4/10/25 concordiensis by Concordiensis

When Steinmetz Comes Down: 95 Year Old STEM Building to Be Demolished

Professor Charles Proteus Steinmetz, known during the turn of the 20th century as one of the world’s leading figures in physics and electrical engineering, is also one of Union College’s most venerated and recognized academics. His more than two-decades’ long service to the community is remembered, among many other ways, within the halls of his namesake facility, Steinmetz hall. Since 1930, just seven years after his passing, the building has marked an integral part of Union’s extensive STEM facilities, and is slated to be demolished with the advent of plans to construct a facility for engineering labs and classes

Opinion: Reconsider Your Next Doordash

Elsie Paxton Contributing Writer

Many college students today have a strange power – we can get just about anything without ever stepping outside. Connected more than ever, yet paradoxically, increasingly isolated. Food delivery apps exemplify how convenience can quietly erode our sense of community. Ordering online limits contact with people, sheltering us from each other.

Union’s Acapella Groups Shine at Annual Thruway Competition

Allyson Bennett Staff Writer

This past Sunday, April 6, 2025, three of Union’s acapella groups, The Dutch Pipers, The Eliphalets, and The Garnettes, performed at Thruway, an annual competition among local acapella groups. This year’s competition saw The Dutch Pipers emerge as the overall winners for their spectacular

STEINMETZ

in its stead. The plan, which consists of the relocation of current Steinmetz faculty offices to the first and second floors of Butterfield Hall followed by a groundbreaking over the summer of 2025 and the eventual removal of Steinmetz hall, is expected to be completed by the beginning of the 2027-2028 academic year. The project also aims to renovate current facilities in the Olin Center and Butterfield Hall, and has been funded in large part by donations from Union trustees and graduates Mary and Rich Templeton, comprising “$40 million,” as part of a “previously announced donation,” according to the college’s official announcement of the project. It is unclear from here whether or not Steinmetz’s legacy will carry on in the same fashion upon the new building’s construction, a legacy which, as Schenecetady historian Chris Leonard said in an interview: “brought other major scientists to Schenectady,” and “stands as a giant among men.” With plans still underway, no certain coclusions can be drawn as to exactly how the college will honor the late professor’s legacy and contributions to the academic and communal landscape of not just the school, but learning across the world.

Continued from page 1

Frank L. Messa Rink: A Future up in the Air

The Frank L. Messa Rink at the Achilles Center has been an iconic hallmark of Union College hockey since its construction in 1975. The Union College community has stood around its boards as we have both won and lost games, moved from Division III to Division I, and united as a school with spirit and strength. After fifty years of service, plans broke for a new hockey are-

na at the Mohawk Harbor Events Center scheduled to open for the 2025-2026 ECAC season. So what will the future of Messa Rink look like? The director of athletics, Jim McLaughlin, made an official statement that, as of now, administration has “not yet finalized future plans,” but discussions are underway as the ice was removed for the final time this April first. McLaughlin, stating also in an interview with the Daily Gazette regarding the matter, that once the hockey rink is gone, the building will shift into a space

for other athletic uses. There will be additional locker rooms and an indoor turf facility for many other sports. Construction crews will work to clear the rink, boards, glass, and bleachers for this change to take place. The goal is to have all of this done by September 2025. This will offer a substantial advantage for other athletes, providing more space to practice and a weatherproof environment. Union is excited to see what Messa’s future will look like, and for the new memories and legacies that will be created.

Schenectady Digital History Archive

A depiction of the Electrical Engineering Laboratory, the predecessor to Steinmetz Hall.

Union College Portrait of Charles Steinmetz with his signature

Union College

Architects’ renderings of the planned buildings

Naomi Nayor Contributing Writer

Union College

Messa Rink during construction in the 1970s.

GILLIAN PASEKA, OPINIONS EDITOR pasekag@union.edu

The Cost of the Experience

Why Younger Generations are Willing to Pay Big for Concerts

There is no better feeling than seeing your favorite artists perform in front of you. No longer listening to songs in muffled headphones, distorted speakers, or on a coffee shop’s radio. However, it is no easy task seeing performers nowadays – unless one’s pockets are filled with money. This does not deflect younger generations away, though, as the normalcy has become spending hundreds on concert tickets. How are these purchases justified?

