Concordiensis
T H E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F U N I O N COLLEGE SINCE 1877
FALL 2020
Welcome to Union, Class of 2024! In this Special Edition of Concordiensis, you can look forward to: Messages from the College Administration, including from President David Harris Learn more about the Concordiensis, and how you can get involved Hear from a wide variety of members of the college community, including from Tour Guides and club leaders And much more.. Credit: Main cover photograph - Qiyu Zhong ’22, Supplemental photographs - Stephen Nadler ’21 concordiensis.com
concordy@gmail.com
- A FIRST YEAR SPECIAL EDITION -
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C Welcome to Union!
Welcome message from the 2020-2021 Editors-in-Chief: Dear Members of the Class of 2024, Welcome to Union! We hope that as you read this letter you all feel confident about this new beginning of your life at our college, and have enjoyed your first few days during this unusual time. First of all, congratulations are in order for all of you for navigating the past few
months, whereby you may not have had a proper graduation from your school, or enjoyed a summer break of endless possibilities: you have made it into Union. Like millions of people around the world, the Union community has worked hard to live and thrive through this ‘new normal’. Your beginning at college has been unlike any
other seen at Union since its inception in 1795, but despite this you are an integral part of bringing life back to the campus. Alongside our online classes last term, Concordiensis continued to report on the important issues at Union and beyond, and we will continue to do so during this hybrid term. We welcome students to work with us at
the college’s newspaper, to make it the best that it can be, despite the challenges that we all face. We have put together this special edition of the Concordiensis in trying circumstances, with many emails back and forth between ourselves and everyone who has made a contribution. We would like to thank everyone
who has been so generous, even during these trying times. We hope that you enjoy looking through these helpful tips and messages consolidated for your benefit in this edition! - Akriti Dhasmana and Daniel Wilcox Editors-in-Chief
’22 ’22,
About Union’s Student Newspaper, Concordiensis...
Concordiensis was FOUNDED IN 1877, and is therefore the thirteenth oldest student newspaper in the United States. Every student at Union is welcome and encouraged to continue the legacy of this historic newspaper. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Concordy, for the first time in our history, had to publish our work online-only, at CONCORDIENSIS.COM Moreover, during the Fall 2020 term, our newspaper will be continuing with this setup.
Concordiensis is known colloquially as the CONCORDY, with a special edition of the newspaper, the DISCONCORDIENSIS, published annually on April Fool’s Day, with exclusively satirical articles.
Concordiensis Office on the fourth floor of Reamer.
Akriti Dhasmana’22
During Spring 2020, the Concordy worked with Schaffer Library and the Minerva Programs Office to RECORD AND ARCHIVE the experiences of students and other members of the Union
Concordiensis Office graffiti
Akriti Dhasmana’22
community. With lockdowns in force around the country and the world, it was important to discover how we were all living through the pandemic. This information can be found on the library’s website.
Concordiensis has a variety of different sections that provide wide coverage, these are: NEWS, 807 Union and Satire, Opinion, Sport, Sci-Tech, World and Arts. As well, photography plays a large part in the production of the Concordy. All students are welcome to write for any section, at any point during their Union journey!
