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UCALL
Union College Academy
for Lifelong Learning
Spring 2015
“Outstanding!”
~ Robert B. Saltzman ‘69
“As a retired teacher I can say there is
great truth to the adage that one never
stops learning. UCALL is the ideal vehicle
for facilitating this.”
~ Matt George
“The best deal around. It is priceless.”
~ Dr. Don Bentrovato ‘69
“I continue to treasure the diverse courses
that UCALL offers. The presentations are
enlightening and fun.”
~ Dick Wyles
“UCALL has helped to support my
intellectual curiosity while giving me a
social forum to meet new people.”
~ Anonymous
Our UCALL mission is to
provide opportunities for
intellectual development,
cultural stimulation and
social interaction for
adults through courses,
excursions and
special events.
Tuesdays,
Musical Adversaries
April 7, 14, 21, 28,
May 5
Beethoven’s 9th symphony changed the orchestral world. The Ode to Joy shifted the
weight from the first to the fourth movement and expanded the expressive means of
symphonies. Beethoven’s specter intimidated his successors. Mendelssohn, Schumann
and Brahms wanted to write pure and poetic music that speaks for itself. A second group
around Liszt and Wagner insisted that music should tell a story and thus created program
music. Russian composers attempted to develop their own national music. Tchaikovsky,
the most prominent of them, wrote music of high emotional expressiveness. Many of
these composers listened to each other’s music without enjoying it. They were often quite
stinging in their criticisms. In this course we will compare the music of most of these
composers, their symphonies, concertos and music for solo instruments, trying to find
differences. Presenter: Josef Schmee, the Kenneth B. Sharpe Professor of Management
Emeritus, Union College.
9:30 to 11:30 am
Reamer Auditorium*
Coordinator: Manny Aven
Another Look
Tuesdays,
April 7, 14, 21, 28,
May 5
12:30 to 2:30 pm
Reamer Auditorium*
Wednesdays,
April 8, 15, 22, 29,
May 6
9:30 to 11:30 am
Reamer Auditorium*
at the
American Revolution
In the past, courses focused on battles, Great White Men, and politics, mainly from the
colonists’ viewpoint. Today historians are challenging that approach. In five new lectures,
some of these topics will be reexamined. Also, several multimedia presentations will be given. 1) Taxation has
generally been emphasized as perhaps the primary
cause but the issue is more complex. The political,
economic, social, constitutional, and ideological
roots will be explored. 2) Was Saratoga really
“the turning point of the American Revolution?”
Why so or why not? 3) Why did Washington
choose Valley Forge for winter camp? Was the
Army really starving and ill clothed? Who was
Baron Von Steuben and why is he important?
Or was he? 4) Were the British all bumbling
fools toward their American colonists? What role did George
III play? Were the British united against the colonists? 5) Did Jefferson really mean
“all men are created equal?” What was his attitude toward women? What can we
learn about the third president from this? Presenter: Jim Sefcik, scholar of 18th century
American history, and retired director of the Louisiana State Museum.
Coordinator: Rich Holt
Healthcare
in
America
The health care system in America is immense and complex. Speakers from various parts
of the system will present their perspectives on its current state, changes and challenges
and predictions on what the future may bring. David Pratt, M.D., MPH, will open the
course with an overview of the health care system. He will also present a wrap up of
what we have learned at the end of the course. James Connolly, CEO and President
of Ellis Hospital, will talk about Integrated Hospital Systems. Paul Sorum, M.D.,
Ph.D., will speak about the challenges of private practice physicians and will also
discuss the Affordable Care Act. Joseph Twardy, FACHE, CEO of Northeast
Visiting Nurses, will present the case for Home Care and Phillip DiSorbo, former
Executive Director Community Hospice, will discuss Hospice Services. Judith
Berek, a former senior official of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
in Washington, D. C., will discuss Medicare and Ruthanne Hackett, Health and
Productivity Manager, General Electric, will present the issue of health insurance
from the large employer perspective.
Coordinators: Carolyn Callner with Jim Comly
Food
for
Wednesdays,
Thought
Union Geology Professor John Garver will discuss the behavior of the Mohawk River
Watershed including its implications for the Schenectady waterfront. In a talk about
“Québec’s Cirques: Cirque is not just the Cirque du Soleil,” Union Professor Charles
Batson will show and discuss examples of circuses out of Quebec. Buildings consume
a significant amount of our national energy - Union Professor Mohammad Mafi will
describe design alternatives for green buildings and how they save building energy. In
“How I Stumbled Into This Awful Mess,” Entrepreneur Dr. Robert Degeneff
will describe going from hard core engineering in large financially stable
institutions (GE, RPI) to starting a small business, exploring his mistakes and
poor assumptions, the good fortune he experienced, and how he sees the future.
Finally, Estate Attorney Bonnie McGuire Jones, Esq., will describe practical
ideas about what surviving spouses need to know and do when and before their
spouse dies.
