty with terminal or additional degrees.” The Hale Faculty Development Fund will help toward those degrees, such as doctorates, or additional credentials. The fund will begin helping faculty sometime in the next year. It’s not that necessarily getting a doctorate will make somebody a better teacher, he says – but the reputation that it carries in higher ed is vital to an institution. John Mills, the president of Paul Smith’s College, says Hale’s gift demonstrated great insight into the college’s institutional needs. “Bill Hale’s generosity has given a great boost to an area that we have long wanted to build upon,” he says. “While we have committed institutional funds to support faculty development, this gift will make it attainable for many more of our professors and instructors. We’ve long been commited to making education accessible for our students; the importance of ensuring that our faculty are able to continue their educations,
Adobe brick making at the Solar Center for Grupo Fenix in Sabana Grande, Nicaragua.
Student Support Services (TRiO-SSS) at Paul Smith’s, a federally funded academicassistance program that helped him apply for the scholarship. Thomas Huber, direc-
Trustee Emeritus William Hale
though, can’t be understated.” Faculty members say the gift will be a boon. “This generous gift will provide even greater opportunities for our faculty to acquire new knowledge, degrees and certifications which will directly benefit our students, and make a Paul Smith’s College education even more valuable,” said Phillip Taylor, dean of the college’s Division of Science, Liberal Arts and Business. “In today’s highly competitive higher education environment, this gift will help us attract and retain the best students possible, by supporting continued excellence in our current faculty and by attracting high quality new faculty as well.” Hale, an alumnus of Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., was an executive with Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Co. before retiring in 1989. As far as that air – he says his doctor was right. It was better. “It still is,” he adds. S
tor of TRiO-SSS at Paul Smith’s, said he expects even more students to try studying abroad, because the college’s revamped general education curriculum leaves room for those opportunities. Norton and Hansen received $5,000 each from a scholarship fund established by Sterling Tomkins for students in the college’s Division of Forestry, Natural Resources and Recreation that is intended for students studying abroad. “The only thing we had to pay for is our plane tickets,” Norton says. Well, there were some other costs. “If you go,” she says, “take a lot of extra film or memory cards.” S Sequel | Summer 2008
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Runway success
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[Q & A] SUE QUINN Age: I’ll never tell! Voting age +
INTERVIEW By Kenneth Aaron | Director of Communications
Now living in: Mahwah, N.J.
hat new pair of biking shorts you’re hankering for isn’t just a pair of biking shorts. It’s a precisely engineered garment that keeps you cool and dry – and maybe even pedal a little faster. So says Sue Quinn ’77-’78, who turns designers’ ideas into massproducable garments for MB Sport LLC. That New Canaan, Conn., company is hired by other labels to design and produce fishing wear, chef’s coats, yoga attire and lots of other clothes built for demanding use. Quinn, MB Sport’s senior merchandiser and technical designer, stitched together a few answers for Sequel about her job.
Education: A.A., liberal arts, 1977; A.A.S., hotel and restaurant management, 1978. Hobbies: Besides sewing, Irish music and dance, gardening, biking, hiking, taking classes of all kinds – and much more! Last book read: “The Purpose Driven Life,” Rick Warren … brought life back into perspective. Favorite designer: Ralph Lauren is a personal favorite – but I don’t have any one that I follow.
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I thought technical designers made iPods – not shirts. What gives? But we do! When you type in “technical designer” in any job-hunt site, you get a bunch of different markets. And none of them are in apparel! I like my 15-year-old yoga attire/bicycle clothing/chef’s coat/whatever. Why would I update it? The world of fabrics is ever-changing. There are fireproof fabrics. Fabrics with charcoal in them to reduce that work-out smell. Fabric treatments that pull moisture away from your body during your activity to keep you cool and dry. Toss out that old stuff and get shopping! When most people look at a jacket, they see a jacket. When you look at a jacket, what do you see? I see a jacket, too – but sometimes I also look to see how it’s made and the fit on the person wearing it. Sometimes I have a notebook handy to jot something down, or sketch how a collar is put together to work on later with my designer. You’re translating from a designer’s sketch to a finished, mass-manufacturable product. What are the challenges in doing that? The art is in finding the right fabric, and then the right factory, for each piece designed. There are so many things that can go wrong it’s amazing that clothing is ever produced at all. All the hands that touch just one jacket, for instance: The designer, the technical designer, the spec technician, the factory pattern maker, the sample maker.
