International House Newsletter for Alumni and Friends
gee
eens y QnA
Newsletter « Spring 2006
Powell Describes Global Challenges and Opportunities in Marshall Visitor Address &3
he war on terror, globalization, and US
policy in the Middle East were among the topics covered by General Colin L. Powell, the 21st George C. Marshall Visitor, in an April 6th address at International House. Powell, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and US Secretary of State from 2001—05, told I. House residents that their
world will face challenges far different from those faced by his generation.
The two biggest challenges currently facing the United States are the ongoing situation in Iraq and the Middle East Peace process, Powell said. “We have to help the Iraqis achieve the peace that they want and the democracy they want,” he said. The rise of sectarian violence in the country has produced “a moment of extreme danger” in Iraq, but Powell said the situation there is “not something we can walk away from.” Powell acknowledged missteps by the Bush administration, saying “I don’t think we had enough troops on the ground, and we didn’t have the right political structure in which to deal with the immediate aftermath” of the fall of Baghdad. The next biggest US foreign policy challenge lies in the Middle East, where a permanent peace has eluded previous administrations.
Coneral Colin L. Powell
Recalling the threat posed by the Axis powers in World War II and the specter of a nuclear confrontation during the 50-year Cold War with the Soviet Union during his lifetime, Powell said the situation today is much different. “In my judgment, it is not the world that was on the edge of annihilation,” he said. “All those ‘isms’ that we used to concern ourselves with—Fascism, Communism, Colonialism— are now things of the past.”
“Tf I had one wish in all of my foreign policy dreams, it would be for a Palestinian state living side by side in peace with the State of Israel,” the retired general declared. In the context of globalization, Powell said that global leaders who wanted to make their countries a functioning part of the world “need to be moving in the direction of rule of law, good governance, and using the wealth of their nation to capture commoditization and use it to the good of their people.” “Globalization and the absence of a successful competing ideology will move more and more nations in this direction,” he predicted.
On US relations with Europe, Powell noted that disputes are inevitable, but said the ties that bind the NATO allies are based on common values: “democracy, belief in the individual rights of men and women, and market economies.” Affable and relaxed, Powell charmed the audience with anecdotes from his long career, and, noting he had turned 69 the day before, the ups and downs of aging and grandparenthood. Honorary Trustee David Rockefeller, who chaired the I. House Executive Committee when the Board was led by George Marshall, compared Powell favorably to the Nobel Prize-winning statesman in his introduction and called the general a “role model and an inspiration.” Powell praised the work of International House.
“Never has it been more important for us to have this kind of exchange,” he said. “T congratulate International House for having lived consistently with this approach to international relations, and for having done it so successfully.” “I’m so glad that there are young people such as you coming along, and I’m so glad there are places such as International House that will help you as you prepare yourselves for a future of opportunities and challenges,” he said. In addition to David Rockefeller, among the 300-plus guests for the mid-afternoon talk were Honorary Trustees Daisy M. Soros ’51 and former Chairman John C. Whitehead, as well as numerous trustees, alumni and residents.
Resident Member Gift Campaign Sets Record ae
Inside > 1. House South
Renovations Completed
ay
Be
} > Paul Volcker |
Addresses _ UN Reform —
pS
Alumni Gatherings
Around the World
ee
he Resident Member Gift Campaign,
launched as an annual tradition in 2004, raised a record $10,314 this year. Led by three dynamic Co-Chairs, Camilla Nas ’06, Alex Pang ’06 and Lynne Saito ’06, and a hard-working and enthusiastic committee, the 2005—2006 resident members selected an endowed recreation fund as their gift to the House. The fund will be used to enhance the interaction of residents throughout the House by providing and/or maintaining items related to games and entertainment. The Co-Chairs announced the recordbreaking amount at the Candlelight Sunday Supper on April 30th. Challenged by Trustee Robert van Zwieten ’87 to raise $3,000 by April 29th with a matching $3,000 grant, the resident surpassed that amount in February, months ahead of their deadline and even before announcing the selected gift. This success prompted Trustee Adam Quinton to pledge an additional $500 if the residents raised another $2,000 by the end of the Campaign. “We are grateful for the generosity of the 2005-2006 resident members in establishing this recreation fund, but the impact of their Campaign goes far beyond the items their
April
We
TEMG
The Resident Member Gift Campaign Committee presents a symbolic check for $10,314 to Don Cuneo at the Candlelight Sunday Supper on April 30th.
fund will purchase,” said President Don Cuneo. “By educating so many resident members about the importance of supporting the House financially and about philanthropy in general, the 2005-2006 Resident Member Gift Campaign has continued a tradition that will go a long way towards ensuring I. House’s future survival.”
The focus of this year’s Campaign was participation and residents came out in force to do so throughout the year. When residents were asked for ideas for a gift, they provided numerous suggestions. When residents were asked to vote on a gift, over 300 (out of approximately 500) Continued on page 3
President's Message The successful completion of a major initiative is always a good opportunity to both savor the accomplishment and look to the future. nternational House recently completed the final
phenomena, fluctuating market trends and higher
phase of a three-part, $10.4 million renovation of
operating costs than our sister I. Houses in the U.S. for
all residential areas in the original building. This
precisely the reason we remain strong and unique: we
was the first comprehensive renovation of resident
are a stand-alone institution with no university system
member floors in nearly 50 years, and has entailed
to call upon.
completely rewiring and refurbishing 503 rooms
World Newsletter
A newsletter for Alumni and Friends Vol. 41, No. 2
Indeed, those university systems build new housing
(including new doors, windows and flooring), 34 bath-
in competition with us and serve the same markets we
rooms, 13 floor lounges and six guest rooms to bring
draw upon: the best and brightest graduate students
them up-to-date in terms of space utilization, noise
and scholars. Our physical profile in I. House South as
abatement, air circulation, technological capacity and
a large family home, with small private bedrooms and
fire safety. The project was completed on time—within
gracious, well-equipped public spaces, is critical to our
one year—and on budget, and the improvements have
ability to deliver the community interaction that is
been very well received. The scope of the project has
unique here. However, that profile competes with strong
required us to borrow $9 million, and to reduce occu-
trends for larger living units that have self-contained
pancy by 22 percent during this academic year, which
kitchens and bathrooms, such as we have in I. House
resulted in a one-time planned operating deficit of
North. Therefore, we must always be “at the top of our
$1 million.
game” to compete for and work effectively with the
Looking to the future, we will continue to offer
future leaders we develop.
A publication of
the unique and vital International House experience
The support of all of our constituents will help us
International House
to new generations of young leaders from around the globe. This will be particularly challenging as we continue to pay off the renovation debt, strive to remain
deliver our Mission to its full potential and ensure that the experience which has transformed so many lives
competitive as lifestyle expectations evolve among
more all over the world.
Office of Development & Alumni Relations 500 Riverside Drive New York, NY 10027-3916
since 1924 will continue to transform many thousands
graduate students, and maintain a highly-selective
Staff JOHN A. WELLS
applicant pool in the post-9/11 era which finds a
Director of Development
decline in international graduate students coming
e& Alumni Relations
NICOLE DAVIDSON Assistant Director of Development for Alumni Relations CATHY GALON Database Manager
“Dinatd 4 Cues
to New York. We are more vulnerable to these
ANDRE ALLAIRE Assistant Director of Development for Individual Giving
HOUSE
——].
