spring 2014 - potsdam people

Spring 2014 Vol. 8 | No.2

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

P E O P L E

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The Arts with AttitudeStudent dancers, Alonicha Triana, D’Asya Purvis, Zoe Walders and Keyanna Pryce participated in the inaugural performance as they surprised attendees with flash mob choreographed by dance faculty Don Borsch at the ribbon cutting ceremony on December 4, 2013. The high energy and sass of the performance was an apt reflection of the intensity at the event as legislators, contractors, architects, administrators, faculty, students and community members gathered to tour the new facility.

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Profiles

David Dik ’82 Jerry Grodin ’69Susan Perkins ’93James Berriman ’80

DepartmentsNews & Notes 3Mini Reunions 12Reunion Announcements 14Class Notes 20In Their Own Words 29

Setting the Stage for Potsdam’s 3rd Century

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On the cover:The dream of a performing arts center on campus is realized. With the vision of Pfeiffer Partners Architects, SUNY Potsdam broke ground for the building in early 2011, and on December 4, 2013, opened for students, faculty and visitors to experience the Arts Village-a collaborative space where creativity thrives.

12Reunion 2014Registration information and complete

schedule of events.

www.potsdam.edu/alumni/reunion

Over the past few months I have had the privilege of watching this campus come alive through the power of the arts. Along with the opening of our new, state-of-the-art $55 million Performing Arts Center, SUNY Potsdam has embarked on truly innovative educational strategies that will forge careers in creativity and leadership for the next

century and beyond.

Officially open for classes on January 20, 2014, the Performing Arts Center is already receiving favor-able comparisons with rival performance venues in New York City. This facility will allow students to explore multiple disciplines through the latest technologies, such as video/audio recording, digital design, and lighting and sound engineering, resulting in skills that lead to careers not only in the arts and arts education but also in technology, leadership and entrepreneurship.

Through the proposed SUNY Potsdam Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, students will be able to capitalize upon Potsdam’s liberal arts and sciences strengths, while creating opportunities previously not imagined through expanded “hands-on” opportunities. This Center will help position Potsdam as a leader and innovator in education while making our graduates highly sought after by employers.

With seed funding from the Lockheed Martin Corporation, SUNY Potsdam has developed a new undergraduate program to enrich Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs. This new model infuses the creative processes learned through the Arts into studies in STEM disciplines, thereby putting an “A” for Arts into STEM. The new STEAM degrees will allow students to design their own multidisciplinary major, incorporating at least two fields of study in STEM and the Arts. The program was developed by a team of SUNY Potsdam faculty from the sciences, arts and social sciences, and this team has recently secured a second grant from the Lockheed Martin Corporation to further this innovative work.

As always, the ability for this campus to advance can only be as ambitious as the alumni who support and continue to invest in these initiatives. It is gratifying to see our alumni continually take the lead in ensuring that Potsdam’s legacy of excellence is made available to future generations of students follow-ing in their footsteps.

Many of our alumni have used the arts to launch careers in business, education, technology and even to find their way to singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl(!), proving that the arts can take you anywhere.

Sincerely,

Dennis L. Hefner Interim President

PRESIDENT’S letter

EDITORS

Deborah Dudley, Director of Marketing and Communications

Mona Ouimet Vroman ’85, Director of Alumni Relations

Emily Hutchison, Director of Development

WRITERS

Sarah Carr ‘08, Public Affairs Assistant

Deidre Kelly, Writer

Alexandra Jacobs Wilke, Communications & Government Relations

WEB MANAGER

Mindy Thompson, Director of Web Communications

CONTRIBUTORS

David T. Britt ‘73, Director of Business Planning and Analysis

Dan Bronson ‘03, Sports Information Director

Christa Carroll, Director of Annual Giving

Kathryn Deuel, Manager of Special Projects

Nancy Griffin (Hon. ‘08), Development Officer

Jason Ladouceur ’94, Director of Planned Giving

Sarah Maneely ’07, Assistant Director of Research and Donor Relations

Ellen Nesbitt, Assistant Director of Annual Giving

Donna Planty, Project Manager/Production Artist

Sherry Allen Paradis ’00, Director of Donor Relations

Laura Stevenson (Hon. ’07), Alumni & Donor Relations

Vicki Templeton-Cornell, Vice President for College Advancement

DESIGN & ART DIRECTION

J. P. Manke, Graphic Designer/Production Artist

POTSDAM PEOPLE STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS

SPRING 2014 Vol . 8 | No. 2

Alumni Relations

44 Pierrepont Ave. | Potsdam, NY 13676

(315) 267-2120

Interim President Dennis Hefner meets with Grammy Award winning alumna Renée Fleming ’81 weeks prior to her big Super Bowl performance of the National Anthem.


POTSDAM PEOPLE STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS

CAMPUS news & notes

CAMPAIGN NEWS

Donors Plan for College’s FutureBill ’59 and Evelyn ’57 Mercer created a gift annuity that will support them during their lifetimes, but support the College upon their passing. They have established the William J. and Evelyn (Batchelor) Mercer Annuity, which will be used for the general support of The Crane School of Music. Former Vice President for College Advancement Ross Pfeiffer and his wife, Catharine, have pledged a deferred estate gift to The Annual Fund for Potsdam. Once realized, this gift will provide Potsdam with unrestricted funding to support the College’s greatest needs. To find out if your deferred gift can be counted in the Take the Lead Campaign, contact Jason Ladouceur ’94, director of planned giving, at [email protected]. By notifying the College of your gift inten-tions, we can work with you now to determine what impact you would like your gift to have once realized.

CAMPAIGN NEWS

SUNY Honors Chancellor’s Society Donors in NYCPotsdam donors joined SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher for a special recognition event in NYC. SUNY acknowledged top donors from each campus.

Pictured, clockwise from top left, are: Barbara Maresca (Hon. ’14), G. Michael Maresca (Hon. ’14), Sue Morrison, In-terim President Dennis Hefner, Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, Michael Galane ’74, Vice President for Advancement Vicki Templeton-Cornell, Gary Jaquay ’67, Dorothy Albrecht Gregory ’61, Mary Helander ’83 and Anna Collins ’67.

CAMPAIGN NEWS

Take the Lead: The Campaign for PotsdamTotal raised - $22,416,438 (at time of printing)

Academic Excellence - $7,997,276, 99%Scholarships - $5,492,482, 78%Annual Fund - $5,644,240, 81%Transformational Student Experiences - $2,895,671, 58%40% of gifts and pledges support the arts

$22.4 M

CAMPAIGN NEWS

Scholarship Support GrowsA longtime business partner and previous donor to an annually funded scholarship, Enbridge/St. Lawrence Gas recently established a scholarship endowment to support a student residing in the company’s service area in St. Lawrence, Franklin or Lewis County. Justin ’92 and Amy ’94 Leonard-Sipher will also support North Country students from Gouverneur, with the Leonard-Sipher Scholarship. Students in the 3/2 Engineering program at Potsdam will soon be able to receive the Slocum Family Scholarship recently established by Christopher ’88 and Julie Slocum. Also, Jeanne Kimmich Roberts ’80 has endowed a significant scholarship for women majoring in either Mathematics or Computer Science at SUNY Potsdam. Foundation Board Trustee Bonnie Betters-Reed ’73 has pledged her support for the Bonita L. Betters-Reed Scholarship, which will support a sophomore who has demonstrated leadership at Potsdam. Three additional scholarships will also be available for student musicians. George ’54 and Mary Ellen Jumps ’53 Giroux have estab-lished the Giroux Honors Jazz Combo, which will provide both scholarship and program support. Faculty emeritus Gordon Mathie is creating the Clara Mathie Horn Scholarship in honor of his late wife. And celebrating 50 years since they first met at Potsdam, Faye ’66 and Paul ’67 Jeser joined friends and family to create the Faye Cohen Jeser ’66 Piano Scholarship. Finally, Alumni Board Trustee Krista Fordham ’94 has just established her third endowed scholarship at the College, the Fordham Study Abroad Scholarship. (Scholarships remain a top priority at the College, and we are so appreciative to the many donors who have taken the lead by providing this critical support for our students.)

CAMPAIGN NEWS

Potsdam Gives Thanks for North Country Business Support

Interim President Dennis Hefner recently hosted an event to show his appreciation to the College’s area business donors. Dr. Hefner welcomed the guests and acknowledged their leadership and commitment to the region and especially SUNY Potsdam students. Thank you to the following business partners who attended the event: Alcoa, C&S Companies, Clarkson Inn, Community Bank, N.A., CORC Thrift Store, Davis Mechanical Service, Inc., Dr. Luis Canales and Dr. Susanne Daye, Foit-Albert Associates, Follett Higher Education Group, Frederic Remington Art Museum, Honeywell Building Solutions, SLIC, North Country Savings Bank, PACES, Seasons Gift Shop, Sullivan’s Office Supply, Stephens Media Group and the Village Diner.

CAMPAIGN NEWS

Additional Support for LiteracyOutreach ProgramJan Harting-McChesney ’74 has pledged her support for “Branching Out With Books,” a collaborative literacy program between SUNY Potsdam and St. Lawrence University. The Harting-McChesney Endowment Fund will provide ongoing funding for this unique program that affords college students important hands-on learn-ing experience working with 400 high-need children throughout the region. Jan is also working on plans to include the college in her estate.

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CAMPUS news & notes

DEVELOPMENT & AWARDS

SUNY Potsdam Professor Earns Distinguished Rank from SUNY TrusteesCrane School of Music Professor Kenneth B. Andrews was selected as one of 16 faculty members recently appointed to a distinguished rank by the State Univer-sity of New York Board of Trustees. Distinguished faculty are chosen based on service to the campus, the SUNY System and the community as a whole. Service must exceed the work generally considered to be a part of a candidate’s basic professional work and should include service that exceeds that for which professors are normally compensated. Andrews has attained national and inter-national recognition primarily for his work as founder, conductor and musical director of the Orchestra of Northern New York. Andrews has also been a guest conductor with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Vermont Symphony, and as music director and guest conductor for professional, college and youth orches-tras and festivals throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

SUNY Potsdam Student’s Artwork on Display at Governor Cuomo’s OfficeSUNY Potsdam student Maggie Maroney’s ’15 artwork is on display at Gov-ernor Andrew Cuomo’s Washington, D.C., office. “I can think of no more appropriate and welcoming images to greet visitors to my office than those imagined and created by SUNY students,” said Cuomo. “In the first year of the student display, my staff and I have received many compliments from visitors who were often surprised that the pieces were done by college students and not professional artists. I commend the students whose work was chosen for this year’s breathtaking exhibit and thank them for loaning me their masterpieces.”


SUNY Potsdam Honored as Military-Friendly by Two PublicationsSUNY Potsdam has been honored as a military-friendly institution by two differ-ent publications this year. The College was selected as a 2014 Military-Friendly School by Victory Media, which publishes G.I. Jobs, Military Spouse and Vetrepreneur magazines. In addition, SUNY Potsdam is featured in the 2014 Guide to Military-Friendly Colleges and University by Military Advanced Education magazine. Only 20 percent of institutions of higher education nationwide are selected for both guides.After forming a college-wide Veteran and Military Task Force four years ago, SUNY Potsdam has worked hard to enhance a variety of services and implement procedures to meet the specific needs of mili-tary members and their families. Those efforts have been significantly enhanced since the College and SUNY Canton jointly hired Patrick Massaro ’05 as the shared veterans and military services coordinator. A graduate of both institutions, and a captain in the U.S. Marine Reserves, Massaro serves students on both campuses. During the Fall 2013 semester, more than 100 students utilized the services offered by the Office of Veterans and Military Student Services.


Business Administration Professor Joe Timmerman Receives Patriot AwardThe U.S. Department of Defense recognized Joe Timmerman, chair of the Department of Business Administration, with the Patriot Award in recogni-tion of his strong support for members of the Nation-

al Guard and Reserve and honored the College as a military-friendly employer.Col. William Murphy (left), the regional coordinator for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program, presented the award to Timmerman in a special ceremony held on campus in December.

Check out the newSUNY Potsdam alumni Facebook page.Be sure to “like” us at:www.facebook.com/BearAlumniWe also have the following alumni related pages for you to “Like” • SUNY Potsdam Albany Region Alumni Chapter • SUNY Potsdam Boston Regional Alumni Chapter • SUNY Potsdam Syracuse Alumni Chapter • The Crane School of Music Alumni Group

ALUMNI NEWS

SUNY Potsdam alumna Renée Fleming SingsNational Anthem at Super BowlRenée Fleming ’81 has brought down the house at opera houses and concert halls across the globe—but she sang for her largest audience yet at Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2, 2014. The superstar soprano, known lovingly as “the people’s diva,” became the first opera singer to perform the national anthem at America’s most-watched athletic event. Dressed in Vera Wang and accompanied by a recording of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Fleming gave a stunning rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” backed by top singers from the nation’s military choirs.

COLLEGE NEWS

Potsdam College Foundation Names New TrusteesThe Potsdam College Founda-tion recently welcomed four new members to the Board of Trustees. The accomplished new trustees include three alumni and one professor emeritus. The board approved the addition of James Berriman ’80, Anthony B. Brennan ’75, William Kirchgasser and Sean Leous ’86 at its last meeting.The new trustees will work alongside the other board members to steward schol-arship support and giving to SUNY Potsdam, including overseeing the College’s Take the Lead Campaign.

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From left: Berriman, Brennan, Kirchgasser and Leous


CAMPUS news & notes

NEW INITIATIVES

Johnsons Establish Practice OrganEndowment at The Crane School of MusicFaculty Emeri-tus Dr. Arthur L. Johnson and Anne Hast-ings Johnson recently established the Practice Organ Endowment for The Crane School of Music. Their generous gift will allow Crane to main-tain, refurbish, improve and add to the inventory of practice organs at the School. This will enhance study opportunities for Crane students, and expand performance opportunities so that the organ can be used in spaces where an organ is currently not available. It will also allow organs to be used more extensively alongside Crane choral and instrumental ensembles, and will offer increased outreach opportunities for the community.