Concordiensis Editorial Board 2019-2020
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C Administrative Welcomes FALL 2020
Message from Union College President, David Harris... I suspect that over the past few months, you have grown tired of thinking about COVID-19. You wondered if it would force you to start college the way you finished high school. You wondered if it would make your first-year experience one of isolation. You wondered if people would stop asking you how it felt to start college during a pandemic. If we’re being honest, I have to admit that I am also tired of thinking about COVID-19. It forced us to spend months anticipating an endless series of scenarios. It required that we take decisions despite conditions and guidance that changed on a daily basis. It demanded that we consider intently our health and well-being, and that of our loved ones. There is not a lot that is certain about the coming year, but I do know that while we can’t let COVID-19 define us, we must remain vigilant. I wish we could have helped you and your family carry your belong-
ings up the stairs on move-in day, but that’s a small price to pay if it means they don’t return until the term ends. I wish our informal conversations around campus did not include reminders about masks and social distancing, but I’ll persist if it means seeing students participate in spring sports, present at Steinmetz Day, and graduate in the shadow of the Nott Memorial. I know that you could easily provide many more examples of trade-offs you are willing to make. I know this because for the past days, you and your families have been telling me how thankful you are that campus is open, and how eager you all are to avoid your premature return home. So I hope that if you get tired of complying with public health guidelines, or begin to assume that it can’t happen at Union or to you, you’ll remember that we must do what it takes to stay healthy and stay here. I also hope you’ll remember that becom-
Message from Welcome, Union Class of 2024! My name is Fran’Cee Brown-McClure, and I am the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students here at Union. You will quickly learn that everyone calls me Dean Fran’Cee. On behalf of the entire Division of Student Affairs, I am excited to welcome you to campus. This time last year I was just like you, learning my way around campus and making friends in a new environment. Even though it has been an eventful year that was cut short due to COVID-19, I have learned some lessons that I want to share with you.Union is a community that comes together during good and challenging times. While the current situation is not easy for anyone, we have an opportunity to thrive and make the most of the opportunities we have been
the Dean
given. It is up to you how you choose to engage with this community, but I encourage you to fully immerse yourself in all that Union has to offer. Life lessons happen all around us every day. At times, it may seem like the only important lessons that you experience in college happen inside the classroom. I want you to know that important life lessons surround you each day. Living in community with your peers will teach you about yourself and others in ways you may not fully appreciate until you have left Union. Challenging discourse in and outside of the classroom will push you to be an engaged, critical thinker. The choices that you make impact not only you but our entire community.You are the only person who can define your success. For your entire life, success has been
ing a leader means having the wisdom, empathy, and courage to help your friends do the right thing. When you do, you will be a critical part of what enables us to achieve more than you imagined when you selected Union. You will help us redefine what it means to develop every student to lead with wisdom, empathy, and courage, , now and across multiple tomorrows. You will help us fully achieve the promise of a residential college experience, with knowledge and insights gained in the classroom, through teams and clubs, with intentionality and through serendipity. You will demonstrate what it means to forge relationships as brothers and sisters that will be with you regardless of what the future holds. So congratulations Class of 2024 on joining the Union community. We couldn’t be more excited to have you here, or more eager to see what we will achieve together.
Courtesy of Union College David Harris, President of Union College
of Students, Fran’Cee Brown-McClure... prescribed to you in terms of numbers – your grades, your athletic stats, how many groups you joined. All of these things are important, but they do not illustrate your success. Now is when you consider your definition of success and what you need to do to achieve it. This definition will evolve and change throughout your lifetime, but what is important to remember is that you are the person who sets that standard.This fall term will be very different. Yet we as a community have an opportunity to make the most of these unprecedented circumstances and thrive. I encourage you to focus on what you can do and not on what you can’t. Your Union experience has a start date and it is now, then there is a dash, and then your end date of June 2024. What will you say about your dash?
Courtesy of Dean Fran’Cee Fran’Cee Brown-McClure, Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Affairs.
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C Administrative Welcomes FALL 2020
A message from Dean of the Faculty, Strom Thacker... Welcome to Union! I was glad to “meet” many of you on earlier webinars and am grateful for the opportunity to welcome you collectively as you embark upon your Union journey. On behalf of your faculty and our Academic Affairs staff, I can tell you that we are thrilled to have you join us. This year’s opening is certainly a different one than any of us might have anticipated just a few months ago, but we are excited to start the new year and welcome you all to the Union community. Union is a small school with enormous opportunities. As you find your way here, I encourage you expand your horizons academically, socially, athletically—wherever your passions and burgeoning interests guide you. What may seem like a dizzying array of curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, research, residential life, clubs, student leadership, arts, sports, etc., you will soon weave into the single, inter-
connected fabric of your own college experience. You won’t have time to do it all, but you will be able to do just about anything. Be both open to new ideas and experiences and purposeful about your choices. You’ve chosen just the right place to start this transformative next phase of your life. You arrive at a propitious moment in Union’s history. One of the most exciting elements of our 2020-25 strategic plan is the strengthening and further integration of our unusually wide range of academic offerings. This is among the primary goals of the current $300 million capital campaign kicked off in February of this year with the announcement of an historic $51 million gift to support the integration of engineering and computer science in the liberal arts. You have chosen to study at a truly special institution characterized by a tightly knit community of students, faculty, staff and administrators
that builds on Union’s 225year history of innovation in residential liberal arts education. We’ve known about the strength of this community for a very long time, but this year’s COVID-19 pandemic has brought out many of its best traits as people rallied together in support of our educational mission and each other. During these challenging times, the integrity of this mutual commitment to each other is more important than ever for 1) each and every community member’s safety, and 2) making sure students get the most out of this experience that they can. One sign of this shared commitment is the amazing work your faculty have done to prepare an exciting, robust and flexible curriculum using innovative pedagogical tools and techniques and a variety of effective delivery methods. These efforts help us advance the College’s vision of “developing every student to lead
Courtesy of Strom Thacker Strom Thacker, Dean of Faculty and Vice President of Academic Affairs. with wisdom, empathy and tous frères et sœurs (“Under courage, in ways large and the laws of Minerva, we all besmall, now and across multiple come brothers and sisters”). tomorrows” and make strong Brothers and sisters of Union, I progress toward the goals wish you the best of luck as you of our new strategic plan. begin this exciting adventure. As the motto goes, Sous les lois de Minerve nous devenons
Message from Dean of First Years, Kate Schurick... Welcome
Courtesy of Twitter Kate Schurick, Dean of First Year Students.