Family: Single (divorced)
What is the production process like? Once the fit is accepted, the full pattern is made in all sizes, and then it goes to a cutting room and production floor. Often, thousands are cut of the same item all at one time, in stacks of up to 100 layers of fabric in multiple colors and in six to ten sizes. Then, each individual piece has to be marked with the size and color so you don’t get a sleeve of a size small sewn to a body of a size XL. Then the sewing lines get it. Each person sews a section of the jacket, and then it goes off to pressing, packing and shipping. That’s not to mention all the people who touch it in the store or catalog warehouse. Finally, you open up the package, or pick it off a retail store rack – your very own garment. It’s really staggering. I’m picturing you scouring bazaars across the globe to get the perfect twill for that Orvis fishing vest. How far off is that? I am always looking. The ideas come from customers, friends’ input, magazine photos, museums, vintage clothing, the military, and, of course, other competitors who have done their homework. We all “borrow” ideas from each other – or are “inspired by” someone else. How’d you get into this line of work? My job is as a liaison between the designer, the factory and the customer. This uses many of my skills, including diplomacy, coordination, and, of course, sewing. While I don’t do any garment sewing right now, I’ve been sewing since I was a kid and always
loved the anticipation of cutting into a whole piece of cloth. I sewed professionally for many years and have done everything from a tent to a magician’s performing robe to a hang glider’s jumpsuit with wind protection to wedding gowns and evening wear. Now I sew mostly things for personal use. Did Paul Smith’s help you get there? It wasn’t a direct line. Paul Smith’s opened my eyes to experience all kinds of things and be open to the world and its changes. I had my sewing machine with me, too, and my roommate, Carol Lester, was also a sewing enthusiast as well. They were some of the best days of my life. What’s the biggest change you’ve encountered in the retail environment over the past 10 years? I am amazed at the type of people that decide to have their own clothing line, many with absolutely no idea of how to put a garment together, run a business or have ever been overseas. Some of them make it. Most don’t, though. It’s a tough business. You’re trapped on a desert island. You get to bring one piece of clothing/gear that you’ve worked on. What is it? I work on menswear right now. But if I was a guy, I’d recommend an Orvis jacket I worked on called the Amphibious Ranger Jacket. Water resistant, sun protection, plenty of pockets inside and out, and then it’s your blanket at night. Or put a few sticks in the right place and it’s a tarp over your head. S
PHOTO BY KATHLEEN O’ROURKE
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[ SPACES]
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CANOE STORAGE JOAN WEILL STUDENT CENTER Underneath the Pine Room, the college’s fleet of three dozen canoes are stored on wooden racks. After a long winter collecting dust, they’re almost ready to go outside and play – but not ‘til the water temperature climbs above 55 degrees. – Kenneth Aaron 18
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1 2 3 Tiffany Drake, Teresa Troy and Megan Cook, who all graduated in May, raced regularly with the college’s canoe club. They’ve each paddled in the threeday 90 Miler from Old Forge to Saranac Lake. “I never canoed before Paul Smith’s,” says Troy, a fisheries and wildlife science major who’s also on the college’s woodsmen team. “It’s fun. I never had anyplace to canoe where I live.”
4 This canoe, a fib Jensen 18, won natio four years running. Th bought it used from a In fact, a lot of these especially the sleeker have been bought us
berglass onal titles he college an alum. boats, r ones, sed.
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5 Long before the student center was built, this space held canoes. In fact, it’s done that since at least the ‘70s. What’s changed: The walls and ceiling have been Sheetrocked, and banks of fluorescent lights have replaced the handful of bulbs that once lit the place. What hasn’t: The dirt floor.
6 These gantries were built in the ’90s by Jim Tucker, the college’s recreation and intramural coordinator, and Becky Sutter ’97, who was a student then but now works in the college’s Student Support Services office.
7 Tucker can’t get rid of these old aluminum boats for sentimental reasons. Back in ’99, a few interns told to paint the boats turned in these works of art. (He can’t remember what the Japanese characters on the white boat to the left mean.)
8 Out here, toward this bright light, is Lower St. Regis Lake. This picture was taken on April 25 – about a week after the ice finally disappeared.
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[ cover story ]
Adam George
Junior Science, Liberal Arts and Business The net is a tremendous tool for capturing exotic insects. The mesh fabric creates an impenetrable barrier that insects cannot escape, allowing me to collect and identify ecologically important species.
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What a
tool!
PHOTOS By PAUL BUCKOWSKI
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eems that everybody at Paul Smith’s swears by some kind of device to make their jobs easier. Corers,
borers, chainsaws, snorkels – each division has its own specialized tool box. Some are technological marvels, but plenty are low-tech hardware-store finds. On these six pages, we take a peek at some of the tools that people here
Dan Kelting
Executive director, Adirondack Watershed Institute Associate professor, Forestry, Natural Resources and Recreation
just can’t live without.
I am a soil scientist with a Ph.D., an abbreviation of the Latin term Philosophiæ Doctor – “teacher of philosophy.” I often dispense my own teaching philosophy with the aid of a shovel, the primary means by which I can uncover and interpret the soil. (Coincidentally, Ph.D. is sometimes translated as “Pile it Higher and Deeper.” A shovel is good for this, too!)
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John Mills President
Putting the fly rod in my hand induces a Pavlovian response of joy – since it indicates that I will soon have the cherished experience of being on some beautiful stream or quiet pond.
Jorie Favreau
Assistant professor, Forestry, Natural Resources and Recreation Radio telemetry is a phenomenal tool – it allows me to see how an animal thinks even when I can’t see the animal. These days I’m using the Advanced Telemetry Systems R410 Receiver, which allows me to program radio-collar frequencies.
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Janet Mihuc
Associate professor, Science, Liberal Arts and Business My Leica can magnify objects up to 80 times their normal size. I need to classify all the insects in the collection I use to teach entomology. It’s easy to broadly identify some insects by sight, but finer classification requires a closer look. The microscope is essential for looking at an insect’s hairs, wing veins, genitalia and other features when making this determination.
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Pat Clelland
Director, Campus Dining Services I’m standing in this empty garbage can because it isn’t filled with waste from the dining hall. Since September, when we went trayless, I’ve worked hard to educate our community about the health benefits of taking what you want and eating what you take. It saves money, too, so when we reduce waste we can put higher-quality food on the plate.
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Anne Sterling
Lecturer, Hospitality, Resort and Culinary Management This flexible multi-tasker scoops chocolate mousse cleanly from a bowl and plops it into a piping bag, and cuts dough into even pieces (measured with my makeshift ruler marks). Gripped as an extension of my hand, a plastic scraper transfers chopped vegetables to a hot pan, cleans up the cutting board and is the perfect tool for chipping ice off my windshield!
Kathleen Keck
Executive assistant to the president When I’m not behind my desk in the president’s office, I’m often on campus getting shots of some of our great students and events with my Nikon D70s. My passion for photography began over 40 years ago with the purchase of my very first camera, a Kodak Instamatic. I look forward to the next 40 years!