NEW INITIATIVES

John Wicke Appointed to Lead College’s Start-Up NY Economic Development EffortsSUNY Potsdam has appointed John M. Wicke as the College’s director of strategic alliances. He will focus on SUNY Potsdam’s local economic development efforts, including spearheading the college’s partnership with business through the Start-Up NY initiative. Start-Up NY is a groundbreaking new initiative from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo that will provide major incentives for businesses to relocate, start up or significantly expand in New York State, through affiliations with public and private universities, colleges and community colleges. Businesses will have the opportunity to operate state and local tax-free for ten years, on or near academic campuses, and their employees will pay no state or local income taxes either. In addition, businesses may qualify for further incentives. SUNY Potsdam has designated three areas as possible future business sites through Start-Up NY, including Lehman Park and NATCO Park, which are both on campus, as well as the Potsdam Commerce Park, which is located in the Village of Potsdam. To learn more about Start-Up NY, contact John M. Wicke, director of strategic alliances, SUNY Potsdam, at (315) 267-2106 or [email protected] or visit www.startup-ny.com.

COLLEGE NEWS

SUNY Potsdam & SUNY Canton Hire Shared Sustainability CoordinatorSUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton are proud to welcome Kelly Carter as the new sustainability coordinator for both institutions. She comes to the North Country from Pace University, where she was a research assistant and she also has experience coor-dinating environmental initiatives for the National Sports Academy in Lake Placid. Carter will assist with the development of campus energy master plans, and will also work with students to raise environmental awareness on both campuses.

COLLEGE NEWS

Potsdam College Press Releases Latest Book, “Out of the Blue: Blueline Essays 1979-1989” By Alice Wolf GilbornThe latest publication from Potsdam College Press, “Out of the Blue: Blueline Essays 1979-1989” by Alice Wolf Gilborn, was written during her 10 years as founding edi-tor of Blueline, the literary magazine dedicated to the spirit of the Adirondacks. The 18 essays in this collection are a vital contribution to Adirondack literature. Gilborn focuses on subjects as varied as hiking Blue Mountain, Adirondack porches, American natural landmarks and the joys and travails of launching a literary magazine. Ten years after its first issue Blueline hit its stride, and Gilborn transferred the magazine from Blue Mountain Lake to the Department of English and Communication at SUNY Potsdam. The current editors look forward to celebrating Blueline’s 35th anniversary in 2014. “Out of the Blue: Blueline Essays 1979–1989” is now available for $15 from the Potsdam College Press.


SUNY Potsdam Professor Selected as Recipient of Chancellor’s Award for InternationalismSUNY Potsdam Associate Professor Lora G. Lunt was recently selected as a recipi-ent of the 2013-14 Chancellor’s Award for Internationalism. The award is designed to encourage the establishment of new and innovative study abroad programs to less commonly traveled destinations, along with underrepresented academic disciplines in study abroad. Lunt was chosen for the award based on her “Morocco Intercultural Exchange: Women & Democratization” program. Lunt will receive $4,000 toward making the program more affordable for her students.

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Governor Announces Research Funding for Distinguished Professor Dr. Maria HepelGovernor Andrew Cuomo recently an-nounced that a research project involving an esteemed SUNY Potsdam faculty member would receive up to $100,000 in grant funding from the SUNY Research Collaboration Fund, which supports research collaborations among campuses. The 2013 recipients included SUNY Potsdam Distinguished Professor Dr. Maria Hepel and Binghamton Uni-versity Professor Dr. Chuan-Jian Zhong. Through the collaboration the chemistry professor aims to develop a fundamental understanding of functional nanoprobes for detection of DNAs to aid in diagnostics and healthcare. Dr. Hepel is one of only two faculty members from SUNY compre-hensive colleges to receive funding through the program.

COLLEGE NEWS

Crane School of Music Librarian Edward Komara Contributes to Paramount Records SetJohn Fahey’s Reveant Records and Jack White’s Third Man Records co-released a massive archival project called “The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records, Volume One (1917-27)” in November 2013. The collection was a massive undertaking and was put together with a team of 30 to 50 people, including artists, writers, historians, record collectors and Crane School of Music librarian Edward Komara. Komara wrote over 40 authors’ biographies and did a large amount of copy editing and indexing on the project. The collection fea-tures 800 songs, 200 restored original ads and images, two books and six 180-gram vinyl LPs, all of which come in a hand-crafted oak case modeled after those that car-ried phonographs in the 1920s. Volume two is slated for a November 2014 release.


Scholarship Donors Honored

The Potsdam College Foun-dation, Inc., is proud to have more than 270 named scholar-ship endowments. These funds are critical, as they

provide much-needed support directly to students, year after year. In October 2013, student scholars and their families had the opportunity to thank their donors at the Annual Scholarship Donors’ Luncheon. Marcia Kilbourn Murphy ’61, who recently established the Marcia K. Murphy & Gary J. Northrup Scholar-ship, met her very first student scholar, Theresa Lester ’17.


Three SUNY Potsdam Staff Members Honored with Chancellor’s Awards for ExcellenceThree SUNY Potsdam staff members were among the 312 State University of New York faculty and staff to receive the 2012-13 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. The recipients included Kirk Severtson, associate processor at The Crane School of Mu-sic and accompanist/chair of the performance department; Patricia Stone, secretary for the provost and Division of Academic Affairs, and Victoria Klatwitter, associate professor of mathematics. The awards recognize consistently superior professional achievement and encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

SUNY Potsdam Student Earns Honorable Mention at Best of SUNY Student Art ExhibitionJonathon Lalonde ’14 earned an honorable mention at this year’s SUNY Student Art Exhibition. The honorable mention included a $500 award, which he received at a reception at the State Museum in Albany, where the exhibit was on display through September 2013. The juried Best of SUNY exhibit features artworks chosen by individual art departments across SUNY’s 64 campuses.

CAMPUS news & notes

THE CRANE SCHOOL OF MUSIC NOW LIVESTREAMING

Watch faculty recitals, major ensemble concerts and even guest artist performances live from the comfort of your home, through the new livestreaming service offered at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music. Live video and recording-quality audio now stream from Hosmer Hall and Snell Theater over the Internet, at potsdam.edu/crane. Made possible by The Gail and Richard Stradling Endowment for The Crane School of Music

Visit potsdam.edu/crane to see a list ofupcoming performances, view concert programs and experience Crane performances for yourself!


SUNY Potsdam Celebrates Grand Re-Opening of Maxcy Hall Ice ArenaSUNY Potsdam celebrated the grand re-opening of its newly renovated Maxcy Hall Ice Are-na with a series of events on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013. In addition to the men’s and women’s home-opening games, SUNY Potsdam inducted its 1995-96 SUNYAC Champion men’s ice hockey team into the Bears Hall of Fame. With the newly-unveiled changes, the Maxcy Hall Ice Arena will continue to be one of the leading athletics venues in the North Country and the Northeast, as it hosts recreational skating, youth hockey and both Bears hockey teams. New York State Senator Patricia Ritchie ’91 returned to her alma mater to ceremonially drop the puck and kick off the men’s game against the University of New England. A member of the Higher Education Committee, Sen. Ritchie supported funding for the $8 million Ice Arena renovations through the SUNY Capital Plan. Sen. Ritchie was joined at center ice by current and former men’s hockey coaches and campus officials.

After 25 Years, the College Says Thank You, and Farewell, to the Golf ClassicIn September 2013, SUNY Potsdam cel-ebrated its 25th and final Annual Scholarship Golf Classic. Tournament day dawned after a night of heavy thunderstorms. The Potsdam Town and Country Club was overly saturated and under a great deal of water in some areas. Teeing off was impossible, but spirits weren’t dampened, as more than 140 committed golfers came to the course for a luncheon and prizes. Some brave teams even waded onto a flooded green, making the point that they were proud of all they had done to benefit SUNY Potsdam students. The 2013 Golf Classic, undaunted by Mother Nature, raised approximately $90,000 to benefit student scholars.

The College announces that the 2013 Classic was the last because of new directions brought about by Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which has raised more than $22 million to date and will conclude during the College’s Bicentennial in 2016. Hundreds of stu-dents have received much needed and earned scholarship support over the last quarter century thanks to tourna-ment founder, two-time NCAA championship-winning former men’s basketball coach, Jerry Welsh (Hon. ’79) and the many businesses and individual donors who supported the Classic over the years.

Area businesses have been tremendous supporters of our Scholarship Fund for many years and now more than ever will play a key role in supporting Potsdam students, but also partnering with SUNY Potsdam in regional economic development efforts.

Back Row (L-R): Coach Ed Seney, Mike Peters, Josh Brosell ’98, Eric Updike ’99, Eric Fetscher ’97, Neal Pecore ’98, Jeff Johnson, Pete Chandler ’98Middle Row (L-R): Rich DiNicola ’96, Jay Perras ’97, A.D. Jim ZalaccaFront Row (L-R): Casey Nelson ’96, Shawn Putnam ’98, Steve Naughton ’00, Scott Jones ’99, Daryn McLean ’96, Tony Matczynski ’96

ATHLETICS news & notes

From left, SUNY Potsdam Bears Men’s Ice Hockey Head Coach Chris Bernard, Assistant Vice Pres-ident for Facilities Tony DiTullio, University of New England team captain Sean Sullivan, Athletic Director Jim Zalacca, State Senator Patricia Ritchie ’91, Interim President Dennis L. Hefner, SUNY Potsdam team captain Mike Arnold (Hon. ’14), former SUNY Potsdam Men’s Ice Hockey Coach John Horan (Hon. ’94) and former Vice President for Business Affairs Mike Lewis (Hon. ’12).

Alumni and donors can leave their mark on the arena through a number of naming opportunities. From seats and lockers to the press box, score board or even the zamboni, donors can make a gift and name one of these pieces of the rink. At the grand opening, almost $17,000 had already been contributed. A full list of naming opportunities can be found at www.potsdambears.com or by contacting the Donor Relations Office at (315) 267-3253.

www.potsdam.edu/athletics/bearpride

By Deidre Kelly

David A. Dik ’82 spends every day working to ignite the imaginations of young people across the country, showing K-12 students how the arts infuse and inform all areas of life.

As the national executive director for Young Audiences Arts for Learning, he oversees a network of 30 affiliates that reaches more than 7 million students in 7,000 schools each year, through more than 89,000 workshops in dance, music, theatre and the visual arts.

“I’ve yet to find in my career a vital and thriving school that doesn’t include the arts,” he said.

So it should come as no surprise that Dik is also a major proponent of interdis-ciplinary initiatives at his alma mater.

“I see the campus as a laboratory where one can explore, revise and reimagine. SUNY Potsdam helps to shape graduates

who think big, audacious ideas, and plow forward to make them happen,” he said.

Originally from Dryden, N.Y., Dik studied music education at The Crane School of Music and he says that he still uses the leadership experience he gained through choral conducting in his career daily.

“I still work with a choir in a way – varied and diverse voices that need to sing as one, but still express their individual identi-ties,” he said.

For Dik, arts education provides a method of learn-ing that can be carried into every facet of a person’s life, both personally and profes-sionally.

“We often focus on those students who make the arts their career as a sign of success,” he said. What I’ve seen count-less times is the student who takes the processes of the arts – rehearsal, revision, persistence, grit, fortitude – and envelop these skills and habits of mind into all avenues of pursuit. The essence of being an artist is the ability to reflect on one’s own work and say, ‘That’s not good enough, let’s try it again,’ or ‘Let’s try something different.’”

The arts can also offer a different lens for examining other disciplines, Dik said. He suggests math students study the angles involved in dance, the geometry found in Bach, or the scale and architec-

ture in set design, for example.Before taking on his posi-tion at Young Audiences, Dik spent 22 years at the Metropolitan Opera Guild, first as a teach-ing artist while he was a music teacher, then as the director of educa-tion, and eventually managing director of the organization. The Guild was founded in 1936 to make opera more acces-

sible to the general public.At SUNY Potsdam, where Dik has been

a member of the Foundation Board for four years, he believes that the completion of the Performing Arts Center will bring together the College’s three Schools like never before.

“We live in an interconnected world. At Young Audiences,

we want to provide four key experiences for every student with whom we work: We want them to experience, create, understand and connect. I think this same principle holds true for Potsdam, and

it takes the three Schools to do that, not just one,” he said. “As the Performing Arts Center becomes home to the work of the theatre and dance department, the build-ing itself will become an interdisciplinary center where everyone at Potsdam can take their passion, and connect it to all other aspects of learning throughout the campus. It makes for better students and better citizens.”

An experienced volunteer and board member, Dik serves on the board for the Music-in-Education National Consortium, representing a network of universities, arts organizations, school reform foundations and partnering schools, whose purpose is to bring about an evolution of music teaching and learning so that music can assume an essential role in higher educa-tion teacher preparation and public school reform. In addition, he serves on the program committee for the New York City Center for Arts Education, is a member of the New York City Mayor’s Arts Education Task Force, and is a panelist for both the New York and the New Jersey Councils on the Arts. He is an adjunct instructor at Brooklyn College.

In 2009, Dik received SUNY Potsdam’s Minerva Award, the Alumni Association’s highest award for professional achieve-ment. He resides in Glen Ridge, N.J., with his wife, Jill Simmons, and two sons.

David A. Dik


POTSDAM profile

“The essence of being an artist is the ability to reflect on one’s own

work and say, ‘That’s not good enough, let’s try it again,’ or ‘Let’s

try something different.’”

By Deidre Kelly

Everyone has those moments when you are driving down the road and a familiar sound from your past pours out of the radio. May-be it elicits joy or maybe it elicits sorrow, but either way, you are inextricably transported back to the days when you lived the music. It is the soundtrack of your life.

Jerry Grodin, Ph.D. ’69 attended Potsdam when the anti-war movement was peaking, student activism was on the rise, and the music of the revolutionary 1960s ruled the airwaves.

“In the ’60s, music played a domi-nant role in our lives. It is an enduring soundtrack that others didn’t have in the same way,” Grodin recalled. “It’s not complete to think about my college years without hearing the music. When we were hearing it, it was raw.”

A psychology major, Grodin challenged the status quo during his tenure at Potsdam as the Student Government Association president and was victorious in ending the 11 p.m. curfew for women and allowing students to have a role in creating and man-aging their own disciplinary governance.

“On campus in 1960, Potsdam was still in the 1950s. When I became president of SGA, I saw my role as moving student rights and responsibilities into the ’60s,” he said. “I worked with students and faculty to formalize a student manual that created a student court system. The basic format is still the format that is used today.”

