Autumn Scene 2013

scene Autumn 2013

News and views for the Colgate community

Ocean Reveries Feel-Good Food Saramaccan Serenade

scene

Autumn 2013

22 Ocean Reveries

Seafarer Leah Feldman ’14, an Ishmael among us, reflects

28 Feel-Good Food

From sweet treats to “superfood,” young alumni are creating their own definitions of edible goodness

34 Saramaccan Serenade

Life in the Suriname jungle through the eyes of Peace Corps volunteer John Williams ’10

3

Message from President Jeffrey Herbst

4

Letters

6

Work & Play

12

Tableau: “Marriage — the ultimate maturity gauge?”

13

Project 13

14

Life of the Mind

16

Arts & Culture

18

Go ’gate

20

New, Noted & Quoted

40

The Big Picture

42

Stay Connected

44

Class News 69 Marriages & Unions 70 Births & Adoptions 70 In Memoriam

72

Salmagundi: 40/45-Across puzzle by Kyle Dolan ’06, Slices contest winner

DEPARTMENTS

On the cover: Up and at ’em! In a rugby “lineout,” when the ball goes out of bounds, the team who gets the “throw-in” tries to catch the ball or swat it to their waiting teammates. Established in 1967 and competing in the NYS Rugby Conference, Colgate’s rugby club made the national championships “Sweet 16” and quarterfinals in 2012 and 2013. Photo by Andrew Daddio Left: The clock outside Curtis Hall is a favorite meeting-up spot for students.

When you finish reading this issue of the Scene, tell us (or share a photo!) where everyone met up in your day at facebook.com/colgateuniversity. Photo by Tommy Brown ’79 News and views for the Colgate community

1

scene team

Contributors

Volume XLIII Number 1 The Scene is published by Colgate University four times a year — in autumn, winter, spring, and summer. The Scene is circulated without charge to alumni, parents, friends, and students.

Seafarer Leah Feldman ’14 (“Ocean Reveries,” pg. 22) spent last spring semester with the Williams-Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program. The English major has interned at an international literary agency, an art gallery, and an eyewear company. Off hours from school, she’s a barista at the Barge Canal Coffee Company and admits a penchant for watching New Girl and How I Met Your Mother.

After two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Suriname, John H. Williams ’10 (“Saramaccan Serenade,” pg. 34) has settled in a decidedly chillier part of the world — teaching math at the National Sports Academy in Lake Placid, N.Y. The former international relations major and economics minor once worked on a cheese farm in the French Alps and is known to whistle while he works.

Laura D’Angelo ’14, one of our awesome interns this summer, loves baking (“any treat involving coconut”), tennis, and uncovering hidden gems in upstate New York, from ice cream shops to scenic byways. The classics major from Woodbridge, Conn., is a Maroon-News copy editor and has worked with Colgate’s Consumer Bankruptcy Law Project and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. She’s pursuing career opportunities in business and law.

Our other summer intern extraordinaire, Kellyann Hayes ’16, plays trumpet in the university orchestra and pep band, and switches to baritone horn for the wind ensemble. Her other talents include making apple cinnamon pancakes and the ability to lick her own elbow. A Long Island native, she’s an admission tour guide and plans to major in English and sociology.

Interim Vice President for Communications Barbara Brooks Managing Editor Rebecca Costello Associate Editor Aleta Mayne Director of Creative Services Gerald Gall Coordinator of Photographic Services Andrew Daddio Production Assistant Kathy Bridge Contributors: Daniel DeVries, Admission Marketing Manager; Matt Faulkner, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications; Matt Hames, Manager of Media Communications; David Herringshaw, Online Community Manager; Jason Kammerdiener ’10, Web Content Specialist; Karen Luciani, Art Director; Katherine Mutz, Graphic Designer; Timothy O’Keeffe, Director of Web Content; John Painter, Director of Athletic Communications; Mark Walden, Senior Advancement Writer Contact: scene@colgate.edu 315-228-7415 colgate.edu/scene

scene online

Colgate University 315-228-1000

Listen

Thunder and Lightning Orchestra http://new.livestream.com/colgateuniversity/ Vivaldi-at-Colgate This new ensemble conducted by Colgate’s Marietta Cheng debuted with Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in September.

Watch

Little Talks, Big Ideas: colgate.edu/littletalks Alumni entrepreneurs share their thoughts on inspirational topics, drawn from their experience as creative leaders in business and social ventures.

Get connected

Download the new mobile alumni directory at the iTunes store or Google Play to connect professionally and socially with other alumni (see more on pg.

42). You can update your profile at colgate.edu/ profile.

2

scene: Autumn 2013

Look

Homecoming 2013: flickr.com/colgateuniversity Check out photos from the big weekend, from fireworks to the football game.

Talk

Get social: facebook.com/colgateuniversity Join the discussion about all things Colgate on the university’s Facebook page. Share your ’gate-related photos, too!

Go paperless

Online Scene subscription: alumnirecords@colgate.edu To stop receiving the printed Scene, e-mail us your name, class year, address, and e-mail address, and put Online Mailing List in the subject. We’ll send you an e-mail when we post new online editions (colgate. edu/scene).

Printed and mailed from Lane Press in South Burlington, Vt. If you’re moving... Please clip the address label and send with your new address to: Alumni Records Clerk, Colgate University, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY 13346-1398 or call 315-228-7453.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by the university, the publishers, or the editors.

Notice of Non-Discrimination: Colgate University does not discriminate in its programs and activities because of race, color, sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, national origin (including ancestry), citizenship status, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran or military status (including special disabled veteran, Vietnam-era veteran, or recently separated veteran), predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, or any other protected category under applicable local, state, or federal law. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the university’s non-discrimination policies: Marilyn Rugg, Associate Provost for Equity and Diversity, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY 13346; 315-228-7288.

Message from President Jeffrey Herbst

Alumni often ask me

how I came to devote my scholarly career to African

politics. It started with a rare opportunity: two months doing independent research in Lagos, Nigeria, the summer after my junior year at Princeton.

Communist Party, was assassinated on April 10, 1993, the Western media reported that South Africa was burning and that the transition was threatened, but the real story was Mandela and de Klerk’s joint management of the crisis and, despite nationwide revulsion at Hani’s murder, how little violence there was. The more you know about a situation, the less likely news reports appear accurate.

I’ve continued to travel widely in Africa, and have focused my writings on the politics of economic and political reform, boundaries, military intervention, terrorism, and natural resources. The last few years have been particularly interesting. Most of Africa has begun to expand again, with the continent averaging annual growth of approximately five percent — powered by important economic reforms, relatively high commodity prices, the cell phone revolution, and the discovery of significant hydrocarbon reserves in several countries.

And, although the Western narrative about Africa (to the extent one exists) is still about how “we can help them,” talk in many African capitals is of investment, of new markets in China, and solving fundamental infrastructure problems, especially regarding electricity. Indeed, at the general meeting of the African Development Bank in Marrakesh, Morocco, last May, I did not hear one mention of aid, but venture capitalists were there in droves looking for new investments.

Stories about Africa usually reference wars, economic decline, coups, epidemics, and misrule. However, building states is a difficult and ugly business.

We should remember that the cataclysmic American Civil War happened 85 years after the Declaration of Independence — a span longer than any decolonized African country has actually been independent. Many of my most interesting discussions with students revolve around understanding the inevitability of violence and instability in young countries, while refusing to excuse the extraordinary damage done to millions of people through war and economic decline.

In our latest book, Africa’s Third Liberation: The New Search for Prosperity and Jobs, longtime colleague Greg Mills (head of the Brenthurst Foundation in Johannesburg) and I argue that Africa’s first liberation was the overthrow of the colonialists, and the second was the displacement of the liberators who often led their countries into tyranny and decline. The time is ripe for the third liberation: the overthrow of the statist economic systems developed by those colonialists and enhanced by their successors.

That is a tremendous challenge, but it has been a great privilege to see many African countries ask the fundamental questions about states and markets that have animated so much of our own national history.

Andrew Daddio

Having never been out of the country, I found Nigeria to be chaotic, corrupt, exciting (if violent), and full of possibilities, with a diversity of people, sights, and smells that were a long way from Peekskill, N.Y., where I grew up.

The summer of 1982 was a crucial time in Nigeria. After the oil boom brought on by the fall of the Shah, the fledgling democracy thought of itself as an emerging superpower. But within a year, the oil market would collapse, the democracy would be overthrown, and Nigeria would enter a long period of decline. One of my first lessons was to distrust any analysis beginning with “if current trends continue.” My time there led to my longtime interest in expanding the role of study abroad so that other students could draw similar lessons.

In graduate school at Yale, I conducted my dissertation fieldwork in Zimbabwe, living there for 18 months. In the mid- to late-1980s, a debate raged over whether Zimbabwe could become an industrializing country before neighboring South Africa transitioned away from apartheid. No one could imagine that their leader, Robert Mugabe, would subsequently adopt economic policies that would destroy much of Zimbabwe’s wealth. After visiting several times in the early 1990s, I could not bring myself to go back until 2009; the country had become a pathetic shell. Perhaps two million had fled, and the life chances of those who had stayed had been severely compromised. How destructive leaders can be when they have to choose between their country’s future and their own political survival!

I was living with my family as a Fulbright Scholar in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1992–93 when, to the surprise of almost everyone (including myself), Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk negotiated a peaceful transition to non-racial rule. When Chris Hani, the charismatic leader of the South African

News and views for the Colgate community

3

Letters

scene

On “Orderly and Humane”

Summer 2013

News and views for the Colgate community

Going Places Chemical Healing The Photo Hunter

The Scene welcomes letters. We reserve the right to decide whether a letter is acceptable for publication and to edit for accuracy, clarity, and length. Letters deemed potentially libelous or that malign a person or group will not be published.

Letters should not exceed 250 words. You can reach us by mail, or e-mail sceneletters @colgate.edu. Please include your full name, class year if applicable, address, phone number, and/or e-mail address. If we receive many letters on a given topic, we will print a representative sample of the opinions expressed.

On “Chemical Healing”

Scott Kraly’s piece on “Chemical healing” (summer 2012) was excellent. My pediatrician/second generation Freudian grandfather had done pioneering work with Ritalin for hyperactive kids and my brother ran the essential drugs program at the World Health Organization for nine years, so I have been well attuned to the benefits — and limitations — of drug intervention. That makes me a demanding patient at times for my physicians!

You’ve delivered a practical and educational piece for all generations, but especially the 65-and-over folks who may be at risk of overmedication. A major concern of my brother’s has been the compromising of the scientific database by the huge commercial efforts of the drug companies.

One anecdote: before his passing, Tom Pickering, a hypertension researcher at Columbia University, and I served on a “stress” panel together in Dallas, about the time the U.S. government issued new hypertension guidelines.

I asked him what he thought. His response was that we’d just turned 40 (or maybe 50) million healthy Americans into hypertensives, of course to be treated by drug medication.

Your article and useful guidelines offer a valuable public service. Thank you!

James Campbell Quick ’68 Arlington, Texas

4

scene: Autumn 2013

It was good to see three articles featured in the spring issue, one by a Colgate professor, one by an alumna, and one by a current student (now graduated). All three stretched their readers’ horizons. May we have more such articles in future Scenes.

Thank you for granting Professor R.M. Douglas the space to write the detailed and powerful overview of his book and the interview that followed.

Many thanks to Professor Douglas for researching and writing Orderly and Humane: The Expulsion of the Germans After the Second World War. Like many others, I had known virtually nothing about the forced emigration, and I knew I had to read the book.

With 374 pages of text, 65 pages of notes, and 26 pages of bibliography, it is an encyclopedia of facts and interpretation. It is harrowing to read about the suffering and death of so many thousands of people, and sad beyond tears to realize that the forced deportations were official Allied policy.

Those who have studied the Holocaust will find many parallels with that unspeakable crime against humanity. Professor Douglas is careful to point out the differences, and he is right to do so, but the similarities are depressing in the extreme.

Who should read Orderly and Humane? I confess there were times that I was tempted to stop, but I thought of John Erskine’s essay “The Moral Obligation to Be Intelligent” (1921, reprinted 1969), and realized I could not turn away.

This is surely one of the most important books published in the new millennium. I hope the Colgate community has found, or will find, ways to explore this heroic achievement.

J. Allan Pryor ’69 Greenwich, Conn.

Remembering Heaney’s reach

The gushing obituaries [in the major media] for Seamus Heaney H’94 who died on August 30, 2013, overlooked his unique relationship with Colgate.

Before Heaney became a rock star of modern poetry (including the 1995 Nobel Prize for literature and a visiting professor at Harvard), he was a frequent lecturer at Colgate. I was very fortunate to be a member of Bruce Berlind’s London study program during the spring of 1975. Bruce required us to read an archaeology book called The Bog People, by P.V. Glob, before a special guest lecturer arrived. Next week, Seamus Heaney rolled into our poorly heated conference room in the back of St. Bride’s Church on Fleet Street (“the spiritual home of the media”). Bruce said very little by way of introduction, and we were enthralled as Heaney read lines like “For beauty, say an ash-fork staked in peat” from his volume Wintering Out. There were other guest lecturers during the semester who attested to Bruce’s incredible contacts. I will be forever haunted by Ted Hughes reading from Crow: “Man could not be man nor God God.” Terrifying stuff. Nobody could, or dared to, say a word.

Bruce Berlind’s teaching and his amazing relationships in the poetry world are among my greatest memories of Colgate. And they remind me that back in the day Colgate was punching way above its weight.

Brian Carroll ’76 Ossining, N.Y.

Reactions to letter about Clinton In my undergraduate days, I wrote a number of letters to the editor of the Maroon and the News, some of which, upon rereading today, make me cringe with their extravagant language. I had a similar reaction to reading the letter from my fraternity brother Harry Mariani ’59 promising dire consequences if Hillary Clinton were allowed to appear on campus (Letters, summer 2013).

Leaving aside the question of what actual value the insights of a former

First Lady, U.S. senator, and secretary of state might have, it seems to me to be antithetical to the mission of an educational institution to claim that any person’s political stances render him or her unfit to be heard and questioned.

A sad feature of the contemporary public discourse is that legitimate political disagreements are often framed in irrational and apocalyptic terms.

David H. Alvord ’80 Oneida, N.Y. I feel that Mr. Mariani’s letter is a classic example of an ad hominem attack unsupported by any facts. (As an aside, I wish to thank Jerome Balmuth for the fact that I know this.) Mr. Mariani simply states that Mrs. Clinton has no integrity, and does not expand at all upon his belief as to why this is the case. Furthermore, I feel that it reflects badly on Colgate that we are willing to give this individual a public mouthpiece in our major publication for alumni.

I do not understand the animus evident behind Mr. Mariani’s opinion.

We have a very complex political system that Winston Churchill, probably rightly, estimated as the least of all evils. I don’t recommend in any profession for one to go out of one’s way to upset others, but certainly in the case of national politics, if you haven’t upset anyone, you are probably doing something wrong.

Alexander Wilson ’99 Denver, Colo.

Quote reveals racism?

I was genuinely puzzled by the letter from Kris DiLorenzo (summer 2013).

I do remember the Amos ’n Andy program, but unless I am missing something (and then with all due apologies), I am not sure I follow why a reference to a phrase from a program from another era — albeit one with caricatures that all well-meaning persons reject — would cause such consternation, dismay, and even more on the part of Ms. DiLorenzo.

To be honest, I was not able to find my prior issue of the Scene, so I could not read the quoted phrase in context, but looking at it again, “tempest sho do fidget” didn’t strike me as overtly racist, or at least not the extent that one would say that the “sentence speaks loud and clear of continuing racism at the university” and that the editorial staff needs “some serious consciousness-raising” with a “huge apology” required.

Would the same apply to referring to “hi, ho Silver,” coming as it does from another program of the era that some say portrayed Indians in a poor light? And what about an appropriate quotation from an anti-Semite, such as a Wagner opera or something written by Ezra Pound?

Hopefully none of us condones racism or any vestiges of it, but that does not mean that any turn of phrase that may still be appropriate if used in a non-racist or bigoted fashion has to be thrown out with the dirty bathwater.

Howard M. Liebman ’74 Brussels, Belgium

So punny we couldn’t resist I have a friend who likes puns and he sent me this: Yesterday, the driver of a huge tractor trailer lost control of his rig as he was entering the Herkimer tollbooth of the New York State Thruway.

He plowed right into the booth and smashed it to pieces. He climbed down from his truck and looked at the wreckage, unsure what to do.

But, within minutes a truck pulled up with a crew of workers. The men picked up all the broken pieces of the tollbooth, spread some creamy white substance on them, and began fitting the pieces together. In less than an hour, they had the entire tollbooth reconstructed, as good as new.

“Astonishing!” the truck driver said to the crew chief. “Tell me, what was the white stuff you used to put the pieces together?”

The crew chief said, “Oh, that was … tollgate booth paste.”

What they’re saying online Huffington Post/Politics

9/16/2013 In response to “The Real Stakes in Syria” by David McCabe, professor of philosophy: Leah Garabedian ’01: Prof. McCabe is an amazing mind who immensely impacted me as a student. I am thrilled to read his thoughts on the philosophical underpinnings of a potential Syrian strike. (Please post more frequently, Professor! Best to you.)

Mountainlake.org

9/17/23 In response to “Colgate University Team Visits Adirondacks to Study Earthworms”: Barbara Richardson: I had no idea all the worms in the Northeast are likely intruders. Thanks for this education!

Facebook September 9/Colgate University Anyone recall the 1993 Phish show at Colgate? If so, convince Michael Hamad ’94 to make a Phish Map [set list schematic] of that show.

One of Michael Hamad’s set list schematics of a Phish show.

Reed Strathdee Lewis ’96 I have ticket #1 from that show Jennifer C. Lena ’96 I still have the ticket (not #1, apparently...)!

Jenn Moore ’95 I still have the poster!

Jared Putnam ’95 Great show. Don’t remember who convinced Phish to provide the soundboard TAPES to the library, but they were there.

Picture this: stunning Colgate University photography, just a click away Visit our galleries at colgate.photoshelter.com to order customized photographic prints in a variety of sizes. Bring home images you’ve seen in the Colgate Scene and other university publications as well as scenic views from around one of America’s most beautiful campuses.

Don Fenner ’51 Springfield Center, N.Y.

News and views for the Colgate community

5

work & play

Campus scrapbook

B

A

A

“So This Is Colgate”: The Link staff ushers the Class of 2017 into the chapel for an entertaining presentation on Colgate’s history and traditions. Photo by Andrew Daddio

B

Soaking in the scenery by Taylor Lake at the first-year barbecue. Photo by Ashlee Eve ’14

C

6

Fun at Fan Fair, which featured contests like inflatable Sumo wrestling, music, and an introduction to the athletics teams.