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Bridge to
COURTESY CFES
College for Every Student goes into classrooms in some of the poorest urban and rural districts in the country to encourage students to pursue higher ed.
future
the
College works with Vermont group to boost prospects of urban, rural students 26
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BY SEQUEL STAFF
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hen the admissions office pitches Paul Smith’s to prospective students, one of the campus’ strongest points – its location – also proves a hurdle for people looking for something closer to home. For students in urban and rural communities, though, even the closest college can seem a million miles away. Making higher education more accessible has been a long-standing goal of Paul Smith’s, and it is why the college works so closely with College for Every Student (CFES), a Vermont-based organization that has helped more than 100,000 students from low-income, underprivileged backgrounds attend college. That partnership, now about five years old, has brought hundreds of students from some of the nation’s poorest areas – both city and countryside – to visit Paul Smith’s. Every spring, for example, the college has welcomed a busload of students from New York City to campus in an effort to encourage them to consider college as a viable option once they finish high school. And through the college’s Advanced Studies Program, Paul Smith’s
has reached into North Country high schools, offering rural students a chance to earn college-credit for advanced classes. “Since the college’s inception after World War II, when we advocated education for war veterans, we have offered a skill-based education,” says John Mills, Ph.D., the college’s president. “Our college has evolved to include business programs and some liberal arts. But the focus has remained the same. We are committed to making education accessible to lower income and underserved students.” CFES works with 200 colleges across the country in promoting its vision. Paul Smith’s, though, is exceptional in its commitment, says Rick Dalton, the chief executive of College for Every Student. “The president goes down and talks to kids and has conversations with kids about college. That is unusual,” Dalton says. “So is the hospitality. And the level of welcome.” For urban students, those open arms help allay the impression that Paul Smith’s is a tiny college in a tiny place that looks nothing like home. For rural students, Mills says, they already arrive feeling comfortable with the atmosphere – the small
size is comforting. But there are hurdles rural students face on the way to higher ed that their urban counterparts do not. “We’re finding that the rural issues are even harder to deal with than the urban ones,” Dalton says. While some find that counterintuitive, he says the data is clear: Not only do rural districts get less money than urban ones, but many of the adults in those communities don’t support the notion of college – because they fear that, if their children head off to college, they won’t come back. The statistics back up the notion that fewer rural students head to college than their city-dwelling counterparts. According to a survey published by the National Center for Education Statistics in 2004, just 12.6 percent of rural residents 25 and older have college degrees – six percentage points lower than urbanites. Among 25-34 year olds, that gap is even wider – nearly 8 percent. In May, to help find answers to how to convince more rural kids to head to college, the college and CFES hosted elected officials, college and high-school administrators and others for a two-day
»
New York State Assemblywoman Janet Duprey, R-Peru, makes a point during the rural education symposium on campus in May.
Denys Bulikhov
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rural education symposium at the Joan Weill Student Center. “The poorest children in America live in rural places,” says Rachel Tompkins, president of the Rural School and Community Trust, an Arlington, Va.-based group that helps build successful relationships between those entities. Amy Tuthill, the college’s CFES liaison, says one thing she took from the conference is that Paul Smith’s is already doing much of what colleges can do to maximize the likelihood that high schoolers will opt for additional education after they graduate. Such as the advanced studies program, which currently teaches 17 different courses in 10 North Country schools. About 200 students participated last year. While not many have enrolled at Paul Smith’s, Tuthill says that’s almost by design. “We don’t want it to be seen as a recruitment tool,” she says. “It’s more about being a partner in education in the North Country. If they come, that’s great, but it’s more about putting students on a path to college – any college.” The college offers campus visits for students who are a long way from filling out an admissions application. Tuthill recalled a recent visit from a group of Westfield, Mass., middle schoolers. “They spent part of the day with a student majoring in ecotourism who was well versed in the outdoors,” she says. “He taught them compass reading and map orientation. Other kids connected with our culinary students. The idea is to make it fun by experiential learning.” Sometimes, people will ask her why she’s bringing sixth-graders to college. “If you do that in the middle-school years,” she says, “they can’t unhear and they can’t unsee what they’ve seen and heard.” Mills agrees that the spark to go to college has to start with students that young. When he speaks to those visitors, he asks them to consider taking pre-college courses in their own schools, soaking up a bit of the college experience on their own turf. “I tell them it’s like putting money in the bank,” says Mills. “If they take college prerequisite courses, they can deposit those courses in the education bank.” S
» Portions of this article have been reprinted from the CFES 2007 Annual Report.
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America’s forgotten population – BY RICK DALTON AND JOHN MILLS This opinion piece, written this winter, appeared in newspapers in Vermont and New York.