He continues to strive for change cur-rently as director of Psychological Services, P.C. in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., by lobby-ing in Albany and Washington, D.C., on behalf of the New York State Psychologi-cal Association. Grodin, the association’s director of professional services and past president, has seen a great deal of trans-formation in the field of psychology over the last 30 years and would like to see the state pass a bill to allow properly trained psychologists to prescribe medicines.

“The practice has changed remark-ably,” he said. “The field is moving in the direction of psychological therapy and pharmacotherapy. It is a huge hurdle to get the legislation passed, but it is my latest quest.”

After graduating from SUNY Potsdam, Grodin earned his Ph.D. at the New York University School of Medicine. Since 1984, he has been providing services to individuals with personality and mood disorders and post-traumatic stress. He also works with couples and families, and counsels adolescent and adult clients on conflicts connected to interpersonal rela-tionships.

Grodin is a certified addiction specialist and also conducts evaluations and treat-ment for the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. He developed and supervised a forensics unit at Caleo Coun-seling Center in Hudson Falls, N.Y. On top of all that, he also provides court testimony and has served as an expert witness in many local trials. He has served as an expert witness in court matters related to com-plex issues of diagnosis and competence as relates to custody and parenting matters.

Grodin says that he wanted to be a psychologist even back in high school, and after a long career, he still enjoys the chal-lenge of the work.

“It is fascinating to get to know some-one on multiple levels, to see their manifest behaviors and understand their uncon-scious motivations, to interact with people and know them on a deeper level than they know themselves,” he said. “It is very grati-fying to know you help people regain a valuable life. The things that sustain me are the things that I see every day – watching people get better, overcoming depression, beating addiction and rekindling relation-ships that have gone astray.”

That’s not to say it is always easy. Grodin has developed ways to adapt to taking on the burdens of others, especially when he is called to advocate on behalf of a child who is caught in the middle between warring parents.

“When I’m involved face-to-face with people who are struggling and

in pain, I have to be there with them, but I also establish clear boundaries. When I go home, I don’t take it with me,” he noted. “My personal form of therapy is to engage in long-distance backpacking. It’s my way to take care of my own personal adventures and personal challenges. It’s my time to get away to get my head back on straight.”

Twice, Grodin has taken on the Long Trail in Vermont, which runs 273 miles. It took him 22 days to complete the trek the first time. He has also journeyed the 133-mile Northville Placid Trail in the Adirondacks multiple times.

Much like the trees lining his travels down the winding hiking trails, Grodin’s trip into the memory of his college days is a collage of romances and friendships that are set to the sounds of dancing at the Ar-lington in downtown Potsdam and creating change by challenging administration. The music of bands like Jefferson Airplane, the Rolling Stones and Blood, Sweat & Tears left footprints on his memory that will stay with him for the rest of his travels.

Jerry Grodin, Ph.D.


POTSDAM profile

By Deidre Kelly

Dr. Susan L. Perkins ’93 didn’t intend to go to SUNY Potsdam, and she didn’t in-tend to go on to specialize in microbiology in graduate school. But as fate would have it, she ended up doing both, and has never looked back. Her journey has afforded her the opportunity to serve in her current position as Associate Curator and Associ-ate Professor at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Having practically grown up on the Potsdam campus, alongside her mother, Nancy Perkins, who was employed at the College for 31 years, she wanted to expand her horizons elsewhere, but soon changed her mind.

“I had applied early decision to just one school – Boston University – and got in. However, when I went to orientation in April, I was really intimidated by the size and urban location,” she recalled. “I opted to go to Potsdam for a year, intending to transfer after that, but found myself really enjoying my courses and professors and decided to stay.”

Perkins majored in biology and minored in chemistry at Potsdam while riding for the Potsdam Equestrian

Team for four years and playing tennis her senior year. A long-time friend of Coach Jerry Welsh (Hon. ’79) and a huge fan of the Bears Basketball team, she worked for the basketball program all four years, first selling T-shirts for the summer camp and eventually working as an administrative as-sistant. After serving as the assistant sports information director in her sophomore year, she was hired to be the director the following year while there was a search for a permanent director.

Despite her interest in sports, biology was Perkins’ true love. “When I gradu-ated from Potsdam, I intended to pursue a career in animal behavior,” she said. “My classes were challenging, but the profes-sors were always accessible. Doing research with Dr. Kenneth Coskran and Dr. Maria Hepel launched me into a career in research.”

Perkins went on to earn a Ph.D. in 2000 from the University of Vermont. She has enjoyed working with students in the National Science Foundation funded Research Experience for Undergradu-ates Program, the graduate students at the museum’s Richard Gilder Graduate School, and students in the classroom as an adjunct professor at three universities.

“Students often make you think really differently about the research that you’re doing – especially the really good ones who ask lots of questions,” she said.

When she’s not working with students, she can be found doing typical jobs like her own lab work, and managing the lab and writing grant applications and papers.

“I’m beginning to work on a new exhibit for the museum. I’m participat-ing in one of our education programs to get kids involved in making scientific games. I often give lectures to New York City teachers, and in February, I will be a lecturer on a luxury adult educa-

tional trip around the world, so it’s a little different from a typical professorial job,” she said. “I really love doing fieldwork. It’s allowed me to travel and better understand the organisms I work on. There’s no substi-tute for that.”

She recently returned from an extended trip to Australia where she worked with

Jane Melville and Paul Oliver from the Museum Victoria and the

University of Melbourne. “We were out in the Western Kimberley in Northwestern Australia, catching lizards and sampling for their malaria parasites,” she said. “Aus-tralia has a spectacular diversity of reptiles, particularly lizards, but their parasites have not been very well studied to date.”

Perkins hopes to continue to study the malaria-carrying parasites and make some groundbreaking discoveries. “I’d love to be able to someday unravel the phylog-eny (family tree) of the malaria parasites, but the more I work on them, the more confusing it becomes!” she said. “I have enjoyed the administrative roles I’ve had, so I think it would be rewarding to do that for a while, if it was the right kind of position.”

In her free time, Perkins enjoys reading, going to the theater, seeing live music and dining out. “I love outdoor activities like kayaking and hiking, but that’s more challenging to do, living in the city,” she noted.

Whether or not her future work takes her where she intends, in the field, lab or classroom, Perkins is ready for the journey. Sometimes it can be those unintended decisions that make all the difference.

Susan L. Perkins, Ph.D.

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POTSDAM profile

By Deidre Kelly

Part of the beauty of a liberal arts educa-tion is that it can prepare you for nearly any avenue – even from music, to philoso-phy, to computer programming.

James “Jim” Berriman ’80, grew up near Binghamton, N.Y., in a small village named Endwell, and came to SUNY Potsdam as a Crane student playing the French horn.

“I loved the French horn. I played it all through high school, and I wasn’t ready to stop,” he said. “Our high school band room had a room with LP records, and one of them was done by a professor at Crane. I wanted to study with him. I got into Crane and had a scholarship. My tu-ition was paid, and Potsdam had the best music school in the state system.”

After two years, dental problems made it uncomfortable to play, so he decided to major in philosophy. His desire to pursue the law and technology stemmed from his studies in philosophy.

“There were two main branches of philosophy that interested me: logic and ethics,” he recalled. “Logic courses led to my interest in symbolic logic, which led to computer programming. Boolean logic is similar to the algorithms used in computer coding. Ethics is the study of how to live together in a complex society and what your rights and responsibility are, which led to my interest in law. Philosophy wrote the blue print for the combinations I use in my current role.”

After graduation, Berriman worked as a litigation paralegal at O’Connor & Gacioch, during the dawn of the per-sonal computer. He also served as the civil litigation firm’s IT manager and law office manager. In that role, he developed the first litigation-support database system on behalf of a Fortune 100 client involved in a nationwide series of lawsuits. In that position, his employer gave him a com-puter and he developed a database system that was used in cases. He assisted with a nationwide lawsuit and brought his computer into the courtroom. That was his first exposure to a trial, and he decided after that to get his law degree. He received his juris doctor degree, cum laude, from the Boston University School of Law in

1990, where he was the articles editor of the Boston University Law Review.

From there, Berriman went on to serve as senior counsel and director of litiga-tion technology at Goodwin Procter LLP, an AmLaw 100 firm of more than 650 attorneys. In 1999, he founded the firm’s Litigation Technology Group, an in-house team of 15 specialists who use cutting-edge technologies to increase efficiency and lower the cost of litigation for the firm’s clients.

Today, Berriman is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Evidox Corpora-tion, a firm of 15 people that specializes in electronic discovery (or ediscovery), electronic evidence collection and preser-vation, hosting of electronic documents for online review, electronic trials and litigation technology consulting. He assists attorneys and corporate clients in defin-ing the appropriate scope of electronic discovery, implementing ediscovery plans, compliance with preservation and reten-tion obligations, and using technology to improve the efficiency and cost-effective-ness of the litigation process.

He is also the founder of the Ediscovery Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation which educates attorneys about how to perform ediscovery. Berriman is an adjunct faculty member at Boston University’s School of Law. Additionally, he is the co-founder and co-inventor of SqueePlay, a web-based 3D casual game com-pany founded in Boston. Its first game, SqueeDogs, will launch on Facebook in March 2014.

“You can make an avatar of your own dog online and play with him,” he said. “You can design a dog from the bone structure to the spots on his pelt, by using an infinite number of combinations.”

A large part of his job that he enjoys is creative problem solving and issue spot-ting. “No two cases are the same,” he said. “There are so many infinite permuta-tions of electronic evidence, you can’t make a check list. You need to know general ideas, so you can find specific issues. You don’t always know the answer, but you know the larger issue and how to figure it out.”

Berriman notes the challenges

of being a CEO of an ediscovery company include business development, reaching clients and keeping up with the constant changes in technology.

“I’ve made the discovery that over time, your network grows organically. It’s not all networking by shaking hands and going to conventions,” he said. “Technology never stops. New methods and devices are developed all the time. Social networking, computer forensics and GPS are now a significant source of electronic evidence.”

“I am stunned at how similar the cam-pus is today as when I was a student. They still have the same orange couches on the second floor of Crane that they had when I was there,” Berriman said, with a laugh.

His love of listening to recordings in the Crane Library and experimenting with sounds has led him to building an analog synthesizer in his spare time. It seems that liberal arts education has now brought him full circle from musician, to lawyer, to computer programmer—and back again.

James “Jim” Berriman, Esq.

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POTSDAM profile

Delta Lambda Nu20th ReunionFriday, July 115 p.m. - 7 p.m. - Meet and Greet, on campus 8 p.m. - Off campus dinner(location TBA)

Saturday, July 12, on-campus events11 a.m. - Alumni Meeting and Ceremony1 p.m. - 31 Gifts Party3 p.m. - 6 p.m. - Lunch, must regis-ter in advance for catering purposes

Student AffairsSymposiumJuly 10-11, 2014 -- Tentative ScheduleCost for the Symposium is $25, which includes: symposium materi-als, Thursday night reception and Friday lunch.

Thursday, July 105 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. - Reception for all Symposium participants and their families or guests. Meet at the Early Bird Gathering Reception. Entertainment provided by Alex Vangellow (Hon. ’14).

Friday, July 11Concurrent sessions will run 10 a.m. - Noon and 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Lunch included.

Potential sessions include the following topics:• Successfully incorporating Greek life into campus life• “I wish I knew then what I know now” - A panel discussion

including alumni at various professional levels• Transitioning to a different campus & culture – Starting a new position at a very different school• Assessment in a time of budget constraints: Are they learning what we need them to?• How and why to become involved in a national organization• Storytelling – How to understand and explain the Student Affairs story • How to prepare for a Ph.D. program

Participating presenters and advisors at the Symposium include:• Dr. Nancy Evans ’70, professor emerita of educational leadership and policy studies, Iowa State University, Past President of ACPA • Pete Galloway ’83, director of housing at West Chester University, PA• Dan Hurley ’54, dean emeritus of students, SUNY Potsdam • Steven King ’06, residence hall assistant director, NYU• Dr. Frank Lamas ’77, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, University of Texas at Arlington• Josh Rich ’10, assistant director of student conduct, St. John’s University• Dr. Dan Stoker ’93, vice president for student affairs, Indiana Tech• Chris Strong (Hon. ’02), vice president emerita for student affairs, SUNY Potsdam

Theatre & Dance Alumni Week-Long Reunion in Celebration of the New Performing Arts Center!All Theatre and Dance alumni are invited back to campus July 5-12, 2014. Alumni will rehearse during the week and then offer several performances in the new Perform-ing Arts Center during Reunion Weekend. To participate or for more information, contact Kim Bouchard at [email protected] or Jay Pecora at [email protected], or call (315) 267-2556.

Performances are scheduled as follows:

Thursday, July 107 p.m. - Dance performance8:15 p.m. - Theatre performance

Friday, July 11 7 p.m. - Dance performance8:15 p.m. - Theatre performance9:30 p.m. - Alumni Reception

Saturday, July 122 p.m. - Dance performance3:15 p.m. - Theatre performance

Omega Delta PhiReunionThursday, July 10Early bird arrivals all day/evening

Friday, July 11 Noon – 7 p.m. - Welcome Home! Activities at the house: Get registered, meet your sisters old and new, begin weekend-long events etc.Omega Gives Back - philanthropy event TBA7:30 p.m. - Dinner at Sergi’s

Saturday, July 128:30 a.m. - Workshop offered by Jacqui Sparks Biernat ’77: “A New Way to ‘Supersize Me,’ Maximizing Your Potential”10 a.m. - Annual ODPAA Meeting (TBD)Noon - Greek Alumni Luncheon on campus1 p.m. - Greek Alumni Council (GAC) meeting4:30 p.m. - Unity Ceremony at the house6:30 p.m. - Cocktails and banquet at the Lobster House

Sunday, July 1310 a.m. - Farewell Breakfast(location TBD)

Save the date, and let’s celebrate!