Photo by Ashlee Eve ’14

D

Rah, Rah, Raiders. Impending rains couldn’t dampen the Colgate spirit of the huge crowd for homecoming — some even braved camping on Whitnall Field, renamed Raider Park for the weekend. Photo by Madeline Horner ’15

E

A “Case” for the benefits of studying in a beautiful setting — the library’s Hieber Café. Photo by Andrew Daddio

F

From the Tea Club to the Disaster Response Team, student clubs at the Activities Fair showcased the options for involvement. Photo by Duy Trinh ’14

G

U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna (R-Barneveld) visited campus to discuss issues including natural-gas fracking, political gridlock, and the federal budget sequester. Photo by Andrew Daddio

H

A reclining Buddha (Burma, circa 16th century) in Chapel House. Photo by Gabriela Bezerra ’13

scene: Autumn 2013

C D

E F

G

H

News and views for the Colgate community

7

Erica Hasenjager

work & play

On September 23, a new wing of the Chenango Nursery School opened in a ceremony that included toddlers, parents, village representatives, and Colgate University administrators, led

by President Jeffrey Herbst.

To meet the growing need for high-quality child care in the village of Hamilton, including for families of Colgate employees, the university entered a mutually beneficial partnership with Chenango Nursery School, agreeing to invest in upgrades and expanding the facility.

At the end of the ceremony, it was announced that the new wing of the building was dedicated to Denise Dinski, director of the school, which has gone from a room in St. Thomas Church to its larger location on West Kendrick Avenue.

Colgate Reads sparks community discussion

From Lawrence Hall to Hamilton Central School to a high school in New Jersey, the distinctive black-and-white cover of George Saunders’s Tenth of December seemed to be everywhere

this summer — the visual cue to the inaugural Colgate Reads program.

Colgate Reads is simple: read a story, discuss the story. Approximately 2,150 people joined in to read the title story of Saunders’s new collection, breaking the goal of 2,013 participants.

A visit to the program’s online forum, where participants could discuss the story and pose questions, proves that its purpose was achieved.

Students, professors, alumni, staff members, townspeople, and friends all chimed in with insights, from the symbolism of colors, to the age dynamics between characters, to the influence of Saunders’s Buddhist beliefs.

In a particularly lively thread about the characters in the story (posed by Professor Jennifer Brice), Raveen Bharvani ’85 commented on Saunders’s portrayal of truly human characters.

“A lesser writer,” he wrote, “would have wrapped things up for both of the characters in much simpler ways, but life is not simple.”

Discussion of Tenth of December also showed up in surprising venues.

A full-fledged debate formed on the Class of 2017 Facebook page, where

Jon McConville

In June, parts of central New York were washed out when heavy rains caused major flooding and devastation. This photo shows how Seven Oaks looked more like Taylor Lake, with 10 inches of water. There were also six displaced bridges, four eroded culverts, and two fallen willow trees.

Colgate helps expand Chenango Nursery School

the newest members of the Colgate community offered their opinions and struggles with Saunders’s thoughtprovoking stories (their pre–firstyear summer reading assignment).

Discussing topics like how Saunders’s satire compares with Twain’s, the students brought thinking fit for the classroom to popular social media.

The initiative even stretched as far as Demarest, N.J., when Bridget Ryan ’05, a teacher at The Academy of the Holy Angels, asked 15 students in her AP English literature class to participate in Colgate Reads, which served as a springboard for class discussion.

“The forum was an excellent opportunity for me to introduce my students to the kind of thoughtful discussion that I want them to have throughout the year,” Ryan said. “It was a great way to begin a year in which we focus on reading and discussing literature from multiple perspectives. In terms of my own participation,” she added, “the forum helped me think about the story in [new] ways.”

The founders of the program, professors Jane Pinchin and Jennifer Brice, were particularly excited about the response from all over the community. “We met our goal, but, as exciting, we met it with a range of readers,” Pinchin said. “We had hoped for this expansiveness.”

Brice and Pinchin continue the legacy of the late Professor Fred Busch by co-teaching the Living Writers course that he founded, a class that studies contemporary fiction and brings the authors to campus. A few years ago, they expanded the program with Living Writers Online for parents, alumni, and friends, before starting Colgate Reads in 2013. “We are excited by the writers we bring,” Brice said. “By their quality. By the linking of the visit of writers and the reading of their work.

A wonderful venture.”

— Kellyann Hayes ’16

8

scene: Autumn 2013

3,200 served daily

Broad Street residence goes solar

Eatery enhancements 3

upgraded stations in the Mindful healthy choice program at Frank Dining Hall

13 different countries represented at Magellan’s station every week

600+ meals per day served from

The Wild Mushroom vegan and vegetarian station

13

hours a day serving omelets at the Flying Star Diner station

0

added salt in all entrées served under the Mindful program

600 calories or less in each entrée

25+ entrée options offered per mealtime

1984 year that Frank began operating Limitless combinations with 149 flavors in the new soda machine — Aminat Olayinka Agaba ’14

Relationship building at its best

Homecoming weekend keynote speaker Keith Ferrazzi presented a simple message: establish deeper relationships.

The New York Times bestselling author and CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight — a consulting firm designed to help people collaborate more effectively — focused on the idea of generosity when building more meaningful relationships with others.

“The first thing [you need to do] is to get into your own head and decide before you walk into that room that you’re going to like them,” Ferrazzi said.

He spoke about how finding common ground and connecting through shared values, respect, and trust can build a strong foundation for any new relationship.

“Sociologically, is it easier to build relationships today?” Ferrazzi asked.

After the crowd mulled it over, many

and unpredictable, so if it jumps to $3.50 a gallon, all of a sudden the project has a much quicker payback,” Pumilio said. “Renewable energy projects make us more resilient. There’s not as much risk as to whether the sun is going to come up tomorrow.”

Although Hamilton is not the sunniest of places, Pat Leamy, project manager in the Facilities Department, explained that direct sunlight is not completely necessary to heat the water year-round. “Ten years ago, not having as much sun used to be a major issue. The technology has improved quite a bit,” said Leamy. “The collectors are more efficient now. Most of the technology came from NASA.” For the cold and overcast January mornings when students are showering, the building might rely on fossil fuel for most of the heating. However, when taking into account the heat intensity in the warmer months, Pumilio estimated that about half of the house’s fuel oil consumption can be eliminated.

Solar thermal energy is one of 27 projects in Colgate’s 2011 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, which also includes energy-saving initiatives in buildings, minimizing landfill

Things are really heating up at the Creative Arts House (100 Broad Street): 12 solar panels will provide the majority of the student residence’s energy.

Currently, the other 16 residences on Broad Street are solely heated with fuel oil No. 2 — an expensive and Twelve solar panels were recently attached to this framework on relatively dirty the side of 100 Broad Street (Creative Arts House). source of energy that produces carbon emissions.

The solar panels, on the other hand, will reduce Colgate’s carbon footprint by capturing the sun’s energy to generate hot water for daily activities such as taking showers and washing dishes.

With state rebates and fuel cost savings of nearly $2,600 a year, the project is expected to have a 10-year return on investment, according to John Pumilio, director of sustainability.

“The cost of fuel oil is rising

Views from the hill Which member of the faculty or staff would you like to have dinner with and why?

“President Herbst.

I’m sure there are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes about what he does at Colgate that I’m not exactly familiar with, and it would be interesting to learn what his ideas and plans are for Colgate’s future.”

— Josh Riefler ’14, economics and geology major from Buffalo, N.Y.

“It’d be great to go out to dinner with Patti and Kathy, who work at the library café, because they’re people you see every day and they know your name and your coffee order, and I want to know their life stories.”

— Kate Maffei ’14, Spanish and educational studies major from Fairfield, Conn.

“Phil and the executive chef at Frank Dining Hall. Phil makes my omelets with love, and when I say love I mean tomato, onions, and bacon. He never forgets my order!

And the executive chef is always open to suggestions. The way the dining hall has transformed this year, I can say that they are doing a great job!”

— Aiden Davis ’16, women’s studies major from Monroe, N.C.

Duy Trinh ’14

15 chefs prepare and cook meals daily

responded “yes.” To which Ferrazzi countered, “It is more difficult.” He explained that society today uses technology in a transactional way, wherein individuals do not go into depth with their relationships; rather, they spread them out more superficially.

He also encouraged students, faculty, and staff alike to build deeper relationships, especially with those who are going to help them reach their end goal, whether professionally or personally. “Your future will be relationally defined,” said Ferrazzi.“Build relationships with people who are going to enable you to be successful.”

The Center for Career Services and the Dean of the College office are organizing small groups to read Ferrazzi’s book Who’s Got Your Back and discuss how to apply his relationship strategy to life and career exploration.

— Natalie Sportelli ’15

Go Figure

News and views for the Colgate community

9

Erica Hasenjager

work & play

President Jeffrey Herbst welcomed visiting students from Xiamen University by giving them his business card during a luncheon at Merrill House.

waste, and encouraging the use of locally grown food in dining facilities.

After implementing several energysaving projects and investing in carbon offsets, Pumilio estimates that the university has already reduced its overall carbon footprint to about 5,000 tons, a considerable reduction from the campus’s baseline of 17,000 in 2009.

According to Pumilio, Colgate has one of the lowest campus carbon

footprints in the country and is in a very good position to achieve carbon neutrality by 2019.

— Laura D’Angelo ’14

Chinese students experience the liberal arts at Colgate Personal tour of the New York Stock Exchange? Check. Daily treks up the hill three times a day from 110 Broad Street? Check. Lectures by some of Colgate’s most accomplished profes-

Gabriela Bezerra ’13

The village green was a sea of blankets and lawn chairs one hot July night as people settled down to watch a performance by Symphoria. The ensemble — a new orchestra created after the Syracuse Symphony folded — performed music from popular shows such as Les Misérables, Wicked, and Phantom of the Opera for a delighted crowd.

Beforehand, the Earlville Opera House hosted an instrument petting zoo where Symphoria musicians showcased their string, wind, and percussion instruments.

Children and parents alike gained a better understanding of the instruments before the performance by being able to touch and even play some of them.

On August 3, things got physical out on the green as

10

scene: Autumn 2013

sors? Check. This summer, 29 students visiting from China’s Xiamen University enjoyed a sampling of the Colgate experience.

The three-week exchange program, the brainchild of President Jeffrey Herbst and economics professor Cheryl Long, was started in an effort to foster a closer relationship between Colgate and Xiamen and introduce Chinese students to a liberal arts education. “The liberal arts approach to higher education isn’t well known in China because all universities in China have a more research-oriented approach,” Long said.

Intended to be different from other exchange programs that only focus on English language instruction and sightseeing, the Colgate program combined classroom-based discussions in English with a series of lectures that helped the Chinese students better understand American society. Topics ranged from economics and the financial system to history, sociology, and foreign relations between the United States and China.

Having attended and taught at both Chinese and American universities, Long encouraged the Xiamen students to engage in more dialogue with the professors. The in-class

young girls and boys donning heavy gloves practiced their punches. As a part of the fifth annual Hamilton International Film Festival, filmmaker Jill Morley Village Green staged a boxing clinic for youngsters on the day of the screening of her film Fight Like a Girl. Morley taught some of the basics of the sport and told anecdotes of her boxing career, before posing for photos with the kids and her recently won tournament belt.

“It’s great to get the little girls out there,” Morley told Radio Free Hamilton. “It gets them out of their shells, and gives them a way to express themselves in a way women aren’t normally allowed.”

On August 9, hundreds of skateboarders, bicyclists, inline boarders, and street lugers careened down nearby Munnsville’s winding East Hill Road during Gravity Fest. Last held in the area in 2008, the event returned bigger than ever, with thousands coming to watch. Hurtling down the freshly paved road lined with haystacks and eager spectators, racers came from as far away as Europe to compete in the adrenaline-pumping event.

— Kellyann Hayes ’16

Celebrating Sukkot with a sukkah

Get to know: Patti VanVoorhis

To celebrate the eight-day Jewish holiday of Sukkot, one of three harvest festivals celebrated in Judaism, a sukkah took center stage on the Quad in September.

Located directly in front of the chapel, the sukkah was impossible to miss. Constructed by the Blue Diamond Society (Colgate’s Jewish male philanthropic organization), the hut with brown tarp walls and a straw ceiling stood out among the elegant stone buildings lining the Quad.

“The sukkah is supposed to be a very temporary structure,” explained Rabbi Dena Bodian. “Sukkot commemorates that forty-year journey when the Israelites were nomadic and traveled across the desert.”

Stepping into the rustic hut, the inside was actually quite homey. Colorful paper chains adorned the tarp walls, tables were set up with autumnal centerpieces, and squash gourds hung from the ceiling. Members of the Colgate Jewish Union (CJU) decorated and planned meal-centered events to take place in the sukkah.

“In theory, really observant Jews have sukkahs in their yards,” CJU member Dana Laxer ’15 explained.

“When I was a kid, [we] would decorate the [temple] sukkah on the closest Sunday to Sukkot. I made those paper chains probably 140 times as a child.

“It’s a very different kind of holiday,” she added. “It’s [being outside] and it’s community bonding, which are different from just sitting in services. It’s a nice way to mix it up.”

— Hannah O’Malley ’17

Andrew Daddio

discussions between teachers and students and the small class size took many of them by surprise.

Lee Liu, a 20-year-old studying economics at Xiamen, was excited about having the opportunity to communicate more with his teachers. “In China, each class is like a lecture and the students obey what the books teach, and then you remember it and do your homework. But in America, students and teachers communicate about their topic and people can have different opinions. It’s a good way to develop creative thinking.”

Outside of class, the students took trips to Niagara Falls, Cooperstown, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Because many were economics majors, they were given personal tours

by Duncan Niederauer ’81, CEO and director of NYSE Euronext, and Rob Jones ’72, senior advisor at Morgan Stanley. In Washington, the students were welcomed by Alan Frumin ’68, P’07, U.S. Senate parliamentarian emeritus.

Coming from Xiamen — which has roughly 38,000 students and is located in a major city in southeast China — the village of Hamilton was a bit of a culture shock, but the students said they took a liking to the close-knit community.

The summer exchange program was the first step in the memorandum signed by Herbst and Xiamen President Zhu Chongshi to pursue faculty visits, joint workshops, conferences, and more exchange programs, including Colgate students visiting Xiamen.

— Laura D’Angelo ’14

Every morning, I head to Hieber Café for an energy boost. However, instead of relying on coffee, I look to the other side of the counter in the hopes that Patti, the lead cashier, is working that day. I’ll know she’s there when I see my medium coffee waiting with the vanilla soymilk close by (I tend to be a creature of habit). To be honest, I don’t even like coffee that much; instead, I relish my conversations with Patti, which meander from interesting anecdotes, to daily musings, to her proffers of advice for the future. To many students, Patti is much more than an employee at the café. She is a friend — with an unbelievable ability to remember names and coffee preferences — who has inspired me with her incredible life story. — Laura D’Angelo ’14

Andrew Daddio

Students celebrate Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival, in a sukkah on the Quad.

Unlike many 22-year-olds today, Patti VanVoorhis seemed to have all of her big life decisions worked out by her early 20s. Engaged to marry her high school sweetheart and working full time as a secretary in a bank in Kingston, N.Y., she was excited to embark on the process of adopting a child. But everything changed when VanVoorhis underwent routine medical tests that were required for the adoption process. The doctors discovered that she had Stage IV Hodgkin’s lymphoma in her lung. “They gave me less than six weeks to live, with treatment,” VanVoorhis recalled. “Fortunately, they were wrong.” After defying all odds — and eight adopted children later — VanVoorhis now credits the adoption process with saving her life.

Their first child, Gary Rebecca, was born premature, deaf, and had cerebral palsy in all of her extremities. While most people would consider caring for a child like Gary Rebecca to be enough of a commitment, VanVoorhis and her husband decided that they would keep adopting children of varying needs.

“We started our own multi-racial, multi-ability family,” she said. “We have four AfricanAmerican children, two Asian Americans, one Syrian, and one European mix.” The children’s complications range from fetal alcohol syndrome to partial blindness to TAR syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by the absence of the radius bone in the forearm.

Caring for her children became a full-time job, so VanVoorhis has had to change her work schedule accordingly. With a typical day involving trips to speech therapy, occupational therapy, and platelet transfusions, there’s never been a dull (or sedentary) moment in the VanVoorhis household.

In addition to providing her kids with the necessary treatments, she’s balanced unconditional love with teaching them important life lessons, like becoming as self-sufficient as possible. For example, their son Colby, who has no arms or legs, used to call his older brothers to help him up and down the stairs. “I eventually said, ‘They won’t do that for you forever,’” VanVoorhis recalled. “Then, one day, he just bounded up and down the stairs. Now he’s one of the most confident guys you’ll meet.”

With half of her children now either married, in college, or living on their own, VanVoorhis has “adopted” hundreds, perhaps thousands, of new Colgate students, taking care to memorize each one’s name and coffee order. If you’re lucky enough to catch her in between coffee rushes, you may even be able to see the photo album from her son’s recent wedding or engage in pleasant small talk, sprinkled with insightful guidance.

Her most important advice? “When you’re young, you think you’ll live forever,” she said.

“At 22, when I thought I might only have six weeks to live, it put things in perspective. Life is valuable. It’s about the people’s lives you touch along the way. I hope, if anything, that’s what my kids learn — to make a difference somehow and know that all we have is each other.”

News and views for the Colgate community

11

Tableau

Marriage – the ultimate maturity gauge?

By Kristin Koch ’05 I never had any hesitation that Andy was the one for me or that we would spend the rest of our lives together. After six years in a monogamous relationship — including two cross-country moves, economic upheaval and layoffs, career changes, and a six-month stint living with his parents (no easy feat) — it felt like we’d already made our relationship official.

But, like most women who are single well into their 20s, I felt pressured by girlfriends who insisted, “Everyone wants to get married” and, “You’re just saying you don’t care because you haven’t been proposed to yet.” As most of my friends plodded their way to the altar, Andy and I enjoyed years of blissful cohabitation without ever worrying about if and when we’d tie the knot.

Over the years, we attended weddings by the dozen. Eventually, he and I were one of the last unmarried pairs standing. Still, I wasn’t compelled to demand a ring. We were content. Certainly, people in our lives thought there had to be something wrong with our relationship, but we didn’t care what anyone thought.

Even during my years as an editor at a major wedding magazine, my bridal instincts failed to kick in. Sure, I felt the twinge of “something missing” every time a new co-worker announced her engagement and was met with loads of fanfare, but that didn’t change how I felt deep inside: Andy and I didn’t need a piece of paper to affirm our commitment.

It wasn’t until my 30th birthday approached that I began to feel the first real impulse to get hitched. My career was thriving, but still, I sensed a barrier. It soon became apparent that my unmarried status was preventing me from being taken seriously as an adult and a professional.

I was trapped in relationship purgatory.

Don’t get me wrong: it’s not like I was blatantly ostracized. I wasn’t sent to the kiddie table or anything. But my colleagues weren’t that much more subtle. Questions like “When’s he going to pop the question?” or the classic, “Why aren’t you married yet?” insinuated that something must be wrong with me if my boyfriend hadn’t proposed after all this time. If I dared to

12

scene: Autumn 2013

express my ambivalence about weddings and marriage, I was often met with disbelief. And not just from colleagues, but from friends, too.