to
Union!
I am very excited to have you join our campus community. Each year, new students bring so much energy to campus and make Union come to life again. I am sure your class will be no different. The staff of the Concordy has published this special issue for your class. Please take time to read through it. They have put together an overview of activities on campus and in our community. I encourage you to take advantage of all that Union has to offer. I challenge you to challenge yourself in and out of the classroom. Read through course descriptions and find classes that interest you. If a course looks appealing, take it.This is the time to explore and stretch yourself academically. During Orientation you
will learn about the many services and opportunities available to you at Union. Be sure to explore those options as the year progresses. On Friday, September 11, attend Club Expo. It will be held virtually this year and leaders of our clubs and organizations will be available to talk with you about their group. If you are interested in running for office, please talk with the Student Forum representatives. They will be happy to explain the process. I hope that you enjoy your Orientation experience. Our goal is to introduce you to campus life and give you a chance to meet other students in your class. Your Orientation Advisor is a terrific resource. Please take advantage of their knowledge. The entire Orientation Team is here to help make
your transition to Union as smooth as possible. If you need anything, please ask. Throughout the term, I am available to meet with you to discuss any ideas or concerns that you have. Please email me for an appointment (schurick@union.edu). I look forward to getting to know you.
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C Administrative Welcomes Fall 2020
Welcome message from the Office of Intercultural Affairs Welcome! On behalf of the Office of Intercultural Affairs, we are so excited to have you joining us at Union College. Here at Union, we appreciate and value the richness of diversity that our students, faculty and staff bring to our community. As professional staff at the Intercultural Affairs Office, we have truly enjoyed what Union has to offer - a closeknit and caring community that allows us to connect while we work and learn together. The Office of Intercultural Affairs aims to promote a culture of inclusion and appreciation of diversity by providing both educational and interactive opportunities for community members to learn about diverse worldviews. Not only do we work closely with campus partners to support our historically underrepresented
students including BIPOC students, LGBTQIA+ students, first-generation and different religious groups, but we also empower all students, faculty and staff to be change agents and build an inclusive community at Union through programmatic effort such as our annual social justice retreat, lecture series and diversity/inclusion workshops. Additionally, our professional staff work directly with the faith leaders under the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life and the College’s LGBTQIA+ Affairs Committee to meet the needs of our diverse student populations. We firmly believe that college is one of the crucial moments in our lives where we are offered the opportunity to learn new things, to engage in new experiences and to develop lifelong relationships.