ReunionWeekend 2014JULY 10–13


Mini-Reunions and Highlights• Delta Lambda Nu Sorority’s 20th Anniversary• Phi Kappa Pi Alumnae Association’s 20th Anniversary• Join us as we celebrate at The Crane School of Music Alumni & Faculty Concert in honor of Art Frackenpohl’s (Hon. ’04) 90th birthday• Student Affairs Symposium for alumni & friends with student affairs careers• Theatre & Dance alumni reunion and performances in the new Performing Arts Center• Crane Institute of Music Business Program alumni reunion• 35th Anniversary of the first Men’s Basketball Team trip to the Final Four• 20th Anniversary of the Women’s Basketball Team SUNYAC Championship• NEW IN 2014! Attend the ”Potsdam Academy” and relive your academic experience

REUNION WEEKEND 2014

Important Phone NumbersRegistration Desk: (315) 267-2968 (on-campus, dial x2968)University Police: (315) 267-2222 (on-campus, dial x2222)Housing: (315) 212-1652

On-Campus Dining Location HoursThursdayBecky’s Place: 7:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.

FridayBecky’s Place: 7:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.

SaturdayBecky’s Place: 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

SundayDexter’s Café, Thatcher Hall: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m., Farewell Breakfast only, must register in advance

Potsdam Summer FestivalVisit www.potsdamchamber.com for the schedule of events.

ATM’s are located in the Barrington Student Union lobby, the Car-son Hall lobby (next to the vending machines) and Crumb Library.



Alumni Awards

SUNY Potsdam is proud to acknowledge the achievements, dedication and service of this year’s alumni awards recipients.

Alumni Association Award Recipients

Minerva Award RecipientLinda A. Pape ’65 Distinguished ServiceAward RecipientDavid E. Johnson ’77 Rising Star RecipientsKaitlyn M. Beachner ’08 &Zachariah C. Galatis ’08 Honorary Life RecipientsRob Zolner, Alex Vangellow &G. Michael and Barbara Maresca

St. Lawrence Academy MedalWilliam H. Flynn ‘70

Helen M. Hosmer Excellence in Music Teaching AwardAnne Gatta Beaucage ‘64 &Linda A. Beaupré ‘74

Hall of FameInductees

Men’s LacrosseRyan Hanretty ‘05

Men’s BasketballThomas Hutchinson ‘77

Women’s SoccerJodi Ziemba ‘07

Newly AppointedAlumni BoardMembers

The SUNY Potsdam AlumniAssociation welcomes thefollowing new trustees:

From left to right:Matthew Cotty ‘09 and Mike Voigt ‘11

Reunion Committees

Reunion committees are hard at work encouraging classmates to attend Reunion Weekend this summer, July 10-13. Commit-tee members want to remind everyone that there’s still time to contribute to your class gift.

Join your class in celebrating your time at Potsdam and your successes that followed.For committee lists andfundraising progress, visit: potsdam.edu/alumni/reunion.

ALUMNICAN SAVE!Liberty Mutual is a proud partner of the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association!

For additional information about Liberty Mutual and our car and home insurance, please contact us at 800-524-9400 or visit us at libertymutual.com/potsdam.

Discount and savings are available where state laws and regulations allow and may vary by state. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten. Not all applicants may qualify.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

How X-rays Reveal MolecularStructure The shape of the DNA molecule can be deduced from analysis of X-ray diffraction patterns. Explore the relevant mathematics, physics and geometry to learn the basic principles. Hands-on activities will illustrate the concept. Dr. Lawrence Brehm, physics department

The History of Bakistry: Chemistry and BakingLearning chemistry can be as easy as pie, or cake! Explore the chemistry of baking cookies, bread and cake, and investigate the science that’s behind the ingredients in your cupboard.John Proetta, chemistry department

Bubonic Plague, Syphilis and Lyme Disease: How Bacteria Have Shaped Human HistoryThroughout human history, more people have died from bacterial infections than from bullets and bombs combined. Explore the biology of some of these bacteria and the roles they have played in shaping human history.Dr. Gordon Plague (Yes, that’s his real name!), biology department

Photograms: CameralessPhotography A photogram is the making of a photographic image by placing objects onto light sensitive paper, exposing it to light, and developing it in chemistry. This hands-on workshop will allow participants to take their creations home.Iggy Beerbower, art department

Introduction to Performance Studies Everyday life is full of performances complete with costumes, props and dialogue. Participants will explore their own roles in everyday performance through a brief lecture, slideshow and in-class exercises.April Vasher-Dean, art museum

It Was 50 Years Ago Today: How the Beatles Conquered America2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ first visit to the United States. See footage of their historic Ed Sullivan Show appearances, and learn about the summer tour that followed. The class will also explore some of their best songs from those early years. “Yeah, yeah, yeah!”Dr. Douglas Rubio, Crane School of Music

Potsdam academyRelive the student experience at Potsdam Academy during a full day of exciting, hands-on arts and sciences classes taught by SUNY Potsdam professors.

The Potsdam Academy is a new addition to Reunion Weekend and will kick off the festivities on Thursday, July 10. The registration fee of $50 includes breakfast, a full day of classes, materials and lunch. You don’t need to attend the full Reunion Weekend to enroll in Potsdam Academy.

For more information or to place your name on the Potsdam Academy list, contact Laura Stevenson at [email protected] or (315) 267-2120.

Potsdam Academy Schedule


8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. - Check-in at Becky’s Place in Raymond Hall

9 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. - (Choose one class)

10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. - (Choose one class)

Noon - 1 p.m. - Lunch on campus (included with registration) or lunch on your own.

1 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. - (Choose one class)

4 p.m. - 6 p.m.Graduation and Happy Hour in Becky’s PlaceThis is also the Reunion Weekend “Early Bird” gathering.

2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.Art is the Science of Expression: Quantum TheoryIn Quantum Theory, probabilities can be calculated, but only when an observation is made can any certainty be established. Explore the interplay of physical reality, life, human thought, and artistic expression through hands-on activities.Dr. Linghong (Lily) Li, physics department


Reunion Weekend 2014

Thursday, July 108 a.m. – 4 p.m.Potsdam Academy(see previous page for more information)

4 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.“Early Bird” Gathering In Becky’s Place adjacent to Raymond Hall (cash bar). Entertainment provided by Alex Vangellow (Hon. ’14).

Friday, July 118 a.m. – 8 p.m.Shane T. Shaul Fitness Center (Maxcy Hall)

8:30 a.m.Cupid Breakfast - For All Potsdam-Potsdam & Potsdam-Clarkson CouplesJoin us for this fun-filled breakfast for all of our couples, on the SUNY Potsdam campus.

9 a.m. – 10 a.m.Campus Walking TourThis tour will conclude in the Performing Arts Center Lobby. You can also take our virtual tour at:www.potsdam.edu/about/visit.

9 a.m. – 1 p.m.Hike Mt. Arab, Piercefield, NYLed by Alumni Board Trustees Robert Gray ’87, Mike Lahendro ’77 and Jeffery Washburn ’79. Meet in the Lobby of Raymond Hall by 8:45 a.m. Car-pooling required.

10 a.m.A Curious Matter: Teaching Music in the 21st CenturyAuthor Dr. Mark Campbell, professor of music education at The Crane School of Music, will present this book discussion, which highlights ideas and trends informing music teacher education as it enters the second decade of the 21st century.

10 a.m. – 11 a.m.Tour of the New Performing Arts CenterTake this guided walking tour of our new academic building on campus, the first one in over 40 years! You will not want to miss seeing this incredible new space on campus and all that it has to offer. This tour will conclude in the Snell Theater Lobby.

10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.Mary E. English Commons TourJoin fellow classmates and friends at the Mary E. English Commons for a self-guided tour to enjoy all the pictures and displays from our College’s history.

11 a.m.Tour of Maxcy Hall FacilitiesCome and see all of the new and exciting changes in Maxcy Hall, including the newly renovated Field House and brand new Ice Arena. This is the tour you won’t want to miss! Meet at the Bear statue in Maxcy Hall.

11 a.m. Tour of The Crane School of MusicMeet in the Snell Theater Lobby.

11 a.m.An Introduction to Native AmericansThis presentation will discuss Dr. Stebbins’ new introductory textbook that examines pre-historic, historic and contemporary Native American societies from the prospective of anthropological categories such as: kinship, political economy, religion and spirituality, expressive culture and oral traditions. Session led by Dr. Susan Stebbins, professor of cultural anthropology/director of global studies.

11 a.m. – NoonHelen Hosmer’s Many Contributions to Music and to The Crane School of MusicThis presentation and discussion is in tribute to the 25th anniversary of the death of Dr. Hosmer. Presented by SUNY Potsdam alumni Jane Gatta Subramanian ‘72 and Gary Galo ’73.

***11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Planetarium ShowPresented by Professor of Geology Dr. Frank Revetta (Hon. ’05).

Noon – 2 p.m.Emeriti PicnicAlumni and friends are invited to attend and visit with some of their favorite professors. (Lunch will be served until 1:30 p.m.)

1:30 p.m.The Geology of Shenandoah National ParkPowerpoint presentation of geologic features readily seen in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Particular emphasis on the volcanic history and the magmas erupted during rifting of the North American continent from the Baltic region about 570 million years ago. Presented by Dr. Robert Badger, geology chair/professor.

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.The Potsdam Seismic Network and Earthquakes in New York State SeminarPresented by Professor of Geology Dr. Frank Revetta (Hon. ’05).

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.Crane Chorus: Historic Performances by the Class of 1964Presented by Audio Engineer Emeritus Gary Galo ’73.

3 p.m.Presentation of Historic River Views: A History of the 1000 Islands in 3-DThis presentation will include an opportunity for the audience to view photographs, known as stereoviews or stereopticons, taken in the Thousand Islands during the 1870s and 1880s, in their original nineteenth century 3-D. The presentation will include a brief history of stereo photography as well as many 3-D images of the Thousand Islands not found in the book. Presented by Tom French ’88.

3 p.m. – 4 p.m.***Fun Science Crafts in the Home for Kids of ALL Ages!Join John Proetta ‘09, SUNY Potsdam chemistry instructor, for a fun-filled, hands-on science session. Learn to make Flubber and other great projects, right in your own home! This is a great family event.

Schedule of EventsJULY 10–13

REGISTRATION & INFORMATIONRegistration Hours in Raymond Hall Lobby (adjacent to Becky’s Place in Pratt Commons)

Thursday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.Friday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

SPECIAL INFORMATIONCollege Archives at Crumb Library:Thursday and Friday, July 10 and 11: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.Saturday, July 12: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

College Store Hours: A 25% discount will be available to all alumni on most College Store items Friday, July 11: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.Saturday, July 12: 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Double Axel Performance at Maxfields: downtown PotsdamFriday, July 11: 10 p.m. – 2 a.m.Saturday, July 12: 10 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Maxcy Hall: (use is free of charge to registered Reunion attendees)Shane T. Shaul Fitness Center (3rd Floor) Friday, July 11: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.Saturday, July 12: 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.

Maxcy Hall Swimming Pool:Friday: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. The tennis, racquetball and basketball courts are available for useduring the weekend as well as the soccer fields.

CPS (Community Performance Series) summer production of “Cats” the musical: The show will run Monday, July 7 through Saturday, July 12, at7:30 p.m. There will be two matinees at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, and Saturday, July 12. Contact the CPS Box Office for tickets and information by calling (315) 267-2277 or you can purchase tickets online at: cpspotsdam.org.


NOTICE FROM THE CRANE SCHOOL OF MUSICA new CD, All the Heart of Me, which features an all-Crane cast (including the Crane Choral Ensembles, instrumentalists, faculty and student soloists) is being released by Delos, featuring the music of Margaret Ruthven Lang. Copies will be available for purchase at the College Store and before and after the Choral Reading on Saturday, July 12.


***indicates family activities


3 p.m. – 4 p.m.Messengers of Music: The Legacy of Julia E. CraneThis book discussion and presenta-tion will be led by author Dr. Caren Collins, associate professor of music education at The Crane School of Music. The book was published by Information Age Publishing in 2011.

3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.Class of 1954 Informal Gathering Please bring your memorabilia to share.

3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.Class of 1964 Informal Gathering Please bring your memorabilia to share.

4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.Welcome Reception for All Alumni and Friends Catch up with old friends and make new ones.

5 p.m.Class of 1964 DinnerCome and gather for great food, spirits and most especially…great company!

***6 p.m. – 8 p.m.BBQ PicnicJoin us for this popular event, which has a new, exciting menu this year! Catch up with friends, enjoy beverages, great food and music. BBQ will be served until 7:30 p.m.

***7 p.m.Crane Youth Music (CYM) ConcertFeaturing: Jazz Band, Jazz Ensemble and Choirs.

10 p.m. – 2 a.m.Double Axel (Maxfields, downtown Potsdam)

Saturday, July 128 a.m. – 10 a.m.Shane T. Shaul Fitness Center

***8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.Bear Walk/RunStart off the day by joining friends at our annual alumni 5K walk/run. This is a great event for all ages!

8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.A New Way to “Supersize Me” - Maximizing Your PotentialMaximizing your potential is about living full-out! It’s about determining that life is too important to let minor irritations hold you down or keep you back. The concepts that will be investigated are: alignment, focus, and support. Presented by Jacqui Sparks Biernat ‘77.

9 a.m.School of Education Alumni Board Meeting – 9 a.m. breakfast, meeting begins at 9:30 a.m.

9 a.m. – 10 a.m.Estate and Will Planning Seminar and Continental BreakfastLearn helpful tips for estate planning, how to best plan for the future and how to create a better will. Presented by Roger Linden, Esq. ’74.

9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.Walking Tour of Bayside Cemetery and Its LegendsDale Zurbrick ’68 returns to conduct the very popular tour and lead us down memory lane at the local historical site. (Meet at 9:15 in front of Raymond Hall to car-pool or meet at cemetery entrance: Outer Clarkson Avenue, County Rt. 59, Potsdam)

10 a.m.Crane Youth Music (CYM) Piano & Harp Recital

10 a.m.Start-Up NY – The SUNY Potsdam InitiativeJohn Wicke, director of strategic alliances at SUNY Potsdam will present on the Start-Up NY economic development initiative and SUNY Potsdam’s campus plan.

10 a.m.Helen Hosmer, The Spirit of CranePresented by author Dr. Nelly Case, professor of music history at Crane, this session will focus on Dr. Hosmer’s long-term influence on The Crane School of Music, as documented in Case’s 2010 book-length biography and will include a Powerpoint display of photos from throughout Hosmer’s life, as well as an opportunity for questions and discussion.

***10 a.m. – 11 a.m.Planetarium ShowPresented by Professor of Geology Dr. Frank Revetta (Hon. ’05).

10 a.m. – 11 a.m.Campus Walking TourThis tour will conclude in the Snell Theater Lobby. You can also take our virtual tour at: www.potsdam.edu/about/visit.

