across campus
Book highlights Union’s Cajun commitment
T
he College’s relief efforts in Louisiana—widely featured in the media— are part of a new book, Hell or High Water: How Cajun Fortitude Withstood Hurricanes Rita and Ike. Written by Ron Thibodeaux, a reporter at the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the book devotes nearly a full chapter to Union’s involvement. The 212-page book also features several photographs of Union students in action. “There have been church
members, high school and college students on spring break, civic organizations, and others,” Thibodeaux writes of the out-of-town volunteers who have descended on the region to pitch in. “And no group’s experience at the end of the road has been more profound than that of Janet Grigsby’s students.” Grigsby, a sociology lecturer, has led students to Louisiana each December for the mini-term, which combines community service with the academic study of New Orleans and the hurricane disasters. Thibodeaux at first intended to simply include a sentence or a paragraph about Union. “That changed, though, once I interviewed Dr. Grigsby,” he wrote in an e-mail. “The more she told me about the miniterm and its impact on her students, the more I sensed that this program was unique in its approach, its outreach and its impact—and deserving of broader consideration.”
Union students in Louisiana, helping in the wake of hurricanes like Katrina, Rita and Ike 22 | Union College Fall 2012
Union hosts Mighty Waters Conference
Paul Tonko speaks in Memorial Chapel during the Mighty Waters Conference.
C
ongressman Paul Tonko hosted his third annual Mighty Waters Conference at the College in June. The day-long forum was attended by over 250 participants, who discussed establishing a more effective regional vision for waterfront development, job creation and historic preservation throughout the Capital Region. Tonko also unveiled his new legislation, H.R. 5927, the Hudson-Mohawk River Basin Commission, to carry out projects and conduct research on water resources in the basin, which stretches across five states and includes five sub-basins. President Stephen C. Ainlay opened the conference with remarks in Memorial Chapel,
sharing how Union’s history has been shaped by the river. He currently serves on the Mighty Waters Task Force, and is a member of the Task Force’s Executive Committee and chairs the Research and Education Committee. “The Mohawk is a vital body of water to this region,” he said. “The Commission has given the Mohawk greater visibility and has urged colleges and universities to help increase our understanding of the river and the watershed through research, teaching and learning. A better understanding of the Mohawk will greatly aid our work to revitalize waterfronts in many towns and cities.” This is the first time that the highly-regarded conference was held at Union.