One motto our office lives by is that, “learning will only occur when you step outside your comfort zone.” We invite you to join us and lean into discomfort, whether it is by attending a dialogue based program, studying abroad, visiting the Strauss Unity Lounge or going to a cultural group club meeting. These experiences will allow you to discover yourself and the perspectives of others. During the college journey, you will develop new skills that will help you to engage with people from diverse backgrounds and identities. We challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and engage with people who are different from you; join a new club and take advantage of all the resources and programs available to you that will help you stay connected with the Union community. The Office of Intercultural Affairs will provide you with ample opportunities to learn about yourself and other cultures/identities. You will gain knowledge regarding social justice, diversity, inclusion and equity as well as explore your role as a responsible citizen to build a welcoming campus here at Union. Despite the pandemic, we encourage you to stay connected with us via social media or email, attend our (virtual) programs and stop by and visit us when we are on campus. Christa Grant, Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion (grantc@union.edu) Andrew “Dru” Alvez, Assistant Director of Intercultural Affairs (alveza@union.edu) Follow us on IG Intercultural Affairs @oia_unioncollege - Religious and Spiritual Life @interfaithatunioncollege LGBTQIA+ Committee @lgbtqatunion
Courtesy of Christa Grant Andrew “Dru“ Alvez, Assistant Director of Intercultural Affairs
Courtesy of Christa Grant Christa Grant, Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion
Concordiensis Akriti Dhasmana & Daniel Wilcox Editors-in-Chief Matt Farr, Managing Editor Megan Brown, News Editor Isabelle Yee, Sports Editor Dante Sasso, 807/Onion St. Editor Kari Kimball, Sci/Tech Editor Tim Fagan, Webmaster concordiensis.com Email: concordy@gmail.edu Office: 406 Reamer Campus Center
Mitchell Famulare, Managing Editor, Arts Editor Sydney Lewis, News Editor Chris Doyle, World/Business Editor Chris Simmons, Business Manager Stephen Nadler, Photo Editor Mail: Concordiensis Box 2577 807 Union Street
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C Union’s Hacks and Tricks Fall 2020
Read through some of our Section Editor’s work: See what unique events are going on despite the pandemic By Dante Sasso 807 Editor
Entering into Union College can be a lot––entering into any college can be! For some it’s the first time away from parents for an extended amount of time, while for others it’s hundreds of miles away from home. The campus may not be as large as some of the other colleges in the United States, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a lot of places to visit on campus! With the recent world events
and how COVID-19 is making its way through the United States, Union will be different in a variety of ways compared to past years. Being that public events are cancelled/postponed until further notice, at first it may seem like there is little to do on campus. This is not the case though! There are plenty of ways for first year students to spend their time on campus with safe and socially distanced activities.During the fall term the weather can be very cool. In spite of this, one of the many things that you could do outside is set up a picnic with your new friends
at Union! The grassy area in front of West College is called West Beach, and is perfect due to its flat landscape and trees that you can sit in the shade of! West Beach is also great for games of frisbee or other outdoor activities that you can do while safely social distancing. Winter term can be a bit harder to plan activities in, due to the snowy climate of Schenectady and how cold it can become outside. To work around this, one possible route students could take in order to have fun is to have virtual movie nights! Services such as Discord or Skype allow us-
ers to share their screen, so if one person wants to show a movie to their friends they can all join a call and watch it from the safety of their dorms. Just be courteous and mute your microphone, so everyone can enjoy the movie to the fullest! Finally, spring term also has beautiful weather for students to enjoy. Hopefully by then, quarantine will have become less of an issue for students. If that is not the case, then there are still ways students can enjoy the outdoors during this period. Jackson’s Garden is a lovely place to clear your mind while on campus. Located be-
tween the Feigenbaum Center for Visual Art and Reamer Campus Center, this small garden features many beautiful plants and areas to sit for students who want to enjoy the outdoors. Take a socially-distanced stroll with your friends through the gardens, and enjoy the outdoors! Though it may at first seem like there is little to do on Union’s Campus during the era of COVID-19, when you look a bit closer there are plenty of opportunities for students to enjoy themselves outside of class. Remember to be safe, and enjoy your first year at Union!
Schenectady has many different restaurants to visit and try out By Kari Kimball Sci/Tech Editor
Schenectady offers a wide variety of dining options when you just want to get off campus or are sick of the food offered at the dining halls. There are numerous restaurants within walking distance of campus for those looking for something to eat while exploring the city.