10:15 a.m.Class of 1964 Photo “Meet at Minnie” in Minerva Plaza.

10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.50-Year Club ReceptionAll alumni from 1964 and earlier are invited. The Class of 1964 will be officially inducted into the 50-Year Club during a diploma ceremony.

11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.50-Year Club LuncheonAll members of the 50-Year Club are invited to a luncheon hosted by the Golden Year Class.

11 a.m. – NoonSerious Fun: The REAL Secret to SuccessMr. Kim P. Loucks ‘77 and Carolyn Hirst-Loucks are the authors of “Serious Fun: Practical Strategies to Motivate and Engage Students.” Their work focuses on the positive benefits of using humor and fun in ANY professional setting. The Loucks have a combined 70 years of service as middle and high-school teachers and district and regional administrators.

11 a.m. – NoonTour of The Crane School of MusicThis tour will conclude in the Performing Arts Center lobby.

***11 a.m. – 2 p.m.Kayaking Family Outing at Lehman ParkCome enjoy the great outdoors! Free kayaks, frisbees, badminton, vol-leyball nets, etc. will be provided for all to enjoy. Bring a blanket for your picnic and don’t forget sunblock! Shuttle service will be available throughout from Raymond Hall. First come, first served for kayaks. Stop at Becky’s Place first if you wish to purchase lunch to bring along with you.

11:30 a.m.Crane Institute of Music of Business Alumni Lunch and GatheringJoin alumni from the music business program and Kickie (Holloway) Britt ’69, assistant professor & coordinator, music business; executive director, CIMB, to tour the new recording studio and suite in the Performing Arts Center.

11:30 a.m.Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and LuncheonCelebrate the careers of the 2014 Hall of Fame Class. Open to all alumni and friends. Pre-registration required.

NoonTour of the New Performing Arts CenterTake this guided walking tour of our new academic building on campus, the first one in 40 years! You will not want to miss this incredible new space on campus and all it has to offer.

NoonGreek Alumni Informal Lunch and Update Join your fraternity brothers and sorority sisters for lunch and an update on Greek Life at the College. Pre-registration for lunch is required.

1 p.m.Crane Youth Music (CYM) Final Concert

1 p.m.Greek Alumni Council MeetingContact GAC President Donnalyn Eaton Shuster ’78 at [email protected] if you plan to attend.

1:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.Choral ReadingOur most popular Crane alumni event of the weekend will feature the Fauré Requiem, conducted by Ann Gatta Beaucage ‘64, recipient of the 2014 Helen Hosmer Excellence in Music Teaching Award, accompanied by Jim Lazenby ‘64. There will also be a tribute to beloved Crane emeriti that we lost in 2013 including William Crowder (Hon. ‘95), Elliot Del Borgo ‘60 and Robert Washburn ‘49. Jim Lazenby ‘64 has invited Dean Michael Sitton to compose a special piece in memory and honor of Calvin C. Gage ‘54, which will be performed during the choral reading. In addition, we will commemorate the 90th birthday of Dr. Arthur Frackenpohl (Hon. ‘04). This will be a choral reading that you will not want to miss!

2 p.m.Tour of Maxcy Hall FacilitiesCome and see all of the new and exciting changes in Maxcy Hall, including the newly renovated Field House and brand new Ice Arena. This is the tour you won’t want to miss! Meet at the Bear statue in Maxcy Hall.

4 p.m. – 5 p.m.Donor Recognition Reception (Invitation Only)The College wishes to thank members of the President’s Club, Benjamin F. Raymond Society and Leadership Donors to the Take the Lead Campaign for their generosity.

5 p.m.Gala Reception, Silent Auction, Class Dinner and Alumni Award PresentationJoin us at the biggest event of the weekend, where alumni, faculty and friends of the College come together to celebrate Potsdam. Tables will be reserved for classes and mini-reunions.5 p.m. – Reception and Silent Auction 6 p.m. – Dinner with awards immediately following

8:15 p.m.The Crane School of Music Alumni, Faculty and Student Concert and Post-Concert Reception This year’s concert will honor and fea-ture the music of Dr. Art Frackenpohl (Hon. ’04), who will be celebrating his 90th birthday in 2014. Make plans now to attend this once-in-a-lifetime concert! A post-concert reception will immediately follow.

10 p.m. – 2 a.m.Double Axel (Maxfields, downtown Potsdam)

Sunday, July 139 a.m. – 11 a.m.Farewell Breakfast

9:15 a.m.Annual Alumni Association MeetingAnnual Alumni Association business will be conducted, includingapproval of 2013-14 trustees and proposed amendments to the constitution and bylaws.

SUNY POTSDAM IS NOW A TOBACCO RESTRICTED CAMPUS

Tobacco use in any form, including chew and e-cigarettes, can only be used in designated tobacco use areas. More information can be found at: www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/healthservices/tobaccoresolution.cfm.


Performing Arts Center Transforms Campus:Theatre and Dance have a new home at SUNY PotsdamBy Alexandra Jacobs Wilke

he first time Krystal Quero ’14 walked into the just-completed Performing Arts Center, she had

a sense that something magical had arrived on campus.“I feel like we’re not in Potsdam anymore!” she exclaimed. “I’m from New York City, but even for me, this is big.” The dance major and business administration minor from Queens felt a little like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” as she glimpsed the soaring lobby, with the cantilevered balconies and gleaming silver walls offset with Technicolor accents. As members of the campus and community finally get their first chance to walk through the doors of the long-dreamed-of theatre and dance facility, it’s as if they have been transported somewhere over the rainbow, just for an instant.

“It’s just breathtaking as soon as you walk inside,” said Jason Francey ’14, who can’t wait to direct his first production in the Black Box Theater during the One Act Play Festival this spring. “I’m really overwhelmed by the new building and excited for all the artistic potential it carries,” said Jack McKenna ’15, a commu-nications major with minors in acting and theatre studies. “This will prepare students for the real world of what art, theatre and dance really has to offer.” For her part, Quero is eager to be among the first students to work with the building’s brand-new video production equipment. “From the outside, you have no idea what’s in here—a lot of light, daring colors, lots of surprises. The views of the existing cam-pus really get to me… This will enrich our area. Things you find in the big city, we now have in our little town,” said Barbara Maresca. She and her husband, Dr. G. Michael Maresca (Hon. ’14), are the namesake donors for the Performing Arts Center lobby.


A TRANSFORMED CAMPUSFrom vision to reality, the $55 million Performing Arts Center has been nearly 10 years in the works. In the meantime, the Depart-ment of Theatre and Dance has nearly tripled the number of students in its programs and created the first undergraduate theatre education program in SUNY. The Performing Arts Center has already begun to transform cam-pus, from the outside in. The College’s first new academic building in 40 years, the project was a massive and complex undertaking during construction. The building’s distinctive angled rooftops are already a highlight of the campus skyline, and its hallways are be-coming busier by the day, as the campus community filters through on the way to classes or just to look around. Now, as the center hosts its first classes and performances, the state-of-the-art facility has also opened new doors for students and faculty to master the latest technology, advance their artistry and reach out to new audiences. “We feel very excited and very honored to be given this opportu-nity, and we are working hard to meet the increased expectations that come with a new facility of this caliber. This building is going to be a paradigm of interdisciplinary excellence,” said department chair Dr. Jay Pecora. “For the first time, we are competing on a national level. Our facilities are now better than a number of SUNY and private schools.”

A STORY BEHIND EVERY WALLThe Performing Arts Center is designed to be a crossroads of creativ-ity, a place where audiences, professors, students and guest artists converge—and all are inspired. The building’s location adjacent to The Crane School of Music brings the campus’s major stages together, and a new landscaped patio area and drop-off circle will serve as the gateway to all per-forming arts at Potsdam. The center’s light-filled lobby is a place “to see and be seen,” said lead architect Lorenzo Mattii of Pfeiffer Partners. The entrances to the three performing spaces—the proscenium theater, the dance hall and the black box theater—are laid out around you, but you can also see the windows of the department offices and the corridors leading to classrooms, laboratories and studios above. “We designed this as a town square of sorts, a piazza where stu-dents could overhang from balconies, perches and landings” Mattii said. “I hope students find themselves here, whether they go on to work in the arts or not.” Tucked into a corner of the lobby, with windows facing the rest of campus, is a café that will serve snacks and meals and host recep-tions for performances. It’s the kind of space designed to encourage faculty and students from all disciplines to mingle and collaborate. Ashley Guerry McLaurin is the new production and facility manager for the Department of Theatre and Dance, and has the important task of serving as building administrator for the Perform-ing Arts Center. “By creating an arts complex, where theatre and dance is alongside The Crane School of Music, the College is going to encourage even more collaborative opportunities. For students, it will provide a much more organic experience of coming up with ideas while they hang out and study in the building’s nooks and crannies,” she said.

THE WORLD’S A STAGEWhether students are on stage or behind the scenes, the Performing Arts Center gives them the opportunity to work with the most cur-rent technology in a professional-caliber setting.



Walk into the semicircular proscenium theater, and you can just picture students learning to hang the lights, traverse cat-walks, wheel full sets on stage, test trap doors, and conduct a chamber orchestra in the pit. With 330 seats on multiple levels, and an enormous stage with multiple curtains on a fly system, the proscenium theater can present performances on a grand scale. But the seating hugs the stage and the acoustics are optimized for the speaking voice, still allowing performances to have an intimate feel. In the flexible Black Box Theater, the minimal space can be arranged for ex-perimental shows in any configuration, for theater-in-the-round, arena seating or pretty much any set-up you can con-ceive. A tension lighting grid above the theater allows lighting designers and crew to walk above the space to hang spotlights wherever they are needed. The dance performance hall has a fully sprung floor that runs verti-

cally up the wall behind the stage. Dangling from the ceiling is an aerial grid, where, with the help

of special fabric or trapeze harnesses, dancers will be

able to actually take flight, performing choreography

in mid-air. A cut-out window allows people

in the lobby to peek into the dance theater. Education stu-dents also have a space to perform: a fully-equipped education lab, complete with cubbies, a cozy reading nook

and a Smartboard. The classroom can

be set up for elemen-tary or high school students. “Aspiring teachers

will be able to work in a classroom

environ-ment like that they will encoun-ter in the real

world.

Education students from across the campus will benefit from the space,” Pecora said.

THE LATEST TECHNOLOGYStudents can hone their technical skills in a dizzying array of dedicated theatre and dance laboratories. The computer aided design (CAD) lab has fully-equipped Macs next to a drawing and painting space with a sink for cleaning brushes and washing hands, so students go from paper or canvas to computer—and back again—as they work on a show. Students can make renderings of scenes and three-dimensional models in the design/drafting lab, and head down the hall to test color palettes and lighting scenarios in the fully equipped lighting lab. The center also hosts a costume archive and a separate costume lab, with sewing equipment, laundry facilities and a dye vat, next to a dedicated small crafts room, where students can make props for performances. The digital/audio lab and recording studio is one of the best of its kind in the entire region. The space allows the College to offer courses in audio/video production, something it has never been able to do before. That lab is also home to the department’s first class on acting for the camera, and is expected to be popular for recording Crane School of Music groups. The new movement studios all boast high ceilings, lots of natu-ral light, sprung floors and audio equipment for dance classes and rehearsals. INNOVATIVE & INCLUSIVEWith the new facility, the Department of Theatre and Dance will finally have a home suited to its growing student ranks and stature, as well as creating opportunities for new programs. For instance, the department is currently working on an arts man-agement minor, and it is also creating an interdisciplinary music theatre program in partnership with Crane. “We teach students how to take a concept and bring it to reali-ty—the ability to build bridges,” McLaurin said. “SUNY Potsdam students will be able to experience all areas of theatre and dance and work with technology. It’s about giving you the ability to take risks and try new things. There are so many entrepreneurial op-portunities in the arts.” The Performing Arts Center will also be a resource for the North Country community. “This building is going to draw more professors, more students and more community members here than anything you can imag-ine,” said Potsdam College Foundation Board President Lynne Boles ’74. Through their leadership gift commitment, Boles and her husband, John Priest, have chosen to name the Green Room. The longstanding relationships that the Department of The-atre and Dance has with area schools and organizations will be supported in the space, such as the Creative Arts Camp and St. Lawrence NYSARC programs. Community Performance Series, which brings world-class performances to the North Country through the CPS Guest Art-ist Series and CPS Meet the Arts Series, is also moving its offices into the facility. The CPS Box Office, which also offers ticketing services for the Department of Theatre and Dance, the Crane Opera Ensemble and the Orchestra of Northern New York, will also make the transition into the facility.

Ajanee Biggs, anthropology major ‘16 (left) and ChaRon Brabham a theatre major ‘14 believe the colors of the new performing arts center are a “natural extension of the creativity on the Potsdam campus.”

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, BY THE NUMBERS:$55 million project overall97,000 square feet344 regional jobs created during construction$128 million in economic activity generated

LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (LEED)The Performing Arts Center is on track to reach LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its sustainable design. Here are a few highlights of the building’s “green” features:• The Performing Arts Center houses the College’s new energy dashboard, which monitors and displays real-time energy consumption in 18 buildings across campus, to encourage the campus to reduce electricity, heating, cooling and water use.• Rainwater harvesting system recycles more than 90% of rainfall for recycled onsite use.• Low flow fixtures reduce potable water use by nearly 50%.• Achieves 26% energy cost savings through high-performance thermal building envelope, high efficiency windows, exterior shading, light controls and efficient chiller.• More than 75% of construction waste was diverted from landfills.• More than 50% of the wood is Forest Stewardship Council-certified.• Up to 20% of construction materials were recycled.• Regional and low-emitting materials were used.• Green cleaning housekeeping plan in place.• Bike racks and changing rooms provided for non-vehicle users.• No new parking was created and preferred parking available for fuel-efficient and low-emitting vehicles.

NAMING OPPORTUNITIESARE AVAILABLELearn how you can be a part of the Performing Arts Center by contacting Donor Relations [email protected] or (315) 267-2855.