SOUTH
RENOVATIONS
COMPLETED
—
LIUBOV GRECHEN Development Associate for Corporations CYNTHIA KaApPIL THEK
Development Associate for Foundations NICOLE UNA Development Assistant Photographers MICHAEL DAMES TAMARA FITZPATRICK R. ANDREW LEPLEY JED MICKA BETTY SUN
Visit our Web Site http://www. ihouse-nyc.org To Reach Us Development & Alumni Relations Office (212) 316-8423 Fax (212) 316-8416
e-mail: alumni@ihouse-nyc.org
A resident member studies in one of the renovated rooms in I. House South. The rooms all feature new and attractive furnishings including a raised bed, dressers which can fit beneath the bed, a desk with a hutch top, book shelf, and, where space allows, additional shelving. All rooms have new windows and doors, improved sound attenuation and lighting, and high-speed Internet.
Each new room is equipped with a ceiling fan intended to help air circulation. Improvements have also been made to maintain better heating control.
Programs Office (212) 316-8438 Fax: (212) 316-7181
e-mail: programs@ihouse-nyc.org Admissions Office (212) 316-8436 Fax: (212) 316-1827
e-mail: admissions @ihouse-nyc.org
i
Hi
Hy
"fl —
Public Room Rentals (212) 316-8465 Guest Suite Rentals (212) 316-8436 As a nonprofit organization, a copy of our most recent annual financial report is available from the Department of State Office of Charities Registration, Albany, NY 12231 or from the President’s Office International House 500 Riverside Drive New York, NY 10027-3916
7
World
Newsletter
Residents pose in an I. House South hallway, where flooring was replaced with better sound absorbing materials and the fire safety system upgraded. The halls now feature soft pastel colors and brighter lighting.
All I. House South floor lounges have been renovated. The lounges provide a comfortable space for residents to socialize. Each lounge8 has several chairs and tables, a sink and storage8 space.
The bathrooms in I. House South were given a major face-lift during the renovations. New modern sinks like those pictured here, toilets, showers and flooring were installed.
Reform Needed For U.N. Effectiveness, Volcker Tells 1. House Residents escribing the results of his inquiry into abuses of the United Nations Oil-for-Food Program to a February Sunday Supper audience, International House Board Chairman Paul A. Volcker said that the UN’s credibility is at stake and requires broad administrative reform. Paul A. Volcker
Volcker was appointed in 2004 by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to lead an independent inquiry into abuses of the program, in which the regime of Saddam Hussein diverted $1.8 billion in illicit surcharges and kickbacks from a program designed to bring food and medicine to the Iraqi people. More than 2,000 companies were involved in illicit payments.
The Committee issued its final report in October, finding that the “gatekeepers” of the Oil-for-Food Program —the UN Secretariat, the Security Council and UN contractors—“failed most grievously in their responsibilities to monitor the integrity of the Program.” The Program had been in operation barely three years when the Iraqi regime began to openly demand illicit payments from its customers. The oil overseers passed their concern in this regard to the Secretariat and the Security Council, but no effective action was taken. The result was $1.8 billion in illicit payments to the Hussein regime in violation of UN sanctions and the program rules. Volcker said his committee had found evidence of “lots of sloppy administration and some downright corruption.” The biggest source of funds came through illicit smuggling “which was known to the Security Council,
but which they chose not to stop,” said Volcker. There was a lack of administrative discipline by the UN, and a reluctance to deal straightforwardly with the situation for fear of inconclusive debate within the Security Council. “That is hardly a satisfactory answer,” said the Chairman. Volcker’s committee called for “stronger executive leadership, thoroughgoing administrative reform, and more reliable controls and auditing” within the United Nations. The stakes, he said, are high. “The UN is an important institution, and the only institution that provides legitimacy for actions by its member nations,” Volcker said. “It cannot maintain its
legitimacy if it does not maintain confidence in its competency. It has got to do a better job or it won't have the support of the United States and other governments to meet the challenges it faces.”
sa Be
PLANS SET FOR 2007 WORLD § B55 € COUNCIL MEETING IN INDIA %
The World Council of Alumni will host its
24th Meeting in New Delhi, India March 21-25, 2007. All alumni are invited to attend. The Meeting, which begins with a trip
contact Cynthia Thek, Development Associate for Foundations at cthek@ihousenyc.orgor call her at 212-316-8493.
to the Taj Mahalon March 21st, willinclude _ Based in India discussions on the rapid economic growth The Aditya Birla Group of India, its changing political landscape _ Citigroup, India and increasing influence on the global stage. © CNBC-TV18 The meeting will also explore environment, — Colgate Palmolive human rights and the relationships between HSBC various countries within the region. ICICI Bank One session will feature a panel of Infosys Foundation I. House alumni reflecting on their experiJET Airways ences and how I. House and the I. House Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. experience can benefit India and the region. | Azim Premji Foundation
~ Alunch with educators and prospective residents will also be held.
Standard Chartered Bank J.N. Tata Endowment
Several alumni receptions and dinners, _ Sir Ratan Tata Trust as well as additional sightseeing activities, Tata International will be featured. For more information and — Wipro to request registration materials, please contact Nicole Davidson at ndavidson@ihouse- _ Based in the USA
nyc.orgor 212-316-8425. International House is currently seeking
Air India
,
The K.B. Chandrasekhar Family
Rupérez Discusses Security
funding to underwrite expenses for the 2007.
—- Foundation
in Forum
World Council Meeting, to provide travel grants for alumni in the region to attend
Deshpande Family Foundation Irfan Kathwari Foundation
THE GLOBAL SECURITY Speaker Series continued on March 2nd with a visit from Ambassador Javier Rupérez, Executive Director of the
and to help build a fund to support South
Mittal Steel USA
United Nations Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED).
Asia related scholarships and programming.
_ New York Life Insurance Company
It will be helpful for International House
The State Bank of India, New York
to be introduced to the decision-makers at | corporations and foundations who value
the House’s conference goals. If you can facilitate connections to the prospects listed below or other potential funders, please
_.
Resident Member Gift Campaign
Series
Rupérez spoke about serving as Executive Director of the CTED and the actions the UN is taking to identify and curb terrorist activities through this directorate. He discussed the importance of member states working together to combat terrorist activities throughout the world. Prior to his current appointment by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Rupérez was Spain’s Ambassador to the United States (2002-2004) and has held posts in Spain’s diplomatic service in a number of countries including Ethiopia and Poland.
@ Continued from page 1
of them cast a ballot. And, when Trustee Adrian Looney 92 challenged them to reach a series of giving participation goals with a $1,500 grant, they met and surpassed each one ahead of schedule. In the end, 284 residents, over 50% of the resident body, contributed
to the Campaign. “This year, we have had to work against the odds of having fewer residents due to the renovations, as well as having many residents who had contributed to past campaigns. Still, more residents understood the
reason for the Campaign and contributed. I feel so privileged to be among such generous and big-hearted
people,” said Co-Chair Alex Pang. Residents also strongly supported various campaign fundraising events including several garage sales, Friday Night Live!, a resident variety show, and a bike auction. These events alone raised nearly $1,500. The Campaign
also received support from many other members of the I. House family including Life Trustee Herman “HR” Rottenberg, staff, alumni and other friends. The 2005-2006 residents unveiled their first gift from the recreation fund at the Sunday Supper: a heavy-duty foosball table for the I. House pub lounge. It will be available for residents to use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Co-Chair Alex Pang reflected, “I hope that this gift, the recreation fund, will serve the residents well in times to come, by providing the means for residents to build a more cohesive and closer-knit community through recreational activities. I shall remember my time at the House and hope that the residents share my feeling that we leave here not just with memories, but also leave behind a legacy that shall be remembered forever.”