Bombers and Mexican Radio offer a wide array of Americanized Mexican foods. Bombers’ main feature is burritos with different meats and sauces. Mexican Radio serves many different types of Mexican style foods, such as tacos, burritos and more. If you are looking for a good pizza or quesadilla, Luca’s is the place to go. In addition to traditional pizza and quesadillas, they also have specialty
ones such as breakfast style and barbeque pulled pork. Zen is home to a wide variety of sushi and Asian style foods. In addition to the sushi, they offer food items such as pad thai, edamame and hibachi. Johnny’s as well as the restaurants in Little Italy offer a wide array of Italian and American cuisine. Perecca’s bakery serves pastries and tomato pie for those looking for desert or a snack in-
stead of a meal. Johnny’s also has a bakery that sells many different chocolates and candies as well as coffee. If you are looking for a lighter meal or just a snack, Raw is a good place to go. Raw serves a variety of smoothies and acai bowls. Raw features a brunch menu as well. Another good brunch-style restaurant, The Whistling Kettle is a good place to check out. They serve hot and iced
teas as well as a variety of pastries and sandwiches. If you are taking a break from studying on a Sunday, the Schenectady Green Market has a few vendors with a variety of food options. There is a vendor that offers empanadas, one Indian style vendor and one Greek style vendor. There are also some vendors that sell pastries and others that sell fresh local fruits and vegetables.
Schaffer Library is a great place to study and work with friends By Sydney Lewis News Editor
Although we aren’t quite sure what the library will look like when we return in the fall, there are a couple things I’m sure we can count on. For one, it might be more spread out, and there may be less people occupying the desks and tables, but
it will probably still be noisy on the first floor and practically dead silent in the basement. Quick side note, there are (were) a couple vending machines in the basement that I didn’t find out about until last year. Literally last year. If it’s too chilly to walk to Reamer, or you just don’t feel like losing that study mojo, don’t forget that machine is down there. While we’re on the subject of
the basement, if you want an Idea Lab, the rooms that have glass doors and seem more intense than they actually are, make sure you wake up early and are prepared for battle. If this doesn’t sound like you, maybe head up to the second floor, head through the glass doors, past “the two frat sections,” and find a personal desk to lay out your stuff and settle in. There are laptop
and cell phone chargers for you to take out right when you walk in at the IT desk, and if you’re coming in past dinner time don’t forget your student ID to get into the building! Moving up to the third floor there aren’t many tables or personal desks up there, but usually it is pretty quiet. The noise from the second floor sometimes travels up, mostly because there are tables on
the second floor that are typically more of a ‘social studying’ type rather than a ‘getting down to business’ type of crowd. Even though the library will look different than usual this year, it will still be a great place to share ideas and work through homework in a setting other than your room, albeit with a mask on!
Contact one of our Editors if you’re interested in getting involved!
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C Union’s Hacks and Tricks Fall 2020
A helpful guide to courses you can take while at Union By Isabelle Yee Sports Editor
One of the best perks about Union is the ability to take nine courses each academic year because it allows students to take a wide variety of classes. With so many options available and the addition of new classes, I asked upperclassmen what courses they recommend for freshmen to take during their first year at Union. Staff Pick by Isabelle Yee ’21 - “Economics of Sin with Professor Lewis Davis! I loved this course because we covered topics such as organ trade and the legality of drugs on the market. It was so interesting to see how these ‘taboo’ topics affect the economy. Professor Davis is also super accessible and so helpful in office hours!” Brian Huang ’21 - “Women in Politics with Professor Oxley! I loved how Professor Oxley pushed me to become a better writer and taught the class using unique things like the
Handmaid’s Tale. I took the class in the Spring of 2018 so it was exciting to see so many women that we talked about elected a few months later in the Midterm elections. The real-world applicability to seeing what we learned in the classroom in the real world, later on, was awesome!” Annie O’Donnell ’21 - “Intro to Sociology! It changed and introduced new perspectives to the way I see the world” Brendan Egan ’22 - “Astronomy 51 with Professor Wilkins. It was a relaxing night class. I got to learn and look at the stars at the same time.” Emma Driscoll ’21 - “Intro to US politics with Professor Brad Hays! He’s a great professor and is the reason I decided to minor in political science. He cares a lot about his students and stays connected with us after having a class with him.” Zach Cormier ’22 - “German 100 with Frau Bell. Frau Bell was super sweet and made us food and encouraged us to try German beer.” Grace Athanas ’23 - “Intro to Psych with Professor Ken
A picture of the library. Debono. Professor Debono sets very clear class expectations so students always have as much clarity as possible regarding assignments, class calendar and material in general. He’s extremely flexible and respects and
understands student’s time and circumstances. He’s super approachable making it easy for students to get the help they need and maintain an open line of communication with him so that students are able to make the abso-
Stephen Nadler ’21 lute most out of the class.” Marcus Diaz ’23 - “Math 115 with Professor Christina Friedman. Professor Friedman was so helpful inside and outside of the classroom and made math fun!”