rural youth
counties, 244 are rural. The key to developing rural communities is to develop the people who live in them. It all starts with education – and all of us must get started. At CFES, we form working partnerships between rural schools and colleges that introduce children from kindergarten through 12th grade to the possibilities that higher education can bring. In Ticonderoga, and throughout the Adirondacks, students and instructors from Paul Smith’s College mentor younger students, coach them on community service projects, make regular
rural America, depend on one. Perversely, this is one of the very reasons we find that expectations for rural students are so low. In urban areas, families increasschools of Ticonderoga, N.Y., ingly understand that sending a child to have a lot going for them that college gives that child a chance to move other places may envy. Their ahead. The children recognize it, too. On halls are safe. Their children are part of our visits to high schools in New York City, a small community that keeps an eye on we have read essays students have written them as they grow up. about their aspirations. Each has a similar But they’re also hammered by poverty. tale and theme: the student sees college as Nearly one out of every two students in a pathway to a better life in spite of their the town’s school system qualifies for free, incarcerated fathers, overburdened mothor reduced cost, lunch. Just 20 years ago, ers, dangerous neighborhoods. that figure was at 12 percent. But rural families often feel Ticonderoga, a town of 5,100 threatened when their children on the banks of Lake Champlain, want to go off to college – because struggles every day with somewhen they go, they may be leavthing more and more rural coming for good. They don’t pass the munities are forced to confront: A dream along to their children. surging tide of poverty that threatAnd the children don’t pick it up ens to keep those students from on their own. ever attaining a college education. We can’t ensure a child who goes This tide is eroding what comoff to college will come home. But munities expect of their children, we all have a practical interest and hope for their futures. It’s keepin seeing that this portion of our ing them from college not so much social and economic base is not left because they can’t afford it, but behind. And we have a moral oblibecause they can’t imagine it. And gation to students in rural schools PHOTOS COURTESY CFES while we don’t know how to fix CFES believes in starting students early on the road to college. to give them the chance to make poverty, we have developed a proven the decision of how to live their track record of how to overcome its effects. appearances in their schools and, perhaps lives, rather than imprisoning them in a In recent months, a growing chorus has most importantly, bring high schoolers to cage built of our own neglect. expressed concern about the rising costs of campus to expose them to worlds they have What CFES does isn’t rocket science, attending college, and the menace this poses never seen before. and our practices are hardly patented. to accessibility. Congressional legislation is Results tell us these measures work. Any community with the right resources on the horizon to cut college costs. Harvard Last year, we worked with 15,000 students – time, interest and care, more than anyUniversity and several other schools have across the country. Almost all of those stu- thing – can accomplish similar results. announced changes to their financial aid dents come from low-income families who These partnerships depend on the handspolicies to make a college education more have never sent anyone to college. Many of on implementation and sustained support affordable. These are important steps, and them attend rural schools. This December of these programs by community leaders, we know from our work with school dis- in Ticonderoga, the high school was educators, and parents. Much of our work tricts across the country how expensive a ranked among the top 2 percent nation- starts with convincing parents that these college education can seem. are worthy goals that can be achieved. wide by U.S. News & World Report. For many rural children, though, Of the 700 high school seniors we Once they believe that, we are well on our tuition is just the final hurdle they face worked with, 97 percent are now in col- way to changing the learning culture at a on the road to college. Drug use, drop- lege. That’s nearly six times the typical rate school and the educational aspirations of ping in cities, is increasing in rural areas. for that demographic. the young people involved. S Teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted Today, it is almost impossible to break diseases are on the rise, also. The common out of the poverty cycle without a college » Rick Dalton is president and CEO of denominator these areas share is poverty: degree. Good, well-paying jobs, the kind College for Every Student. John Mills is Of the nation’s 250 most impoverished that are becoming so difficult to find in president of Paul Smith’s College.
The
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[ alumni life]
[
Alumni Events
]
Calendar
BREAKFAST IN THE SUGAR BUSH
Rugby Reunion August 2 For more information, call the alumni office at (518) 327-6253.
Summer Celebration ’08 August 16 This on-campus gala will celebrate our faculty and the contributions they make here. Our honoree will be Prof. J. Curt Stager.
Alumni Clam Bake August 24 It’s time for another clambake at Linda and Dave Eaton’s (’61) place, Bob’s Trees in Hagaman, N.Y. Come relax at this family-styled gathering in a peaceful grove. Noon - 5 p.m.
Homecoming Weekend October 17 – 18 “Heritage” is the theme of our 2nd annual Homecoming. Be part of this new tradition! Many sporting events and other activities are slated.
New York City Party November 10 The BIG PARTY held every year during the International Hotel/ Motel & Restaurant Show in New York City is on again, and promises to be bigger than ever.
» Watch for more info on these and other regional events.
Notes of Appreciation
A
very special thank you to Charles and Betsy Morgan for hosting an intimate alumni reception in their home in Cazenovia, N.Y., in October and Jim and Sue Himoff for hosting an alumni and friends reception at their Point O’ Pines retreat in Brant Lake, N.Y., in March. This generous trustee sponsorship is sincerely appreciated.
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Sequel | Summer 2008
Denys Bulikhov
Alumni, friends and community partners gathered on April 19 – an improbably warm, sunny day for the second year running – for this annual rite of spring. Nicholas Mitchell ’48 (seated), a member of the first class to graduate from Paul Smith’s College, is joined by a group of friends.
Looking for a few good reps
L
ooking for a way to give back to Paul Smith’s, and catch up with some old friends, to boot? We’re looking for class representatives – alumni volunteers from all years who help classmates get and stay connected with the college after graduation. Reps reach out directly to fellow classmates to encourage them to take advantage of everything the college offers each of its alums, such as events including Reunion, Homecoming and Winter Carnival. And you’ll help strengthen the institution by attracting new admissions ambassadors, volunteers and financial supporters. You won’t be doing this alone: the Alumni Association board of directors and alumni relations office is always available to provide help and guidance. Interested? Please contact the Alumni Office at (518) 3276253 or alumni@paulsmiths.edu.
Alums: Help finish our new res halls!
Denys Bulikhov
Cap and gown again
Contractors are going flat-out to get our newest residence halls, a pair of eco-friendly, 48-bed buildings in the Adirondack style, ready for students this fall. But we could still use your help: we’d like to raise $1.5 million toward the $7 million project. To help, the Alumni Council has launched a challenge to raise $100,000 from alums. The goal is for each class to raise $2,000 to outfit one room with a bed, desk, chair and other furniture. A plaque thanking the sponsoring class will be mounted on each of the rooms. For more information about the challenge, contact the alumni office at (518) 327-6253.
PHOTOS BY Denys Bulikhov
To mark the 50th anniversary of their graduation, alumni from the class of 1958 marched once again at commencement. Above: Back, L-R: Victor Venne; George Green; Bill Greaves; Martin Hanna; Norman Taylor; John Rebstock. Front: Bev Venne; Catherine Green; Elizabeth Hanna; Judy Taylor.