Worldnewsietter
3
Alumni 1940s Mary Hill, ’47, won the 2005 AMSSA (Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of British Columbia) Riasat Ali Khan Diversity Award for her role as Chair3 of the City of Vancouver's
Committee
Groups in
Cornelis Los ’’79 is now a
to
Review Availability and Accessibility of Health and PS ae SE RE oteie a nee : thnic
Krishan Mahajan ’78 has been appointed by the Supreme Court of India as Advocate-Commissioner for legal management and monitoring of the Taj Mahal and the Ganges River. : «
Vancouver.
f
Vesna Pesic ’69 is president
rs
1950s
a member of the Board of
of the Center for Peace and
Whehilh i aiihies *ao bas celinadcaiadh enicie echarnies
Management of the National Library in Kolkata, India.
| Democracy Development and senior research fellow of
work
a
and
|
ae
travel,
.
Benjamin Mkapa
’63
e
her former high school in
ineory. in and social Belgrade. Ms. Pesic, the forecht mer Ambassador of Serbia , and Montenegro to Mexico,
James Evans ’53 is the pit author
ser 64 has mene raes and SA has worked atpen the EPA the
i aan Serbia’s first peace organizai Sore for Anti-War : war tion, the Center
time as a reading teacher at R : St. Louis.
of The Emperor Justinian
and the Byzantine Empire, i published by Greenwood Press, NYC, 2005.
com
in December 2005.
US.D
:
SY helio’ Renal (2001-2005) helped foun
CofE
potion: Whence nesiiaaan
Sh
ae ve < agi along with two other peace e now lives in the D.C. ‘ ' : ‘th her husband | activists from the former metro areawi r husban gs ixhass
and two sons.
“
ee Prize ee
in February. Established by the estate of
Unit.
Ethic
and operates the Candidate time SAM has taken on the of the Month Political Action | critically acclaimed soprano
joba
in Greece, occasional weekends in Alsace, and a2 trip :
actively involved in the
through Southern Germany
Gordonstoun School in the
13K and duid spent mont Christies Christmas anc andl New Year’ssj in India; where
by the end of June 2006.
they visited Cochin, Mumbai,
i“ P Sreemati Chakrabarti ’81 was promoted to the post
Delhi and Kolkata.
.
music.; She attended The Juilliard School 1989 at the age of 73, but; her legacy lives ; and lived at International House. on through the foundation and through ‘ her stay at I. House inthe : ; to her favorites ‘ organizations, ks It was during _ gifts like 1950s that she developed a deep apprecia-
ia
Zlata Paces ’53 married JuDr.
Hardey Gurm ’66 is now
1970s
Ludovit Jatz in a January 3rd ceremony in New York City.
the Vice Chairman of the Institute of Engineering & Technology —Bhaddal in
Saeko Ichinohe ’71 and her dance company performed at the Ailey Citigroup Theater
Ropar, India.
on April 1. It was the world premier of Cuya NakaharaPoignant Poems.
elected to the Canadian
Malcolm Smith ’67 is
Songwriters Hall of Fame
Principal Oboe at the
on February 5th.
PO
, chose
news an he the ine n
1990s é
Kari Steeves ’90 had a
pa
baby girl, Arden Naomi Steeves Sklar, on November
publi
22, 2005. _
:
Conor Heneghan; "92 and m9 re -
wa tte
ted to announce the
oo birth of their son Jonathan Dashiell Heneghan on May 15, 2005.
Victoria Ellington ’76 is the editor of The Regulatory Affairs Journals, based in London, UK.
Khan
a
4
researcher and writer with
}_ the PUKAR Gender and Space project in Mumbai, looking
at women’s access to public spaces in the city. John Williams ’87 and Ny Griffith 04, members of Herman “HR”
Rottenberg’s weekly ballroom dancing class, were honored with
Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard ’94
was appointed (full) Professor of Political Science at the
Bahram Vakilsine ’83 iskk, a
the Golden Shoe Award at the : 4 ; Spring Ball in April. Ballroom dancing and the balls ibid ceiquarterly dina hans
University of Southern Denmark, with a specializagen tion in political theory and
founding partner of
fits of t Sails prion
comparative politics. He is
AZB Partners Law Firm, which has recently been nominated “Law Firm of the Year” in India and featured in American Lawyer.
Membership Program.
the proud new father of a little girl, Catarina Elisabeth,
Holiness The Dalai Lama.
International House.
Laurene McClain 66 will chair the Asian Studies Department at City College of San Francisco in 2006.
Iwer Ane li
a : we website, www.samnyc.us
ae
Foundation of Universal Responsibility of His
Laura Jane Musser died in November
Leonard Cohen 57 was
Patricia Anwandter ’84 works as a freelance writer and editor in Orange County now that both her children (Marcella, 21 and Nico, 18) are in college.
born last summer.
Arthur Mwakapugi ’94 was appointed by Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete to the Ministry of Energy and Minerals on Jan 20th as Permanent Secretary, the
highest post in the civil Karl Safft 87 and daughter 3
service in Tanzania.
Priyanka enjoy some of Zurich’s record snow-fall this winter.
1. House Alumnus Conducts Relief A few simple words scribbled on
oo
— communities” of the West, and specifically the United States, to the
naman | sh
Washington-based account-
largest performance of his career.
together some of classical music’s greats like Eugene Drucker of
Jane €
In October 2005, parts of
the Emerson String Quartet, Robert Sirota, President of Manhattan
Grego
now Senior Principal at a
ing and consulting firm.
University.
Mead
Ljiljana Bacevic ’69 is
the Serbia-Montenegro
the Kashmir region in India
eoeeeee
Symp!
a concert program:
hs Symphony
Orchestra and an Artist-
“neediest and most vulnerable people in the heart of the
os
a
on January
world”
brought
Schoolof Music and Glenn Dicterow, the New York Philharmonic’s
R. P. Sharma °59 is a Century | ambassador to Greece.
and Pakistan were devastatedby —_ concertmaster who would serve the same role in Beethoven’s Ninth
21 Real Estate Broker in Queens and Long Island, NY.
an earthquake that killed over 85,000 people and left over three
:
| Mohammed Agwani ’69 has held several offices at
Kunnath Varkey °59 served | Jawaharlal Nehru University,
” Munatet of Mat Thoma
New Delhi, including Dean,
Church in Indiafor 59 years | Rector and Vice-Chancellor. pe
capacities. He has | He is now happily retired.
‘i
Rist
[J
for South Asia. Because “the heartof this pevlect wena so many ways inspired by
es
Atlant
.