Make the most of being able to cook food inside your room By Megan Brown News Editor
As the fall trimester begins, first year students will be learning all about what it’s like to be a part of the college community and they will acquire tips and tricks to help them throughout their four years here. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic there will be lots of down time in the dorms. Many students will have access to a microwave in their rooms, which they can (and will likely have to) utilize for meals and/or midnight snacks. Some of the campus
favorites are the following: popcorn (that has undoubtedly been the cause of 2am fire “drills”), Top Raman, and Easy Mac mac and cheese. However, with the extra time on their hands, first years, and really anyone, can take to the following recipes, from breakfast to dinner, to enhance their array of microwave meals and keep college life during COVED-19 semi-interesting. Breakfast: Cheesy Potatoes Ingredients: One medium potato, ½ cup sliced onion, two minced garlic cloves, ¼ cup of any cheese, and salt and pepper to taste Prep: Spray a microwave-safe plate with cooking spray and
spread out potato and onion slices (with the seasoning) evenly on the plate. Cook for approximately 10 minutes. Add in the cheese during the last 30 seconds of cooking. Lunch: Buddha Bowl Ingredients: Ready-to-serve rice, 2 two tbsp of hummus, ¼ cup chickpeas, ¼ cup cucumber, ¼ cup tomato, dash of lemon juice, garlic salt and pepper to taste Prep: Heat up the rice (about two minutes) along with some lemon and seasoning, then add the cold ingredients and mix. Dinner: Mac & Cheese (made from scratch) Ingredients: 1 ½ cups of pasta of your choice, 2
cups milk of your choice, salt, 1 cup of American cheese, 1 cup of Pepper Jack cheese, 2oz of cream cheese, ¼ Parmesan cheese, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard Prep: Mix pasta, half of the milk, and salt into a bowl wrapped in plastic wrap and microwave that on its highest heat for four minutes. Take out and stir, and then microwave again for another two minutes. Then, take out and add the rest of the milk, the cheese and the mustard and microwave again on high heat until everything has melted together. Then you have Mac and cheese that is far superior to EasyMac.
There are lots of meal options that can be made in the microwave, but these are three go-tos. The convenience and fast pace of meals like Top Raman and Easy Mac are definitely hard to beat, but these recipes don’t take much longer and are a healthier alternative. First year students will learn tricks as they go along but, and especially going to college during a pandemic, having these options should help make life and mealtimes a little more enjoyable.
Check out our website, concordiensis.com, for our past and latest articles!
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C Clubs And Organizations Fall 2020
A message from the Student Activities office... Welcome to Union! We in the office of Student Activities are so excited to have you on campus! College is an exciting time and everyone at Union is here to support you on your journey! One of the best pieces of advice that we can give you is to get involved. There are over 120 student clubs and organizations for you to join, including, but not limited to academic, club sports, media, social, cultural, and religious and spiritual. This event is an opportunity to learn all about the different clubs and organizations on campus. This will be our first ever virtual expo with opportunities to chat live with members of the groups via zoom. College is a great opportunity to explore any and all interests you have. We encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone and experience something new that you many have
Courtesy of Katie Davin (L to R): Matt Milless; Assistant Dean of Students, Katie Davin; Assistant Director of Student Activities and Lauren Dougherty; Director of Student Activities.
never done before. You may just surprise yourself and find something new you enjoy! Clubs and orgs host many events throughout the week and weekend, averaging 5-7 events per day! UProgram hosts weekly events on the weekends, ranging from trivia, paint night, escape rooms, and more! Clubs will also often host off campus trips and activities, such as hikes, horseback riding, bowling, yoga, and movies.Make sure to follus Union College Student Activities and @unionstuact on social media to stay up to date on what is happening with the clubs and orgs! Matt, Lauren, and Katie all have open doors (even virtually) so if you have any questions, you are always welcome to reach out! We look forward to the day when we all can hang out in our office and enjoy candy from our candy bin!