A DREAM COME TRUEAt the ribboncutting ceremony celebrating the open-ing of the Performing Arts Center, State Senator Joseph Griffo, who was instrumental in securing full funding for the building, marveled after a student dance performance. “Can you feel the energy and the excitement? I think that is what is so significant about today. It’s another historic milestone in the life of this great college. It’s an opportunity for us to reflect and celebrate our past, our present and the future,” he said. “Where better than on a college campus can we contemplate, reflect and envision the potential and the possibilities that exist?” The grand opening of the Performing Arts Center will take place on April 25 during the third annual Lougheed Festival of the Arts. The highlight of the festival will be a fitting opening performance in the new proscenium theater, a production of Wil-liam Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” directed by theatre alumnus Don Mandigo ’68. The applause that night won’t just be for the performance; it will also be for a vision brought to fruition. For theatre and dance at SUNY Potsdam, the Performing Arts Center is no longer just a dream—it’s a reality. The growing department now has a transfor-mational space it can claim as its own. And, as Dorothy would tell you: There’s no place like home.



CLASS notes

1930sGerald Normile ’35 cele-brated his 100th birthday in January 2014. He is

a professor emeritus of education, having retired from SUNY Potsdam in 1980. He and his wife, Carolyn, reside in Ilion, NY.

1940sAfter 50 years of service, Evelyn (Dickie) Riehl ’42 retired from playing

the organ at the Zion

Episcopal Church in Colton, NY. A celebra-tion of her rich legacy of community service as a teacher, Girl Scout, author environmental-ist, historian, musician, newspaperwoman and more, was held in August at the church.

Outings with her sons, Kirk and Chris, and daily bridge games keep life pleasant for Rose Cawley ’45.

1950sThomas Culhane ’51 was appointed to the St. Luke’s School Board in Barrington, RI.

Fay Guhring Davis ’51 has been a town council-woman in the German Flatts Township in Ilion, NY, since 1992. She’s justly proud of their bal-anced budget and new emergency shelter.

2013 marked the 25th year that Norma Jean Lamb ’51 has been writing about opera

for Buffalo’s newsletter OperaBuffs.

Vince Corozine ’57 is the music director for the Norm Hathaway Big Band, which appeared at the Iridium Jazz Club in NYC four times and again for a holiday show in December 2013, as well as appearing on Saturday Night Live in 2012. He re-cently completed a new musical called “A Dream of Wings,” depicting the story of the Wright brothers’ struggles and success. Corozine also teaches 12 online music arranging courses.

Tom Wallace ’58 pub-lished a book entitled “America is Self-Destruct-ing: Wealth, Greed and Ideology Trump Social Justice and the Common Good,” in June 2013.

1960sJudith Zoline ’63 had a great time at her 50th reunion in July 2013. “It was wonderful to see what happened to Omega Delta Phi over time. I was a chapter member and designed the crest.”

Arthur Pitz ’64 is retired but teaches part-time at a college in Illinois. He and his wife also do missionary work in Sierra Leone with the group White Field Partners, which among its many goals,

helps to care for or-phaned children, provide safe drinking water and assist health and medical initiatives.

Karen (Rudikoff) Athey ’66, a retired kindergar-ten teacher, is married and has one dog. She is in her ninth year after a heart transplant and enjoys knitting caps for chemotherapy patients in her spare time.

Richard Clark ’66 is providing executive coaching and business strategy to national CEOs and executives. He was appointed as the chair-man of the prestigious Council of Economic Advisors, a group of 27 CEOs from 17 market segments that evalu-ates economic trends in South Florida. Clark is also a member of the board of directors of the

Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.

Long-time Executive Director of the Canton Free Library Carolyn “Lyn” (Jenner) Swafford ’67 resigned in May 2013 and is looking forward to assisting other libraries in St. Lawrence County as a freelance consultant.

In June 2013, Marilyn Bean Barrett ’69 retired after 44 years of teach-ing. She completed a cycle of 12 years at Nantucket Public Schools as coordinator of the English-Language Learn-ers Program, where she was involved in teacher training and helped with leadership in the state ELL Board. She and her husband, Joseph, hope to travel, continue danc-ing Cuban Rueda, and perhaps write a children’s book or learn to paint.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of their meeting at Crane in 1963, Paul ’67 and his wife, Faye Cohen Jeser ’66 established the Faye Cohen Jeser ’66 Piano Scholarship. A celebration, complete with a recital by Crane faculty, was held at The Crane School of Music in September 2013, to announce the scholarship, made possible by gifts from the Jesers, their family and their friends. Pictured from left are Margo Bossert Zusman ’71, Paul Jeser ’67, Faye Cohen Jeser ’66, Crane Dean Michael Sitton and Cheryl Brimmer Klingensmith ’66.

How to include us in your will (sample bequest language)“I give, devise and bequeath (specific dollar amount, percentageof estate, and/or residual beneficiary) to the Potsdam College Foundation, Inc., federal tax ID#23-7088021, for it’s general purposes.”

* Specific named endowments; schools; departments, etc. may also be listed as designations.

For more information visit the College’sestate and gift planning page at

www.potsdam.edu/giftplan or contact Jason Ladouceur ’94, director of planned giving,

directly at (315) 267-2123 or [email protected]

As you plan your future, invest in Potsdam’s


CLASS notes

Mevlin Tomalty ’69, a well-known high school

and college sports of-ficial for nearly 50 years in Potsdam, NY, was

inducted into the New York State Public High School Athletic Associa-tion’s Class of 2013 Hall of Fame.

1970sChristine Klik-Zalewski ’70 has retired and en-joys exercising, traveling, reading and re-connect-ing with old friends.

After teaching for 33 years in Florida high schools, Diane Harper ’71 has retired and recently moved to New Bern, NC.

Rich Johns ’72 was inducted into the SUNY Adirondack Sports Hall of Fame in October 2013, for his achievements on the tennis team. As a tennis coach at Saratoga Springs High School, he developed a nationally recognized program and taught elementary and middle school children in the school district for 38 years.

After 37 years in Mon-ticello, Martin Banner ’73 moved to Rensselaer, NY, to be closer to family. His modern edition of Johann Michael Haydn’s “Exultabunt Sancti in Gloria” for mixed choir, published by Alliance Music Publications, was performed by the 350-voice national honor choir in Nashville, TN, at the NAfME National Con-ference in October 2013,

conducted by Dr. Rollo Dilworth. He also had his edition of Haydn’s “Dixit” for women’s choir, published by Roger Dean Music Publications, per-formed by the Louisiana All-State Women’s Choir in October 2013, at the First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, conducted by Dr. Jeffery Redding.

Glen Anderson ’74 re-leased a new solo album titled “Let’s Pretend” in November 2013.

Lynne Boles ’74 (second from right) and her hus-band, John Priest, hosted

a reception this summer at their home in Ska-neateles, NY, in honor of former Dean of Students Dan Hurley ’54 (second from left). Attended by a number of alumni who were student govern-ment officers, the event was a celebration of the SUNY Potsdam student leadership experience and the impact that Dean Hurley has had on several generations of Potsdam student leaders. Also pictured is Dan’s wife, Jane Blodgett Hurley ’54.

Susan (Wohlhueter) Beadnell ’75 retired in June 2013, after 35 years of teaching fifth grade in the Seneca Falls Central Schools. Her husband, John Beadnell ’75, continues to teach social studies at Waterloo High School.

Award-winning writer Mike Kane ’75 has covered racing and the Saratoga Race Course since 1980. A five-time winner of the Red Smith Kentucky Derby Writing Contest, he has twice placed in the Associated Press New York State writing competition. In addi-tion, Kane has been a freelance writer and photographer for many years and worked on the media notes teams at the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, the Breeders’ Cup and the Dubai World Cup.

Steve Bach ’76 is an ASCAP songwriter, re-cording artist, keyboard

player and musical direc-tor. He has composed and released seven albums as a solo artist and recently co-wrote the song “Alive,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs Chart and has stayed on the chart for 10 weeks.

Ellen Hughey Reynolds ’76 retired as chief people officer of the Segal Company in September 2013, and is looking forward to the “next chapter.”

Merideth (Rexford) Buxton ’77 has per-formed and taught on the Eastern Shore since

1982 and has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player in area orchestras. She and her husband, Don, were awarded the 2013 Outstanding Arts Achievement Award from the Talbot County Art Council.

Harry “Peter” Fritz ’77 administrates for the Saratoga-Potsdam Cho-ral Institute Facebook page. The Facebook group currently has 91 members representing the 15 years they served as the summer resident chorus for the Philadel-phia Orchestra at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. He encourages alumni to join the group.

Kim Loucks ’77 and his wife, Carolyn, released a book titled “Serious Fun: Practical Strategies to Motivate and Engage Students.”

In September 2013, John Turcotte ’77 was in-ducted into the Potsdam Central School Athletic Hall of Fame. For the past 24 years, he has been a sportswriter and pho-tographer for Johnson Newspapers, working for several North Country newspapers, and has been honored by the New York State Athletic Administrators for his writing.

Jazz vocalist and violinist Teresa Broadwell ’78

heads several musical groups, including the Teresa Broadwell Trio, the

Teresa Broadwell Quar-tet, the Teresa Broadwell Quintet and Thrivin’ on

a Riff. Her latest record-ing, “Everything’s Jake” features her swing band. In addition to her performing schedule, she currently directs the vocal jazz ensemble and teaches jazz voice and violin at the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY.

Mike Loso ’78 joined the faculty of James Madison University in the fall of 2013, teaching the graduate program for learning, technology and educational leadership. He recently served as the assistant superintendent of Harrisonburg (VA) City Schools.

After 35 years, teacher, conductor and music department chairman Michael Mucci ’78 re-tired from Longmeadow High School. A concert titled “Mucci Fest” was held to cel-ebrate the beloved teacher. Current students and alumni from his 35-year teaching career came together for one fi-nal performance, featur-ing works by two former students who are now professional composers.

Tara Nevins ’78 is a founding member of the grassroots band Donna the Buffalo, in which she sings and plays the guitar, fiddle, accordion and scrubboard. After nearly 25 years in the music business, the band released its tenth studio album, “Tonight, Tomor-row and Yesterday” in June 2013.


CLASS notes

Karen Porter ’78 was one of four Alfred Uni-versity faculty lauded as the first recipients of the Faculty Research Mentor Award. A professor of sociology, she has been active in the Alfred Uni-versity community for 27 years, having received the AU Teaching Award in 1997, 2000 and 2004.

Michael DeSanctis ’79 has established an international reputation as a liturgical designer and consultant and was recently granted a dual appointment in fine arts and theology at Gannon University in Erie, PA, where he formerly direct-ed the honors program.

Dianna “Dee” (Jobson) Shear ’79 & ’83 has been happily married to her husband, Timothy, for 32 years. They have two children, Christo-pher and Katie Shear Varga ’06, and have re-cently been blessed with their first granddaughter. Shear is completing her 34th year of teaching.

1980sLarry Detwiler ’80 is still in Jakarta after 23 years. After teaching music for most of his time there, he switched last year to teaching a mixed bag of technology courses, video production, robot-ics and theatre technol-ogy.

Gayle Martin ’81 is an associate professor in the music department at Mount Allison University, where she teaches organ perfor-mance, aural skills, choral conducting, directs the Elliott Chorale and Choral Society and coaches an early music group, Opella Nova. She has recorded three albums and performs in a Celtic music duo.

Dominick Giaquinto ’82 has been the director of music ministries at First

United Meth-odist Church in Albany since 1999, where he

is the organist and choir director of the churches’ Chancel Choir and Hand-bell Choir.

Jeffrey Goodrich ’82, a senior programmer/analyst in the technology services department at Alfred State University, was recently honored with the Chancellor’s Award for Professional Service.

In November 2012, Ceci-lia (Moore) Zavestoski ’82 became a National Board Certified Teacher.

In August, Mark Davey ’84 became the new superin-tendent for Cham-plain Valley Educa-tional Services.

He previously served as superintendent of Gates Chili School District in Rochester, NY.

Haden Land ’84 was an invited participant in a panel discussion on “Cyber Security: Defining the Challenge” at the

30th annual International Workshop on Global Security in Paris, France. Land is vice president, engineering, and chief technology officer for Lockheed Martin’s IS&GS Civil division. Other pan-elists and workshop par-ticipants included world leaders from 25 nations, including defense min-isters, chiefs of defense general staff and other senior officials, including political and military rep-resentatives to NATO, the EU, the UN, and officials from defense, aerospace, information technology, cybersecurity and other industries.

Pamelia Neal ’84 was hired as the principal at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Canton, NY, for the 2013-14 school year. For the past 27 years she has worked at Margue-rite d’Youville Academy in Ogdensburg, NY, where she served as vice principal and a second grade teacher.

The University of North-ern Colorado selected Leo Welch ’84 as the dean of the College of Performing and Visual Arts. For the past nine years, he has served as an associate dean of community engagement

and a professor of music in the College of Music at Florida State University.

Kelly Ellis-Foster ’85 (left) delivered the keynote address at the tenth annual Dr. Millard and Ruth Harmon Stu-dent Leader Conference in August. A 26-year

employee of Honeywell, Ellis-Foster is responsible for the company’s en-terprise-wide Organiza-tional Development and Learning Center of Excel-lence communication strategy. As a student, she was president of the Student Government Association her junior and senior years and was also a member of the Student Association of the State University of New York, when she was one of the named plaintiffs in a successful lawsuit that granted stu-dents the right to vote in their college com-munity. Pictured with Ellis-Foster is Dr. Millard Harmon, (Hon. ’08), whose endowment fund provides financial sup-port for the conference, and Julie Sharlow Dold ’03, assistant director of campus life.

In 2011, Richard Powell ’85 became a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Freemason. He was the librarian for the Syracuse Law Firm of Scolaro, Shulman, Cohen, Fetter & Burstein, P.C. for 11 years. Powell is now a visiting assistant librar-ian at SUNY Cortland’s Memorial Library.

Jeanne Kimmich Roberts ’80 was named the 2012 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Defense and Security, in recognition of her extraordinary success in innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to the busi-ness community. Roberts has endowed a significant scholarship for women at SUNY Potsdam who show great potential to be outstanding students majoring in either mathematics or computer science.

Free for You!Redesigned for 2014, our estate and gift plan-ning website offers free essential information and tools to assist you as you plan your future

and that of your loved ones.

Visitwww.potsdam.edu/giftplan

today and bookmark it!


Andrew Condlin ’88 is a clerk to the judges at Henrico County Circuit Court in Henrico, VA. He and his wife, Anne-Marie, have four children.