Then it happened — Andy and I decided to get engaged. And what was a personal decision between two people became a signal that they were right all along: Every woman does want to be a bride. Some people were selfrighteous: “See, I told you that you wanted to get married,” they would say, as if they had possessed insight into my deepest desires. Others simply expressed relief. I fit in. I was normal.

My stock rose as soon as I exchanged my scarlet ‘S’ for a sapphire engagement ring. The same people who once made me feel pathetic suddenly admired me. It was like the door to an exclusive club had opened up to me. And membership had its privileges.

Suddenly, I had celebrity status among colleagues, friends — even bosses.

I was the most popular girl at any cocktail party, work event, or meeting, and it wasn’t just because they were vying for a wedding invite; I was celebrated just as much by acquaintances.

Overnight, the older women in the office treated me like an equal instead of a kid. We shared stories about our partners, workout classes, the diets we were considering, vacation spots, and restaurants. Even in meetings, my opinions and ideas were given more credence, as if the rock on my finger had raised my IQ. Previously, my boss was always hesitant to take me seriously in a management role. Now, I was more qualified to make assessments and changes to strategies and processes.

And it wasn’t just higher-ups and colleagues who started treating me more like a peer. I felt far more connected to my friends, both married and engaged, than I had in years. Wives and fiancées of Andy’s friends who had once seemed to merely endure me suddenly wanted to be friends.

Overnight, both sets of parents gained a newfound respect for me. When, pre-engagement, I had mentioned my desire to start up a freelance business, I got an earful (in stereo). Post-engagement, when I brought it up again (and then actually did it), no one questioned my decision. Gone were the insinuations that I was being impetuous and irresponsible.

The decision seemed unanimous: I was far more likable, interesting, and respectable now that I was engaged.

I’ll be the first to admit, that’s what I was going for. I still didn’t care about the wedding or even the ring (though I love it). Andy and I were already committed. I just wanted the title; the status change. If a piece of paper would afford me the ability to be a real player in my career and a respected adult, I figured, why not?

Had I known how quickly a rock on my finger would have made my life easier, I might have popped the question to Andy a long time ago.

Although we haven’t walked down the aisle just yet, I’ve come to think of getting married as more akin to college or high school graduation than a romantic gesture or the real-life fairytale we’re led to believe it will be. It’s a rite of passage that marks a person’s transition into adulthood. And although we may leave the nest and support ourselves long before we marry these days, whether we like it or not, society still sees marriage as the ultimate maturity gauge — for better or for worse.

What’s surprised me most is how different I feel since becoming engaged.

As ironic as it sounds, I do feel more legit having had a ring on my finger for a while now. For the first time in my life, I don’t feel like I’m pretending to be an adult. Getting engaged has made me feel more like an adult than anything else in my life has — far more than a director title, a mortgage approval, or parenthood (hey, a puppy counts, right?).

So, did I sell out? You be the judge. But I will suggest that if Andy and I are happy, and everyone else in our lives is relieved/justified/delighted/fill-inthe-blank-here, then you might say: all’s well that ends well.

Writer and blogger Kristin Koch, who specializes in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, weddings, and travel, is a former editor at Glamour, Vanity Fair, and Buzz Media. Her essay originally appeared on the Huffington Post’s Weddings page.

Alumni, parents, and friends have been celebrating the Year of ’13 by finding Colgate’s lucky number wherever they go. Visit bit.ly/project-13.

#project13

scene: Autumn 2013

NSF grant will give students access to high-level instrumentation

Zebrafish research has exciting implications for human cell regeneration

Students working with biology professor Jason Meyers have been looking for the answer to why stem cells in certain parts of zebrafish, the same fish you might find at a local aquarium shop, regenerate when their sensory cells are damaged. Because similar human cells do not regenerate, and their loss leads to permanent deafness, this work could help scientists understand how they might some day be able to promote regeneration in humans. Humans and zebrafish share many biological traits, making the freshwater fish a common model for research on finding cures for diseases and developmental defects.

A study of the lateral line sensory system in zebrafish by Meyers, Jeffery Head ’12, Leah Gacioch ’08, and Matthew Pennisi ’09, showed that one particular signaling pathway was able to stimulate the related stem cells to divide too many times. The result was sensory organs that were much larger than normal, and had an excessive number of sensory cells. It suggests that this pathway is a critical regulator of stem cell divisions and may be one of the gatekeepers that maintains appropriate cell numbers.

“By learning more about what triggers the fish cells to divide, we may learn about strategies for stimulating regeneration of our cells,” Meyers explained. The group published their findings in Developmental Dynamics in July.

Work by Meyers, Jessica Planamento ’12, Pierson Ebrom ’10, and Neil Krulewitz ’12 explored the role that an enzyme called sulfatase 1 had on the development of zebrafish. Their article appeared in Developmental Biology in June. Current students have begun

A major National Science Foundation (NSF) grant will allow for interdisciplinary cooperation between the Department of Psychology and the Neuroscience Program as well as provide students access to equipment usually not found in undergraduate research facilities.

Professors Bruce Hansen, Arnold Ho, Spencer Kelly, Carrie Keating, and Doug Johnson jointly applied for an NSF Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) grant to obtain a state-of-the-art electroencephalography (EEG) system for use in psychology and neuroscience. The EEG system, which consists of electrodes that are placed on a person’s scalp, records brain waves. The system will integrate existing lines of behavioral research with neuroscience research measuring neuroelectric brain activation.

“Having a shared EEG system will provide a common tool connecting a diverse range of department members and will facilitate both intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary work among researchers at Colgate who may not otherwise collaborate,” said Hansen, who spearheaded the grant proposal.

Syllabus Religion 331: The Problem of Evil Clarice Martin, Jean Picker Professor of Philosophy and Religion TTh 1:20–2:35 p.m., 320 Lawrence Hall Course description: The issues posed by the “problem of evil” have vexed philosophers, theologians, and the curious for centuries, while fueling atheistic objections to the very existence of God. This course examines Western responses to the problem of evil, including perspectives on the causes, functions, and effects of human suffering and evil within discrete communities. Particular attention is given to the challenges evil poses to faith, reason, and practice from the Enlightenment period through modernity.

On the reading list: Deconstructing Theodicy: Why Job Has Nothing to Say to the Puzzle of Suffering, David B. Burrell Amidst Mass Atrocity and The Rubble of Theology: Searching for a Viable Theodicy, Peter Admirand The Social Psychology of Good and Evil, Arthur G. Miller, ed.

Evil in Modern Thought: An Alternative History of Philosophy, Susan Neiman Course format: Part I Theorizing Evil: Religious Perspectives Part II Theorizing Evil: Philosophical Perspectives Part III The Cultural Production of Evil: Social-Scientific Perspectives Part IV The Quest for Viable Theodicies

Andrew Daddio

Napat Polchoke

life of the mind 14

follow-up work on both articles with Meyers. He recently received a grant from the National Organization of Hearing Research to expand the lateral line work.

— Omar Aquije

Students manipulate an older model of the electroencephalography (EEG) system.

The professor says: “I take my students through a rigorous interdisciplinary analysis of the problem of evil, with a sustained and spirited interrogation of primary and secondary sources from antiquity to the present. We conclude with a fascinating analysis of strategic human responses to personal and mass atrocity, and human suffering and evil.”

Professor Soja recognized for fossil reef research

Geology professor Connie Soja has led field expeditions to Alaska’s North Pacific coast, the Australian outback, and Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. Her work has yielded new insights into novel ecologic relationships in ancient reefs and how past environmental transformations help predict global change in reef communities today. In recognition of her work, Soja, a member of the Denison University Class of 1979, was recently honored with an alumni citation, the highest honor bestowed upon graduates and friends by her alma mater.

Soja’s global research on fossil reefs has been supported by the National Science Foundation, National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Keck Geology Consortium.

In the Ural Mountains and Siberia, she and her American and Russian colleagues established the firstever documented links between the geology of Russia and southeastern Alaska. With Colgate students, she has published research on dinosaur eggs and the conditions that favored their preservation in the fossil record. She is completing a book titled The Last Good Buy: Evolution in the New Age

Basil Childers

Hansen, associate professor of psychology, said this integrated approach will allow professors to directly engage students with equipment and laboratory techniques that unite psychology and neuroscience into one field of study. He believes that this method will, in turn, foster nontraditional research connections that should spark fresh insights and create new areas of study. “Students in our labs will actually be using the EEG system, as opposed to only observing the system when in use,” he added.

Ho, an assistant professor of psychology, is interested in connecting patterns of brain activity to behavioral tendencies. One of his main areas of research concerns the psychology of inequality and prejudice — how we categorize and perceive individuals belonging to multiple groups, such as biracial individuals.

“The EEG system will enable me to explore the neural underpinnings of such patterns of categorization,” he said, “and promises to reveal why we may exhibit biases in our perception.”

— Natalie Sportelli ’15

Geology professor Connie Soja has received her alma mater’s highest honor.

of Extinction to focus attention on endangered species around the world.

Soja teaches courses on evolution; paleontology; Darwin (with field trips in the United Kingdom); a seminar on ocean reefs that includes a field course in the Bahamas or Australia’s Great Barrier Reef; and a first-year seminar on “The Sixth Extinction,” or modern biodiversity crisis. She offers science education workshops on biomimicry to high school teachers and on dinosaurs to elementary school teachers and their students. She also has directed Colgate’s study abroad programs in England, Wales, and Australia and has conducted research with nearly 50 students from Colgate and other schools. Soja’s findings have appeared in dozens of publications and shared in many professional conference talks.

cap is more than $1 billion, spurred largely by speculation and illicit activity,” he explained.

Three neuroscience majors were able to demonstrate reversal learning in crayfish — something they say has never been done before. Jodi Forward ’15, Clara Slight ’15, and Alyssa Devine ’15 gathered their test subjects from Payne Creek on campus. After training the crayfish to exit a simple maze in one direction, the students then took the same creatures and taught them to go in the opposite direction. “We found they were successfully able to do so,” explained Forward.

History major Caitlin Sackrison ’15 studied 19th-century French political

cartoons that she found in the Colgate archives. Advised by Professor Jill Harsin, Sackrison translated, identified, and analyzed more than 75 cartoons.

“In 1871, shortly after the Second Empire in France fell and the Commune took over, the common women of Paris (the pétroleuses) were blamed for the burning of France. Thus, I was interested in how women were illustrated in the cartoons,” explained Sackrison. “I not only learned more French, but I also learned more about specific characters during the Second Empire.”

Emily Rundlet ’14, a biochemistry major, used robots to help determine the 3-D structure of different enzymatic proteins using X-ray crystallography. “This research will provide a foundation of information on these proteins that will allow for further investigation into their hypothesized industrial applications,” she explained.

Working with Professor Roger Rowlett, Rundlet tested a slew of different solutions to grow crystals with improved quality. She was able to create a computer model of one particular protein using Colgate’s dual-beam X-ray diffractometer and computational lab.

“The instrumentation and resources available for protein research of this caliber are unmatched for a school of its size,” she said. “Because we are one of the only undergraduate institutions in the country with this type of X-ray diffractometer, the work I have done at Colgate is comparable to graduatelevel research.”

Caitlin Sackrison ’15 studied 19th-century French political cartoons like this one from the Colgate archives over the summer.

From cartoons to crystallography

Approximately 150 students conducted summer research on campus, spanning a wide range of disciplines.

Here’s a sampling: There are about 3.3 million users of the burgeoning online currency Bitcoin — about half of what Bitcoin has reported, according to computer science major Mike McConville ’16.

While all of Bitcoin’s data is public, McConville said, it isn’t shared in a format that is readable to humans, and it also masks the identity of users. Working with computer science professor Vijay Ramachandran, McConville developed an algorithm to determine the actual number of Bitcoin users, translating the code and weeding out multiple accounts. “The total market

News and views for the Colgate community

15

Thirteen Strings, Stormy Weather

scene: Autumn 2013

in

archived home movies filmed by three of Nixon’s closest aides during his presidency.

Lane said she used artistic license to construct sentences — it took her three days to create an eight-word sentence by adviser John Ehrlichman — that better fit the story she was telling through the compiled footage.

“I feel like if I did some of these things as a paper in a college class, I’d be called in front of the academic integrity board. And I’m wondering why we don’t have anything like that in the world of visual arts. I’m intrigued by the idea that in art and film, we should have better standards of how we explain these ‘distortions’ to our viewers,” she said.

Lane entertained the idea of providing her audience with an annotated guide to every edit and manipulation after her next film, but understands that it could potentially backfire because many other documentary filmmakers are not as transparent about their edits.

Ultimately, Lane has shown a keen ability to put seemingly unrelated images, sounds, and words together to form cohesive and relatable films.

“When you’re telling a nonfiction story, you have to take a whole bunch of messy material from the world and shape it into something that reads

sh ch ag

Penny Lane — a seasoned storyteller, nonfiction filmmaker, assistant professor of art and art history at Colgate, and … self-proclaimed thief?

In a thought-provoking and honest lecture about her role as a visual artist, Lane discussed the complexities of being a filmmaker who appropriates others’ images exclusively to create her own nonfiction narratives.

“Everything [in my work] in a sense is stolen and reflects my lack of interest in creating images. I’m much more interested in finding things than making things, which leads me to my work in nonfiction,” she explained in a lecture in Golden Auditorium in September.

After showing three of her most popular works — How to Make an Autobiography, an excerpt from Our Nixon, and The Voyagers — Lane revealed specific moments in the films where her storytelling needs took precedence over an accurate or factual representation.

According to Lane, the most challenging aspect of creating nonfiction films is striking a balance between telling a compelling story and not distorting reality. In her award-winning documentary Our Nixon — which recently premiered on CNN and at Colgate — Lane appropriated

yV ere

A candid look at creative process

itr

A film still from Professor Penny Lane’s Our Nixon shows the former president in his iconic pose.

This September, a new musical ensemble featuring 13 virtuoso string musicians debuted at Colgate with a special concert in Memorial Chapel. Under the direction of Professor Marietta Cheng, the Thunder and Lightning Orchestra delighted the audience with a memorable rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, Op. 48, and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, featuring acclaimed violin soloist Kristin Lee. Cheng said she chose the Four Seasons as a historical baroqueperiod piece: the small ensemble is similar in size to ensembles that would have played it in Vivaldi’s time.

The Four Seasons also inspired the orchestra’s name: four sonnets, each describing a different season representing one movement, accompany the piece. “Thunder and Lightning” represents the storm that breaks out in “Summer.”

The idea for a new orchestra emerged while brainstorming ideas with the Colgate Arts Council to bring more arts programming to Colgate.

“We want exceptional, interdisciplinary events,” said Cheng. “We were trying to come up with ideas that will celebrate the arts at Colgate.” Further, given that the ensemble was created in 2013, she was inspired to follow Colgate’s age-old numerical tradition, by forming a group with 13 players.

The ensemble features alumni of the Juilliard School of Music, including the soloist, Kristin Lee, from New York City and the upstate area.

Dm

arts & culture 16

as a story to your viewer. It’s a really intense process,” she explained.

Named one of Filmmaker magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film,” Lane is currently working on a new project and had some of her work showcased in an exhibition at Colgate’s Clifford Gallery this fall.

— Laura D’Angelo ’14

There’s no place like home

It was like Dorothy awakening from her dream and finding herself back in Kansas for Mary Jane McNamee ’87 when her daughter Sophie got a part in a local summer stock production of The Wizard of Oz. Sophie played a munchkin and a jitterbug on the stage where McNamee had interned during college, at the Gretna Theatre in Mt. Gretna, Pa. What’s more, McNamee’s college friend and musical theater compatriot Louis Goldberg ’85 was directing the music.

Goldberg had directed McNamee in Company at Colgate back in 1984; she described him as “humble” and “extremely talented.” Today sporting an accomplished career, Goldberg has more than 300 musical theater productions across the United States and Europe under his belt. After winning a number of local and international

Photo

awards for piano, he worked with off-Broadway productions, and taught musical theater at Syracuse University, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of the Arts.

He currently teaches at the Westminster College of the Arts at Rider University, and directed productions of My Way, Kiss Me, Kate, and The Bikinis this year alone.

Their reconnection happened when, while attending one of Sophie’s ballet practices at Gretna five years ago, McNamee overheard a conversation about the next summer stock production. When she heard that

iStock

Picking up on the interdisciplinary theme, Professor Jeff Foy proposed a psychology study in conjunction with the performance. Foy wanted to study the “Vivaldi Effect” — that listening to the “Spring” movement of the Four Seasons increases alertness, reducing reaction time to stimuli — as shown in a previous scientific study in the United Kingdom.

Working with two students, Duy Trinh ’14 and Joe Cohen ’15, Foy recorded reaction times and cognitive functions of volunteers as they performed tasks — such as hitting the spacebar on a keyboard every time a green square flashed and solving short word problems. They studied the differences between the results when subjects performed the tasks while listening to the music, and in silence.

The team announced their findings at the Thunder and Lightning debut: although it is a charming piece and a pleasure to listen to, they were unable to detect the Vivaldi Effect here at Colgate.

“True, our findings weren’t consistent with the original study, but ours was small,” said Foy. “It is possible there is an effect and we just didn’t find it, or perhaps the original paper’s findings are anomalous. Based on our findings, all we can really conclude is that it is too early to conclude anything.” So, Foy’s not ready to call the study a total washout.

— Kellyann Hayes ’16

someone named Louis Goldberg was part of the directing staff, “I never expected that this would be the same person I went to school with years ago, but I decided to look into one of the rehearsals down the hall, just in case,” she recalled. Sure enough, it was her old classmate, and they have stayed in touch over the years.

“It’s amazing how everything is coming around full circle,” McNamee said. “I remember being so awed and proud of Louis as a 20-year-old, so it was sweet to see him with my daughter just as she is embarking on her career in stage entertainment.”

McNamee’s first involvement with the Gretna, as an assistant stage manager during the summer before her junior year, came about through the recommendation of Atlee Sproul, Colgate’s theater director at the time.

Over the years, McNamee has also encountered other Colgate alumni who have been involved at the Gretna: former fellow Swinging ’Gates members.

For McNamee, the experience has not only been a reminder of

how fortunate she was to meet such talented people at Colgate, but it has also taught her to truly appreciate these reconnections. “They conjure up emotions that help you to keep young at heart!”

— Aminat Olayinka Agaba ’14

Elegy honors Donald Berry

A new work of chamber music honors the life of Donald Berry, who taught philosophy and religion at Colgate from 1957 to 1994 and died last January.

The Fenimore String Quartet, whose cellist is Berry’s daughter Ruth, premiered Elegy for String Quartet at the Artworks Concert Series in the Star Theatre in Cherry Valley, N.Y., in July. The quartet commissioned the piece from composer David L. Post, to honor, as the score’s inscription reads, “a man whose love of spirit, education, and music was incomparable.”

Post, whose Fourth String Quartet was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, is a consultant and contributing music editor for Dover Publications as well as a practicing clinical psychologist.