,
_currer
TI in atte —_a lead
million homeless. With the world __ theI. House spirit and the spirit of music at I. House” says Mathew, he _ tured |
slow to bring in the necessaryaid, naturally reached out to I. House alumni and friends to lend a hand for BBC V
104
George Mathew found himself
wishing that Leonard Bernstein,
this enormous project.
Trustees Robert van Zwieten’87, Fareed Zakaria and Kashif.
in ove
‘DNA.
the famed conductor and musical activist,was alive to make a“grand
Zafar served on the Advisory Board, while Laura Cosovanu ’04,
Dieter Baumeister ’69 is
gesture’ to saueet the —
whose firm Holland and Knight would be the concert’s presenting
dollars
engaged in Bible teaching
the author of Berlin, New
pepantiamatien
wire ol.
oo
Oa 1960s Shanti Shahani’61
abe air ea Aa He organized Beethoven’s Ninth for South Asia, a benefit concert _ played significant roleson the organizing committee. Roger Cowan ’69 is the to “raise money, to raise awareness in the media and the public The orchestra and chorus, which together numbered 240, wasa chairman of the management | consciousness about the disaster, and to create a collective gesture of | convergence of the World’s best classical musicians with representadepartment of an MBA goodwill from the artistic, academic, musical, corporate and political _ tives from the New York Philharmonic, MET Orchestra, the Boston
ep:
. be
currrently works as a Consultant Endocrinologist.
4
Tchekmazov Goncharova
holidays on the Peloponnesos
|
posit
; — i Committee in Brooklyn. Eileen Strempel, lyric tenor ES George Marinelli and worlc i ; ss Sha y scoiad = sai Se bie “" | jazz composer and percusad ¢ ae ' de a ie es ups sionist, Luis Mufioz. For ravel-fille é S . oe apt with summer | more information, visit the
1980s , Amalu 81 bin wasths | Austin __. ciated
Service Broadcasting Trust in New Delhi and Honorary Trustee of the
Musser was born in LittleFalls, Minnesota children and financial assistance to local_ “Indian tribes. and after completing high school, came to
works as an arbitrator.
ew
; ieee Publ
cello/piano duo. Since that
currently the Managing Trustee of the Public
free piano, swimming and ballet lessons for
of the Legal Studies Program at UCLA—Berkeley and also
H
|
Beaufort, SC on May 13th.
tile upeeartal
buildings, scholarships for needy students,
Charles McClain ’66 is head
D
Pollaert is a photographer
of Delhi.
a pinta
the She oe
to a variety of causes including the arts and
New York City to pursue her passion in
s
anagement in December 2004 uth two artiste on its — : roster—the New York Lyric | Chamber Players and the
a
causes including the preservation of historic
intercultural harmony.
M
of Professor in Chinese
After returning to Little Falls in 1953,
Fund carries on her passionate commitment
and 10 technicians.
‘ebruar tapes id ge a ate Ss y Cail f ad , "a a Coas Ts . 7 wa sc at aaa sust. pease
Mict Colu was along H urt
Studies at the University
ce a
now has 10 ophthalmologists
TS ry
pares for its first democratically auly elected 8government
her death.
alumna ‘age fais ate
John McDermott ’56 continues to run the Latvian American Eye Center, which
oe -m eee ep ser si ; “oi —
DA
established Sciolino Artist
in
usser became actively involved i
Minnesota ph ilanthropist
Ann Lakhdhir 756 is President of the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security at the UN.
:
Congo as the country pre-
in 1997
Laura Jane Musser: Leaving ° legacy International House received a $5,000 grant _ tion for cultural understanding and civil to support general operating expenses from rights, issues she steadfastly supported until the Laura Jane Musser Fund in Minnesota
ee
it
Memorial
search for peace and stability | to Weimar and Berlin. They Sot i t a ninnettl @ av tit At a ; in Democratic Republic of also visited son Julius at ; satieiii : : ,
Yugoslavia, for the Nobel Peace
é
War
‘ coe Contemporary Society. : : Elisabeth Pollaert ’87 married Guy Lincoln Smith V.in
2005, and received her doc-
had“ teleS ties teens ia ‘dent of T as President of Tanzania Rone 1 elect after the general elections 6
Eva Karl ’52 volunteers her
ax
reat | he
ae oe
maar
. the Center for Philosophy re
d
professor of finance anc ae Fas the Mieakdy. ee nega British Technical University in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Arthur Hyde ’62 (pictured center) returned to Hamsi, Kenya, with a group of North Americans to work with Kenyan friends rebuildingan orphanage for children who have lost parents to AIDS. | pramod Mangla’62 is
f fi
Jonathan Kuhn ’85 was Robert van Zwieten 87 pleased to lead a bus tour for | was appointed Executive a foreign delegation attendVice President and Chief ing the Sister-Cities Public Financial Officer for Art Summit in February Singapore Exchange | 2005. In November he Limited in December. organized a panel discussion: shit er Tae ne ey arianne Sciolino 88, rhe Mortality of Memory ; ping
World
Newsletter
program in Guatemala.
beemae When fellow. sere alumnus
vet 7 reg 9
es Bs
by
ae I
—— solomon saves Nati
Fe
for the andC! extend
d rg
DANCING
WITH
KATRINA
Michael C. Keller ’05, a 2005 graduate of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism,
and Coming Away with a Pulitzer
was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his work along with the Sun Herald for his coverage of Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, Mississippi.
devastated Gulfport. It provided citizens
He was honored with one of the most presti-
with critical safety information and was an
gious of the Pulitzers: the Gold Medal for Public Service. Keller, whose background includes positions as a wildlife ecologist and with the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission to
outlet to share personal stories and bring a human face to such absolute destruction. “It is a bittersweet thing to accept,” said Keller on being presented with the Pulitzer,
Ethiopia and Eritrea, took his first reporting
job at the Sun Herald on August 1, 2005. Twenty-eight days later, he found himself in the center of the costliest and largest natural disaster in United States history. Mr. Keller was one of five reporters who
chose to ride out Hurricane Katrina in the newsroom in order to cover the story from an honest and personal perspective. He spent
the next eight months following Katrina’s impact on industry, forests, fisheries and public health for the Sun Herald, and writing Steven Drury, MD 95 has been selected to serve on
the College of American
“IT would gladly hand it back if it would
prevent the death and untold suffering for which we were awarded the prize.” “Let it also be known,” he continued, “that this award only highlights the fact that we did nothing special. Any journalist that Iam proud to know would have done the same thing. Some would do it for the glory and adventure, but most would because
they believe in the power of words to help, to calm and to force action, especially when life spins around on you and kicks you in the guts.”