Some realization around concert ticket prices surfaced with the younger generations attending Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour.” Videos and posts revealed the true costs, shocking the world with the amount paid to see a performer. Upwards of a thousand teens paid for her three hour concerts, covering all her albums through the years.

When asking around Union’s campus about concert ticket prices and for what artist, Taylor Swift was brought up frequently. In regards to my ticket, I won the Ticketmaster presale and only paid $140.

Maya Koster ’27 did not have the same experience, however, as she paid over $300 for “The Eras Tour.” When asking how she justifies this price, Koster responds, “Money comes back, but this experience won’t. There won’t be another chance to see my favorite musician perform while I’m young.”

The costs of Taylor Swift concert tickets

continued to be mentioned when meeting with Sydney Cuticelli ’27. Cuticelli justified her spendings exceeding $200. “[For] many different reasons Taylor was an artist I grew up with and was raised by, so I had to see her.”

Fear of not being able to see a certain artist in concert again after they go on tour is another reason why younger generations feel the need to spend money on tickets. What if this is the last time they’d be going on tour? Now it is an obvious answer to purchase tickets.

Being a concert enthusiast myself, I

have fallen to the epidemic of justifying outrageous concert prices. There are too many positive reasons to pay the mortgage-like bill for an artist, rather than to save for other reasons. The rush of adrenaline when the musician shares a venue with yourself and all the fans seems personal. Every concert is its own experience, waiting to be purchased.

We must not ignore the fact that there are cheaper concerts available, too. Koster mentions her lowest payment for a concert was $60, which is relatively inexpensive now-

adays. Personally, the cheapest tickets I’ve purchased were 40 dollars for The Weeknd – still unsure how I pulled that one off. Concerts are beyond what they used to be. There are fireworks, grand stages, costume changes, and much more, that all elevate one’s experience. Yes, it is true that younger generations now pay more than what tickets used to cost. However, we must realize that concerts have become an experience more than just a musician with a mic.

Pause Before Ringing the Door (Dash) Bell

Elsie Paxton Contributing Writer

As a community, we miss out on so much when we choose to isolate instead of engaging with humanity. The small ritual of dining out and interacting with the waiter, savoring the meal, treating yourself – carries social weight. As one anonymous Un-

ion student reflected how “Our culture prioritizes convenience to the point where we have lost how important it is to be around others.” We must maintain a reverence for strangers and an appreciation for our local communities. The student continues, “Contactless delivery has weakened our ability to exist in equilibrium with others, leading us to feel inconvenienced by one another.”

This is not to say that food delivery apps have no place in a happy lifestyle. Food is a way we can understand each other better, a way to build community. Convenience is not always bad, especially for busy college students. “At the end of a long day, especially after practice, it’s nice to sit inside and enjoy a meal together. Not that going out is necessarily harder, but it is good to save dining in for a special occasion.”

Contactless delivery has weakened our abilty to exist in equilibrium with others, leading us to feel incovenienced by one another.

Food options on campus may not meet dietary requirements, too. Another student explained, “I order food when I’m stressed or when it’s late and I don’t feel like going to the dining hall.” They added, “I also like to treat myself during finals week!”

Navigating college life means allowing space for ease and recognizing when that ease becomes isolation. We must not let convenience overtake connection.

Talk to us!

Concordiensis welcomes letters to the editor on its coverage and school-related issues. Submissions are selected by the editor (including from comments posted to our social media pages) to provide a variety of opinions and voices and all are subject to editing for accuracy, clarity and length and to remove personal attacks. Letters may be emailed to concordy@union.edu. The writer’s full name, class year and e-mail or phone number must be included, but only the name and class year will be published.

Gillian Paseka Concordiensis Screenshot of multiple food service

Gillian Paseka Opinions Editor

Gillian Paseka | Concordiensis

Photo taken at Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, performed at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA in 2022.