Young Democratic Socialists of America The Union College chapter of YDSA (Young Democratic Socialists of America) is a new political organization on campus advocating for working people of all backgrounds and experiences. We focus on educating our student body on important political issues, including Medicare for
All, the Green New Deal, reallocating police budgets, and defending the USPS against right-wing attacks. We’re also invested in local politics, with a particular interest in Thearse McCalmon, a local progressive running for the New York State Senate in Union’s district against a longtime reactionary
incumbent. Nearly 100 students participated in our book club on environmental racism this summer, and we’re looking forward to bringing this energy forward into the fall of this important election year.
Young Americans for Freedom
Even with the unfortunate situation and resulting restrictions on campus, there will be plenty of room for thoughtful activities. While we, as a conservative organization, are less interested in partisan politics, the time and election do present opportunities for needed dialogue and discussion that we are hoping
to host and engage with. One of the ideas we envisioned for last spring (before getting sent home) was a monthly dinner and discussion event surrounding a particular timely topic. We look forward to inviting specific on-campus groups and professors that may be involved in that area of discussion. A few other possible
events that we are looking forward to are a 9/11 flag memorial, book readings and reviews, virtual speaker events, and local charity work. While discovering ways to keep the campus community engaged and enthusiastic will not be easy during such a crisis, we hope to provide many virtual and/or social distancing options that will do just that.
Courtesy of Nathalie Gullo Banner showcasing the Young Democratic Socialists of America information.
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C Clubs And Organizations Fall 2020
Student Forum’s message The Student Forum would like to welcome you to Union College! The Student Forum is the Student Government Body here at Union. When you are thinking about ways to get involved on campus consider the Student Forum! Becoming a representative gives you the opportunity to grow and hold a leadership position. The Student Forum is a diverse group of passionate individuals from all walks of life. Elections are held in the fall for first year students and in the spring for upperclassmen. We
are the voice of the student body to the administration and oversee the 100+ clubs and organizations on campus. We host guest speakers, vote on club budget proposals, plan Lobsterfest, and more! The Student Forum holds weekly meetings when classes are in session which are open to the student body. If you are interested in running for class representative, or have any questions in general, please feel free to reach out to Student Forum President Matt Toy at toym@ union.edu for more information!
Women’s Union
Welcome to Union! Women’s Union is a club on campus that celebrates intersectional feminism. Our mission is to ed-
ucate and provide information about topics that directly relate to women. These topics include but are not limited to sexu-
Rhys Moger ’22 | Concordiensis Union students at the Women’s Rights march taking place outside of Schenectady City Hall
ality, relationships, self-image, influential women in history, and self-defense. Some of our favorite events to organize are Denim Day
and the Vagina Monologues. We meet weekly and often collaborate with other organizations on campus. Please reach out if you
have any questions and I hope to see you at Women’s Union! -Sarah Vanesse ’21
UPride
Black Student Union
Hello and welcome to Union! While we have so many amazing clubs and organizations here, Union Pride is unique in its goal to foster a thriving LGBTQ community both on campus and in Schenectady and the Capital Region. If you are LGBTQ, questioning your own identity, or a passionate ally, Union Pride is the place for you to meet like-minded individuals who care about making the world around us a more educated and accepting place. We host a multitude of weekly events, including speaker series, volunteering with LGBTQ youth, informal discussion on queer topics, LGBTQ ally training, and fun social activities such
Hello First-Year Students! We hope you are having a good time moving onto campus in the midst of the ongoing pandemic and are all staying healthy! Our names are Elena Montoya and Ty Eddington and we are the Co-Presidents of the Black Student Union (BSU) for the 20202021 school year. BSU is a Union College club that aims to discuss issues relevant to the black community, engage with the local community, foster a supportive network for students of color, and promote meaningful change through social advocacy. Every week we will be hosting club meetings where we discuss various topics pertaining to the black
Courtesy of UPride Opening of the LGBTQ+ Resource Room at Messa. as tie dye and shared dinners. or concerns. Welcome, and Union Pride serves as a re- we can’t wait to meet you! source for everyone on campus, so don’t hesitate to reach out to our President, erickse2@ union.edu, with any questions
community and we will have numerous events targeted at different facets of the black experience. Events in the past have included BK Chats about controversial topics, an annual Kwanzaa ceremony, a 90’s Roller Skating events, a Black Panther viewing parties and so much more! Although COVID-19 will likely change the format of our events, moving them online, and the way we engage with the community we will still be very active on campus. We encourage you to visit us at the club fair and to attend any, and all, events that you are interested in. We look forward to welcoming you on Union’s campus and feel free to reach out.