Ruth Berry is an active chamber musician performing throughout central New York and beyond. Last October, she and two fellow musicians with Colgate ties — cellist Benjamin Whittenburg ’76 and Michael Cleveland (violin instructor and concertmaster of the university orchestra) — traveled with the Glimmerglass Opera to Oman as guests of the Royal Opera House and Sultanate, to perform in its production of The Music Man. Berry played with the Colgate orchestra while in high school, and she and Whittenburg both studied cello with Cathy McLelland, spouse of longtime geology professor Jim McLelland.

Performing the elegy in tribute to her father was remarkable on many levels, said Berry. “Learning/rehearsing the piece, the ritual of performing it as if going through the organized content of a religious service, and the shared experience for people who had traveled to the performances specifically because they knew my father — each was a stage in acceptance and understanding of his death, and of life.”

Preview

Colgate University Theater Presents: A Mouthful of Birds

By Caryl Churchill and David Lan Adrian Giurgea, director Brehmer Theater, Charles A. Dana Arts Center Showtimes: Nov. 6–9, 2013, 8–10 p.m.

Nov. 10, 2 p.m.

Following the unpredictable stories of seven seemingly normal characters, A Mouthful of Birds is a parable focusing on the themes of violence, escape, and self-discovery. Each story is told in the context of an introduction, an “undefended day” — when the character is possessed by a spirit, love, violence, or an addiction — and an aftermath.

Based on Euripides’ ancient Greek tragedy Bacchae, the intricately designed play weaves scenes of Pentheus, the king of Thebes, with choreographed dances, revealing the human tendency to act irrationally.

For more information on arts events, visit www.colgate.edu/arts

News and views for the Colgate community

17

Erik Dresser

go ’gate Bryan Pape ’08 (second from left) rowed with the U.S. men’s lightweight eight crew.

Rowing alumni medaled at world championships

Two former Raiders — Lauren Schmetterling ’10 and Bryan Pape ’08 — won medals at the World Rowing Championships in Chungju, South Korea, in August.

Schmetterling received a gold medal as part of the U.S. women’s eight crew that had previously set a world record in July at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland.

There, crossing in a time of 5 minutes and 54.16 seconds, the American squad broke the previous mark by one-hundredth of a second. It was the first international competition with

Team U.S.A. for Schmetterling, who was a team captain at Colgate.

Meanwhile, Pape helped the U.S. men’s lightweight eight crew score the bronze in South Korea, finishing behind Italy and Australia. The Simsbury, Conn., native not only lettered four years for the Raiders, but also served as an assistant coach at Colgate during 2009 and 2010.

Senior plays for Canada at World University Games

Basketball player Murphy Burnatowski ’14 returned to campus this fall after experiencing something most college athletes don’t get to do: competing in

Colgate’s foray into the world of FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) football got off to a flying start in Colorado Springs, Colo., against Air Force. The Raiders scored early, but then not often enough, and dropped a 38-13 decision to Air Force of the Mountain West Conference before 32,095 people in the season opener for both teams.

Alumni hockey headlines

Bob Cornell

18

scene: Autumn 2013

the World University Games in Russia.

The Waterloo, Ontario, native went through rigorous tests, tryouts, and practices to secure a spot on the Canadian Developmental Men’s National Team. His hard work paid off when he made the cut as one of 12 players representing Canada at the 27th annual event.

Burnatowski and his teammates started the tournament on fire with six-straight wins, including a 94-85 win over the United States. The undefeated run came to an end against the host squad, Russia, but Burnatowski competed for the bronze medal against Serbia. With many professional players, the Serbians were a tough opponent, yet the game was tight until the final minutes when Serbia pulled away for the win.

“Although we didn’t come away with a medal, we were very proud of what we accomplished this summer,” Burnatowski said in his blog.

“Having a record of 15-2 is nothing to be ashamed of. We truly believe that if we were able to make a few more plays in those two losses, we could have been at the top of the podium.

Playing for your country really brings a group of people together.”

Burnatowski has returned to Colgate for his senior campaign after leading with 17.4 points per game, compiling 557 points throughout the course of his first year with the Raiders (he transferred to Colgate his junior year). He posted 28 double-figure games, in 12 of which he scored 20 or more points, with three of them being double-doubles. The All-Patriot League Second Team selection also recorded a career-high 35 points against Army last January.

Andy McDonald ’00, who played more than 680 National Hockey League games for the Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues, has decided to retire, citing ongoing post-concussion concerns. During his NHL career, which began with the Ducks in 2000–2001, McDonald suffered at least five concussions.

“The last few years, too much of the focus became worrying about the next hit,” McDonald said in an interview with True Hockey. “I’m fortunate to get out now. I know I could play two or three more years, and I love the game of hockey, but healthwise I know I shouldn’t be playing.”

Canales coaches top French swimmer at Worlds

This past summer, Fernando J. Canales, the Mark S. Randall Head Coach of swimming, was the personal coach of three-time Olympic medalist Yannick Agnel of France during the World Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

Agnel burst onto the scene worldwide last year during the London Olympics, winning two gold medals, including the 200-meter freestyle, in which he broke the French record with a time of 1:43.14.

The Frenchman decided he needed a new training environment in order to get ready for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, so he joined Team USA Head Coach Bob Bowman at the world-famous North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Bowman and Canales go back to their days together at the University of Michigan; Canales worked with Bowman, who was the head coach from 2004 to 2008 and is best known for coaching record-breaking Olympian Michael Phelps. Bowman entrusted Canales to coach Agnel during the World Championships.

Canales helped Agnel win the gold in both the 200-meter freestyle (which made him the first Frenchman to ever win that event at both the Olympics and at the Worlds) and in a come-from-behind victory in the 4 x 100 meter relay.

The General debuts

A special documentary that premiered at the Hamilton International Film Festival in August celebrated a hometown coach and team that experienced an unforgettable season. The

Olympic medalist Yannick Agnel and his coach, Fernando Canales, Colgate’s Mark S. Randall Head Coach of swimming

Watch Raiders athletics online Colgate’s athletics video content is now free online via the Patriot League Network.

Visit http://new.livestream.com/PatriotLeagueNetwork/colgate to access: • on-demand video content • live streaming of events and interviews, feature stories, and highlight packages throughout the year Also, visit the new GoColgateRaiders.com. We’ve brought back the Student-Athlete of the Week and introduced improved video and social media access.

General, about Coach Terry Slater and the 1990 Colgate hockey season, was produced by his sons, Grant ’91 and Todd, and screened at the Hamilton Movie Theater.

The brothers, who founded the festival five years ago, got the idea for the film from a previous festival participant. Kenny MacBain had made a documentary about the Hamilton boys’ soccer team in 2010, and became a partner on the new project.

The General tells the story of how the Raider hockey team, then filled with walk-ons, transfers, and rookies, came together under their exceptional coach to compete in the 1990 national championship.

“We spent a lot of time talking through the film and what would make people want to watch even if they weren’t hockey fans or from Hamilton,” said Todd Slater.

The project was “very personal since it involved our dad and close family friends,” Todd said. He added that there were also more stories at work during that magical season. “The film shows how our father related to a team and to a community. We wanted the story to be more than just about winning or losing a hockey game. The message that holds true to us is how a community, when faced with a challenge, can come together to accomplish something great.”

Terry Slater came to Colgate from the World Hockey Association, where he coached the Los Angeles Sharks and Cincinnati Stingers. He spent 10 seasons at Colgate, and although his coaching style was unorthodox, it caught on quickly with his players and

John Hubbard

McDonald, who played four seasons for Colgate, was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2000, with 58 points on 25 goals and 33 assists.

After graduating from Colgate, the Strathroy, Ontario, native was signed as a free agent and spent more than six seasons with the Ducks, starting with 16 games in 2000–2001. He went on to record 282 points for the Ducks, including a career-high 85 in 2005–2006. He had 78 points on 27 goals and 51 assists during the regular season in 2006–2007, and made a name for himself during Anaheim’s run to the Stanley Cup in 2007. McDonald had 10 goals and four assists for 14 points during that postseason.

According to many, McDonald had a huge impact on Anaheim’s championship season.

In other news, Steve Spott ’90 made a big splash over the July Fourth weekend, landing the new headcoaching job for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, the affiliate of the Maple Leafs. Spott joined them after 12 years with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, where he spent time as both the general manager and head coach. Over the winter, he was also at the helm of Team Canada at the 2013 World Junior Championships.

Lastly, Jesse Winchester ’08 is back in the NHL after spending last year overseas in Finland. He signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Florida Panthers. Winchester, who has appeared in 233 NHL games, has 52 points, all with the Ottawa Senators.

Also, Thomas Larkin ’13 signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Joey Mormina ’05 is back in central New York playing for the Syracuse Crunch.

Coach Terry Slater, circa 1990

the community. He died unexpectedly in 1991.

The making of the film became a stroll down memory lane for the brothers. “We have watched the film and all the interviews so many times, we can now recite the lines by Karl Clauss ’90 or Joel Gardner ’90 before they even appear on screen,” Todd said. “The process allowed us to connect with old friends and people who are special to our family.”

Many players from the 1990 team came to Hamilton for the debut of the film, which featured many of them talking about the experience.

Todd said he couldn’t think of a better place to debut the film than Hamilton. “This is the town we grew up in, and it will always hold a special place in our hearts. We created the festival as a way to give back to the area, and it could not have been a more perfect time to showcase a movie about our father, Colgate, the people of Hamilton, and an incredible story.”

News and views for the Colgate community

19

new, noted , & quoted 20

scene: Autumn 2013

Books, music, & film Information is provided by publishers, authors, and artists.

Bitter Melon

Elvis Alves ’02 (Mahaicony Books) In his debut poetry collection, Elvis Alves uses bitter melon as a metaBITTER phor for life’s expeMELON riences. Beyond ruminating about the bitterness of ELVIS ALVES life, he seeks to locate the truth in the adage “Life is what you make of it.” He plays with the notion that different relationships (with oneself, God, nature, and other human beings) are at the core of what it means to take ownership of life. Alves’s innovative explorations of diverse African diasporic experiences soar across continents while grounding readers in the sensory world he creates. Seamlessly interweaving the personal and sociopolitical, Bitter Melon challenges readers to see the world in new ways.

Read a profile of Alves on pg. 64.

ELVIS ALVES was born in Guyana and raised in New York City. He is a graduate of Colgate University and Princeton Theological Seminary.

poems by

Half the Road

Kate Bertine ’97 (False Flat Films and Bertine Enterprises LLC) Kate Bertine’s documentary film Half the Road: The Passion, Pitfalls & Power of Women’s Professional Cycling focuses on both her love of the sport and the pressing issues of inequality that modern-day female riders face in a male-dominated sport. With footage from some of the world’s best Union Cycliste Internationale races to interviews with Olympians, world champions, rookies, coaches, managers, and more, Half the Road offers unique insight into the drive, dedication, and passion it takes for a female cyclist to thrive. The film also follows Bertine’s quest to make the 2012 Olympics during her first year of racing professionally for Team Colavita. She is currently in her sixth year of road cycling and is a three-time national champion of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Vegetable Juicing for Everyone Helen Saul Case ’00 and Andrew W. Saul, PhD (Basic Health Publications, Inc.)

In Helen Saul Case’s newest nutrition book, she and her father explore the health benefits of juicing at home.

Many commercially available juices have been treated and packaged for days, if not weeks, months, or even years. This book helps readers save money on store-bought brands while providing the healthiest — and freshest — juicing methods. With anecdotes, medical evidence, and recipes, Vegetable Juicing for Everyone: How to Get Your Family Healthier and Happier, Faster! is for anyone interested in nutrition and how juicing can help readers lose weight, eliminate gastrointestinal problems, banish fatigue, prevent infection, cure psoriasis, lower cholesterol, and even fight cancer.

Too-Tall Foyle Finds His Game Adonal Foyle ’98 (AFE, LLC)

Featuring vibrant illustrations, TooTall Foyle Finds His Game is a children’s book series based on the life experiences of retired NBA player Adonal Foyle. We see a young boy who grows up on a tiny island in the Caribbean and overcomes various hardships while struggling to find a sport that fits his abilities. After discovering basketball, he learns important life lessons during his quest for an education and NBA career. Foyle grew up in the small nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where he picked up a basketball at the age of 15. After playing for Colgate, he was the eighth overall NBA draft pick in 1997 and played for a decade with the Golden State Warriors and three years with the Orlando Magic.

An Extraordinary Theory of Objects Stephanie LaCava ’04 (Harper)

As an awkward, curious girl growing up in a foreign country, Stephanie

LaCava f0und solace and security in strange and beautiful objects. When her father’s mysterious job transports her family to the Parisian suburb of Le Vesinet, the young American embarked on a life of discovery. In An Extraordinary Theory of Objects: A Memoir of an Outsider in Paris, LaCava offers a haunting and moving collection of original narratives that reveal an expatriate’s coming-of-age in Paris, told through the lens of curious objects. She finds a way to cope with loneliness, sadness, and disappointment by using creativity to find beauty in the uncertainty of the future.

Hunting Old Sammie (The Terrorist Next Door) John Lauricella ’83 (Irving Place Editions)

John Lauricella’s novel takes place in Ithaca, N.Y., where Armand Terranova monitors America’s wars abroad even as he hides from them — a practice he shares unknowingly with his neighbor, Luke Robideau, who has stocked a sniper’s nest in anticipation of fighting terrorists head-on. Luke and Armand haven’t exchanged a word and distrust each other on sight. Luke’s cats and dogs roam freely, fouling Armand’s lawn and patio. Stalking the animals with a BB gun, Armand believes his neighbor is a threat: an unmarried, ill-kempt big man who lives with his elderly mother. To Luke, Armand is an immigrant peasant lucky at Luke’s expense. When smallanimal excrement begins to fly across the property line, their mutual antagonism escalates into a confrontation only one man can win.

The Environmental Advantages of Cities William Meyer (The MIT Press)

Conventional wisdom holds that urbanization and environmental quality are necessarily at odds. Cities are seen as sites of ecological disruption

In the media — consuming a disproportionate share of natural resources, producing high levels of pollution, and concentrating harmful emissions.

Cities appear to be particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, to be inherently at risk of outbreaks of infectious diseases, and even to offer dysfunctional and unnatural settings for human life. In his book, William Meyer, a professor of geology and environmental studies at Colgate, tests these widely held beliefs against the evidence — and comes to a different conclusion.

3.11: Disaster and Change in Japan Richard J. Samuels ’73 (Cornell University Press)

Richard Samuels offers the first broad, scholarly assessment of the governmental and societal impact in Japan from the March 2011 earthquake (the most powerful to have hit there in recorded history), which produced a devastating tsunami that in turn caused an unprecedented multireactor meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The events occurred after two decades of social and economic malaise — as well as considerable political and administrative dysfunction at both the national and local levels — and resulted in national soul searching. In the wake of the tragedy, political reformers saw cause for hope and an opportunity for Japan to remake itself. Samuels explores the post-earthquake response in three key sectors: national security, energy policy, and local governance. He is Ford International Professor of political science and director of the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Contesting Constructed Indian-ness Michael Taylor (Lexington Books)

for modern Native American people.

In his most recent book, Michael Taylor argues that the ideas embedded in the mascots are as old as the ideas constructed about the Indians, going back to first contact between the peoples of the Western and Eastern hemispheres during colonialism and other conquests. Taylor, an assistant professor of anthropology and Native American studies at Colgate, also looks at how the notions of “playing Indian” and “going Native” are precipitated from these historic contexts. In the contemporary sense of Native Americans, popular culture ideas suggest dressing Native Americans in feathers and buckskin in order to satisfy stereotypical expectations of Indian-ness.

Also of note:

In the chapbook History’s Trail (Finishing Line Press), poet Fran Markover MA’73 presents the poet on her journey as she finesses different roles — as daughter, granddaughter, sister, neighbor, and citizen of the world.

Footnotes:

Catherine Bagwell and Rebecca Shiner, both professors of psychology at Colgate, were recognized on Guilford Press’s list of the top five new books in developmental psychology. The Handbook of Temperament, edited by Shiner and Marcel Zentner, examines the current knowledge on temperament and its role in development and relationships. In Friendships in Childhood and Adolescence, Bagwell and Michelle E. Schmidt explore the significance of friendship for social, emotional, and cognitive development from early childhood through adolescence.

David Pinault, who was a professor of philosophy and religion and leader of the Egypt Study Group at Colgate from 1988 to 1993, recently published an Egypt-themed novel titled Museum of Seraphs in Torment: An Egyptological Fantasy Thriller. He is now a professor of religious studies at Santa Clara University.

“There was a ritual stop for cheeseburgers at Gilligan’s in Sherburne on the way up, a beer at a new brew pub called Good Nature Brewing in Hamilton… We had a post-commencement lunch at Ye Olde Landmark Tavern in nearby Bouckville, which was where we had dined the first time Anna had visited Colgate (you try to bring everything full circle).”

— Steve Reddicliffe, father of Anna Reddicliffe ’13, in a New York Times article about his triplets graduating from different colleges

“Christians must focus on how business affects people, especially the workers.

‘Are people able to live out their own agency by making a contribution in the workplace?’ is a question Christians should ask. Do employees have meaningful work, or just repetitive, low-paid, mind-numbing work?”

— Douglas A. Hicks, provost and dean of the faculty, reflecting on the business practices of Christian companies in a New York Times article

“Compared to the status and role of women in the Islamic societies along the Mediterranean coast, Arabia … women in Western Sahara enjoy significant advantages.”

— Jacob Mundy, assistant professor of peace and conflict studies, in a Seattle Times article about the independence of Muslim women

“As I watched the trailer, I thought, ‘This is for 16-yearolds. All of this is about gearing this toward high school and college students who may not have any notion of who Fitzgerald was or what the book actually was.’”

— Mary Simonson, assistant professor of film and media studies and women’s studies, weighed in on CNN about the latest film adaptation of The Great Gatsby

“Since you can’t really violate God’s plan for you, life extension is alright because it’s part of God’s will.”

— Aisha Musa, assistant professor of religion and Middle Eastern studies and Islamic civilization, in an article about “radical life extension” in the Atlantic

Native American sports team mascots represent a contemporary problem

News and views for the Colgate community

21

New York Harbor is daunting at night. Those who have sailed these waters will tell you of an effect unique to this place that renders the lights of buildings and cars on shore and the lights of boats in the water nearly indistinguishable, glistening and sliding past one another across the inky nighttime river in shimmering chaos. It’s a beautiful image, undoubtedly, but one less-than-meditative for the amateur nighttime yachtsman — or woman. The explosions begin, booming one after another, and apprehension mushrooms into hyper-vigilance in the blink of a wide, fully dilated eye.

22

scene: Autumn Autumn 2013

and I am at the helm of a 42-foot Beneteau sailboat, chartered for the evening by a family of five intent on securing the best seats in the house for the Macy’s Independence Day Fireworks Spectacular. Every year, fireworks are set off from anchored barges just south of Wall Street over the Hudson River.