SIENNA CHAMBIAL, EDITOR chambias@union.edu

Union’s Acapella Groups Shine at Annual Thruway Competition

Allyson Bennett Staff Writer

Union’s three acapella groups competed against five other acapella groups from Skidmore and University at Albany. Ticket sales benefitted CHIME from the Empire State Youth Orchestra, an after-school music program. The organization has 13 orchestras and a choir, and serves students from the Capital region.

Etienne Abelin, the Music Director and Conductor of the Empire State Youth Orchestra,

judged the competition this year.

Union’s acapella groups spent months preparing for this year’s Thruway. “There’s a lot of different things we do to prepare. Obviously we have to learn the music, but then we also have rehearsals where we’re focusing more on dynamics and making the songs interesting and fun,” Sophia Pegolo ‘26, co-president of The Garnettes and member of The Eliphalets, said. “On the organizational side, there’s a lot of learning how to communicate with proctors and the other groups and making sure everybody’s on top of everything.”

All of Union’s acapella groups are student-led, and a number of students arranged pieces and had solo singing performances.

Matt Parr ’25, Becky Perkins ’26, Annie Cavalluzzi ‘27, Brian Rusk ’25, and Spencer Newman ’25 arranged pieces, and Cavalluzzi, Perkins, Adrianna Miles ‘28, Walter Kraus ‘25, Kirin

Lennon ‘26, and Maddy Pilkington ‘27 also had solos.

The groups performed covers and renditions of popular songs to captivate the audience. “We had been practicing The Night We Met by Lord Huron in the fall and we learned our other two songs coming back in the winter term which were Coincidence by Sabrina Carpenter and Eat Your Young by Hozier,” Parr, President of The Eliphalets, remarked. “I actually helped arrange Eat Your Young, and it definitely was one of the hardest pieces, but it was also the most rewarding.”

The groups additionally also performed songs from other artists such as Blame it on the Boogie by the Jackson 5, and W.I.T.C.H by Devon Cole. The winning Dutch Pipers performed remixes of Sh-Boom (Life Could Be Dream) by the Chords, and Barbershop Medley.

Union’s acapella groups emerged victorious at the end of the night, winning several awards. The Dutch Pipers won the award for best stage performance and the best overall performance. They performed remixes of ShBoom (Life Could Be Dream) by the Chords, and Barbershop Medley. Perkins and the Garnettes won awards for best song and best student arrangement for W.I.T.C.H.

“Wow! The only word that comes to mind is ‘proud’. I’m so proud of every single member of my group. They all put in all of the work they had. They gave their everything and it paid off this time,” Brian Rusk ’25, president of The Dutch Pipers, said.

The event ended on a high note for all three acapella groups and participants and audience members are already looking forward to next year’s Thruway Concert.

“Moon River”

“Rocket Fuel” by DJ Shadow

“What Once Was”

“Homage” “Life in a Glasshouse”

Allyson Bennett | Concordiensis

The Eliphalets performing at the Thruway competition.

Allyson Bennett | Concordiensis

The Garnettes performing at the Thruway Competition.

Allyson Bennett | Concordiensis

The Dutch Pipers celebrating their Thruway victory with an emotional and endearing embrace while other teams applaud them.

Undergraduate Math Conference Sparks Excitement on Campus

Union had the privilege of hosting the 2025 Hudson River Undergraduate Math Conference (HRUMC) on Saturday, April 5, a prominent event that has been held annually at colleges throughout the Northeast since its founding in 1994 by Union, Siena, Skidmore, and Williams College. The conference featured a variety of talks and research presentations that provided an opportunity for undergraduate students to gain experience in the world of professional mathematics.

Presentations featured student researchers from a wide range of colleges and universities, including Colgate, Vassar, Mount Holyoke, Skidmore, Smith, Siena, Williams, and Boston University. The unique research presented encompassed a broad range of theoretical topics and practical applications, ranging from using mathematical modeling to understand the effects of lithium chloride on the boiling point of

Thursday,

water, to deriving the stability of a neutron star. Additional talks offered perspectives on career paths in the field of mathematics, alongside a discussion by keynote speaker Professor Álvaro Lozano-Robledo from the University of Connecticut. In addition to being a mathematician, professor, and author, Lozano-Robdelo is a popular Mathematical influencer on all major social media platforms. In his keynote address, he talked about Mathematics in the Age of Social Media and how he uses it to educate the public, share important mathematical breakthroughs, and bring the global Mathematics community together.