PHOTOS BY Denys Bulikhov
Brian Smith Memorial basketball game First Row: Johnley Gue ’02; Gary Harris ’07; DuJuan Fryar ’95; Ray Melendez ’04; Grimaldy Dominguez ’02; H. Patrick Lessington ’00; Cory Huntt ’02. Second Row: Tim Riel (student); Rene Farley ’98; Anthony Walker ’97; Jimmy Noel (student). Third Row: Demeatrich Pound ’97; Dennis Rojas ’97; Ashontay Harris ’95; Chris Killens ’95; Darnell Hickman ’94; Cedric Spence ’94; Charles Williams ’95; Antonius Rivera ’99; Vicente Gonzalez ’04; Craig Milledge ’05; Anthony Wright ’99; Coach Les Parrish; Johnny Browning ’02; Tavian Simmons ’99; Coach Mark Cartmill. AT LEFT: Johnny Browning ’02 takes a shot.
Sequel | Summer 2008
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[ CLASS NOTES ] 39 years. He now has nine grandchildren and still enjoys all the Adirondacks has to offer. You can write to Richard at 6 Crary Drive, Canton, NY, 13617; call him at (315) 379-9343; or send an e-mail to Pgan@verizon.net. Edward J. Bantz ’67 has moved to Cala-
bash, N.C. After 35 years of teaching, he retired in 2003. He can be contacted at 104 Wheatfield Court, Calabash, N.C., 28467, or phoned at (910) 575-8291.
Bob Urban ’91 sent this picture from the fall ’88 Boonville woodsman meet. Bob is in front, wearing a checkered shirt; the SUNY ESF team, most of whom were Smitties, are on the right.
50s
John N. Russell ’50 continues his long
association (since 1985) with Don Cole’s Bonnie Castle Resort in Alexandria Bay, N.Y. “Every day in this business is a good one,” John says. “Paul Smith’s looks great. Keep up the great work.” Kenneth A. Anderson ’56 retired in 1991
after teaching biology and earth science for 34 years at Hammondsport Central School. Erich C. Thorp ’56 is still healthy and enjoying the coast of Georgia.
R. Carl Sanford ’56 is looking forward to the 55th reunion in 2011. The St. Andrews Club in Delray Beach, Fla., where he lives during the winter, just finished a $4.7 million refurnishing of its 35-year-old clubhouse. He helped with the design of new kitchens. William E. Greaves ’58 would like to
see all of his classmates again at the 50th reunion in June. For information, e-mail Bill at WEG138@aol.com. William R. Dabney ’59 met with William Bray ’59 and Stephen Leedham ’59 last
summer. They had a great time talking about their PSC days and looking at pictures of the forestry summer program of 1958, as well as
the woodsman’s weekend competition at Dartmouth College in 1959.
60s
William E. Bray ’59 says that it is not fun getting old. He has gone through double knee surgery, but he thinks that maybe now his golf game will improve. Bill would like to hear from old classmates. You can e-mail him at bill-judy66@comcast.net. Edmund J. Neale ’60 is retired from the
Coast Guard Reserve and Bluepoints Company shellfish farm, which, at 13,000 acres, is the largest in New York State.
Bruce E. Miller ’61 sold his trucking business
and retired in March 2007.
Gary D. Miller ’63 opened a new restau-
rant in January. The restaurant, J.F. Ducky’s, is located at 3502 North Access Road, Englewood, FL, 34224. The phone number is (941) 475-3580. Give him a call or stop in. Robert W. Burnett ’65 retired on May 1
from Sherwood-Harsco Corporation. He will be hunting and fishing in New York.
Richard D. Glidden ’65 has retired from
State Farm Insurance Company after almost
Bruce M. Barrett ’68, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, returned to the Pacific Ocean Division Chiefs position in August 2006 after spending 14 months in Iraq managing the Gulf Region Division Safety Program. In August 2007 he moved to the Southwestern Division as Chief of Safety in Dallas, Texas. This is the fourth division he has managed, out of nine in the world, as the Corps’ chief of safety. Ronald J. Pierce ’69 is still working for the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in New Paltz. After 31 years, his friends are starting to retire, which makes him think about it, too.
Jeff V. Ashton ’69 retired from Weyer-
haeuser Co. in 2004 after 32 years there. He is loving retired life and spending the winters skiing across the western U.S. and Canada. The summers are consumed by golf and home remodeling. You can contact Jeff at jeffashton@ comcast.net.
70s
Scott W. Tirrell ’72 is wrapping up his
eighth year as CFO of Mastermedia International, a ministry to media executives primarily in Hollywood and New York. They also have full-time field staff working in Bombay, India, and Australia. Scott said that he and his family are all doing pretty well. His wife, Deb, continues to teach middle school. Their oldest child earned his master’s last June and is teaching at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, Calif. Their other son also graduated from college this past June (one day after his older brother) and is working as a theater tech in the western part of Los Angeles.
Send us your class notes. Fax to (518) 327-6267, mail to PSC Alumni Office, P.O. Box 265, Paul Smiths, NY 12970 or e-mail alumni@paulsmiths.edu. 32
Sequel | Summer 2008
Richard J. ReQua ’73 is a retired forest
ranger. He is currently working part-time as a building inspector and EMT at Saratoga Thoroughbred Track. He was married on Sept. 15, 1973, in Saranac Lake. Richard can be reached at (518) 885-2956.
Charles J. Hardiman ’73 has been
general manager of the Ginn Reunion Resort in central Florida since November 2006.
Edward J. Herrmann ’75 is working
hard as a sawyer and does some timber marking. He has some side jobs, which are mostly bluestone rock walls and walkways. Ed has three grandchildren, Briana, 10; Gage, 7; and Angel, 5. His youngest son, Ryan, got married in the fall. He has two other children, Eddie Jr., 29, and Sarina, 28.