Deanne Evans 00 is currently
Daniyal Zuberi 98 is an
Columbia. He is the author of
Differences that Matter. Social Policy and the Working Poor in the United States and Canada. (Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2006) Jaime ’98 and Kiki Vargas 99 welcomed their second son, Tadeo Dimitrios, on March 29,
Michael Keller ’05 in front of the remains of a hotel in Biloxi, Mississippi that was crushed when a several thousand-ton casino barge landed on it during the storm surge caused by Hurricane Katrina.
working in Sierra Leone for
in Ireland.
at the University of British
dations about hotels, restaurants and sites in locations around the world, a career section where alumni can
2000s GOAL, an international
Anthropology & Sociology
In April, International House added a new feature to its on-line community for alumni: discussion groups. The discussion groups allow a user to receive email updates when new messages are added or visit the discussion groups directly to read messages that have been posted. Discussion group categories currently include a travel tips section, where alumni can make recommen-
and real account of life on the ground in
Pathologists Foundation Board of Directors.
assistant professor of
Alumni On-Line Community Expanded
Dancing with Katrina, a blog that he started with fellow Columbia graduate Josh Norman. Dancing with Katrina was a gripping
humanitarian agency based
Bruce Russell ’00 has pub-
seek advice, post job openings and discuss topics pertinent to their field, and a currents events section. A highlight of the discussions groups is a section where alumni can post and find information about conferences, plays, performances and art exhibits featuring I. House alumni. Also included are groups to locate lost friends, find roommates or advertise apartment openings in major cities in the US after leaving I. House, and groups dedicated to alumni chapters. The discussion groups, as well as the on-line alumni directory, where alumni can look up contact information and send emails to each other as well as update their address or choose not to be listed, are free of charge. To register, visit http://www.ihouse-nyc.org/ alumni/stay_in_touch, select discussion groups and enter the security code, alumniolc, when prompted.
lished his first crime novel, Channelling Henry. He is cur-
rently teaching and writing at
In Memoriam
the University of Queensland. Aaron O’Shannessy ’02 had
Life Trustee Bob Stone Dies
a baby girl, Macy, in January.
Longtime International House Trustee Robert G. Stone, Jr. died on April 18th in Greenwich, CT, following a
Debargo Sanyal ’02 was pictured in The New York Times
brief illness. He was 83.
review of a play in which he was
Elected to the Board in 1965, Stone—former
starring, Harvest, at La MaMa
E.T.C. Harvest, about a small family in India, made its New York premier in February.
Gabriela Arbulu 05, Lara Wallentine ’05, Anant Nath ’05, Tom Dundas ‘05, David Dencker ’05 met up for a vacation in India in January 2006. Alexa Fairchild ’03 was
promoted in September 2005 to Teacher Services
Coordinator at the Brooklyn Museum.
Lisa Ma 05 works in the sales department of the cardiovascular and diabetes division of Novartis Pharmaceuticals in Oakland, California.
Alberto Accardi ’04 is a postdoc researcher in Physics at Iowa State University. His
research focuses on ultrarela-
Marcello Paixao ’93, Carlos de Mathias Martins, Jr. 93 and Denis
Lee '94 held a mini-reunion in Sao Paulo, Brazil in January.
tivistic heavy-ion collisions, electron-nucleus collisions.
made her Carnegie Hall debut on March 4th.
Symphony and various other major orchestras on both sides of the Atlantic. Also on stage were numerous I. House alumni including Sarah Beaty ’05, Greg Beyer ’02, George Francois ’99, Jun Jensen '02, Carla Leurs ’04, Enrique Marquez ’04 ’06, Carol McGonnell’01, Jane O'Hara 05, Nicole Pantos Vilkner ’02, Suzanne Schwing ’02, Gregor Vilkner ’02 and Laura Vincent ’05, as well as several current I. House residents. The concert was a great success with more than 1,500 people in attendance. It raised over $160,000 for Doctors Without Borders, a lead relief organization in the affected area. In addition, it was featured on a number of news programs around the world including BBC World TV, which broadcast excerpts of the concert to audiences
entrepreneurship. He hopes
to do his internship in
Sofia Daulatzai ’04 and Carsten Buschmann ’04 were married in the Home Room of International House on April 15, 2006. Many I. House friends were on hand to
New York City and return to I. House.
in over 30 countries, New York1, the Pakistan Daily Times and
For Mathew, the impact of the concert went beyond just the dollars raised; it has inspired him use music to “serve a larger human purpose.” He is currently organizing a similar concert, Requiem for Darfur, a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem, to raise funds for the survivors and refugees of the ongoing conflict in Darfur, Sudan and Chad. The concert will take place in early fall and Mathew’s extended I. House family is already lending a hand.
offshore marine transportation concern—served on the Finance, Development, Nominating and Long Range Planning committees of the Board. Elected a Life Trustee in 1979, he continued his involvement as an active member of the Investment Committee in recent years. Cherished by those who knew him for his warmth, energy, and contagious enthusiasm, Stone was a commodore in the New York Yacht Club, chairman of Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut, and a dynamic fundraiser for his alma mater, Harvard University, where a memorial service was held on May 4th. Marjorie Ullman, ’36 Fort Belvoir, VA
Jane O’Hara ’04, a cellist,
Marc-Olivier Caillot ’05 is currently finishing a Master’s degree in leadership and
Chairman of the Kirby Corporation, an inland and
2006 weddi in Kolkata, ng India. Choudh is now Project ury Officer with the Poverty Groupat the Bureau for Development Policy at the UNDP.
Dubai, UAE
Hatsuye Higaki, 39
Miriam R. Ivri, 61
Kaneohe, HI
Hajarden, Israel
Georgiana Pollak, ’42
Rhonda K. Hutchinson-
Scotch Plains, NJ
Eugene Mogul, 43 East Norwich, NY Mehmet F. Goklen, ’48 Kearny, NJ
Brooks, 62 Melbourne, Australia
Malayappa Jeevanandam, 64 Tuticorin, India
Peggy J. Klotz-Klark, ’48
Deloris P. Plum, ’64
New York, NY
Princeton, NJ
Hillel Turok, ’48 Camps Bay, South Africa
Brooklyn, NY
Wilfrid A. James, ’50 Christiansted, VI
William J. Barker, ’72 Somerdale, NJ
Wladyslaw Manski, ’51 New York, NY
Makhabane F. Khotseng, ’84
Erleen Marquardt Johnson, ’51 Balsam Lake, WI
Queenee Choudhury °04 with her husband Santanu at their March 3,
Win Chadha, ’57
Judith J. Berry, ’66
New York, NY
Bradley Van Hoorn, 99 Richland, MI
Thiagarajah Visvanathan, ’52 Colombo, Sri Lanka
Andrew Y. Svoboda, ’00
Iver Fischman, 54 Brooklyn, NY
Dirk Faulenbach, ’03° Berlin, Germany
John L. Ainsworth, ’55
Kinko Poulsen (Onodera) New York, NY
Ann Arbor, MI
Burlington, ON
World
Newsletter
5
Around the World Pye te te) a
STARRING
IN EAST
ASIA’S
INCREDIBLE
DRAMA
|
helped coordinate US relief supplies and ensure that US
ecember 26, 2004 was a bright and sunny Sunday ‘D) in Medan, Indonesia. Paul Berg ’83, the US Consul-
assistance planes got through Medan to the Banda Aceh
General, was enjoying a lazy morning, sleeping in before departing for a planned vacation in Aceh and West Sumatra that afternoon. He was awakened by an irritating clicking
airport. He worked with international NGOs, the governments of the provinces of North Sumatra and Aceh, the Indonesian military and police, as well as individual American citizens that were arriving constantly to assist in the aid process, to ensure the fastest response possible without conflict or duplication and to resolve disagreements when they arose.