Student attendees found the day-long event engaging. “I really appreciated the mathematical physics panel,” said Prakriti Pradhan ’27. “It was exciting to be at a talk that resonated so strongly with my interests as a Mathematics and Physics double major.” Talha Khan ’26, one of the student volunteers that helped organize the conference, added, “I liked it because they were all just gossiping about math and numbers.”

This enthusiasm was also shared by professors and organizing committee members. “As a committee member, the academic year leading up to the conference was filled with

meetings to prepare for every little thing. To see it all come together was incredibly rewarding and eye-opening, because I understood just how much preparation went into making it possible,” shared Francesca Morone ’26. “The

dedication of everyone involved made for a successful, efficient, and fun day for math enthusiasts from far and wide!”

Professor Paul Friedman, a key figure in organizing the conference, expressed his appreciation for everyone who helped make it a success. “While organizing HRUMC was a year-long undertaking, having a committee of five other professors and three incredibly helpful, dedicated, and responsible students— Audrey Benson, Frankie Morone, and Tremaine Richardson—as well as experienced staff from Facilities, ITS, and Dining Services, made it both manageable and fun!” He added, “Seeing the fruits of our labor on conference day, with hundreds of smiling faces talking about interesting mathematics, makes it all worthwhile.”

While HRUMC will go on to be hosted by Vassar College in 2026, the excitement and possibilities within mathematics that were brought to campus will remain long after the conference’s conclusion at Union.

My Thesis Process: Political Science Edition

Craig Efrati Staff Writer

My thesis focused on the rhetoric of the two 2024 presidential candidates and the election of Donald Trump. Furthermore, I analyzed the different pieces that came into play to ultimately elect Donald Trump as the President of the United States. The thesis involved months of research and planning on how Trump became President as well as the rhetoric and mindset behind why Trump became the President. I first reached out to many different political science professors concerning the thesis process and proposed my idea on the rhetoric of Trump to many different professors. I settled on Clifford Brown as my thesis advisor and spent the fall term researching the debates as well as keeping track of different articles that encompassed the rhetoric of the election. I found the week-

ly meetings with Professor Brown to be extremely helpful at narrowing the topic that I would write about and providing the foundation for what my thesis would be about. I made sure to watch the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates as well as track where the candidates went throughout fall term. This gave me the foundational knowledge and research to understand the rhetoric behind the election and why the election would play out in the manner it would. In addition, I took the presidential elections class with Professors Brown and Oxley which furthered my knowledge of this election and allowed me to form the basis of understanding the topic for my thesis. Nevertheless, the thesis process was quite intense for me as it involved lots of in-depth research and analysis behind the election and allowed me to best understand why the election was carried out in the manner it did. I felt the process

was paced at an appropriate level, but I believe the process could have been improved if the thesis itself did not require as much writing as it did.

I believe it is important to showcase one’s work through the thesis process as it allows students to present

their work and develop a meaningful piece of writing that represents their interests in a particular field. The thesis process was an integral part of my journey at Union College and ultimately allowed me to write

about a specific topic of interest to me. I would highly recommend for most students to complete a thesis as it allows them to develop a significant piece of writing that speaks to who they are and capstone their education in a unique way. My thesis was the culmination of the entirety of my political science education at Union, and at the end of the process I had a complete academic work and newfound experience in academic research. I learned important lessons around politics with my thesis and will take important information away regarding the election.