The family chartered Gemini, a double-sailed helm ship with a steering wheel and galley, through the yachting company I work for, which is run out of the 79th Street Boat Basin off of Riverside Park in Manhattan. It is my job to provide my customers with a calm, pleasurable sailing trip, filling their drinks and plating their food, while keeping them out of danger. I alone am responsible for the navigation and safety of the vessel. This is not my first day of my summer job — it is, however, my first outing at night.

Hundreds of sailing and motor vessels of all sizes crowd the Hudson River Channel in a maze of shiny, expensive, unscratched hulls. Despite my unease, I am lucky to be on the water for the Fourth — luckier still to be getting paid for it. I can’t help but compare this watery outing to others of my past — some spent keeled over the leeward rail of a tall ship, retching miserably into stormy seas, and some spent frustrated but focused on hopes of racing glory. Other experiences were simple and pure; true testaments to the inextricable connection between water and meditation that Herman Melville spoke of in the first pages of MobyDick, the quintessential novel of man and the sea. Ishmael ponders the people of the insular island of “Manhattoes,” drawn instinctively and obsessively to the water’s edge, fixed in “ocean reveries.” In this moment in July 2013, am I not among them? Am I not one of Melville’s “landsmen; of week days pent up in lath and plaster — tied to counters, nailed to benches, clinched to desks,” and drawn to the water obsessively?

With Melville’s words ringing in my ears, I navigate the Gemini as close as I can to the 34th Street boundary in time for the fireworks display.

When the father kisses his young son’s forehead, I wish, if briefly, for the company of my own family.

A night off might have been nice for this Independence Day. Yet, I feel the thrill and magic I have always felt aboard a boat of any size. I am sweating, clenching my jaw, hauling lines, and clearing dishes, but the scene before me is breathtakingly beautiful. I feel at home.

I’ve met the water in many guises — first as an inexperienced sailor, drawn to it by the lure of racing prowess, pirate lore, and adventure.

It

, y l u J Fourth of e th ’s

News and and views views for for the the Colgate Colgate community community News

23 23

Although I’m most attached to sailing, I’ve always loved windsurfing, swimming, rowing, and kayaking, and nearly every watery experience. My memories of time in the water, on the water, even near the water are among my clearest and most prominent. It’s made me feel both impossibly small when looking out into seemingly boundless open ocean and prematurely sage when coaching beginner sailors on the water for the first time.

A

24

Why, a child of the urban and less-than-maritime metropolitan borough of Brooklyn, N.Y., have I felt so entirely at home at sea, far away from the bright lights, honking cars, and hot dog vendors?

It begins with my parents; more specifically, my mother, who grew up sailing on the south shore of Long Island and taught sailing in the Caribbean in her 20s. She enrolled my younger brother and me in a sailing camp as soon as we were old enough, 9 and 7 years old, respectively, and we would go on to sail competitively through high school.

The magic of the art of sail swept me away, betrothing me to the salty life of the seadog. The yacht club where I learned to sail was among the smallest in the region, and not well equipped. Our sailing camp — like its half-stoned sailing instructors in between semesters at college — had little direction and even less motivation toward competitive distinction. We learned on a small fleet of decrepit Optimists, 8-foot bathtub hulls with tiny, sprit-rigged sails, whose booms were the perfect height for conking children on the side of the head whenever the boat was turned.

The older kids moved on to slightly larger, doublesailed boats in equally poor condition and with just as much head-conking potential. Windless days were spent watching inappropriate movies and listening to our sailing instructors scream fervently at reruns of The Price Is Right while we played cards on the musty carpeted floor. We loved every second of it.

I returned to the camp every summer for 10 years. My parents, desperate for more scholastic — or at least lessexplicit — summers for their

Watery Start

scene: Autumn Autumn 2013

children, tried unsuccessfully to interest us in scouting camps, summer college programs, or art classes. They kept this up for years, always to be met with the same defiant insistence of another summer at sailing camp.

The tiny bay I sailed on seemed vast and limitless.

Controlling my own boat was intoxicating and addicting. The kids I learned alongside were different and unusual, especially so when released from the binds of the school day, where activity meant kickball if we were lucky, choir practice if we were not.

Something about my mother’s half-hearted surrender to the dirty, scummy world of sailing made it just dangerous enough to be alluring, but safe enough to know I would win a smile at the recounting of my sailing adventures each night after dinner. I was a pirate by day, a suburban pre-teen by night. I came home exhausted and sunburned and happy.

Meanwhile, as I entered the tumultuous years of adolescence, I spent the time in between sailing summers searching hopelessly for academic direction. Extracurricular interests appeared and faded as each school year went by. When I began high school, I still felt at ease only when the turmoil of my disillusion was met by the turmoil of the wintery sea. During science class, I would daydream about the starting line at a racecourse. During gym class, I never felt as integrated into the competition as I did during the

early morning rigging of a mid-summer regatta. After school, no matter the time of year, I would head as soon as I could down to the bay shore near my house, or, if I was lucky enough to find a ride, take the 30-minute drive down to the blustery oceanfront. Then the summer would return and I would feel whole again, comforted and welcomed by the sailing community.

Sailing lessons on Manhasset Bay, Long Island Sound (Photo by Leah Feldman ’14)

Broadening

Ho

Looking back, I have done most of my growing and maturing on the water. Where better to learn trust and security than with your father at the breakers of an ocean beach on the east end of Long Island? Where better to learn ambition and sportsmanship than on the starting line of a 90-boat regatta? Where better to learn camaraderie and perseverance than aboard a pitching tall ship, held fast to the deck by your seasick shipmates, comforting you between their own merciless waves of nausea? Weaving in between yachts and state-issued barges at night in New York Harbor will teach you resolve and responsibility, quickly, as I would come to learn this summer.

When it was time to begin conversations about college, I floundered. I had no idea what I wanted to study or where I wanted to go. Books and literature had always been comfortable for me, while math and science usually led to panic attacks, and so I decided on an English degree. Colgate University turned out to be everything I had imagined college would be — new friends and academic engagement beyond anything I had experienced in high school. In my usual indecisive way, however, I found myself motivated by a familiar wanderlust, visiting friends at neighboring colleges nearly every weekend. Here on campus, I explored nearly every club and department and found little that really stuck. The sailing club, however, offered me a chance to get back on the water — even if fresh water, not salt — once again.

Then, following what I knew I loved, I took a core course, The Caribbean, with Professor Kezia Page, whom I adored and immediately

rizons

elected as my academic adviser.

The concept of studying literature that included things that I had always loved — a deep and expansive relationship with all that the ocean has to offer— completely fascinated me. I took more Caribbean-focused courses, and was pleasantly surprised to find them, and the literature we read, both varied and deeply valued in the curriculum — something I did not expect from a school in the northeastern snow belt. This led to oceanography and environmental studies courses, both of which I found compelling and challenging.

My interest in worlds outside of upstate New York soon led me to pursue off-campus study. I spent my junior-year fall semester on Colgate’s London English Study Group, where in reading The Tempest and Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s words about water caught my attention. I also visited my aunt’s coastal home in Margate. The small boating town had buoys lining the streets, sandy cafés, and the smell of salt in the air. I immediately felt at home. Alongside my classes, I worked part time for a small international publishing company and literary agency, where I read submitted manuscripts and edited accepted work, mostly historical and science

Furling the topsai l on

the Corwith Cram

er – Feldman, third

fiction. I felt enormously lucky to be involved. Recognizing my own bias, I found myself gravitating toward stories taking place on or around the ocean, or focused on characters with strong urges toward travel and seafaring. More than being homesick for America, I was homesick for the sea.

So, after London, I spent a semester right on the sea.

from left (Courtesy

of

theand Wiviews lliamsfor -Mthe News Colgate ystic Maritcommunity ime Stu

25

dies Program)

s n o s s e eL m iti ar

When my Literature of the Sea professor with Williams-Mystic, Richard King, invited me to work as his research assistant for part of the summer, I got to continue my fixation with the water in an academic capacity. Although it pained me to leave my charter boat job at the 79th Street Boat Basin for a month in Mystic, as soon as I arrived, I knew I had done the right thing. I spent my mornings researching maritime poets and poetry, and classifying works of maritime fiction and nonfiction

by American authors for “Searchable Sea Literature,” the program’s Internet database. I was given the opportunity to interview one of those authors, Richard Dey, whose collection Selected Bequia Poems, about a small windward island in the Grenadines, is one of my personal favorites. Our interview led to the addition of his biography to the database and allowed me to connect to a living author in a way I never had before.

I knew that I could not spend my summer in Mystic without volunteering at the seaport’s Henry DuPont Preservation Shipyard, where the old whaling ship, the Charles W. Morgan (the museum’s pride and joy, and the country’s oldest surviving whaling ship), was undergoing the final months of a major longterm restoration. So, in the afternoons, I would head down to the shipyard.

Built in New Bedford, Mass. (the one-time whaling capital of the world), the Morgan operated during the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the peak of the whalehunting years, the animals’ blubber was harvested for oil, the main source of heat and light at the time.

After near-destruction during World War II, the Morgan was brought to Mystic Seaport and later declared a National Historic Landmark.

Restoration after years of damage due to weathering had been in progress in some form since the early 1960s, but a large donation had recently hastened its completion, in time for the 172nd anniversary of its initial launch, by mid-July 2013.

I was drawn to the opportunity not only by the proximity to the water, but also the intrinsic

Mysti c

Su

me

m

I had discovered WilliamsMystic, the interdisciplinary maritime studies program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. We spent the first 10 days aboard the tall ship Corwith Cramer, passing through the tumultuous Florida Straits; a seasick and sleepless few days for many of us on board.

The ship operated under a traditional watch system. All 22 students on board would be on watch for at least four hours of every 14.

Fighting our nausea, we kept an eye on the sails, charted our course through the Caribbean Sea, and learned ship terminology, celestial navigation, and knot tying. In morning classes, we learned maritime laws and practices, as well as the scientific relevance of the research we were conducting on maritime physics, marine ecology, and weather systems.

We ate, slept, sailed, and learned in our watch groups of six or so, each led by a ship’s mate who showed us the ropes (pun intended). My lessons came not only from lectures by the ship’s engineer and captain, but also an oncoming storm system, or the strength needed to grasp the yards while clambering around the rigging, setting sails, and tightening halyards 40 feet above the deck. The demanding lifestyle on the water brought us closer together and taught us all the true value of endurance and perseverance. I disembarked the Corwith Cramer feeling confident in my ability at sea, and knowing that I had truly found my academic direction.

Back on shore, we spent the rest of the semester studying maritime literature, history, policy, and science. We explored the seaport, and at the Mystic Seaport Museum of the Sea we learned 19th-century shipbuilding and rigging techniques. Three times a week, I would show up at the museum’s working shipyard before class, just to help move lines and rig the museum’s old whaling ship.

M

r

connection to maritime history. A decidedly unglamorous venture into the world of volunteerism, my job consisted mainly of painting tar onto yards of unfinished rigging and coiling lines thicker than my arm into giant, dusty barrels.

At the end, however, I got to watch a true relic of maritime history be returned to the water, lowered ceremoniously into the Mystic River Estuary, fitted with vestiges of my handiwork along its rigging and deck. And I had the honor of working alongside men and women who have been engaged in the project for more than 40 years, who know and love the ship more than their own homes. (The ship is now an exhibit at the Mystic Seaport Museum.)

I was proud of the work I had done, but the feeling that emanated

Back on New York Harbor, the fireworks have ended and Jackson, the family’s 4-year-old son, has fallen asleep. It’s time to return the boat to the dock (hopefully without waking him).

The boat basin is within sight, and the lights of the 79th Street Boat Basin Cafe twinkle, reassuringly now, in the nighttime skyline. My navigation and deck lights are on, allowing others to see me, but aiding me none in spotting boats in my vicinity.

e Quest Th

Corwith Cramer (Courtesy of the Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program) 26

scene: Autumn Autumn 2013

from all involved was more than dignity in our work — it was an unshakable sense of community. I wasn’t paid to help rig the Morgan; I showed up every day to be surrounded by boats and people who loved them like I did. The Morgan is a living example of the timeless fascination human beings have with the water and all things maritime. Its detail and beauty reflect the connection to the waters of the 1800s; its stature reflects the dedication to maritime culture still prevalent today — a dedication I have felt my whole life.

As I clambered around the ship’s decks and holdings, I could hear echoes of Ishmael’s life aboard the Pequod, see shadows of Captain Ahab, Starbuck, and Stubb, and feel the remnants of cold, dark nights in pursuit of the great, white whale.

Maritime-minded or not, this was many an English major’s dream come true.

As I turn the boat back around toward uptown Manhattan in a tight leeward (away from the wind) spin known as a jibe, I narrowly miss the anchor line of a massive police boat patrolling the 34th Street line across the river. But all is well. We reach the slip with a light thud against the protective fenders, and I skip over the lifelines to secure Gemini’s lines to the cleats. Without the pressure of responsibility for the first time all night, I am relieved, but no part of me is hesitant to get back out on the water to return the boat to its mooring after the family says good night and departs. This is the thrill that I love. Being on the water is tense and unpredictable, and never boring.

My quest of safe return for that family was a quest undergone by sailors long before me. Safe return may not have meant dodging barges and fishing boats for sailors in Melville’s time, but the relief of a boat reaching its dock is universal. While working on the Morgan, I was afforded the luxury of power tools and sunscreen, but I got at least a glimpse of what refitting in the 1800s must have been like.

This is what I like most.

I can connect in some small way to the history of this culture — I can feel what people have been feeling at sea for centuries. This is what sailors live for. This is what fills bookshelves with maritime literature and keeps children running back to the sea during summers. My Fourth of July was spent with a family of perfect strangers, and yet I felt a part of a community and connection that I wouldn’t have traded for anything.

e Th

Ch ar

les

W. Mo rga n, u nder restora ) tion (Courtesy of Mystic Seaport

News and views for the Colgate community

27

FRAVA

eel-goodf d.

It can be defined in different ways, depending on the creator and the consumer. We talked to six

young alumni who have created their own definitions of

feel-good food, whether it’s workout fuel or gourmet sweet treats made from fresh ingredients. These entrepreneurs have filled us up with their stories, advice, and even what’s in their refrigerators (lots of condiments, it turns out!).

Although each innovator had an appetite to make

food with simple ingredients, none had previous experience running a food business.

Several are “ultralight start-ups,” founded with very

little out-of-pocket capital and growing from what the business generates on its own. Most use locally sourced ingredients. Some are picking up on current trends, like food trucks or going gluten-free. All of them have taken what seemed like a crazy idea and found a taste of success.

By Aleta Mayne

28

scene: Autumn 2013

Wake-up call

Frava’s story begins at Colgate. It was spring 2010 finals week, and like every other student cramming for exams, Evan Berman ’10 needed his caffeine fix. It was too hot to drink coffee, though, and he’d never enjoyed the bitter taste.

Energy drinks were off the table because Berman didn’t want a carbonated beverage in the morning. Plus, “I didn’t like the health consequences associated with ingredients I couldn’t pronounce,” he said. Berman had his “aha moment” while sipping juice one morning. He then built on it during a brainstorming session with classmate Geoff Karas ’10 and Chloe Goldman (a Cornell student who was Karas’s girlfriend) as the trio studied in the Coop. In the frisson, fruit met java. And fruit + java = Frava.

But, Berman hadn’t set out to become an entrepreneur and, as his parents were telling him, he needed to “get a job” after graduation. So the idea for the drink was put on the shelf as the economics major secured an accounting position with Deloitte and Touche. However, working in finance wasn’t quenching Berman’s thirst; he still wanted to pursue his beverage brainstorm. Through networking, he arranged a meeting with a bottling plant owner, who liked the drink concept enough to introduce Berman to a scientist at Arizona Iced Tea. The scientist agreed to start testing concoctions if Berman put down a retainer fee. Berman had some savings from selling sunglasses at New York City street fairs on the weekends in college, so he invested $5,000 to get things flowing. Karas and Goldman were also initial investors and co-founders.

The Frava formula required some finessing.

“The first time, it was so bad,” joked Berman, who tested the various formulas with a small group of friends and family. He told the scientist what he did like — “which wasn’t much” — as well as what he disliked. Iteration after iteration finally led to a drink that tickled Berman’s tastebuds. Focus groups finalized the process.

The end product comes in four flavors, contains 40 percent fruit juice, and is boosted with natural caffeine from green coffee beans. The natural caffeine is healthier and less likely to cause crashes than its synthetic counterpart that is used in other energy drinks. One 8-ounce serving of Frava contains 100 milligrams of caffeine, which is roughly equivalent to a generic

attention by using guerilla marketing campaigns.

Last July, armed with megaphones, Super Soakers, and samples, the Frava team targeted trendy New Yorkers waiting in line for “cronuts,” a much-hyped donut-croissant crossbreed. The stunt landed Frava in a Wall Street Journal article.

The drink also caught the attention of a fatigued Forbes reporter who reviewed the java juice when he happened upon a sample: “If there were a spectrum of ‘Most Painless Ways To Quickly and Efficiently Get Your Caffeine Fix,’ Frava would be a category leader.”

When Berman puts down his squirt gun, he acknowledges that underneath the fun is serious risk. “The consequences are real. If you make a mistake, it costs a tremendous amount of money. It could cost jobs. It could cost the actual success of the business,” he said. But, Berman is taking it all in stride and drinking in the experience.

L to r: Evan Berman ’10, Alex Portin ’12, and Connor Feuille ’12

BERMAN’s Business advice: “You have to be willing to get kicked in the stomach, punched in the face, and get back up.”

In BERMAN’s refrigerator: “A ton of Frava, a

bunch of Bud Lights, and some hard liquor in the freezer. I order in every night, so there’s some leftover Thai food and pizza.”

HEALTH WARRIOR

brewed cup of coffee. Because green coffee beans are unroasted, the drink tastes like fruit juice but has the kick of java.

Pouring out his remaining sunglass-venture savings, Berman hired a brand agency and created a website. He then found an investment partner in Howie Weinstein of Hunters Point Investors, who provided the capital and logistics to help launch Frava in January 2013. “The next thing I knew, I had quit my job,” Berman recalled.

Frava soon attracted the attention of Drink King (run by the former CEO of Snapple), which now distributes the drink in New York City’s five boroughs and New Jersey. At press time, Berman was finalizing a deal with a large Midwest distributor.

Employing seven full-timers, several temps, and a number of interns (including a bunch of Colgate students), Frava is all about keeping the company brand young, fun, and slightly irreverent — take its “F Your Life” and “Give an F” charity campaigns, for example. Alex Portin ’12, one of Berman’s first hires, leads the marketing efforts.

He’s developed strategic partnerships that get Frava in the hands of teens and 20-somethings at events like skateboarding competitions and glow-in-thedark dance parties, as well as the older crowd at the PGA Tour and charity functions. Portin and Berman have also gotten

From seedling company to overnight success

People used to only associate “chia” with terracotta figurines like Garfield sporting a green Afro. But recently, chia seeds have sprouted up as a superfood in the health food hemisphere and gained a strong following. Leading the tribe are a couple of Colgate alumni.