noise. The noise was coming from a set of keys in a door swaying back and forth, a result of what he would soon find out was a major and destructive earthquake that would have
a profound impact on millions of people and on his role
Berg calls the immediate relief effort “a miraculous suc-
in Medan. Growing up in a working class family in Wisconsin,
Paul Berg never thought he’d be a globe-trotting diplomat, let alone at the center of the relief mission for one of the
world’s greatest natural disasters-the December 2004 Tsunami. In fact, he wanted to be a Lutheran minister, but happenstance and a love of New York City changed his path. After visiting New York City as an undergraduate in the mid 1970s, he fell in love with it and would visit often. On
Paul Berg ’83 (center) with I. House resident members during a visit to the House in August 2005.
basis,” says Berg. It also brought him to Indonesia, where he found Indonesians to “have the deep sensitivity and ancient culture I most treasure, along with intelligence
cess.” There was no major outbreak of diseases like cholera and no starvation. There were no civil disturbances, with street crime non-existent, and the Acehnese, who Berg
refers to as a “devoutly Muslim people,” being intolerant of extremist groups trying to capitalize on the dreadful situation. But the mental and emotional state of the Acehnese in the aftermath troubled Berg greatly. Nearly everyone was
these many visits, he decided he wanted a career, any career, that would bring him to New York City. A minor local politician with a law degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, he was frustrated with his position and applied
and a certain attractive virility.” When the Medan position
suffering from psychological trauma, which continued for
became available, he jumped at the opportunity. It would allow him to be a “diplomatic entrepreneur,” reopening
several months. That too, however, began to ease as soon as
to Columbia’s School of Public and International Affairs.
enable him to return to “the drama of East Asia” and a
He also decided to live at International House. An active I. House resident, he ran for Residents’ Council
people he admired. After the December Tsunami hit, Berg jumped into
to which he was elected President and received particularly
action, trying to locate any American citizens in the area,
strong support from fellow residents from East Asia, South
an effort that was nearly impossible with all phone lines down in Aceh, the closest point of land to the earthquake’s epicenter and the site of some of the worst destruction, and fraught with uncertainty. Eventually it was confirmed
Asia and Latin America. This election was “prophetic” for
his career. After taking the Foreign Service exam, Berg was stationed first in Mumbai (then Bombay), India. He has also
held assignments in Brussels, Belgium; Rome, Italy; Mexico City, Mexico; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Bogota, Colombia. The appointment in Hanoi “opened my eyes to the incredible drama unfolding in Asia where the modern world comes to terms with ancient cultures on a daily
PRESIDENT RECEPTION
an office that had been closed for several years, and would
that no Americans had been in Aceh or Nias at the time,
but the tiny Medan office soon became the base of the United States relief mission in Indonesia.
March, just three months after the Tsunami. Clinical psychiatrists, who Berg consulted with his worries, attributed this recovery to the “depth of the Acehnese faith in Islam.” Now, over a year after that terrible day, the reconstruction effort has continued. Berg reports that much housing and infrastructure have been rebuilt, but things are “moving slowly.” To some extent, Berg views this as a good sign, because it means there has been less corruption, an unfor-
tunate outcome of large amounts of money suddenly flowing into an area, but of course, it also means that a great deal of rebuilding still needs to be done. A lack of coordination as well as poor management of some international organizations has slowed the process
When the Governor of North Sumatra set up a distri-
too. However, an Indonesian coordination body, BRR, has
bution center at the military side of Medan’s airport, Berg
been formed to oversee the reconstruction and it “has done
CUNEO HOSTS IN AUSTRALIA
Tudy McLaine ’56 (center), Vice President of Canadian
Friends of International House presented resident mem-
On January 12th, alumni in Melbourne gathered for a reception with
bers Chris Budhan (left), with the 2005 MacGuigan Scholarship and Frank Cohn (far right), with the 2005
President Don Cuneo, who was visiting Australia for the Heads of I. Houses
McLaine Scholarship. These scholarships are made pos-
Worldwide Conference.
sible by the generous contributions of Canadian alumni and friends.
Organized by World Council of Alumni Members Ross Youngman ’91 and Sam Armstrong ’90, the event was held at Challenger Financial Services in downtown Melbourne. Despite the summer time frame, thirteen alumni were on hand to join in the festivities. President Cuneo provided the alumni with an update on activities at the House, including a status report on the renovation of I. House South and announced that the “HR Commons’, the former Bazaar, which will now serve as an additional programs space and lounge equipped with wireless Internet, was dedicated on January 17th. Sam Armstrong described to the alumni the World Council of Alumni’s desire to establish an alumni chapter in Australia & New Zealand by 2007. The plans for the chapter include gaining charity status so that alumni can make contributions to the House for which they would receive a tax deduction and regular alumni events.
ie
Poulad Berenjforoush from Iran and Amir Raz ’04, originally from Israel, discuss corporate law at the
New York Area Alumni Council’s Professional Interest Night (PIN) on February 16th. PIN gives resident members the unique and valuable service of speaking one-on-one with alumni in their fields.
These conversations help them navigate the job search process, provide information about different
careers and can lead to connections that can help them land an interview for their dream job.
Alumni Enjoy an Evening of Theater Twenty alumni and residents joined one of their own, Saviana Stanescu ’04, for a performance of her latest play, Lenin’s Shoe, at the Lark Theatre Company in Manhattan. Still a work in progress, the play tells the story of Vlady, the handicapped son of a Russian immigrant and former KGB spy, who is confined to his home with his only link to the outside world a blog he writes in religiously, and a host of other complex characters including immigrants from Bosnia and the Middle East.
Staged with minimal props and virtually no set, the performance offered alumni an intimate and almost hands-on
Back Row: Mark Dijkstra ’04, Anthony Romaniuk ’05, Don Cuneo ’69, Malcolme Cumming ’58. Front Row: Cavin Wee ’00, Cathel de Roos ’04, Sanja Milivojevic ’02, Marjorie Cumming, Joyce McGrath ’68, Chris Bate ’90, Ross Youngman "91
6
Wor Id Newsletter
Nadine Bell 04, Michael Unger ’04, Peter Paone ’96, Ben Hirschler 98, Andre Eydt ’63, Catalin Cosovanu ’04, Laura Cosovanu ’04, D’juro Villaran-Rokovich "94
theater experience. In a reception that followed the play, alumni had the opportunity not only to socialize with each other, but also to meet with the cast and the playwright. Stanescu explained her thought process in writing this play. She probed alumni for their opinions and discussed ideas for alternate endings with them.
American relations with Indonesia have also improved. While Indonesia has had a
“long, friendly relationship with the US,” according to Berg, the relationship had been strained by Indonesian opposition to the
invasion of Iraq and criticism of US foreign policy as it relates to the Arab-Israeli conflict and terrorism.
Although Indonesians remain critical of US foreign policy in the Middle East, Berg attributes the election of President Yudhoyono, who understands and likes the US, and the lifting of the American embargo of military equipment, coupled with the awareness that “no other country or organization did as much for Aceh and Nias as the US, nor as quickly’, to Indonesians developing a more “balanced and positive picture of the United States.” After three years in Medan, Berg will leave his post in July. He will return to the US to attend the National Defense University's (NDU) War College to learn more about the
culture of the military colleagues he works with closely and to do some “big think” on global and strategic issues facing foreign poli-
cy makers. After that, the future is open, but Berg, who has discovered that his temperament is more like that of a Southeast Asian, will likely be unable to resist the region’s incredible drama.