Steven W. Hall ’75 would love to hear
from Edward Beekley ’68, Ken N. Nichols ’68 and Peter Waas ’68. Mark F. O’Meara ’75 currently has two
daughters in college. He says “hello” to Dennis R. Rush ’76, John S. Bergin ’75, Paul B. Williams ’75, David M. Postemski ’75 and Robert J. Busa ’75. You can contact Mark at 21 Fernwood Road, Southwick, MA, 01077, call him at (413) 569-1406 or e-mail him at mrkomeara@yahoo.com. Natalie (Gunness ’76) and Ehrhard Frost ’76 report that their son Eric Timothy
died in a hit-and-run accident on Dec. 10, 2007. Melissa Uhlik ’76 says hello to all and
hopes you can contribute to furnishing a room for the new student residence halls. She says that the class of ’76 is great and “Let’s FURNISH A ROOM!” Melissa hopes to hear from anybody in her class, or in any other. Her e-mail address is axethrow@ hotmail.com and her phone number is (518) 523-0204. Melissa hopes “everyone is well and happy!” Robert A. Sloan ’77 would like to reach out to Daniel Lachance ’77, Valerie Ainsworth ’77, Richard Jones ’77 and Edith Beach ’78. Where are you all?
Contact Bob at RSCDM@aol.com.
David S. Wales ’78 is an adopted dad
and foster parent of four teen boys. He also owns a small hobby vineyard/orchard in Isle La Motte, Vt. David is a sponsor of an environmental/forestry scholarship and has worked 20 years for Vermont Student Assistance Corp. (VSAC). He is looking forward to the Class of ’78 reunion.
Trail markers
Joanna J. Walsh ’78 and Mark K. Holcomb ’75 are pleased to announce
that both of their daughters are on schedule to graduate from the University of Connecticut in May. One daughter is majoring in chemistry and the other is majoring in pharmacy.
Marriages Pauline (Bonsignore ’87) to Nat
Henricksen on July 7, 2007.
Lynn M. (Stinziano ’88) to Ash Idris on
November 2, 2007.
Holly Balzer-Harz ’79 finally realized
Stacey L. (Purdy ’91) to Chadd Martin
her dream of a new bakery building; of course, it’s made of logs! Check her out at www.adirondackdelectables.com. She hopes everyone has a great 2008 and wants you to remember that your 30th reunion is next year!
on July 14, 2007.
Stephen D. Banffy ’95 to Bonnie in
May 2007.
Kimberly A. (Porter ’02) to Thomas M. Bruinsma ’03 on July 28, 2007.
80s
Births To Daniel J. Kiener ’89 and Heidi,
Paul Breslin ’81 began a journey in
2005 to assist developers build and operate hotels. It has been a huge success. They are consulting on over a half-dozen properties and have another half dozen on the horizon. He sends his thanks to PSC and all who made his education the very best he could expect. John P. Albert ’82 is a father of a 3year-old. He states that life is good and you should never underestimate the value of a good nap! John sends a “hello” to all in the Class of ’82. Brent F. Flagler ’83 said he met the man
son Colin Joseph on June 7, 2006.
To Caroline (McLean ’90) Burnett
and Rob, daughter Brooke Margaret on August 31, 2007. To Karen (LeClair ’90) Christman
and Leigh, son Dominic Alexander on July 6, 2007.
To Emily R. (Dorn ’96) Armstrong
and Brett, son Wyatt Hayden on January 3, 2007.
To Amy (Miller ’96) and Michael A. Martin ’01, daughter Sadie Jane on
August 6, 2007.
who has the terminal leader from the leaning pine tree that used to be at Paul Smith’s College. He said that the man plans to donate it back to PSC.
To Jeremy M. Driscoll ’97 and
James A. Sherman ’84 is now teaching Family and Consumer Sciences to sixth, seventh and eighth grade students at the Jordan-Elbridge (N.Y.) Central School District. Jim is also coaching varsity volleyball.
on October 25, 2007.
Matthew J. McDonald ’84 says that if
Susan, son Jeremy E. (Owen) on November 24, 2007.
To Elizabeth J. (Thompson ’99) Casey and Shaun, daughter Taylor Rose
To William L. Domenico ’00 and Jodi Panfilio, son William Lucas on March 11. To Amy (Horridge ’00) Mitschke and
Stephen, son Kevin Patrick on November 27, 2007.
you haven’t been to campus in the last five years, you should stop in and see the changes! He hopes to see the rest of the changes at Reunion 2009.
and Timothy, daughter Anna Haley on October 9, 2007.
Jay S. Reynolds ’86 has been out of the
Deaths
To Lisa (O’Connell ’03) Burkhardt
forestry end of utility work for three years now. He is currently working as a contract employee to PSE&G. Jay was hired as a permanent employee on April 21, doing the exact same job as a contractor with nearly double the money and good benefits.
James E. Carlo ’86 recently fulfilled his dream of being involved in hospitality education on a full-time basis. He plans to complete his master’s in education in May.
Thomas F. Curran ’48 on March 4 in
Houston, Texas.
John S. “Jack” Evans ’48 on Feb. 20
in Onondaga Hill, N.Y.
William A. Stowell ’48 on Jan. 20, 1999, in Ticonderoga, N.Y. Laurence P. Gaheen, Jr. ’49 on April
»
3 in Rome, N.Y.
Joseph J. Ryan, Sr. ’49 on Dec. 7,
2007, in Chateaugay, N.Y.
»
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[ CLASS NOTES ] Any alum can feel free to contact him at carloj@trocaire.edu.
The best way to reach Thomas is by e-mail at Thomas@QualityVendingService.com.