Eric Del Orfano ’88 is in his 26th year teach-ing music in the Elmont Schools. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Theresa, for 23 years and they have three children. Del Orfano served as district coordinator and All-County chairperson for two jazz bands and two concert bands and played in the trombone section of the Nassau County Community College Jazz Band for 20 years. He enjoys touring Civil War battlefields when he gets the chance, and last July he participated in the re-enactment of Pickett’s Charge at the 150th an-niversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Eli Kronenberg ’89 is the band director at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, NY, where former Beatles member Paul McCartney performed in October. Several Crane School of Music student teachers are currently completing their placements at the school.

Cheryl (Cirrito) Parisi ’89 celebrated her 23rd year as a music teacher and was honored as an outstanding teacher at St. Thomas More School in Kansas City, MO. Her husband, Joseph Parisi ’89, is now a full profes-sor at the University of Missouri- Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. He is also the current conductor of Summit Brass at the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute.

1990sAlfred University Associ-ate Professor of Mathe-matics Darwyn Cook ’90 was selected as a 2013 NCAA Division III Faculty Athletics Representative Fellow.

After approximately 15 years with the company, Keith Carlton ’91 was named vice president of global sales and beverage packing at Husky Injection Molding Systems.

James Cruikshank ’92 & ’97 has transitioned from the principal role at Potsdam Central Schools to the superintendent position at Norwood-Norfolk Central School District. His wife, Kathleen (McNulty) Cruikshank ’93 & ’98, is a math support special-ist at St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES. In the fall of 2013, they dropped their oldest child off at SUNY Potsdam for his fresh-man year.

Sheila (Harris) Scott ’92, Mary Dolan ’97, Melissa Proulx ’07, Jessica Haggett ’08 and Amanda Marriam ’12 all work in the Office of Hu-man Resources at SUNY Potsdam.

Philomena (Bronson) Goss ’93 was named Lowville Central School’s new elementary prin-cipal in June, 2013. She spent the last 14 years as South Lewis’s middle school principal and re-sides in Lowville, NY, with her husband, Robert.

Christopher Cryer ’94 is the newest addition to Blue Heron Realty. He was previously employed

at St. Lawrence NYSARC for the last 15 years, and is active in the Elks and Moose Lodge in Ogdens-burg, NY.

Donald Dillenbeck ’94 was promoted to the rank of sergeant first class in the U.S. Army. He is a special musician assigned to the U.S. Army Field Band at Fort Meade, MD. Dillenbeck has served in the military for 17 years.

Steven Minnick ’94 is a software and design engineer for Sterling Medical Devices and has worked for medical de-vice companies for over 20 years, dedicating his life to creating products that save lives and help others.

Rebecca (Keech) Laquidara ’96 gradu-ated with her master’s degree in teaching eng-lish to speakers of other languages (TESOL) from West Chester University in May 2013, and has tak-en a position there with INTERLINK Language Centers, teaching English as a second language to international students at the university.

Emily Lauzon ’96 is the assistant general manag-er for the Akwesasne Mo-hawk Casino Resort. She and her husband, Harold, have four children and five grandchildren.

Cousins Bryan “Cain” Lynch ’96 and Jon Ran-dazzo ’05 founded the bluegrass band Buckeye Rooster in 2011 and were later joined by another cousin, James “Jimbo” Wilson ’06 and longtime friends Mike Colucci ’92, Donald Griffith and Lucky Happenstance.

The band recently signed with South & Grand Records and is waiting for their first release.

Melinda ( Moland) Varga ’97, publications director and copyright administrator for Kendor Music, Inc., in Delevan,

NY, gave a presentation to the Essential Practices of Music Business class taught by Carol “Kickie” Britt ’69 in September 2013. She has been a guest presenter in this class for the past several years.

Brian Bishop ’98 was hired as the new Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (RCS) High School principal.

Josh Elder ’98 beat out more than 300 candi-dates and was named the new assistant prin-cipal at the Eastchester High School in Eastches-ter, NY.

Daniel Lufkin ’98 joined Thomas Nelson Com-munity College as vice president for student affairs. He was previ-ously dean of enrollment management at Gate Way Community College in Phoenix, AZ.

DeShawn McGarrity ’98 earned her Doctor of Management degree in community college policy and administra-tion from the University of Maryland, graduating in May 2013. She was ap-pointed the new director of the College and Career Counseling Center at Schenectady County Community College in May 2013.

Richard Lucchesi ’99 resides in South Korea, teaching English at Kyung Hee University.

Sgt. Lori McDougal ’99 was unanimously appointed Canton, NY’s, first female police chief by village trustees in July 2013. She has served with the department since 1994 and resides in Oswegatchie, NY.

CLASS notes

Frieda Toth ’87 presented a recital of opera, art songs and show tunes at Samantha’s Café in July and was accompanied by Derek Stannard ’08.


CLASS notes

2000sMark Bennett ’00 is the new principal at A.A. Kingston Middle School in Potsdam, NY.

Travis Hoover ’00 was chosen as LaFargeville Central School District’s new superintendent.

Kristy (Durant) Swan ’00 is a criminalist at the Arizona Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory in Phoenix, AZ, where she works with latent prints and instructs cadets in the collection of evidence and recording of major case prints at the central Arizona Regional Law Of-ficer Training Academy.

Janelle (Billing) Standsoverbull’s ’01 film “Lost Sparrow” was released in 2009 and was screening at Slamdance, a moving festival as-

sociated with Sundance, and shown in 2010 in the award-winning PBS series, “Independent Lens.” She is currently working on her new film titled “Silent Cry,” whose proceeds will benefit the Sparrow Foundation for children on the Crow Reservation.

Travis Glazier ’02 has worked in public service for most of his profes-sional career. In the fall he will complete an ex-ecutive master’s degree in public administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.

He is currently the direc-tor of intergovernmental relations for Onondaga County, and resides in Liverpool, NY, with his wife, Christa.

Jazz guitarist Eric DiVito ’04 released his second album “The Second Time Around,” in November 2013. While earning an M.A. at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, he became increasingly involved in the New York jazz scene, perform-ing in numerous clubs and teaching music at Castle Middle School on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Matthew Jones ’04 is wrapping up his third theology year at St. Mary’s Seminary at the University of Baltimore, with his priestly ordina-tion due to take place in 2015.

Elisha Millerd Lewis ’04 was named Norwich Teacher of the Year by Teacher’s Memorial Middle School. She has taught music and chorus for nine years and started the middle school choir. She has also organized three youth musical produc-tions and works with the school system’s Aspire after-school program.

Ryan Venturelli ’04 was recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame for his achievements as a SUNY Potsdam Bear and was featured in ‘Teammates’, the Hockey Hall of Fame news and events journal.

Edane Barton ’05 was inducted into the SUNY Potsdam Bears Hall of Fame in July 2013, for his achievements on the men’s basketball team. He is employed with Bloomberg Trading Solu-tions as an AIM compli-ance specialist based in London, England.

Ryan Hayes ’05 is Mas-sena Central School’s girl’s soccer coach, lead-ing the team to a series of NAC Central Division and Section 10 Class A titles.

South Lewis Central School District named Chad Luther ’05 as its high school principal in July 2013. He previ-ously held positions as a social studies teacher and a special educa-tion teacher at various schools.

Cori Wilhelm ’05 was a contestant on the popular game show “Jeopardy” in October

2013, winning $18,001. She currently works as a librarian at SUNY Canton.

John Czarnecki ’06 was named Hilbert College’s

director of inter-collegiate athletics and will oversee the col-

lege’s 13 NCAA Division III men’s and women’s sports teams. He and his wife, Jill (DiPaola) Czarnecki ’06 reside in Seaford, NY, where she is employed as a music teacher.

Youngest Members of the Benjamin F. Raymond Society

Amanda Ciampolillo ’01Is a Regional Environmental Officer for FEMA in Philadelphia, PA, and leads the team responsible for FEMA’s compliance with applicable environmental and historic preservation laws. “The his-tory department at Potsdam provided a strong foundation for my career. It was in the classrooms in Satterlee where I learned the value of asking the right questions, of being critical of the status quo, and most importantly, how to begin to understand the value of my voice in shaping the world around me. I am extremely thankful for the

opportunity to have been a student in the history department. It is because of this that I have chosen to donate a portion of my life insurance to the history department, to hope-fully help other students experience those moments of clarity and realization that I had while in Potsdam.”

Matt Cotty ’09Works as the Health Promotion Manager for Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) and oversees their Comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (CAPP) and sexuality education programming. “I’ve wanted to give back to Potsdam since I graduated and I know the importance of alumni gifts. At my young age it is not always easy to make as large of an annual gift as I would like, so including Potsdam in my planned giving felt right. It is a way for me to give back to Potsdam in a larger way. Potsdam has always, and will always, feel like home to me, and providing the opportunity for other students to experi-ence that feeling at Potsdam is important to me.” Matt serves as a trustee on the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Board.

For more information on how to include Potsdam in your estate plans or for more information, visit the College’s free estate planning website at www.potsdam.edu/giftplan or contact Jason N. Ladouceur ’94, director of planned giving, at (315) 267-2123 or [email protected]

As you plan your future, invest in Potsdam’s.


CLASS notes

John Goloski ’06 is a woodwind teacher but specializes in the bassoon, which he plays with the River Winds Quintet and is an active outdoorsman and Civil War re-enactor. Goloski also plays in the Stony Point Band with his wife, Lia Call ’09, who plays fiddle and teaches strings at Indian River Central School.

Ashley Hopkins-Benton’s ’06 first book, “Breathing Life into Stone: The Sculpture of Henry diSpirito,” was published in June 2013 by the Fenimore Art Museum. In November 2012, she and her hus-band, Geoffrey Benton ’05, had a daughter named Katherine.

Allison Devery Mills ’07 and Evan Mills ’08 met at SUNY Potsdam in 2004 and have been married since 2011. They recently purchased their first home in Vermont, where Allison works as the development and marketing assistant at the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and teaches

voice at St. Michael’s College, and Evan is the international student coordinator at the Uni-versity of Vermont.

Twin sisters Cara ’07 and Rhian Morgan ’07 made it to the second round on the 2013 season of the TV show “The Voice” and were coached by country singer Blake Shelton. The sisters plan to pursue their dream of a full-time singing career.

Lucas Rau ’07 teaches high school music and performs with and directs various groups around the country, including the Santa Fe Desert Chorale in New Mexico and New Jersey’s Zephyr Vocal Ensemble. He also received a vocal fellowship from New York City’s Essential Voices USA.

Nationally accomplished solo concert artist Sandy Tepper ’07 made his New York debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in October 2013. He has also appeared with the Phila-delphia Orchestra.

Jared Brickman ’08 was promoted to senior digital strategist at Pickney Hug Group and recently became a Google AdWords Quali-fied Individual.

The New York State Middle School Associa-tion presented Nicole Feml ’08 & ’10 with its

Connie Toepfer Award for Leader-ship at the Middle Level at

the 2013 conference. Feml is the assistant director of SUNY Pots-dam’s Center for School Partnerships and Teacher Certification.

Brandon Scharf ’09 was chosen as the assistant editor of the film “Trig-ger,” Chapman Filmed Entertainment’s debut thriller, which will be filmed in California.

Melissa Tinklepaugh ’09 joined Portfolio Media in April 2013, as an editor of its Law360 Newswire.

2010sJoel Bein ’10, conduc-tor of the High Desert Winds, has achieved third place nation-ally in the band/wind ensemble division of the 2013 American Prize in Conducting competition. Bein is also the conduc-tor of the Santa Fe Youth Symphony Orchestra and director of bands at El Dorado Community School, where his middle school bands have re-ceived superior ratings.

Benjamin Firer ’10 is the music director of the Central Pennsylvania Youth Orchestra in State College, PA. He also

directs the Penn State Campus Orchestra and serves as assistant con-ductor of the Penn State Philharmonic and Cham-ber Orchestras, under the direction of Maestro Gerardo Edelstein.

Sarah Haze’s ’10 art-work, which combines her love of art, biology and photography, was

on dis-play this summer at the Limner Gallery in Hudson, NY. For

the past five summers she has worked at the summer residency program at Omi Interna-tional Arts Center.

Sarah Hope ’10 is cur-rently working in events and annual giving at Syracuse University, while earning a master’s degree in arts journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Com-munications. A paper she co-authored with Dr. Jeremy van Blommestein of SUNY Potsdam’s soci-ology department was recently published in the International Journal of the Humanities.

Mark Millward ’10 re-turned to his alma mater to take up the position of director of TRiO in the Student Success Center. He is looking forward to working with students in order for them to achieve

their goals and aspirations.

Dorian Lenney-Wallace ’10 is the Ogdensburg Public Library’s new children’s librarian.

The CNY Arts Center named Kendra Matott ’10 Volunteer of the Month for June 2013. She is a mixed media art-ist who enjoys working with everything from graph-ite and charcoal to acrylic and pho-tography. Matott is the newest participating local artisan for Lakeside Artisans and her work is featured in the Heart Gal-lery in Fulton, NY.

SUNY Potsdam graduate student Trevor Dugan ’11 created the game “Puzzle Topple,” which was recently released on iTunes and GooglePlay. The game began as part

of a class project for the SUNY Potsdam Educa-tional Technol-

ogy Specialist Master’s Program.

Katherine “Kate” Fla-nigan ’11 released her first album, “Cantare,” a compilation of original country, folk and blues songs, in 2013.

Deena Hower ’11 was part of a vocal duet that won the Morgan Park Summer Music Festival’s annual Young Perform-ers Talent Competition. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Brooklyn College.

Deadline for class notes

submissionsfor the Fall 2014

issue is:May 18, 2014

Submit to:[email protected]

TELL US YOUR STORY!

Do you have a funny or significant story to share about your time at Potsdam? What is it about your Potsdam experience that made it memorable or special? E-mail us at [email protected]


Former marketing man-ager at Opera Saratoga, Heather Osowiecki ’11 left the company to begin a new position as assistant to the director of artistic administration at Florida Grand Opera in Miami, FL.

Angela Marken ’12 and Mario Colon ’12, two award-winning art-ists originally from the greater Utica, NY, area, brought their works of art to the Utica Pubic Library Art Gallery for an exclusive show-ing in June. They both began studying for their master’s at Ferris State University in fall 2013.