SAVE THE DATES
of Norway and Lynne Saito of the US, set special participation goals spurred by matching gifts from trustees on a percentage basis. The co-chairs drove home the notion that as resident members of I. House, they shared in common their participation in a community where differences are viewed not as obstacles but as
Il. HOUSE
With input from their fellow residents, they guided a team to determine how the class of 2006 would be remembered and sought contributions to support
their legacy. With the $10,000-plus they raised, they established a recreation fund to carry on the tradition of active involvement in the I. House community.
AMBASSADORS
nternational House is seeking volunteers for its qh Ambassador Program, a new initiative where alumni will communicate with prospective residents to answer their questions about what living at I. House is really like. Whether alumni lived at I. House one year ago or fifty years ago, they can share their experiences, help the House retain admitted applicants and strengthen its community. While policies and programs may change, the essence of I. House remains the same. When applicants are admitted to I. House, they are provided with a dedicated email address at the House, to which they may send specific questions about I. House or a request to speak to an Ambassador. The I. House Admissions Office manages these emails, responding directly to those that they are best equipped to answer (like questions about costs or arrival dates) or
forwarding them, along with the applicant’s contact » August 27, 2006, Zurich, Switzerland
Alumni Reception & Jazz Concert The third Swiss alumni meeting will take place
in Kilchberg/Zurich where I-House meets Piccadilly-Six at Stockenfischt. Piccadilly Six plays the best Jazz in the Alps. After the concert,
alumni will relax with refreshments at the home of World Council of Alumni Member Karl Safft 87 overlooking Lake Zurich. Children are welcome. To indicate your interest in attending, please contact Karl at karl.safft@credit-suisse.com or +41 76-390 4760 (mobile).
» September 8-10, Budapest, Hungary McLaine Alumni Reunion
information, to an alumni volunteer who then contacts
the applicant directly either via email or phone. Emails are forwarded within 48 hours of receipt with an equally quick response by alumni via email or phone expected. Volunteers should expect to commit 1—2 hours per month, especially from April through September. A minimum commitment of one year is required. To volunteer, register on-line at www.ihousenyc.org/alumni/stay_involved/volunteer.html, email Nicole Davidson at ndavidson@ihouse-nyc.org or call her at 212-316-8425. Volunteers will receive a training packet with information about I. House today and other relevant materials.
As co-chairs, they stressed that the very fact that current I. House residents make gifts in support of the Campaign was more important than the size of their gifts. The same is true of sustained alum-
ni support of the Annual Fund. Participation by alumni is very impor-
tant as I. House seeks funding from corporations and foundations, which look closely at this figure to gauge their own level of support. A strong showing of participation by alumni demonstrates that the House is supported by those who know it best. I hope that alumni
will renew their vote of confidence in I. House and its residents by supporting the 2005—2006 Annual Fund Campaign, and remember that it is not the size of
their gift that matters most.
SOUGHT There are lots of ways to make a difference in the lives of current I. House residents, especially for alumni living in the New York Area. To volunteer, please email alumni@ihouse-nyc.org or call 212-316-8425 unless otherwise noted. Host a dinner for current residents: Alumni in the New York Area welcome 4-6 resident members to their home or a local restaurant | for a simple meal. Share your experiences about arriving in New York, I. House or your career and help I. House residents feel at home in the big city. Be a WIL Mentor: One component of the Women’s International Leadership is a mentor
project where participants meet with selected _ women in their field, at least three times per academic calendar year, to seek advice, discuss professional challenges and share experiences. To join the database of potential WIL Mentors and for more information, please contact Tara Zampiva at nee: nyc.orgor at 212-316-8466.
Participate in the Walk on Wall Street (WOW): Alumni working at financial firms host a group
of 20 residents for a 1-2 hour site visit where
they discuss a particular aspect of the financial industry, tips on job searching and provide other useful career advice.
Join fellow alumni for a fun-filled weekend with visitsto Budapest's great sites, including the famous Gellért Spa, and a reception hosted by World Council of Alumni Member Pal Peter Toth ’87. Alumni will also discuss ways to create an alumni network in Central and Eastern _ Europe and the newly Independent States and hear from Balazs Denes ’04, Executive Director of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union. Travel
_ Grants for this event are available. Applications may be found at www.ihouse-nyc.org. For more a eee beso agiamdame
To receive an invitation or to be added to the email list for this event, please call Nicole _ Davidson at 212-316-8425 or email her at ndavidson@ihouse-nyc.org. For information about the weekend, please contact World
Council of Alumni Member Kristina Herzog °94 at Kristina. Herzog@t-online.de, Vane
» November 6, 2006, New York, NY International House Day —
DZ BANK AG: 20 Years Supporting International House DZ BANK AG, a dedicated corporate sponsor of International House and the sixth largest bank in Germany, celebrated 20 years with I. House by placing three interns, Franziska Hummel, Heike Paetzold, and Tobias Beck, at the House. Since the partnership began in 1986, DZ BANK has contributed more than $200,000 to support the House’s programming, facilities and resident scholarships, and I. House has welcomed more than 160 of their trainees to the community. Joseph Terino, First Vice President of Communications and Human Relations at DZ BANK AG believes that “International House is a very important part of our trainees’ experience in New York City. Living at I. House gives them the unique opportunity to meet young people from all over the world with diverse cultures and backgrounds and to engage in community events. This is an invaluable learning experience that enriches them for life.” Former DZ BANK trainee and I. House alumnus, Viktor Milev ’05, concurs: “for many interns, this is our first time in New York. We are entering a new world and International House provides a safe, comfortable, and diverse home that offers us a great work/life balance. It socially prepares us to meet the everyday challenges of our new positions at DZ Bank.”
Ss 10JId11(]
and ensuring major needs are not overlooked,” says Berg.
opportunities for greater understanding and personal growth. Indeed, they saw participation as key to the success of the I. House mission. As third-year residents, they knew firsthand that by taking part in activities they were exposed to new perspectives and challenged to think about the world in unconventional ways. Having access to these unique exchanges—and knowing that they are made possible in part by the dedicated financial support of I. House alumni— inspired them to lead the Campaign.
“International House is deeply grateful for DZ BANK AG’s generous support and continued interest in our community,” said President Don Cuneo, “and we look forward to continuing
our partnership.”
DZ Bank AG interns Franziska Hummel, Heike Paetzold, and Tobias Beck
in front of their New York office building.
World
Newsletter
eae
an extraordinary job coordinating assistance
This year’s Resident Member Gift Campaign was the third and most successful since this drive began in 2004. The unofficial theme of this year’s effort, and the driving force a Wells behind its success, was participation. Campaign co-chairs Alex Pang of Malaysia, Camilla Nas
In & Around
International House
McLaine East/Central European Leadership Program Featured in January McLAINE WEEK, the annual celebration of the people and cultures of Eastern and Central Europe and the Newly Independent States, opened with a special Salon Night on January 22 featuring music and musicians from the region. Several speakers were featured throughout the week,
beginning with Jack Matlock, former US Ambassador to the USSR, on January 23. In his address, Matlock compared the Cold War of the post-World War II era to the current War on Terror, noting that an all-out nuclear confrontation between the Cold War superpowers could have killed millions and potentially have meant the end of civilization on earth, whereas terrorist threats, while serious and deadly, tend to be more contained and result
in far fewer casualties.