Thomas J. Leader ’88 hopes that the A &
Crystal A. (Flynn ’95) Doerle would like to
A dorm rats are all well. He misses the days of PSC. Tom would love to hear from anyone still out there. To Matt and Todd, it’s been a long time – he would love to have a cold one and laugh about old times.
say “Hi” to all of her fellow classmates! She is already looking forward to attending the 15th reunion in 2010 and hopes that others are planning to attend. She and her husband are very busy with their 3-year-old son, Nick, and 1-year-old twins, Marlena and Alex. E-mail her at flambusha@yahoo.com so you can catch up!
Alyson Heller ’89 is still in Aspen and was
recently promoted from the food and beverage director to the hotel manager. Let her know if you’re coming to town. She’s at The Little Nell. Alyson would love to hear from Sam and Kristie.
Dawn Sadera-Harden ’95 writes that she
married Nick Harden and that, sadly, they lost their twin boys, Thomas Aquinas and Augustine. Since then, Dawn and Nick have had two children, Paul and John-Michael, who are both happy and healthy. She hopes all is well with everyone and would love to hear from her fellow classmates. You can e-mail Dawn at dsadera@gmail.com.
90s
Kathleen B. Maher ’90 is currently work-
ing for Thor Equities, owners and managers of enclosed shopping malls. She is working toward a master of science in statistics. Kathy would love to hear from Amy (Rozek ’90) Washburn and Kristin Kramin ’89 and anyone else from the Class of 1990 and Lakeside Hall. If anyone is in the New York City area, please feel free to give Kathy a call at (914) 960-7878. Cissy (Bell ’91) LeBlanc would like to congratulate Stacey L. Purdy ’91 on her recent marriage to Chadd Martin! The wedding took place on July 14, 2007, at Windfall, a private residence outside Lake Clear. The reception was held at the Interlaken Inn in Lake Placid. Cissy was the matron of honor and her son, Jacob, 7, served as the ring bearer. Cissy’s two daughters, Caroline, 5, and Audrey, 2, served as the flower girls. Audrey is also Stacey’s goddaughter. Suzanne (Collins ’91) Leece has three
children, Sam, 9; Emily, 5; and Julia, almost 2. She has been recently separated and is just hanging out with the kids! You can contact Sue at 7 Summit Park, Ballston Lake, N.Y., 12019, or call her at (518) 727-1008.
Joanne M. Izyk ’92 is still living and work-
ing in Colorado. She is enjoying the Rocky Mountain region. Send her an e-mail sometime at jo_izyk@yahoo.com. She would enjoy hearing from her old buddies!
Daniel R. Allen ’94 would like to say hello
to the Class of 1994. He hopes to see you all at the reunion and says to come and show your class spirit. GO BOBCATS.
John R. Hosbach ’95 has been married for
10 years. He and his wife have two children, Morgan and Johnny. John is a consulting arborist and would like to hear from UTMers; you can contact John at (610) 731-7969.
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Sequel | Summer 2008
Lynn M. Stinziano ’88 was married to Ash Idris at an outdoor ceremony on November 2, 2007, at the historic Smithville Inn in Smithville, N.J. The happy couple went to Mexico for their honeymoon. Roy Kaler ’88 and Ben Niece were in attendance at the wedding. Lynn and Ash now reside in Galloway, N.J., with their two dogs. Lynn’s new e-mail address is cheflynnie@comcast.net.
Ester (Howell ’95) Lee would like class-
mates to know that she and her husband, David, are currently the new owners and operators of the Elegant Mule Employee Cafeteria in the Mule Creek State Prison, in Ione, Calif. Prior to this, they ran a catering business called Dream Catcher Catering in the San Francisco Bay area for 12 years and a coffee shop called The Gold Rush in Ione for three years. Ester hopes that fellow alums will feel free to contact her at PO Box 64, Ione, CA, or e-mail her at goldrushcoffee@sbcglobal.net.
Stephen D. Banffy ’95 would like to say
hello to fellow alumni and also let them know that he was married in May 2007. He and his wife, Bonnie, would like to make it to Winter Carnival!
Thomas J. Dayton ’95 went to the Univer-
sity of Tennessee after leaving Paul Smith’s College and returned to Memphis in 1996. After making a name for himself in Memphis’ finer restaurants, he started a new company with his father, Thomas J. Dayton ’57. Quality Vending Service was launched in 1998 and has grown to be one of the major full-line vending service companies in Memphis. Thomas has been a major reason for this growth as director of sales and marketing. He lives in Memphis with his fiancé and many dogs! He would love to hear from all of his classmates.
Amy (Miller ’96) and Michael A. Martin ’01 have purchased their first home and are
back in the Adirondacks. They live on three acres in Vermontville. Their doors are always open for friends from Paul Smith’s College. Their daughter Sadie joins her two brothers, Wyatt, 4, and Morgan, 2, for a life of excitement. Emily R. (Dorn ’96) Armstrong and
husband Brett have a son, Wyatt. He is now a year old and is a lot of fun. He’ll go to the 15th reunion in 2011 for his first reunion. She hopes that many others will plan ahead too.
Jeremy M. Driscoll ’97 is wondering how
everyone has been. He can be contacted at jeremydriscoll@comcast.net.
James G. Guerrin ’98 is on leave as a
forester in an office located in Inwood, W. Va. He is an Army reservist serving with the 478th Engineering Battalion in Ramadi, Iraq.
James W. Buck ’98 is currently working for the New York State Department of Transportation in the Catskill area as an environmental specialist. He is looking forward to the 10th reunion. He’d like the Class of 1998 forest techs to drop him a line at jbuck@hvc.rr.com. Rebekah L. Hartman ’98 and husband,
Morgan, have two businesses. They have a landscape design and install business and a grass-fed-Angus farm. They also have two children, Gable, 5, and Graziella, 17 months.
Jeromy J. Gardner ’98 is married. He and
his wife are expecting a baby in June. He is continuing to work as the district manager of Bartlett Tree Experts in Manchester, Vt.