“Chia seeds are the fastest-growing category in the whole-food world right now,” said Shane Emmett ’00, CEO of Health Warrior, which sells the seeds loosely in bags and in different varieties of its Chia Bars. Emmett’s claim is no exaggeration: his company alone grew 650 percent last year, having sold millions of bars.

The tiny seeds come from the Salvia hispanica plant, a member of the mint family that is native to Mexico and Guatemala. ABC News called 2013 “the year of the chia among the health conscious” — the 1-millimeter powerhouses are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein, as well as a portion of the recommended daily intake for calcium, phosphorus, and manganese. They can help with weight loss, reduce blood pressure, improve heart health, and combat diabetes.

Although one branch started in the ATO house at Colgate, Health Warrior’s roots trace all the way back to Aztec warriors, who ate chia for endurance in battle and hunting expeditions. Like their ancestors, today the Tarahumara Indians — touted as the greatest long-distance runners in the world — are also powered by chia, as Christopher McDougall wrote about in his 2009 bestseller Born to Run. Emmett had read the book when it was first published. In 2010, he got a call about it from his fraternity brother Dan Gluck ’00 who, with his co-worker Nick Morris, had devoured the book and sought out the seeds. “At the time, nobody had heard of chia,” Gluck recalled. “We would go to [health food stores] asking for chia seeds and the employees looked at us like we were crazy.” So, the two fitness buffs and former college athletes found them online, started putting them on almost everything that went into their mouths, and noticed a difference in their workouts.

The other difference they noticed, however, was in the News and views for the Colgate community

29

product they were getting. Because the seeds were such a rarity, they would come in clear plastic bags with a personal thank you note. “The seeds had twigs and dirt in with them,” Gluck said. “It was kind of gross.”

Recognizing a business opportunity, Gluck knew he wanted to bring Emmett on board. Not only had they been tossing around business ideas since rooming together in ATO, but Emmett was fully immersed in the agriculture, health food, and realfood movements through his garden business United States of Food.

“There might be a really big opportunity here,” Emmett thought. “There are all these changes in the food world. There’s the diabesity (diabetes and obesity) crisis on one side, and then all these people working out like crazy and [getting into] the realfood movement.”

Emmett signed on as CEO, and he runs the company from their Richmond, Va., office. After working with him to devise the strategic direction and goals, Gluck and Morris — who kept their full-time jobs at a New York City hedge fund — entrusted Emmett with the day-to-day operations. They are still the largest owners of the company as well as advisory and board members.

Health Warrior got its first big break when, without their knowledge, a January 2012 Wall Street Journal article mentioned that NFL player Ray Rice was endorsing the seeds.

“All of a sudden, we were the number two selling item on all of Amazon,” Emmett recalled. They sold

Pop Nation peddles 85 fanciful flavors, including Blackberry Mojito, Kaffir Lime and Avocado, and Banana Puddin’.

out of their inventory within a couple of days. That in itself was a learning experience: to prevent future supply chokes, they established partnerships with suppliers who grow chia in diversified locations — which also helps them avoid weather-related crop issues. Ever since, Health Warrior has been on a run. Their products are on the shelves of more than 1,300 stores, including Whole Foods nationwide, REI, Wegmans, and Stop & Shop.

In addition to the five employees at the Richmond office, the company has three in New York City, including Shane’s brother, Casey Emmett ’08, who is one of the sales managers. Like their product, the Health Warrior headquarters is something out of the ordinary.

“Whenever we hire someone, they have to build their own desk, because we think that’s a good metaphor for life in a start-up,” Emmett explained. And because they consider themselves a lifestyle brand, kettlebells and a pull-up bar are on hand for workout breaks; employees are also encouraged to ride their bikes to work.

Although he’s tight-lipped about what Health Warrior is cultivating for 2014, Emmett was willing to share that “We’re making something that’s not really been thought of before, and it’s genuinely healthy and delicious.”

We’re curious to see the possibilities on the road ahead for this tribe of warriors.

Top: Dan Gluck ’00 Bottom: Shane Emmett ’00 and wife Julie

Emmett’s business advice: “Do the right thing. That

sounds simplistic, but there are a lot of hard choices to make in terms of how you deal with business partners and investors. There are times that might look like a gray area, but if you step back, there’s usually a right decision and a wrong decision. Being honest and always making that right decision will benefit you in the long run, even if it feels like you have to take some lumps in the short term.”

In Emmett’s refrigerator: “It’s chock-full of Chia 3.0 prototypes, Greek yogurt, almond milk, Rick Bayless Mexican sauces, champagne, corn tortillas, huge amounts of lettuce, and a lot of baby carrots.”

Gluck’s business advice: “Two key ingredients that I live

by are passion and hard work. My dad told me if you do what you love, it won’t feel like work. He was spot-on. My high school yearbook quote was from football coach legend Vince Lombardi: ‘The difference between a successful person and others is not in lack of strength, not from a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.’ This quote means so much to me. The world is a competitive place and there is always someone out there who has less than you but wants what you have. Once someone gets complacent, they lose their edge.”

In Gluck’s refrigerator: “My fiancée and I don’t eat too much at home. But we keep the fridge stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables. Mika typically roasts vegetables she buys at the farmers’ market during the week and we will snack on those. Other staples include hot sauces, mustards, jams, fresh juice (to make our daily chia frescas), hummus, and yogurt.”

“We’re making something that’s not really been thought of before.”

30

scene: Autumn 2013

A healthy culture

POP NATION

Sarah Peet (2)

MAIA

A dare issued by his cousin took Hamilton Colwell ’01 from behind a trader’s desk to Watch Sarah Stewart ’04 talk running a Greek yogurt company. about launching Pop Nation His cousin Abby had dietary restrictions during Colgate’s Entrepreneur during her pregnancy due to gestational Weekend last spring at diabetes, and she wanted Colwell to use his http://bit.ly/GzK9lX skills to make her a healthier yogurt (a staple in her diet). As a student, Colwell had researched the science behind food processing and had managed In keeping with the goal of using locally sourced restaurants in his summers off. He accepted her Sarah Stewart ’04 and husband Cameron Pittelkow ’05 ingredients, Stewart — who handles the purchasing — challenge. has established close relationships with several Bay “I had a basic understanding of how to make Area farmers. One day last year, the Pop Nation crew yogurt, but I consulted a number of professionals even picked their own strawberries (200 pounds in and went online to learn as much about it as Pop sensation about an hour) for Strawberries ’n Cream with Basil possible,” he said. Taking his newfound knowledge Sarah Stewart ’04 went from developing pops when Eatwell Farm was short-staffed. to the kitchen in his Manhattan apartment, Colwell books for international children in their Working in a shared kitchen was beneficial to Pop worked with a simple yogurt culture and used a mother tongue to creating a frozen childhood Nation in its infancy because it helped the business double boiler, heating pad, candy thermometer, and treat for the tongue. Pop Nation, her Bay Area newbies to be surrounded by other food companies. a beach towel to serve as an incubator. He passed gourmet frozen pop business, raises the bar But as Pop Nation grew, so did their needs. So, last the results out to his co-workers at JP Morgan. “They above the standard cherry and grape. Flavors March, they launched a Kickstarter microfinancing told me it was some of the best yogurt they’d ever like Blueberry Lemonade, Springtime Strawcampaign to raise $50,000 for their own commercial had,” he recalled. berry Pie, and PB&Fluff appeal to the child kitchen and equipment. The funds came through, But Abby wasn’t only interested in the taste: at heart, while others like Brandy Poached allowing for expansion. Now they’re pushing out she wanted a yogurt that combined prebiotics and Pear, Viet Café, and Hibiscus Mint with Grapes between 5,000 to 6,000 pops a week, through direct probiotics, which are beneficial to the digestive make for a sophisticated dessert on a stick. distribution to about 20 stores locally, and at corsystem. Colwell enlisted the help of a registered Stewart had been working for Room to Read — a porate catering events and weddings. At press time, dietician and consulted scientists at Cornell’s School nonprofit organization that publishes children’s Pop Nation was in the process of partnering with of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The result is a books in 23 languages to improve literacy in Asia and Dairy Delivery, a local distributor servicing more than probiotic Greek yogurt that is GMO-free and made Africa — when she decided in 2011 that it was time 400 stores from Sacramento to Monterey, and the from 100 percent grass-fed cow’s milk. There are a for something fresh. company was in talks with Whole Foods and other whopping 50 billion probiotics per cup — more than “I’d always wanted to work in food,” explained grocery chains.

50 times the number in each competitor’s cup.

Stewart, whose love of cooking stirred in her at a All of their frozen treats are gluten-free and The SUNY Morrisville Dairy Barn was where the young age while spending time in her mom’s kitchen. vegan, which comes as a surprise to customers yogurt got its start (they have a program to help Opening a food cart seemed like the simplest way hooked on their creamy Sea Salted Dark Chocolate emerging brands), and later Colwell found a dairy to get started. When announcing her plan at a party, pops, for example. They’re up to 85 gourmet flavors processor in central Pennsylvania to produce it on a Stewart learned that her friends Anne and Mark and counting. mass scale.

McGinty had the same idea, so they partnered up.

He decided to call his product Maia yogurt after the Greek goddess One day last year, the Pop Nation crew even picked their own strawberries (200 pounds in about an hour) of spring and rebirth. There are now six flavors and they’re experimenting FOR STRAWberries ’n cream with basil pops.

“Thinking of new flavors has become an obseswith 16 others, with plans to release two in the fall sion,” Stewart said. “During fruit season, meals, and six in 2014. “Everything from a peach to a mango dessert, and even drinks, we think, ‘OK, how do we guanabana,” he said.

Meanwhile, Stewart’s brother, Tim, was driving turn this into a pop flavor?’” Her husband, Cameron As Maia has grown from its 2010 launch when across country in search of a California adventure.

Pittelkow ’05, “has probably tasted thousands of Colwell was running the company out of his parents’ Having watched their dad, Bob Stewart ’73, work renditions of different pops,” she said. basement to now gracing the shelves of major cohesively with their grandfather and uncle, Sarah When asked if any flavors have been a flop, Stewgrocery stores in New England, he admitted that it’s was eager to bring Tim on board. Tim had been a art answered: “Gazpacho. I thought it was tasty, but been “a pretty steep learning curve” at times. “The cheese maker in Vermont and also credits their my brother told me it was like frozen salad dressing. hardest part is making enough product,” he said, mother for his fascination with food.

I’m still convinced it can work.” adding that the biggest stores will sell 1,000 cups of The foursome decided to produce frozen gourMaia yogurt a day. met pops — for their versatility and because they Stewart’s business advice: “Be flexible and open to wanted to take advantage of California’s agricultural hearing other people’s advice. Also, try to take a step richness by using locally sourced produce. back at times and ask: Are there things we need to Unbeknownst to their friends, dinner parties change, and if so, what?” served as blind taste tests. “We were trying to get reactions without people knowing that we were In Stewart’s refrigerator: “I’ve been on vacation, considering going into business,” Stewart said. The so it’s pretty empty. I’ve got homemade beet pickles, feedback was overwhelmingly positive, so they set kale, a lot of yogurt, and eggs. My husband brews his up shop in a shared kitchen and started peddling own beer, so one shelf is filled with beer. And I’m a big their pops at farmer’s markets and from pushcarts condiment fan, so I think the majority of the stuff in on the streets of San Francisco. there is probably hot sauce.”

News and views for the Colgate community

31

PACIFIC PUFFS

One of Colwell’s worst weeks was caused by a paucity of pineapple. He wasn’t able to sell that flavor while he waited for a 2-ton cargo container of pineapple to cross the ocean from Hawaii. “When you’re talking about a dynamic category like yogurt, which is much different than anything else in the food business, the grocery stores don’t want to wait for products,” Colwell explained. “It’s a very demanding environment.”

With more and more kinds of Greek yogurt appearing on grocery shelves every day, Colwell has been building the Maia culture by personally putting it in the hands of consumers. At least once a week, he’ll make an appearance at grocery stores to give out samples and coupons.

“It’s been a long journey,” Colwell said. “Nothing can prepare you to grow a product in an exploding category.” Despite the challenges, it’s all worthwhile when Colwell reads the messages that arrive in his inbox and mailbox daily, from fans praising his yogurt for leading to weight loss, feeling healthier, and just simply craving the taste. “One woman emailed me this morning saying that she buys twenty cups of vanilla bean a week. Reading that, I had a smile ear to ear.”

Puff daddy

“So this is what clouds taste like,” is how one Yelp reviewer described Pacific Puffs, a San Francisco–based cream puffery founded by Rhys Carvolth ’07 and his brother Trent. From classic sugar to coconut cream to fruit whip, their baked-fresh-daily puffs are making mouths happy.

Remember when cupcakes were all the rage? The Carvolth brothers were inspired by that trend, seeing it as an opportunity to leave their cubicles in the financial district and capitalize on their mother’s cherished cream puff recipe. When they told Mama Carvolth, though, she joked that the two of them had never cooked so much as a grilled cheese sandwich. Even so, she agreed to work with them to help perfect their puffs. And although the

Colwell’s business advice: “Always ensure that

you have sufficient capital, especially when you’re looking to grow quicker. Cash is more important than your mother. (I love my mother, but without sufficient cash in a food start-up, or all the luck in the world, it is tough to win.)”

IN Colwell’s refrigerator: “A week’s worth of Maia yogurt! Yes, I’m serious. Along with some vegetables, milk, leftovers, and a couple of beers.”

Rhys Carvolth ’07 (left) and his brother Trent

Hamilton Colwell '01, after a long night of production at the plant

Hear Hamilton Colwell ’01 discuss the importance of Colgate’s Thought Into Action entrepreneur program, for which he is a mentor: http://bit.ly/18pJmxA

32

scene: Autumn 2013

basic recipe is the same as the one for which she’d been praised at parties and special occasions, it took some creativity to quicken the process for mass production.

After developing a business plan, the brothers opened up a little shop on Union Street. On their opening day in July 2009, the 200 puffs they had baked that morning disappeared by 2 p.m. They locked their doors and posted a hand-written “Sold Out” sign. They continued to make a limited amount while they gained an understanding of their ingredient costs. “And it created a little buzz that we were selling out every day, so it was a marketing tactic as well,” Rhys said.

At first, Rhys kept his job at Dow Jones. He would awaken at 4 a.m., help Trent bake the cream puffs, head to his 9-to-5 while Trent worked at the shop, and then return to Union Street until 8 p.m. closing time.

“We didn’t take a salary to start,” Rhys explained. “We wanted to be very cautious because we honestly didn’t have any idea what we were doing and knew we were taking a big risk.” After six months, the brothers analyzed their profits

and figured that Rhys could put in his two-week notice. And fortunately, “ever since, we’ve had steady growth,” he said.

Soon, they hopped on another trend in the culinary world: “We’d saved quite a bit of money, but not enough to open a whole other location,” Rhys recalled, “but we did have enough to start a food truck.” That was about two years ago, and the Puff Truck “took off.” In fact, running into double bookings, they immediately realized they needed a second one.

One of their strategic locations for the food trucks is feeding the hungry masses at Silicon Valley firms like Facebook, Apple, and Google. So, the Carvolth brothers decided to puff up their offerings and use the pastry as the basis for a sandwich (think crossaintwich). Pacific Puffs’ “savory” menu includes simple sandwiches with a gourmet twist, like the BLT with applewood smoked bacon, butter lettuce, heirloom tomato, and roasted garlic aioli.

The success of the trucks gave them the drive to open a second shop, which is a café that offers both their sweet and savory menu items. They sell anywhere from 800 to several thousand cream puffs a day, depending on catering and truck schedules. All of their ingredients are locally sourced, starting with a dairy company in Santa Rosa (where they grew up), to Golden Gate Meats.

For the first two years, it was Rhys and Trent exclusively working the kitchen, but the growth of Pacific Puffs has enabled them to get some help.

They now have three part-time chefs and are hiring more. The brothers are “still heavily involved in the production,” said Rhys. “We’re there seven days a week, baking.”

The day the Scene caught up with Rhys, he was in his own kitchen, preparing for a big family dinner in honor of his mom’s birthday party. And for dessert?

Cream puffs, of course.

Carvolth’s business advice: “Go for it. There’s

never a better time than right now, especially for young entrepreneurs who don’t have the pressures of a mortgage or a family.”

In Carvolth’s refrigerator: “For dinner, I am

making one of my favorite dishes, chicken balsamico.

So, I have about ten chicken breasts marinating in balsamic. And then I have fresh pesto for pasta.

Also, I have some cantaloupe, a six pack of Mendocino Red Tail Ale, a bottle of prosecco for celebrating tonight, some cucumbers, strawberries, eggs, bread, milk, lettuce. And I have basically the world’s largest condiment collection.”

The hoppy couple

Andrew Daddio

GOOD NATURE BREWING

Carrie Blackmore ’08 is the queen of Madison County hops, and she even has a crown to prove it. Well, technically, it’s a straw hat, and her reign ended in September, but it’s fair to say that she and her husband, Matt Whalen, are putting forth a noble effort with Good Nature Brewing in Hamilton.

Blackmore met Whalen at her first job out of college, at the North Country School, a day and boarding school in Lake Placid, N.Y. She was a history and German major who was hired to manage the gardens and teach gardenbased educational programming; he was a trained chef working as assistant kitchen manager. The couple returned to the Hamilton area when her father, John Blackmore ’68, was at the end of a 10-year battle with a terminal illness. They initially thought the move would be temporary, but then settled down in the summer of 2010.

“We had to come up with a way to stay,” Blackmore explained. So, they set out to translate their experience with farm-to-table eating into farm-toglass drinking by starting their own microbrewery.

Although Madison County was once one of the largest producers of the country’s hops, disease and Prohibition ended large-scale farming of the crop in the 1900s. Blackmore and Whalen joined the band of

Andrew Daddio

Top: Carrie Blackmore ’08 Far left: Blackmore and husband Matt Whalen

Good Nature’s award-winning ales (they offer about 10 on tap, plus bottles) change seasonally. The handcrafted beers are made with local ingredients, are unfiltered, and contain no artificial additives. She wouldn’t go as far as to say that their beer is a health food, but Blackmore pointed out that several ingredients in their brews are good for you: “Hops are really great for preserving bone density, and there are a lot of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins — a huge amount of B vitamins, especially in unfiltered beer. We don’t

something they’re taking lightly. Reflecting on her crowning at the 2012 Madison County Hops Fest, Blackmore said: “We were up there with some impressive people who’ve done important things for hops growing, agriculture, and small business [in the county]. To be honored was pretty cool, especially given that we hadn’t been doing it for that long.

[The community] embraced us right away.”

Blackmore’s business advice: “I spent a lot of

time second-guessing myself, at least early on. I’ve learned that gut instinct is fairly reliable.”