Sienna Chambial, Abby Trzepla Pop Culture Editor, Sci-Tech Editor

Sienna Chambial

Professor Álvaro Lozano-Robledo sharing a comment from one of his viral TikTok videos during his keynote address

Vice President Kamala Harris and then-former President Donald Trump spar in ABC News’s Presidential Debate ABC News

NBC News Donald Trump speaks at a Minnesota rally in July, 2024

ANGELINA MARTINELLI, NOTICES EDITOR

martina2@union.edu

Concordiensis

Editor-in-Chief

Matthew Lowry ‘27

News Editor

Alexander Sano ‘28

Opinions Editor

Gillian Paseka ‘27

Sci/Tech Editor

Abigail Trzepla ‘27

Sports Editor

Noor El Maayargi ‘28

Pop/Culture Editor

Sienna Chambial ‘27

807 Editor

Ryan Cudworth ‘25

Notices Editor

Angelina Martinelli ‘28

Photo Editor

Kavita Trivedi ‘27

Staff Writers

Craig Efrati ‘25

Naomi Nayor ‘28

Allyson Bennett ‘26

Contributing Writers

Elsie Paxton ‘27

Finance Chair

Aaradhya Sharma ‘27

Concordiensis is the official student newspaper of Union College since 1877 and is published on Thursdays; weeks 2-9 during Fall, Winter and Spring terms.

Website: concordiensis.com

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Concordiensis is printed by School Paper Express, Wappingers Falls, NY

REVIEW COMMITTEES

A reappointment review committees have been formed for nine assistant professors. Members of the Union community are invited to submit written comments on their teaching, service and scholarship to the committee chair preferably by Friday, April 25, 2025.

The committees are as follows:

Christopher Whitehead (Chemistry)

• Laura MacManus-Spencer, Chair

• Mary Carroll

• Joanne Kehlbeck

Gregory Callaghan (Classics)

• Hans-Friedrich Mueller, Chair

Stacie Raucci

Peter Bedford (Religious Studies)

Prateek Arora (Economics)

Eshi Motahar, Chair

• Lewis Davis

• Steve Schmidt

Zachary Rodriguez (Economics)

• Younghwan Song, Chair

• Fuat Sener

• Kaywana Raeburn

Stephanie Curley (Electrical, Computer & Biomedical Engineering)

Helen Hanson, Chair

Shane Cotter

Tak Buma

Michael Okwori (Electrical, Computer & Biomedical Engineering)

• Luke Dosiek, Chair

• Jennifer Currey

• Sudhir Khetan

Sarina Kuersteiner (History)

• John Cramsie, Chair

• Brian Peterson

Andrew Morris

Junqing Qian (Mathematics)

Christina Tonnesen-Friedman, Chair

Ellen Gasparovic

• Leila Khatami

Salil Benegal (Political Science)

• Brad Hays, Chair

• Zoe Oxley

• Clifford Brown

3/11/25, 5:01 PM / Edwards House

Vandalism to college property - Graffiti

rence unknown

Open Investigation

3/16/25, 3:54 PM / 1501 Devine Street

Vandalism to college

occurrence unknown

Open Investigation

3/17/25, 6:21 AM / College Park Hall

Vandalism to college property - door

currence unknown

Open Investigation

3/18/25, 12:01 PM / Sorum House

Fire - papers in trash can caught fire - fire extinguished - no property

Open investigation

4/3/25, 1:09 AM / Richmond House

Alcohol violation - underage consumption

Closed, referred to Campus Judicial

Men’s Lacrosse Meets TopRanked Rival

Men’s lacrosse has been having a down season thus far, but hope remains for the matchup against #5 RPI. The team is currently second to last in league standings, with a 3-7 overall record. They are coming off a 5-10 loss at Ithaca College and will face off against RPI on April 12 at noon on Frank Bailey Field.

Though the team ranks low in the standings, several players do not. Walker Popko ‘26 leads the team in points with 31 and ranks third overall in goals per game in the league. Peter Kip ‘25 ranks third in the league in shots per game at 7.67 and second on the team with 23 points (14 goals, 9 assists). Goaltender Nick Lynch ‘27 leads the league in saves with 134 total and a 60.4% save percentage, and ranks eighth overall in

saves per game nationally.

RPI ranks fifth overall in the country and second in the league, only behind #3 RIT in the conference. The team is coming off a tight win against Clarkson, with a hat trick from Easton Morse. Tyler Ruffini leads the team in scoring with 50 points and ranks second in the league in points per game.