LeeAnn A. (Frost ’98) Solis Sanchez
Trail markers Deaths Bride Stacey L. Purdy ’91 and her husband, Chadd Martin. Children from L to R – Caroline LeBlanc, Roger Martin (Chadd’s nephew), Audrey LeBlanc, Jacob LeBlanc. Off to the side – Cissy (Bell ’91) LeBlanc, matron of honor, and best man Jeff Lloyd.
Richard E. McCarthy ’50 on March 17
in Ketchum, Idaho.
Ross A. Lash ’57 on Dec. 1, 2007, in
Lady Lake, Fla.
Fulton I. Connor Jr. ’58 on Feb. 17, 2006, in Palm Springs, Calif. Brian R. Gilday ’58 on Sept. 10, 2007, in Camillus, N.Y. Richard A. White ’60 on Oct. 9,
2007, in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Donald L. Max ’61 on Oct. 27, 2006,
would like to get back in touch with some old friends. For those who remember her, drop her a line and say hi!
William can be reached at (732) 580-3685.
in Windham, N.H.
Amy C. (Horridge ’00) Mitschke wrote
in Pittsburgh, Pa.
engagement to Kelly McLeskey. The couple plan to wed on September 21 at Splendido at The Chateau in Beaver Creek, Colo.
to say that she got married and had her first child within the last two years. Amy has been fortunate enough to leave her job to be able to stay home with her new son, Kevin. She really misses PSC and would love to hear from her former classmates. You can contact Amy by e-mail at amy_carin@ yahoo.com
William L. Domenico ’00 and his long-
Dawn A. Swaney ’04 was recently
00s
Nicholas S. Dolata ’00 announced his
term girlfriend, Jodi Panfilio, are the proud parents of William Lucas, who was born in March. William makes the fourth living William (Bill) in the Domenico family. Jodi and William have been spending a lot of time around Saranac Lake, so if anyone is going to be in the area please let them know.
pictured in the Washingtonian in an article about the Central Michael Richard Restaurant, where she serves as sous chef. The Washingtonian is a lifestyle magazine that featured the best restaurants in Washington, D.C. in a recent issue. Dawn currently resides in Washington, D.C. S
Jon R. Twichell ’63 on Nov. 29, 2007, Ronald D. Kusio ’64 on April 28,
2007, in Perry, N.Y.
John G. Rheubottom ’65 on March
19, in Roxboro, N.C.
Louis P. Gayoso ’66 on Feb. 13 in
Oakhurst, N.J.
Robert J. Ruthart ’66 on April 17 in
North Attleboro, Mass.
Donald H. Swift ’66 on Aug. 1, 2007,
in Bath, N.Y.
Ludwig C. Osowiecki ’67 on Dec. 28,
2007, in Thomaston, Conn.
Stephen L. Fritz, Sr. ’68 on Nov. 20,
2007, in Rensselaerville, N.Y.
Bart H. Wallin ’68 on April 4, 2006, in
Ormond Beach, Fla.
Class Notes and Contact Updates
» Please mail to Paul Smith’s College, Alumni Relations, PO Box 265,
Paul Smiths, NY 12970 or e-mail information to alumni@paulsmiths.edu
Name Address City/State/Zip Home Phone Home E-mail Employer Address City/State/Zip Work Phone Work E-mail
Maiden Name
John R. “Jack” Batten ’69 on Feb. 15
in Rockford, Mich.
Kirby W. Abbott ’72 on May 3 in
Towanda, Pa.
Stephen A. Gangloff ’72 on March 9
in Hoosick Falls, N.Y.
Year/Major Title
Roger E. Persson, Jr. ’75 on Sept. 29,
2007, in Hyannis, Mass.
Gary P. Derouchie ’76 on Feb. 18 in
Norwich, N.Y.
James C. Hylind ’78 on Jan. 27 in
Work Fax
What’s new?
Onchiota, N.Y.
Rollin A. Graves Jr. ’82 on Oct. 3,
2007, in Fort Ann, N.Y.
Oneia Kaye Meadows ’90 on Feb. 2
in Oneonta, N.Y.
Brian J. Whitmore ’90 on March 8 in
Syracuse, N.Y.
If new address, please check here Please include my contact information when this note runs in Sequel
Fray Henry Fuller II ’03 on March 27
in Goshen, N.Y.
Frank A. Augsbury, Trustee, on Jan. 21
in Naples, Fla.
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[ PARTING SHOT ]
RFK rewınd
On Feb. 22, 1967, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy dropped by the Hotel Saranac as he took a goodwill tour of the North Country. That day, John Lippke ’68, Allan Janoff ’68, Jim Schaeffer ’67, Larry Weeks ’67 and Teddy Smith ’67 (l. to r.) posed for a photo with Kennedy that appeared in the Post Script. As the nation marks the 40th anniversary of RFK’s assassination, we look back at our brush with the senator. Weeks has since passed away, but the other four Smitties recalled the day Kennedy rolled through town. Schaeffer: It was very exciting that he came up to Saranac Lake. It was a real honor to meet him, and obviously, after his brother died, it was very exciting to meet a potential next president of the United States. Lippke: I was amazed at how young he was. I kept telling him, ‘You are going to run for president.’ And he was looking at me like – what are you talking about? Janoff: I was particularly excited because the visit fell on my birthday. Walking into the room at the hotel, I was in awe of RFK. The senator was very approachable, and made me feel as if he had come to see me personally. When I learned of his assassination, I felt as if I had lost a friend. Smith: I have been a long-time Democrat. It just amazes me that my views have not changed that much in 40 years.
» Do you have a Paul Smith’s-related photo, artifact or other item with a story behind it? Tell us about it! Drop a line to kaaron@paulsmiths.edu.
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