In Blackmore’s refrigerator: “At home, a lot of

Belgian beer (we just got back from the Belgium Comes to Cooperstown beer festival) … and we just got our CSA share from Smitty’s Market Farm in Morrisville. But that’s pretty much it, besides a lot of condiments. At the They set out to translate their experience with farm-to-table eating into farm-to-glass drinking. brewery, we’ve got part of a pig. All of our grain goes to local farmers, so sometimes use any of the nasty stuff, so when you strip it down, they’ll barter with us. One farmer just sold us an brewers, farmers, and agriculture advocates working it’s grains, herbs, and water.” entire pig that was raised exclusively on pasture to bring back the lost industry. Whalen had been From the Finger Lakes to the Capital District, and our brewer’s grains — and it is delicious.” home-brewing for a number of years, so he started bars, restaurants, and specialty beer stores across developing recipes using hops grown by Foothill New York are selling Good Nature brews. And this Farms in nearby Munnsville. They then found a farm summer, Blackmore and Whalen opened up a tastin Canastota where they could buy barley. ing room on Broad Street in Hamilton, keeping their They set out to create their business plan in the STILL HUNGRY? original location solely for brewing. A grant from fall of 2010, consulting with local business developColgate’s new Entrepreneurs of NY Fund made that ment agencies and doing “a lot of homework” to gain expansion much easier. the know-how they needed. Now, Blackmore is the Although they had considered expanding their business brains, while Whalen is the brewmaster. offerings to tapas (especially given Whalen’s chef Even though Blackmore focuses on the marketpertise), they didn’t want to compete with the local ing, bookkeeping, and inner workings, she still lives restaurants that serve their beer. So, instead, they and breathes beer. She is surprised that she never Visit Colgate.edu/feelgoodrecipes have a menu board with delivery options ranging gets sick of suds, although early morning tastings to find tantalizing recipes from these from the Royal India Grill, to La Iguana (Mexican), to can be hard to swallow. entrepreneurs, including Frocktails the Hamilton Inn. “This is a small community with a “A lot of large breweries have equipment that (Frava cocktails), yogurt strawberry limited number of customers,” Blackmore explained. will do the kinds of tests that we’re using our senses cheesecake squares, and chicory “Collaborating with other businesses and highlighting to do,” Blackmore explained. They check for off mocha porter–braised short ribs. what they do, that’s a win-win for everybody.” Good flavors, clarity (“because we don’t filter, time is our Nature also supports local artists by featuring live filter,” she said), and carbonation. “Every morning, we music nights. have our little tasting panel, and that’s sometimes That focus on the community has earned challenging if I haven’t eaten breakfast yet or I’m Blackmore and Whalen much respect. And it’s not still drinking my coffee.”

News and views for the Colgate community

33

Saramaccan Serenade Story and photos by John Williams ’10

S

urrounded by impenetrable walls of tropical rainforest, perched in the stern of my dugout canoe, I paddle leisurely downriver one early morning. Ligorio, a remote Saramaccan village in Suriname’s interior, peeks through the trees at the next bend in the river. As I approach the wooden staircase where I tie off my canoe, I come upon three heavy, half-naked women. They are bent over at the waist, scrubbing the traces of open fires from their pots to the rhythmic chatter of village gossip. As they subtly cover their exposed breasts by pulling up their pangis (sarongs), I become aware of my presence. I am foreign in a native culture, strange to all things familiar. And yet, I feel welcome.

“Johnnie, I weki no?” the three women shelve their discourse and sing in unison. (Did you wake?)

“Mi weki oooo,” I reply tunefully. (I woke.)

Every morning, Saramaccans roll out of their hammocks and greet each person with whom they cross paths — adult or child, neighbor or stranger — with these words. Their bellowing voices echo throughout the village and across the chestnut-brown river, but not much farther. A forgotten people in a relatively unknown country, their story remains muffled by the dense, untouched rainforest that covers 80 percent of the small former Dutch colony on South America’s wild northern coast.

34

scene: Autumn 2013

Located between Guyana and French Guinea, Suriname, a country the size of Florida, was traded by the English to the Dutch for a piece of land called New Amsterdam (later known as New York City) in 1667. Today, Suriname’s population is a composite of races, home to more than 15 languages but only 500,000 people. The majority live on the northern coast in or around the capital, Paramaribo, the country’s only major city. But not the Saramaccans.

The Saramaccans are descendants of African slaves who were brought to Suriname in the 18th century to work on Dutch sugar plantations and escaped to its vast interior. Their African roots are as much alive as the rainforest that surrounds them. They appoint their village leaders, practice polygamy, wear vibrant colors, and carry heavy loads on their heads. Women wear hangisas (scarves) around their waists to display their relationship status; wash their dishes and clothes in the river; tie babies to their backs; and cultivate rice, cassava, and vegetables on plots of cleared land in the jungle.

Men wear bandjakotos (shoulder cloths) and kamisas (loincloths) sewn by their wives, build wooden boats and houses by hand, and provide for their families by hunting and fishing.

I wrote myself into their story by committing two years of my life to international grassroots devel-

opment as a Peace Corps volunteer beginning in May 2011. I landed in Ligorio, a demanding two-day journey from Paramaribo by car, motorized dugout canoe, and foot, that July. With electricity only from 7 to 11 p.m. and no running water, my home was a

wooden shack on the grounds of a primary school, nestled between the jungle, the Gaan Lio (Big River), and a traditional area of worship.

I learned to speak Saramaccan and how to build a dugout canoe, ate foods of which I will never know the names, worked with machetes, fished for piranha, and played soccer. Meanwhile, as part of SUR-17, the seventeenth Peace Corps group (and, sadly, the last, due to budgetary reasons) to serve in Suriname since 1995, I tried my best to serve the people, working with community leaders and local organizations to promote business, health, and youth development projects.

Every day, my life in Ligorio began with greeting after greeting. For the Saramaccans, the gesture demonstrates respect and exudes compassion. As Julia Alinkie, head of the women’s organization in Ligorio, told me, “A de a di gwenti fuu kaa. Bifo moni, u bi abi fanoudu fuu seei.” (It’s what we are already used to. Before money, we needed ourselves.) In a culture where the elders still remember when currency had not yet reached their lands, the Saramaccans are accustomed to committing time and effort to the community’s most valuable resource — its people — creating a friendly, welcoming environment and a strong sense of community. And it all begins with a simple hello.

There are two greetings, one in the morning and one in the afternoon/evening. Here’s an example of the morning conversation:

First Impressions June 28, 2011 Stepping out of the motorized dugout boat and onto the rocks of Ligorio’s riverbank for the first time, I had arrived in the village where I would spend the next two years of my life, excitement cascading from my heart. As part of my Pre-Service Training (our first 11 weeks in Suriname, known as PST in Peace Corps’ acronymic lingo), I was here on a four-day site visit to test the waters in Ligorio. I saw the wooden hut where I would be living and met the Saramaccans with whom I hoped to become friends. My fantasy of living in the jungle was coming true.

Ligorio is amazing! A Christian village with a church and primary school, it’s located in the Langu region, which consists of eight villages. The entire area is incredibly beautiful and inaccessible.

My first distinct memory here is that I had brought my camping pack, water filter, hammock, and enough canned tuna and peanut butter to live on for four days. But, I had waited until after dark to think about cooking. There was no electricity in my hut. I did not know a single person. I could barely string two sentences together in Saramaccan. And I had no cooking utensils. I realized that I would have to rely on the compassion of others to cook my first

meal. Reluctantly, I grabbed a can of beans in one hand and a package of ramen noodles in the other, turned on my headlight, and set off from my house.

Walking toward the first hut I could see, I approached a family sitting in the shadows around a well-lit cooking hut whose light spilled out across the pathway. Surprise silenced their conversation as I, a strange white man with shaggy hair and hairy legs and arms, approached them in the dark. I tried my best to articulate to the three elderly women and one silent girl that I would be living with them for the next two years. And then, speaking at the level of a 4-year-old and the rate of a sloth, I popped the question: “Ma abi soni u boi. Mi sa boi no?” (I don’t have things to cook. Can I cook?)

As I lifted my hands to reveal the provisions, the women understood my intentions and handed me a pot, but raised quizzical eyebrows as I dumped the ramen into the boiling water and then poured the beans in as well. They shamelessly stared at me, commenting about my behavior. But I was not bothered, for I was feeling so accomplished to have achieved my goal of cooking and eating a meal.

Having watched me slurp down my soup with a huge smile as if I had not eaten in days, they found it hysterical, and, I must admit, so did I.

The Colgate Hello

A: “I weki no?” (Did you wake?)

B: “Mi weki ooo” (I woke.)

A: “Unfa I weki?” (How did you wake?)

B: “Mi weki tanga. Unfa I seei weki?” (I woke strongly.

How did you wake?)

A: “Mi weki bunbun.” (I woke well.)

B: “So.” (OK) A: “So. Mi nango a lio.” (OK, I am going to the river.)

While it took me longer to understand and adjust to some aspects of Saramaccan culture and customs, I immediately took to gliding around the village greeting every person in sight, for I am a disciple of the Colgate Hello. But by living in Ligorio, I came to appreciate even more deeply the magnitude of that small, easy human gesture.

At times, isolated by cultural and linguistic barriers, I felt foreign to the bone, misunderstood, and completely alone. But it was on those days, while I fantasized about packing up and leaving, that another Saramaccan would pass by and greet me with a cheerful fervor, unaware of my troubles. Once again, I felt acknowledged and wanted, and my dreams of abandoning my post would wash away downriver.

I wrote about the shared Colgate-Saramaccan value of greeting on my blog, It’s Always Sunny in Suriname, which I had created so that I could share my Peace Corps experiences with family, friends, and other interested readers. What follows are excerpts and adaptations of some of my favorite moments and musings about my life in Suriname.

Omelia turns over a round of cassava bread — a main staple of the Saramaccan diet.

March 20, 2012 There are several unspoken rules about the Saramaccan greeting. One is that if you are walking by someone sitting at their house, it is your responsibility to initiate the conversation. Because my house is a bit far from the path, some people pass by without greeting me, which, given the distance from my house to the path, is totally acceptable. One day, I was in the mood to cause a little trouble, and Maureen, a 24-year-old friend and Saramaccan mother, passed by without greeting me. I cleared my throat and called out “Ohhh, Maureeeeennn. Ya ke fan ku mi tide no?” (Do you not want to talk to me today?)

She paused, aware that I had caught her on her silent passage. Slowly rotating her head with her shoulders locked in place to maintain balance of the massive pile of clothes and dishes on top of her head, she faced me to reveal a sly grin. She knew something that I didn’t, and I was about to hear it. “Umeni pasi I bi go ko a ganda sondo fan ku mi tide?” (How many

News and views for the Colgate community

35

times did you come and go to the center of the village without talking to me today?)

She was right. Earlier that day, I walked back and forth several times to talk to my counterpart about a pressing need. I had probably passed by her house three or four times without greeting her. To my defense, her house is blocked by trees and I didn’t see her resting in the shade of her thatched roof hut.

But those are only excuses. As the passerby, it was my responsibility to initiate the conversation. Her silent passage by my house was simply a form of retaliation.

“Tuu tuu, ya leti” (True, true. You are right.), I called out, admitting defeat with a smile on my face. Maureen, chuckling, continued walking to the river.

Never Had I Ever Sept. 26, 2012 1. Washed all of my laundry and dishes by hand, in a river, every single day 2. Helped build a thatched roof hut 3 . Been so comfortable talking to half-naked elderly women and completely naked children 4. Gone 10 months without a hot shower 5. Been told I am getting fat as if it was a good thing 6. Learned to speak a Creole language or attempted the many genres of Saramaccan dance 7 . Come face to face with a wild jaguar 8 . Imagined that kids living in the rainforest would own Blackberry cell phones before I did 9 . Helped dig a grave 10. Cut parasites out of my own feet using a knife 1 1. Lived in a wooden hut frequented by tarantulas (and once, a venomous bushmaster snake)

12. Caught a piranha, prepared it, and then eaten it 13. Slept for weeks at a time in a hammock 14. Been so terrified of ants

Beans Beans, the Musical Fruit Nov. 5, 2012 It’s Always Sunny in Suriname has been lacking a classic awkward moment; however, it comes with a warning! For those who do not find humor in flatulence, you are advised to stop reading this post. For those who do, let’s let it rip: I recently wrote a post titled “The Jungle Cookbook” alluding to the drastic change in my diet over the past year and a half. In America, my diet doesn’t revolve around a four-meal schedule, and I don’t resort to beans as my main source of protein. I left

36

scene: Autumn 2013

two lounging in the shade of a thatched roof hut out one important detail: these dietary adjustments (Clementina and Bakamai). I greeted them politely have been problematic at times. and sat down on a wooden board under the shade Let’s go back to Pre-Service Training, which of a nearby tree. Quickly, the conversation turned prepared us for our service, linguistically and culturdown its all-too-familiar route: the women jokally. Every morning, we woke up to four hours of ingly boasted about the sexual skills of Saramaccan language training. I dove in head first. I listened. I women and repeatedly asked me of my interest in asked questions. I studied note cards. And I tried “taking a Saramaccan woman.” Once they tired of to speak with the teachers as much as possible, no the topic, we sat quietly, the women chuckling to matter how repetitive the conversations — for, how themselves, savoring their newly acquired ability to was I to “save the world” without being able to speak harass a young American male.

Saramaccan?

BRRRRRRAAAAAAPPPP. After lunch, it was back to the training room for I froze in embarrassment, iced over by my strict three more hours of project-related and cultural cultural warning. I had no idea how to react. I waited lessons. As our trainers led us through discussions dissecting each norm and value, they chiseled comuntil I could no longer bear the silence after the storm. mandments into our heads, but my intuition cringed “Piimiisi ee,” I apologized quietly, hoping the — the advice we were being fed was so black and women would let the issue breeze over. white. Integrating into a community started to feel Bakamai, knowing I was feeling guilty, seized the more like a test for which we had to prepare the opportunity to further tease me. answers than something to experience.

“John, what made that noise?”

I must say that, overall, I valued the lessons. They Responses raced through my head. shaped the attitude with which I would approach “Someone made some music,” I replied. adapting to a new culture — as a learner. According “Woooooloo,” the women erupted in fierce laughto my job description, I was meant to be a “business ter. Several seconds rolled by before Bakamai, eager adviser,” but to become a teacher, I first needed to to feed the fire, asked, “Who made the music?” succeed as a student.

Facing the warm flow of their affection, I thawed However, some of the conversations were comifrom my arctic state of awkwardness, realizing one cal. One piece of advice was, “Never fart in front of mistake need not mortify me. “I made the music,” I a Saramaccan. They find it rude and disrespectful.” admitted, accepting responsibility for my blunder.

I recall keeping my sarcastic response to myself as “Agoutumai, did you hear that? John made some I engraved a mental note. The conversation continmusic for us,” Bakamai repeated. Having too much ued, but I began to philosophize to myself that my fun, she couldn’t stop egging me on. “John, what perception of passing gas changes with the circumtype of music did you make?” stances. Yes, in a formal or work setting, cutting the My Saramaccan vocabulary had not yet inherited cheese is inappropriate and inconsiderate. In a social the word “fart,” so I answered to the best of my abilisetting, it’s embarrassing (unless you successfully rip ties. “Butt music,” I replied. and run, or better yet, are brave enough to rip and They could barely stay in their seats. In fact, remain — using a dose of reverse psychology). But in Bakamai rolled off her wooden bench onto her knees a casual setting with my closest companions, I often on the ground. Her eyes rolled up, meeting mine in laugh and applaud friendly fires. elated agony.

So, never? That’s a strong word. Would someone “Oh my god, I can’t take it anymore!” studying American culture say the same thing?

Agoutumai, who was bent over cooking, stag Fast forward three months. I was loving the gered away from the fire, gasping for air, her face adventure of my new life in Ligorio, enthusiastically struggling through all the adjustments, and excited by all my prospering relationships. When not at my house or the river, I was wandering through the village, trying to learn the language better and getting to know my community members.

One day, I was in the middle of my village tour when I came upon three ladies in their 60s, one busy at the fire cooking (AgouMetsan, Omelia’s son. People started calling him my “shadow.” tumai) and the other

and family, and was excited to begin working. I called the village together for a meeting and they were ecstatic to hear that we reached our fundraising goal — no small sum of money for the Saramaccans.

At the meeting, an elderly man named Philippe respectfully interrupted to say how much these altruistic gestures mean to him, especially because the donors were Americans who have never met Saramaccans but were After doing a spicy dance at her brother’s wedding celebration, Nelda (right) got an apprestill willing to help ciative embrace from two other guests. them improve their lives. It was one of the most powerful moments of my Peace Corps service. full of delighted wrinkles. Clementina swayed and I was overwhelmed with pride. clapped, wailing jubilantly. I couldn’t resist joining The community had also promised to send men in the laughter, enjoying the irony of the situation. to help transport the mill from Atjoni to Ligorio, a Here I was, sitting with three Saramaccan women trip that includes two portages, and to provide room in the Surinamese rainforest, having the time of our and board for the manufacturers, who would travel lives over something I was advised never to do. to Ligorio to give technical training on how to install As I walked home, my thoughts returned to my and maintain the mill. cultural training lessons, but I came to my own But that didn’t change anything; we were in the conclusion: I became closer with each of those ladies middle of an intense dry season, and the river was through my farting fiasco. too low for the community to uphold their part of A few days later, I went to the river to wash my the bargain. For months and months, we had to wait dishes. It was early, and for whatever reason, I was for the rain to fall and the river to rise. not talkative. I steered clear of a woman washing Thanks to the personal responsibility of a select dishes nearby, greeting her without taking note of few, in particular Frank Majokko, the village-nomwho she was. I settled into the mindless scrubbing, inated manager of the rice milling business, the treasuring the rare morning hours of utter silence. project gained momentum in the meantime. Frank The mist was dancing its way downriver before takorganized women to dig sand, a task that can only ing flight into the day’s heat. take place while the river level is low, and carry it to And then, the stunning sound of payback, pollutthe shelter (the sand is required to mix with cement ing the pristine environment. Smiling, I turned my to make the floor). While the river limited our ability head, ready to tease the culprit, as the three women to bring heavy supplies, such as bags of cement and had previously done to me, when my eyes met a zinc roofing, out to Ligorio, Frank agreed to begin familiar sight of elated agony. meeting with me daily so that I could give him “WOOOOOOLLOOOOO!” I howled, my cry echoing business lessons. We discussed defining a mission, down the river. Bakamai’s whole body was begging setting goals and objectives, designing action plans, me to retaliate. Fully prepared, I asked, “Bakamai, bookkeeping, pricing, and marketing. what was that?”

I loved those informal meetings because it gave “Someone made some music,” she said. me an opportunity to teach. Frank’s desire to help his “Who made it?” community is simple and genuine, pouring through “Me!” his enthusiastic eyes and cheerful smile. The conver “What type of music did you make?” sations we had were open, free to discuss anything “Butt music!” that came to mind, and together, we discovered what it would take to properly run a business. We Taking Care of Business! would give each other “bauxite” (the Saramaccan March 22, 2013 version of a fist bump) as we came up with new There was nothing we could do. And I hated it. The ideas. I can’t tell you how many times we would weather was delaying my primary project. walk away from those meetings with huge smiles We had already agreed: I would raise the money plastered on our faces, both of us having learned to purchase the rice mill, and the community would something new and excited by the prospect of a sucdonate all of the transportation, material, and labor cessful business. Even more importantly, we were costs needed to build a shelter for it. I had received becoming good friends who could trust each other. the money, generously donated by my friends

FINALLY! After four months, the rain began to fall.