Hunter Syrydiuk ’12 plays defense for the Fay-etteville FireAntz hockey team.

Alexandra “Katy” Briedis ’13 was named assistant coach to the Av-erett women’s basketball team. She is currently working on her Master of Business Administration degree at Averett Univer-sity in Danville, VA.

Directly following her graduation from Pots-dam, Maria Gable ’13 was hired at the Wyoming Valley Children’s Home of Binghamton, NY. There, she is a role model for children who don’t have appropriate role models in their life. She plans to begin working on her master’s degree at Binghamton University in the fall of 2014.

POTSDAM PEOPLE BirthsJake Anders Nelson was born on October 11, 2013, to Gena and Casey Nelson ’96. Casey is the director of student life facilities and Gena is director of the Counseling Centerat SUNY Potsdam.

Carol Shaheen ’03 gave birth to her first child, a

daughter, on October 3, 2013. Amelia Rose weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 20 inches.

Crane School of Music graduates Nicholas ’03 and Leanne (Markow-itz) Sowul ’03 welcomed a son, Edwin Michael, on September 7, 2012.

Christopher ’05 and Angela (Conzone) Dwyer ’04 had their first child, a daughter, Rozalyn Sterling, on June 27, 2013.

..POTSDAM PEOPLE MarriagesElizabeth Glushko ’02 married David Cerasoi on September 1, 2013.

Marci Jones ’02 and Richard Wagner were

married on March 9, 2013, at the Fireside at Partridge Berry Inn. The couple took a weeklong honeymoon cruise to the Bahamas and resides in Watertown, NY.

Matthew Ploof ’05 got married on July 27, 2013.

Eliza Ladouceur ’06 married Nathan Pierce ’08 on December 31, 2012, at the First Presbyterian Church in Ogdensburg, NY, followed by a reception at the Ogdensburg Armory. The couple resides in Heuvelton, NY.

On June 8, 2013, Jessica Young ’08 wed Joshua Herzig at St. Peter’s Church in Lowville, NY.

Natalie Maguire ’12 and Thomas Ambeau were

wed on June 29, 2013, at St. Cecilia’s Church with a re-ception

following at the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown, NY. The couple took a weeklong wedding trip to Jamaica and resides in Sackets Harbor, NY.

Michele Priess ’12 married Paul Reale on August 3, 2013.

CLASS notes

Erica Fagundes ’13 is pictured with her employer, Tony Bennett, and boyfriend, Jonathan Wibben ’11, who teaches on Long Island, at the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

Troy ’97 and Ruth (Samson) Caswell ’98 welcomed a son, Mason, on June 2, 2013. Big brother, Parker (8), and big sister, Aspen (6), are huge helpers and love their baby brother to pieces.

President’s Clubmembers are leading by example! Thank you to those who have joined the President’s Club this year. You are having a big impact on our Take the Lead Campaign and, most importantly, changing lives every day.

The President’s Club is a distinctive giving society that recognizes alumni and friends who give $1,000 or more during the fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). Learn more and/or join today by contacting the Donor Relations Office at (315) 267-2855 or by emailing [email protected].


POTSDAM PEOPLE AnniversariesOn June 29, 2013, Barbara (Zecher) Stark ’42 and her husband, Wayne, celebrated their

70th

wedding anniver-sary. The couple has one daugh-ter, two

grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Mary (Keenan) Cain ’68 and her husband, Christopher, celebrated their 45th wedding anniver-sary with family on July 13, 2013, in Winter-ville, NC. The couple has three children and four grandchildren.

Dorothy Mae (Caswell) Morrison ’72 and her husband, James, cel-ebrated their 60th wed-ding anniversary on April 11, 2013. The couple has eight children, ten grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

David ’87 and Cheryl (Beldue) Belcher ’86 celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on June 25, 2012.

POTSDAM PEOPLE MemoriamAnn K. (Murray) Scott ’29September 30, 2013

Margaret(Tremlett) Huntley ’34August 20, 2013

Virginia LaGraff Goodnough ’35September 25, 2013

Alice (Scherz) Hutton ’36July 31, 2012

Margaret (Bullard) Rubar ’38June 8, 2013

Shirley Munson Wells ’44May 3, 2013

Betty (Paro) Golding ’45June 3, 2013

Norma B. (McBath) Grant ’45July 29, 2013

Mary L. (Autenrith)Carr ’48November 19, 2013

Laura (Sarvay)Meade ’48July 27, 2013

Donald F. Stearns ’48August 7, 2013

Elizabeth A. (Buck) Klenk ’50October 2, 2013

Helen (Vincent)Koehlinger ’50October 2, 2013

William A. Colwell ’51September 24, 2013

Paul E. Sanford Jr. ’51 July 31, 2013

Gilbert C. Ashley ’52July 11, 2013

Lois Ingram McCormick ’54August 10, 2013

Zenia (Curtis) Ohsiek ’55July 16, 2013

Virginia Cean Aulenbacher ’56March 24, 2013

Robert A. Smith ’57May 1, 2013

Marion (Reeves) Stieffenhofer ’61August 1, 2013

Lois (Cutler) Simonin ’63June 7, 2013

Lynda H. (Maxwell) Thompson ’63November 29, 2012

Cheryl KaskelaKitterman ’66September 19, 2013

Reginald C. Cousineau ’69May 8, 2013

Robert S. Pruzin ’69October 29, 2013

Michael A. Jackson ’70July 31, 2013

Corinne C. Rice ’70 & ’74November 16, 2012

Monica Pekera ’72July 15, 2013

Lawrence P. Ruderman ’78December 21, 2005

Mary L. (Edwards) Sandwick ’81June 5, 2013

Janice Norton ’86May 4, 2013

Harold I. Sanderson ’87October 13, 2013

Joan S. (Sheehan) Breindel ’88August 28, 2013

Mark E. Armstrong ‘91December 3, 2013

EMERITI & FRIENDS

William W. Chmurny, professor emeri-tus of anthro-pology, retiring in 1978.October 16, 2013

Alice (Serfis) CullenOctober 6, 2013

Ronald J. Gardner, a re-tiree of the physical plant working from 1985-2005.October 14, 2013

Emma M. Halpin, a former cleaner retiring in 1977.August 21, 2013

Ann R. Kerr worked in dining services at the SUNY Potsdam campus at Star Lake. September 27, 2013

James L. Kraker Jr. May 11, 2013

W. Lysle MarshallMay 22, 2013

Angela F. OrmondJuly 18, 2013

Celine G. L. Philibert was a profes-sor in the Depart-ment of Modern

Languages since 1990.

Robert B. Shaw, profes-sor emeritus from the School of Arts and Sciences. November 10, 2013

John H. Short joined the SUNY Potsdam staff in 1966 and established an administrative computer system. September 13, 2013

Barbara Wheaton, a former RN in Student Health retiring in 1991.May 26, 2013

Bobbye L. WilliamsJune 26, 2013

Kenneth Winfield, a former associate profes-sor in the Department of Education and Professional Studies. April 16, 2013

CLASS notes

William C. Crowder(Hon. ’95) faculty emeritus of The Crane School of Music. November 26, 2013

Robert B. Washburn ’49, dean emeritus, professor and senior fellow in music at The Crane School of Music. November 13, 2013


ALUMNI opportunities

SPRING/SUMMER 2014

ROCK AND FOSSIL FAIR (April 19, 9 a.m. – Noon)

Join us at this annual family favorite for hands-on activities with rocks, minerals and fossils, as well as face painting, crafts, games and delicious homemade foods.

SPRINGFEST (April 14 – 19)

This annual festival coordinated by student groups for the benefit of both students and the community, includes a week of events that culminates in a “block party.” Bring the family and enjoy the carnival of games, food, entertainment and giveaways.

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER GRAND OPENING (April 25)

Join us for a celebration of the opening of the newly constructed Performing Arts Center.

LOUGHEED FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS(April 25 – May 4)

Through a variety of free performances, lectures and exhibits, the third annual, nine-day campus festival celebrates all artistic expressions, including theatre, dance, music, visual arts and creative writing. You won’t want to miss exciting events such as:

•The installation of a permanent, outdoor sculpture on campus, created by Lars-Erik Fisk with the assistance of students in the art department.

• Paul Ricciardi, an actor, teacher and the author of three solo shows, will perform in the proscenium theater of the new Performing Arts Center.

• With their innovative and modern style, FuturPointe Dance, provokes a philosophical experience of life and self-expression through dance.

• Students and faculty in the art department will work collaboratively to create an illuminated sculpture garden that will light up the Academic Quad.

• The Festival concludes with a Crane School of Music performance (May 4, 7:30 p.m. in Hosmer Hall) of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” (along with other works) conducted by Larry Rachleff, the 2014 Dorothy Albrecht Gregory Visiting Conductor.

Find the full list of artists, events and other information online: www.potsdam.edu/artsfestival or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lougheedfestival

COMMENCEMENT CELEBRATIONS (May 16-18)

Graduation celebrations will begin with the Party in the Plaza for the Class of 2014 on Friday, followed by the Master’s Commencement on Saturday and the Bachelor’s Commencement on Sunday.

REUNION WEEKEND (including the all new “Potsdam Academy”)(July 10-13)

Visit the center section of this magazine for a full schedule of events and registration information.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - DAY AT THE RACES(August 10)

FALL 2014

DOUBLE AXEL AT THE DINOSAUR BBQ (SYRACUSE, NY)(September 27)

BOSTON REGIONAL EVENT(TBA, Fall 2014)

Save the DateSUNY Potsdam invites everyone to participate in the upcoming activities, all of which are on campus unless otherwise noted. For a complete listing of more than 350

on-campus activities, including specific dates, locations and registration/ticketing information (when applicable), visit the Campus News & Events tab on the SUNY Potsdam website at www.postdam.edu.

General alumni questions can be directed to the office of Alumni Relations at (315) 267-2120.

Alumni and friends gathered for an alumni event in Boston at the Harpoon Brewery in Boston on October 30, 2013.

SUNY POTSDAM ONLINE ALUMNI DIRECTORY IS READY!

The Office of Alumni Relations is pleased to announce the launch of its new online Alumni Directory via BearPaws.

The online directory is now ready for your use. Alumni must have a potsdam.edu email account to access the directory. If you do not have one, you may request an email account atwww.potsdam.edu/alumni/services/email.cfm or by calling the Alumni Office at (315) 267-2120. Once you have your potsdam.edu email address, go to bearpaws.potsdam.edu and select “Alumni Services.” Tab through the various options to update your profile, find a classmate, make a gift or explore career opportunities. Questions on the directory may be directed to [email protected] or by calling (315) 267-2120.


IN THEIR own words

Potsdam’s receiptsOctober 9, 2013

So there’s this closet in my apartment. It’s probably meant to be used for towels or cleaning supplies or spare batteries. But I use it to store things I don’t want to deal with.

What stares me in the face every time I open that closet door is every remnant of my last semester of college. For some reason, when I moved in, I decided to put all my textbooks, folders, and school work at eye level, and place things that are actually useful (cleaning supplies, traveling items, my one spare towel...) on less convenient shelves. I’ve just gotten used to looking at the col-lege things and haven’t moved them.

Now that it’s been 10 months since I graduated college, I figure it’d be a good idea to sort through some of this stuff. The first documents I came across? The syllabi from two classes I took during my first semester at Potsdam (keep).

I came across receipts from various adventures to Niagara Falls, Canada, and Lake Placid (keep).

I came across two full frequent visitor stamp cards from the billiards room on campus (keep).

I came across birthday cards. I came across the card that came with the flowers my mom sent me when she couldn’t make my first dance show at Potsdam. I came across postcards sent from various friends and family from all over the country (keep, keep, keep).

I’ve made the very mature decision to put all of this stuff back in the box I found it in and continue to not deal with it. Because I’m a grown up living by myself, and I’m allowed to pout if I want to do so.

Who knows if keeping all of these memories is healthy or not? Sure, you might agree that the card from my mom is worth hang-ing on to, but I have 10+ receipts from the college store, each for a single can of Red Bull. No, I don’t want to throw those out, thank you very much. Red Bull was a very iconic part of my college existence, and my great great grandchildren need to know that.

That closet isn’t the worst part of my tendency to cling onto memories. Since I moved to Montgomery, there is one thing from my car that I still have yet to remove from my trunk: the snow boots that entered my life for the sole purpose of living in Potsdam.

I can’t touch them; I don’t know why. They’re a critical part of Mrs. Potss’ trunk now; her frame is starting to graft onto them.

I didn’t unpack them originally out of laziness. I figured I’d get them when I needed them. Guess what? I moved from a snow globe to a sauna, and the South doesn’t know what the snow looks like. Who knew? One week turned to a month, and one month turned into ten, and the shoes never got removed from my trunk.

I’m surrounded by all of these remnants of my two years of college life and I can’t help but reflect on how utterly ridiculous those years were. Life in the upper Northeast and life in the Deep South couldn’t be more different. And this chapter of my life is two months shy of closing here in Montgomery, Alabama. Potsdam gets further away each day.

Dealing with all of this paperwork and all these textbooks feels like digging through a deceased loved one’s things. It is hard. That chapter is over, and I don’t get it back.

But making the move from Potsdam to Montgomery was not only one of the toughest things I’ve done, but also one of the best.

Tonight I will put all of these receipts, cards, and other paperwork back in their box, which will go back in my closet. None of it will get thrown away (not even any of the dozen or so Red Bull receipts). I will sort through it another day.

IN T

HEI

R ow

n w

ords

Elizabeth Kurtz ’12

Blogpost reprinted with permission from Elizabeth Kurtz ‘12 (http://www.redpointeshoe.com/posts/oct2013/10.10.13.htm)

44 Pierrepont Avenue Potsdam, NY 13676www.potsdam.edu/people

7.10.14 - 7.13.14Reunion Weekend 2014

To register and for more information visit

www.potsdam.edu/alumni(315) 267-2120

New for Reunion 2014Potsdam academy is a new addition to Reunion Weekendand will kick off the festivities.Relive the student experience during a full day of exciting, hands-on arts and sciences classes

taught by SUNY Potsdam professors.

spring 2014 - potsdam people

Documents

arts education

esnapshotthe arts

arts village

performing arts center

potsdams liberal arts

team of suny potsdam

proposed suny potsdam

new facility