Union has an advantage on the power play this weekend. Union ranks second in the league in manup goals (46.2%), while RPI ranks first in penalty minutes per game (4:05) and sixth in penalty kill percentage (70.2%). So, Union may pull off an upset over the 5th-ranked team in the country because of their power play. Allyson Bennett

Tight Matchup for Women’s Lacrosse Senior Day

Women’s lacrosse has been having a strong season thus far. They have a 7-3 record, notably holding wins over nationally ranked MIT and Ithaca. The team is coming off a 19-11 win at Skidmore and will play Vassar at 3 p.m. on April 12 on Frank Bailey Field.

Union finds itself ranked 6th in Liberty League conference standings, holding a 3-3 record in conference play. The team leads the conference in 7.0 assists per game, and is third in 13.2 goals per game.

Attacker Gillian Joseph ‘27 leads the team in scoring, with 42 points in 10 games. Joseph scored six goals and one assist during last Saturday’s match-up, and currently ranks 8th in the Liberty League for points per game. Greta Maurer ‘25

notched three goals and three assists in last weekend’s win, and Stella Del Papa ‘28 and Maddie Doyle ‘26 added two goals each to the scoresheet.

Vassar is ranked seventh in the national Region III conference standings and fourth in the conference. They are coming off a 13-18 loss against RIT. Vassar’s Reilly Mulcahy leads the team in points at 33, and the team leads the league in goals, points, and shots per game. The team also leads the league in woman-down goals, with 4 this season.

Notably, Union places third in woman-up goals per game. This senior day, the game may be decided by Union’s woman-up goals.

Allyson

Bennett

ADay4U: 1,795 Minutes of Donations

By Noor El Maayergi Sports Editor

April 2nd and 3rd marked our latest ADAY4U campaign, in which over 900,000 dollars were raised for various Union athletic programs. With donations coming in from 46 states, a total of 3,269 donors graciously gave to these teams, marking a ten percent increase in total participation from the previous year. The football team garnered the most donations and led the way concerning the total money raised, with 283 and $131,388, respectively. Close behind was the Men’s Hockey team, with 113 donors and almost $119,000 raised, coming to a whopping average of over $1,000 per donation. Rounding out the top five of total donations were Swimming and Diving, Women’s Hockey, and Men’s Hockey.

The football team garnered the

most donations and total money raised, with 283 and $131,388 respectively. Close behind was the Men’s Hockey team, with 113 donors and almost $119,000, coming to a whopping average of over $1,000 per donation. Rounding out the top five of total donations were Swimming and Diving, Women’s Hockey, and Men’s Hockey. Significant contributions were also given to the Women’s Athletic Fund, where 43 donors contributed $54,734 towards the advancement of women’s programs at Union. A special thank you goes out to Don Lehmann ‘66, for not only matching but doubling all donations to the Women’s Athletic Fund. Other notable matches to the general athletics fund include $50,000 donations from Brad Karp ‘81 and Roberta Karp, as well as Arthur Holden ‘77 and Betsy Holden. Mort Silver ‘55 also contributed $50,000 to the Garnet Blades fund, which represents

RESULTS

the Men’s Hockey team.

Union’s active campus population pitched in on the party, with 162 staff members amassing $18,869, along with 398 students totaling almost $7,500. Active parents heavily contributed, with 892 parents raising $217,994.

Women’s sports this year earned a total of $128,938, with the

UPCOMING

highest earning sport being Hockey ($46,112). Behind them, Field Hockey earned $25,818 and Lacrosse earned $17,923. In terms of donors, Lacrosse had an outstanding 201 donors. Field Hockey garnered 157 donors and Women’s Hockey trailed closely behind 147. Soccer had 135, Basketball 100, Volleyball 92, Golf 33, and Softball had 17.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Men’s Basketball Freshmen members of the Union Men’s Basketball team calling donors for ADay4U.

1. Noah DiCaprio ‘27 batting for Union. (David Zaslaw, Union Athletics) 2. The Women’s Lacrosse team playing against RPI. (Allyson Bennett) 3. Carra Cleaves ‘28 pitching against Ithaca.