I jumped at the opportunity to remind the community that the time had arrived to fulfill their promise.

After receiving some money from the women’s organization of Ligorio, Frank dug into his own pocket to cover the rest of the costs, traveled to Paramaribo, and bought the supplies needed to build the shelter.

After transporting the supplies to Ligorio, Frank worked in the jungle, where he cut all of the wood by hand and then carried it to the village with the help of some boys.

Frank and I spent three days building the house. and we are now ready to transport the rice mill out to Ligorio!

A Special Moment for Momma Williams March 19, 2013 During my parents’ first visit to Ligorio, my mother took a particular liking to a boy named August after he jumped up on a table, took her hands, and started shaking his hips and knees like Elvis Presley.

My mom, who at any moment’s notice is willing to partake in some fun, joined in, pretending she was dancing with Jacoby Jones on Dancing With The Stars. I could almost guarantee that moment with August was the highlight of her first visit to Ligorio. After they returned to the States, she continually asked me about August and how he was doing.

Well, last week (one year later), my parents visited a second time.

We walked over to the rice mill shelter. I wanted to show them the progress we had made on my primary project. My mom and I eventually split off from the group to organize an activity at the school.

As we were headed toward the school, we saw some of the children walking back to their homes. Suddenly, August popped out from around the corner and I shouted, “August! Look! Someone came to see you!”

August turned to see my mom from about 30 yards away and, without a second’s hesitation, began sprinting to her with his arms and eyes wide open, his Cars backpack bobbing up and down behind him.

My mom dropped to her knees, spreading her arms in welcoming anticipation. August jumped into her arms as she lifted him into the air, twirling in circles while calling out “doooooooooooo” — a noise made

by Saramaccans when embracing a loved one.

I rushed to ready my camera and was able to capture this special moment.

News and views for the Colgate community

37

Get Your White Rice Here!

May 17, 2013 Some men and boys from Ligorio traveled to Atjoni to help transport the rice mill and its engine back to our village. Counterclockwise, from top: Pulling the boat up Tapawata, the first of two rapids around which we have to portage our supplies.

Portaging the rice mill around Gaandam, rapid number two. This rapid is much larger, requiring us to take the machines out of the boat and walk them around by land.

Frank and I installed and cemented the rice mill and its engine to the ground. Then: in the top‌ and out the bottom, the final product: WHITE RICE! And finally, one happy customer!

38

scene: Autumn 2013

It changed how I will, one day, raise my children and what values I will try to teach them. It taught August 28, 2013 me what I am capable of, alone and in a group, and Now that I am back in the United States, reconnectrefreshed my aspiration to reach my fullest potening with my friends and family and adjusting to the tial. It gave me a new group of close friends both realities of American life, many people ask me with throughout the United States and in the Surinamese fascination and respect, “So what exactly did you do rainforest, the inspiration to become a teacher, and down there?” It’s a good question. Many Americans an undying love of mangos. do not have a real understanding of the mission un Why, and how, did my Peace Corps experience dertaken by the 8,073 current Peace Corps volunteers inspire such monumental change in me? serving in 76 countries around the world.

Life in Ligorio is simpler, more elemental. While To answer them, I reflect back on my service, an financially, Saramaccans live below the poverty incredible, personal, exhausting, challenging, breathline, to me, their lives are rich. They are tied to the taking, life-changing, and maddening ride through outdoors. They live and take care of the basics, and life in the Surinamese rainforest. The most accurate they don’t do much else. They do it all with a skillful response (which I rarely provide) is that I gained far understanding of themselves, their community, more than I ever sacrificed. culture, and environment, surrounded daily by their While discovering a special corner of the world different from our own and establishing close relationships with people who approach life from a different point of view, I came to understand the differences and similarities between life in the Surinamese rainforest and the United States.

Learning about the customs and values to which Saramaccans adhere, especially those that greatly diverge from their counterparts in America, provoked me to examine my own actions and values, and even my mission in life.

Who do I want to be? What do I need to confess? How have I deceived myself and others? Where have my actions diverged from my values? How do I want to be perceived? What changes will I commit to making in my actions, attitude, and perceptions? To which meaningful cause do I want to commit my professional career?

Philip taught me how to make wawai, small mats used to fan fires.

These are the essential questions that I contemplated. family members. And their lifestyle is contagious.

First and foremost, I made a confession to myself Since coming home, it’s been a struggle to inand my family, coming clean on who I am, why I did corporate those priorities and that simplicity in my the things I did — things I am proud of, and things I life here. I crave that life, but our culture makes it am not — and where I intend to go next. Only after difficult. We have developed beyond that, perhaps to that did I realize that I had never really thought our detriment. about what I wanted my purpose in life to be. And if Furthermore, I’d learned that people are people, I did, I had never written it down. no matter where in the world. We can do our best to So I started there, as if creating a personal constudy all the generalities and tendencies of a group, stitution. While still in Ligorio, I wrote: “My mission but in the end, people carry their own perspectives in life is to live with integrity and character and and personalities to every issue. There are people to enthuse positive change in myself and in my who make you laugh, and some who drive you incommunities around the world.” Writing this down sane. There are hard workers and freeloaders. There helped me to set my moral compass, defining my are people who follow the rules and those who break values and goals as a person — the son, brother, and them. Some children are academically driven, some friend that I am, as well as the husband, father, and athletically, some artistically, and others socially. leader that I want to be some day.

Some people are happy; others, unhappy.

Looking back, my Peace Corps experience has When we look at people we don’t know, and permeated every nook and cranny of my life. It has speak of “foreigners” or “tribes” or “clans,” we perchanged the lens through which I view the world ceive them as different. But regardless of divergences and my role in it. It changed what I care about, in culture and values, we all have the same basic huand how I think about language and culture and man needs, desires, concerns, and emotions — and money. It changed how I approach my relationship those similarities outweigh our differences. with myself and with others, how I approach every On the day I was scheduled to depart from individual I meet, and how I empathize with people Ligorio, I was hit by the most difficult challenge I’d — outsiders, in particular.

The Peace Corps Changed My Life

met as a Peace Corps volunteer, humbling all of the obstacles I had faced in the past: saying goodbye for the last time to the Saramaccans who had treated me as if I was one of their own. Not a bone in my body wanted to leave.

As the plane climbed over the green canopy of pristine rainforest and I waved to the crowd that had gathered at the jungle airstrip to see me off, I realized that my Peace Corps experience had redefined for me what it means to be a man. In Ligorio, I had learned what type of man I wanted to be, and had started down that path.

When I try to measure what kind of Peace Corps volunteer I was — what kind of success I had in Ligorio — it comes down to two things: the relationships I built with the people, and my commitment to their community. In other words, what kind of man I was.

To me, the essence of what it means to be a man emanates from the heart. It was about my capacity to love and to be loved.

The questions I now ask myself are all about relationships. “What kind of village member was I? What kind of neighbor?

What kind of role model? What kind of teacher? What kind of friend? Who did I love, and who did I allow to love me?”

At the end of my service, I wanted to leave a legacy, to know that I made a difference. And all of that depended on the effort that I was willing to commit to Ligorio and its people, my belief in my responsibility to give back, and the challenge to identify my unique cause in life.

I surfaced from this deep introspection with a greater understanding of myself and committed to work hard to align my actions with my values.

I can’t say that I gave it 110 percent every day. Some days, I napped in my hammock and read a book for the entire day. I made mistakes. I aggravated people, and people aggravated me. But that was the amazing rollercoaster of my life in Ligorio and of life in general. In the end, I can look myself in the mirror and congratulate myself on a life well lived in Ligorio, but that’s between me and me.

Colgate’s Peace Corps legacy

Colgate consistently ranks as a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers. Since 1961, 336 Colgate alumni have served. Currently, 12 are serving in Benin, Gambia, Guatemala, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Tonga, working in agriculture, education, environment, health, and community economic development.

Back from his service in Suriname, John Williams is now teaching algebra, pre-calculus, and calculus at the National Sports Academy in Lake Placid, N.Y., and serving as an assistant coach for the Boy’s Varsity Ice Hockey team.

Read more on his blog at itsalwayssunnyinsuriname. wordpress.com.

News and views for the Colgate community

39

40

scene: Autumn 2013

Tommy Brown ’79

News and views for the Colgate community

41

The Office of Alumni Relations is pleased to offer many ways for alumni to stay in touch with each other, and with Colgate! E-mail me with questions or concerns at tmansfield@ colgate.edu. — Tim Mansfield, director of alumni relations Questions? Contact alumni relations: 315-228-7433 or alumni@colgate.edu.

42

scene: Autumn 2013

Alumni directory takes an evolutionary leap

Colgate has just put the “go” into “Go, ’gate.” Now available in a user-friendly application for iPhone and Android devices, Colgate’s mobile alumni directory can be found in the iTunes store and on Google Play.

Information already stored in Colgate’s web-based online directory drives the app’s new features, including the Nearby function, which lets you find classmates and friends based on their preferred addresses.

“When alumni from New York travel to San Francisco or Austin and want to reach out to others in the area, they won’t have to boot up a laptop to do that search anymore,” said Tim Mansfield, associate VP and alumni relations director. “This is a powerful tool in terms of professional networking and mentoring, as well as social engagement.”

You can pair the application with your LinkedIn account, allowing you to display your employment profile, view LinkedIn profiles of other alumni users who have paired accounts, and see shared connections.

The app also offers access to Colgate’s news blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed, and YouTube channel.

“We’re committed to information security,” Mansfield emphasized, “so there are a few initial steps that users will have to take to set up their accounts. But we believe it’s well worth the effort.”

When you first launch the app, you’ll be prompted to provide an email address and create a password.

The e-mail address must match the address where you receive messages from Colgate — if it doesn’t, contact alumni relations at alumni@colgate. edu or 315-228-7439 for support.

Although the app can remember the user’s password for up to 30 days once an account is established, it will demand a four-digit PIN every time it launches. “This is an added layer of protection in case a user’s phone is lost or stolen,” said Matt Hames, Colgate’s social media manager. “Of course, we recommend that every phone has its own passcode as well, but that’s up to the user.”

The mobile directory is the latest step in an evolutionary cycle that began decades ago with a printed directory of Colgate alumni. Now, in an age of portability, the university

is responding to demands from grads who want to connect with classmates at home and on the road.

As always, alumni have complete control over what is displayed on their profiles — whether on the existing directory at colgate.edu/alumni or on the new mobile version. (You can quickly and easily update your directory information by submitting new details to the alumni office.)

To find out more, visit colgate.edu/ mobiledirectory.

New networks offer alumni professional connections

Do you work in the nonprofit sector … or wish you did? Maybe you’re in finance and want to move up — or move out, to a career in health and wellness. Either way, Colgate will have you covered when it rolls out a series of new professional networks in the months ahead.

“Professional networks bring people together based on the careers they are in — or the careers to which they aspire,” explained Mike Sciola, associate VP and career center director.

“The driving spirit behind the new networks,” said VP and alumni relations director Tim Mansfield, “is to give alumni a boost on their professional journeys and an avenue for high-impact engagement with their university, as well as to help current students with career planning.” These networks will show the world that Colgate people take care of each other — members of our community

demonstrate an unsurpassed commitment to each other, and their loyalty helps to drive Colgate’s mission, he noted.

The model was developed with the help of successful pilot programs like the Colgate Entertainment Group and the Real Estate Council. Networks in digital media and technology, finance, the common good, health and wellness, and entrepreneurship are in development; more sectors are under consideration.

The Finance Network held its kickoff luncheon on September 19, and the Entrepreneur Network will hold an inaugural trade-show launch on November 4. Others, like the Common Good Network, will launch in early spring.

A small number of volunteers will manage the networks with support from the alumni relations and career services offices. The groups will also consult periodically with the Alumni Council’s career services committee.

Watch your inbox and colgate.edu/ networks for details.

Toby Morris (2)

stay connected

Alumni programs, volunteer opportunities, career networking, and more

Successful pilot programs like the Colgate Entertainment Group will serve as a model for new networks.

Alumni Clubs and Groups Let’s play ball!

San Franciscoarea alumni piled into AT&T Park on July 9 to watch the Giants play the New York Mets. The evening began with a pregame gathering at Pete’s Tavern, and the first pitch flew at 7 p.m. Five hours and 26 minutes later — 16 innings, ladies and gentlemen — the Mets handed the home team a 4–3 defeat.

But the outcome was a success for 70 Colgate grads in attendance, including current students as well as visiting New Yorker Alex Willick ’08.

December in July

Sending first-years off in style

They might live in Chicago, but Hamilton is their kind of town.

Colgate’s Chicago send-off party, hosted by Wendy Freyer and Greg Beihl ’81, P’13’15 on July 14, drew dozens of alumni, parents, and current students to a deckedout backyard in the Windy City suburbs. Members of the Class of 2017 spent the hours eating a meal, asking questions, and sharing the Colgate spirit. They heard from their host and from trustee Mark Nozette ’71, who pointed out that the Chicago area would have 31 representatives on campus this fall — doubling its count from last year. The event was just one of 27 different send-offs

held across America this summer. For a full list of venues, visit colgate.edu/sendoffs.

Club Leaders

A special welcome to new leaders Adam Weber ’06 (adamtweber@gmail. com) of the Capital District club and Amy Palmer-Ellis ’95 (aepcolgate95@ yahoo.com) of the Club of the Berkshires.

Glenn Carpenter (2)

This year’s Women at Colgate book tour, led by longtime English professor Margaret Maurer, focused on Tenth of December by George Saunders. The collection of short stories generated plenty of spirited conversation in Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York City. Some of the 115 participants embraced the short-story format and the ambiguity that comes with a narrative snapshot rather than a full portrait. Others wished for more time to engage the characters and plots. Word count

aside, Saunders’s themes drew strong, visceral reactions.

A cross-section of the Colgate community took part. Veteran alumnae brought their undergraduates; current students and recent graduates brought their mothers. The generation variation added depth to the discussion and showed the breadth of Maurer’s appeal. “Even though I was an English major, I somehow missed taking any of Professor Maurer’s classes,” said Sara Pearl ’80, P’13. “Better late than never!”

The Tenth of December reemerged on the ninth of September, when Saunders appeared on campus as the first author in the 2013 Living Writers series. (See the archived webcast at livestream.com/colgateuniversity.)

The volume was this year’s pre–firstyear summer reading assignment, and it served as the rallying point for Colgate Reads, an online initiative that encouraged community members to read and discuss the title story late last summer.

Four hundred alumni and parents swooped into Colorado Springs, Colo., for Colgate Football’s season kickoff vs. the U.S. Air Force Academy on August 31. In addition to the action on the field, the spectators enjoyed a pre-game tailgate feast, tunes from the Vintage Colgate Thirteen, and remarks from Coach Dick Biddle, Athletic Director Vicky Chun ’91, MA’94, and President Jeffrey Herbst.

Pictured above (l to r), Jenna Webb ’02, Kate Hollerbush ’09, Bryan “the flag guy” Vander Ploeg, and Chun, showing off their Colgate spirit.

Friday, December 13, marks the final Colgate Day in the Year of ’13. Alumni clubs around the country will be celebrating, and the university will host a special day of programming. Don’t miss a moment — you’ll have to wait 100 years for another chance to show your Colgate spirit on 12/13/13. Visit colgate.edu/events to find out about get-togethers in your area; keep an eye on colgate.edu and an ear on WRCUfm.com for updates from Hamilton.

Times Square takeover: On Colgate Day in September, alumni and students showed their maroon pride on the set of Good Morning America.

Interested in learning about club events in your neck of the woods? Visit www.colgate.edu/alumnievents.

News and views for the Colgate community

43

salmagundi 72

Down 1 Say “boom-chickaboom-chicka...,” maybe

2 Fit

3 Curfew warning

4 “I’m ___ to report...”

5 Makes tidy, with “up”

6 Makes a mess of

7 First ___

8 Cleric in a mosque

9 Showed again

Slices Contest Winner

10 Girl’s question in a classic film 11 Small singer 12 Didn’t fail 14 “No ifs, ___, or buts” 21 “Mangia!”

23 “Federalist Papers” co-author 26 End of Descartes’ famous formula 29 Person who’s popular by convention?

40/45-Across

Puzzle by Kyle Dolan ’06

Note: This puzzle’s grid provides a visual hint to 40/45-Across.

Across

39 Atlantic City casino, with “the”

1 Crooner Crosby

40 With 45-Across, group founded in 1974

5 Word before case or master

10 Sugar amt.

45 See 40-Across

13 ___ Gay (WWII plane)

49 ___ music (idle talk)

15 Like 13

50 Wagner work

16 Greek exclamation

52 Where Whiffenpoofs hail from

17 The Chronicles of Narnia lion

53 Soprano Fleming

18 Something to fly under?

55 ___ of Two Cities

19 Prof.’s helpers

57 Emeritus: Abbr.

20 Man’s name meaning “gift of God”

58 Daniel ___, Reagan-era world leader

22 Colgate has 52 (that’s 13 x 4!)

60 “Aha!”

24 Popular Halloween costume

62 Gorilla, e.g.

25 Goldman ___

63 Donut coating

27 Dame’s lead-in

65 Entertain

28 Shop sign

66 Old salt

30 Get ready to play at Seven Oaks

67 Fairy tale baddies

32 Piece of academic regalia

68 Willem of “Spider-Man”

33 Copy

69 Animal warning

35 The Professor was a passenger on it

70 John, Paul, or George, but not Ringo

37 One remembered on Memorial Day: Abbr.

71 Pol Paul and others

scene: Autumn 2013

31 Casino floor 34 Mark on a ballot 36 Hound 38 In the past 40 Himalayan guides 41 Upstate New York has many long ones 42 Craft brewery product, for short 43 Web surfer 44 Most somber 46 Bistro dessert 47 “Kyrie ___” (hymn) 48 Parlor pieces 49 Some Slavs 51 Part of 42-Down 54 Some frozen waffles 56 “Good grief!”

59 Microscopic critter 61 Five-star Bradley 64 Mr. Onassis See page 61 for the solution.

In our latest Slices contest (summer 2013), we asked readers to identify this Colgate tradition.

Ted Vaill ’62 correctly answered that this photo from the 1963 Salmagundi shows the annual freshmansophomore tug-of-war competition by Taylor Lake. Vaill recalled: “That year, many more frosh than sophs showed up, and most of the sophs, including me, were from the Phi Kappa Tau house nearby. During the Tug of War, with 20 of us on one side and over 100 frosh on the other, on a given signal, we dropped the rope and ran for the house. Most of us made it, except for the unknown soph in the picture.”

Above: When through thy valley, fair Chenango‌ Aerial photo by Andrew Daddio Back cover: Crisp autumn sky over West Hall Photo by Andrew Daddio

News and views for the Colgate community

scene: Colgate University

13 Oak Drive Hamilton, NY 13346-1398

colgate

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Colgate University