Go to the virtual Club Expo to learn more about the clubs and organizations at Union!
10
C Student Representative Messages Fall 2020
My name is Sarah Competiello and I’m currently a senior at Union. My favorite place to give a tour of on campus is the Nott Memorial. The Nott is beautiful both on the outside and the inside and serves multiple purposes on campus. Architecturally, it is 16-sided and acts as the centerpiece of campus. Inside of the Nott, there are three floors. The first floor has seating that is meant for various events and activities on campus. There is an art gallery on the second floor called the Mandeville Gallery and on the third floor there are quiet places to study as well as a student artwork gallery called the Wikoff Student Gallery. Overall, the Nott Memorial is absolutely beautiful and I think nearly everyone who has either seen it from the outside, or been inside, would agree with me. - Sarah Competiello ’21, Tour Guide Coordinator
My name is Ashley Torres and I am a Senior at Union. A place that I love to frequently go and visit on campus is the Frank Bailey Field. For me, this has become a safe spot where I can go, run, walk, and free my mind and be by myself. I love to run, so it is the perfect place to go whenever I am having a good day, whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed, anxious, excited or all of the above. Finding a place on campus that feels like home, for me, is very important in keeping me sane. - Ashley Torres ’21, Tour Guide
To start off I would like to say welcome to one of my favorite places on Earth, Union College. You are beginning the next stage of your lives at one of the best spots to do it, because Union is a special place. That may sound cliché but I believe it with my whole heart based on the experiences I have had. The loyalty and pride the Union student body has in the school is one that seems unparalleled in any similar sized school. I know that as you begin your journey, the world outside of the gates seems crazy and many of your questions are left unanswered. This can seem unsettling but I want to tell you that it can help you have an even more memorable college experience. You are not in this alone and you are joining a network of students who are going through it with you, don’t be afraid to reach out if you need help. Everyone surrounding you wants you to have the best time you can, and will do everything in their power to help you accomplish it. The administration, professors, and staff are all working toward the goal of providing you the best possible experience they can, while also keeping you safe. Lastly, I want to tell you to keep an open mind to all new experiences, college is about expanding your horizons and comfort circle and there is no better place to do it then at Union College. I look forward to meeting you all and welcoming you to your second home for the next four years! - Paul P.J. Roy ’21, Orientation Advisor
My favorite place to give a tour is the Wold Starbucks area! Anytime I walk through the area, I always run into my friends who definitely embarrass me on my tours but it is so fun when a bunch of people randomly interrupt your tour! Most of the time the families, mainly the parents, laugh and it kind of breaks up the awkwardness of the tour. Also, it shows that everyone is so friendly and welcoming at Union and that we live up to everyone knowing each other at a small school, even if you just recognize them! - Audrey Palmeri ’22, Tour Guide Welcome to Union, first-years! You really made the best decision by choosing Union, and we are so excited to have you on campus. I hope that you were all able to make the most out of orientation the last few days. As circumstances were constantly changing over the summer due to COVID-19, we worked to make sure that we could give you the best possible introduction to Union. Your orientation advisor was not just a resource for your first few days on campus; they are always there for you if you need any guidance during your first year. I’m looking forward to meeting you, and if there’s ever anything I can do to help you, please don’t hesitate to reach out! - Erika Bonnist ’21, Orientation Advisor First off, WELCOME FIRST YEARS! It’s truly an exciting time to be starting college, and I’m sure it will be memorable. As you take your first steps into the Union community you’ll be shocked with the amount of new people you are about to meet, even if it is from six feet away. If you’re anything like me, the thought of ice-breakers, introductions, and name-games terrified you. To ease your mind, I’ll let you in on the secret I learned in my time as an orientation advisor: you’re not alone! It’s a perfectly natural reaction, but I’m going to let you in on the remedy.Be friendly. Kill them with kindness. Try as hard as you can to remember people’s names and you’d be surprised how appreciative your peers will be. By making small gestures, you start to find allies everywhere. Walking to class doesn’t feel as scary when you can wave hello to someone you know! - Michael Conte ’22, Orientation Advisor
- A FIRST YEAR SPECIAL EDITION FALL 2020 T H E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F U N I O N COLLEGE SINCE 1877
Stephen Nadler ’21
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