BOARD
TRANSITIONS
AT THE FEBRUARY 23, 2006 meeting of the International House Board of Trustees, three new Board members were elected: Neil Radey, Richard A. Simonson and Frederick M. van Sickle. The Board also accepted the resignation of International Trustee Timotheus R. Pohl. _ Radey is a Managing Director of Credit Suisse First Boston © inthe Legal and Compliance | Department where he serves as the General Counsel for the Americas and co-General Council of Investment Banking. He joined Credit Suisse in 1995 after working for Kidder, Peabody & Co. and the law firms Simpson, Thatcher & Bartlett and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
lal
WOMEN’S WEEK Culminates 2005-2006 WIL Program WOMEN’S WEEK, a weeklong series of events in honor of National Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, organized by the Women’s International Leadership (WIL) Program, took place March 5—9, 2006. The week's activities kicked off with a reception honoring WIL alumnae, the WIL Advisory Council and the extended WIL family. The WIL Advisory Council consists of women professionals who practice leadership in a variety of disciplines in the New York Area. Council members serve as advisors for the program’s overall curriculum and often as mentors to grantees. The Council meets frequently throughout the year and personally reviews dozens of applications before selecting grantees for WIL scholarships. Noting the important role these women play in extending themselves to the grantees, President Don Cuneo expressed “immense
Thanks to the generosity of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, I. House welcomed back two alumni of the pro-
gram, Giorgi Meladze ’03 and Theordora Krumova 03 to participate in the week and share their experiences at a roundtable discussion. Krumova, who is Senior Human Rights Advisor with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Kosovo, discussed her previous work in Bulgaria representing victims of domestic violence and training judges and other court personnel to prevent further victimization of these women. Giorgi Meladze, who works at the Liberty Institute in Georgia, addressed his role in the Rose Revolution, which
he believed succeeded because of cooperation between civil society and politics, mass mobilization of youth and the adoption of a non-violent philosophy by its organizers. The last speaker program of the week welcomed Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, the Washington Post's Bureau Chiefs in Moscow from 2001-2004 and the authors of Simonson is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Nokia, the global mobile communications company. He is also a member of Nokia’s Group Executive Board. Prior to joining Nokia, Mr. Simonson held key positions at Barclays Capital and Bank of America Securities. Van Sickle is Columbia University’s Vice President for Development where he is responsible for all University fundraising. He has been working in the development field for over 20 years, at such prestigious universities as Princeton, Harvard, Wesleyan and the University of Michigan prior to his post at Columbia. After nearly 14 years of service, five as International Trustee, Timotheus R. Pohl resigned from the Board of Trustees in February. During his tenure, Pohl served as a member of the Programs & Resident Life Committee and the Finance Committee. Formerly the President & CEO of Daimler-Benz North America, Mr. Pohl is an avid art patron and collector and lives in Vermont.
gratitude for the work the Council has done and continues to do for WIL and for the House.” The opening reception was followed by a presentation of Women in Black, a moving global phenomenon where women, clad in black, come together in silence to bring awareness to the issues of violence and war occurring throughout the world. The evening, whose theme was Women Artists Rising, also featured performances by resident members of classical and modern pieces by female composers, readings of poetry from their personal collections and a dance by Martha Voulgari of Greece. Artisanal Premium Cheese, where current WIL Grantee Shruti Adhar works with I. House alumnus and Chief Operating Officer George Faison 79, generously donated food for the receptions held throughout the week. During the week, the grantees welcomed nearly one hundred residents to a Comedy Night in The Pub featuring stand-up comedy by some of New York’s finest female
Kremlin Rising: Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the End of Revolution. Baker and Glasser discussed how Russia’s economy modernized during their stay, yet the political system retrenched. The change started small, with government takeovers of private business, but became more noticeable when President Putin used the tragedy at the Beslin school as justification to cancel the elections of local governors. Russians as a whole, they said, despite desiring benefits of capitalism, also support censorship, and 26% of those Russians polled said that given the opportunity, they would vote for Stalin. Many idealize the Soviet past and see in Putin a leader who will guarantee Russia’s “great standing in the world.” The week concluded with a very festive Cultural Hour celebrating the cultures of Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, Croatia and others on
Friday, January 27.
Nicole Faulkner, Ade Adefope and Bryan Onwuka serve up some
delicious treats at the Nigerian booth during the food festival
portion of All Nations, the annual celebration, which was held on
NW
comedians. Residents were later invited to learn about strategies for financial planning and hear from top experts at Merrill Lynch, one of the world’s leading financial management and advisory companies, and spon-
Bl sor of the 2005-2006 Women’s International Leadership Program. Other Women’s Week “Women In Black” activities included a morning yoga session hosted by WIL alumna Joanna Doerfer ’04, a belly-dancing lesson by a professional area instructor and a final gala celebration to end the weeklong series.
Cultural Hour Celebrates Iran
Oh, the Places They Go:
ON FRIDAY MARCH
I. House Residents Around the World
24th, International
House resident members joined their fellow Iranian friends to celebrate the history and culture of Iran and to commemorate Noruz, the traditional New Year holiday. Noruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated in countries such as Turkey, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and among the Kurds. Some of the major traditions involving this New Year’s celebration, which spans 12 days, include visiting
ats
University of New York electrical engineering student
(garlic, representing medicine), sekkeh
8
World
Newsletter
and Early Academic Success Among Head Start Graduates. ge
from Iran, has been elected to the Tau Beta Pi Association.
ae
Giwee.
Tau Beta Pi is one of the nation’s most prestigious engineering societies.
-
Iranian residents in front of the table set for the Haft Seen
elders, family and friends and the exchange of gifts. The 13th day is spent outdoors— staying indoors is considered inauspicious. Iranian resident members shared a major tradition of Noruz, the Haft Seen. Haft Seen involves setting the table with seven main items starting with the letter S in Farsi. Items on the table included, seer
Ladan Samarbakhsh, a City
(coins, representing prosperity) and serkeh (vinegar—representing age). Other items included candles, eggs and a holy book. Resident members were also treated to a slideshow depicting Iranian life before, during and after the 1979 Revolution and movie clips that realistically portray life in present-day Iran.
Michael Schniirch, received the “Erwin
Schrodinger” fellowship from the Austrian Science Foundation. A Ph.D. student at Cornell University,
Lyscha Marcynyszyn of the United States received the Outstanding Dissertation Award for Developmental Psychology (Division 7) for 2006 for her dissertation,
Contributions of Attentional and Behavioral Regulation to Socioemotional Adjustment
’
Carmen Vidal Balanzat, International House’s
g 2005-2006 Videography Program Fellow from Spain and a student at the City University of New York, has Carmen Vidal _ been awarded a student
Balanzat
Oscar by the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for her film 6 a.m. 6 a.m. isa documentary about the sunrise in the “city that never sleeps,” a portrait of the so-called “magic hour” in New York City. She will be presented with the award at the 33rd Annual Student Academy Awards Ceremony on June 10th.