April 8, 15, 22, 29,
May 6
12:30 to 2:30 pm
Reamer Auditorium*
Coordinators: Jim Comly, Jenny Overeynder, Jim Burns
Literary Genres - What
is their appeal?
This course will focus on five literary genres and their distinct appeals to
specific readers. Union Lecturer Anastasia Pease will teach the first two sessions, Fairy
Tales, and Comics and Graphic Novels, discussing why Fairy Tales are so powerful, and
the recent evolution and the deep impact of Comics and Graphic Novels. Frankie Y.
Bailey, U Albany Criminal Justice Professor and writer on and of detective fiction, will
discuss Crime Fiction including its evolution from Edgar Allan Poe to the present, and
how social and publishing changes have affected the genre. Marge Karowe takes up
Romance Novels from Jane Austen to Georgette Heyer: What is their appeal, are they
mostly read by women and why are they so emotionally satisfying? Linda Witkowski
will share her views on Witness Literature, the term describing experiences of people
who have survived prison, concentration camps, war or racial prejudice, using as
examples: Solzhenitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and other writings to
help us understand those forces that create such horror.
Thursdays,
April 9, 16, 23, 30,
May 7
9:30 to 11:30 am
Reamer Auditorium*
Coordinator: Jenny Overeynder
Radical Early 20th Century
The end of the nineteenth century ushered in a period of sweeping change culturally,
scientifically, and socially. This course will examine five aspects of this change through
some of UCALL’s most beloved presenters. Union Professor Stephen Berk will discuss
the historical context from an Eastern European perspective. Union Professor Chad
Orzel will tell us how new theories upset longstanding beliefs about our universe. Union
Professor Dianne McMullen will explain developments in music, and Karen Watkins
the rise of modernism in the visual arts. Finally, the literary world will be explored by
Union Lecturer Anastasia Pease and Bertrand Fay, who will tell us about, respectively,
the novelist Nabokov and World War I poetry.
Thursdays,
April 9, 16, 23, 30,
May 7
12:30 to 2:30 pm
Reamer Auditorium*
Coordinator: Karen Watkins
*Class location subject to change based on availability
Union College students are welcome to attend any of the UCALL sessions, on a space available basis, free of charge.
Union College Academy for Lifelong Learning
Union College Academy for Lifelong Learning (UCALL) is
a membership-based program for adults who enjoy learning.
Our courses cover a wide range of topics and are presented
by UCALL members, Union College professors and other
qualified speakers. UCALL courses are non-credit and
require no exams or pre-requisites. Classes are held for five
2-hour weekly sessions in the Spring and Fall on the Union
College Campus. Parking is available in the Union College
parking lot located at the corner of Nott Street and Seward
Place. Bus service is available to shuttle participants from the
parking lot to class locations. Persons with special needs or
requests, please contact Valerie D’Amario at 388-6072.
Established in 1988 on the historic Union College campus,
UCALL serves the adult community of the Capital District.
Now over 500 members strong, UCALL continues the Union
College tradition of academic excellence.
Benefits of membership include: participation at UCALL
courses, UCALL Newsletter, borrowing privileges at the
Schaffer Library, educational discounts on trade books
and computer hardware and software at the Union College
Bookstore, attendance at special UCALL events and excursions, tuition waiver for one undergraduate course (based on
availability) and information about Union College events.
Friends of UCALL
Friends of UCALL is a tax-deductible, voluntary, annual
contribution fund. Its purpose is to help maintain a suitable
level of membership in the organization, and to support
special events and social functions. In these ways the fund
helps UCALL to keep pace with other similar highereducational institutions, and to continue the diversity and
quality of the UCALL program. The fund also provides a
financial backup for contingencies that may arise in our
regular operations.
Thanks to all who voluntarily contribute to the Friends of
UCALL Fund, we are able to maintain our program with
LIFELONG LEARNER
Phil & Jo Adams*
Manuel & Irene Aven*
Diana Vianna-Brignola
James & Lucy Comly*
David & Donna Dardaris*
ACADEMICIAN
Charlie & Debbie McCambridge
SCHOLAR
Bill & Faye Bailey*
John & Barbara Beverley*
Glenn Breuer*
Bob & Terry Briggs
Marie Burnet*
James & Judith Burns*
Miriam Butzel
Charles & Janet Clark
Doris Clark
Robert J. & Catherine Coan
John & Elizabeth Collins
Sylvia Cosgrove,
In Memory of John Cosgrove
Rick & Diana Crookes*
Thomas & Linnea D’Andrea
Vincent DeBaun
Larry & Ellen Eisenberg
Barbara Fleischer*
Constance Glasgow*
Jack & Vicki Gold
Walter Grattidge*
H. Heinz Happ
Tim & Nancy Johnson*
Jerry & Mary Kilanoski
Robert & Susan Leach*
Bob Lindinger*
Mardy Moore*
Gioia Ottaviano
Steve & Marsha Ras
Beryl R. Rockwell*
T. Gregory & Barbara Panetta Sauer*
John & Anna Saville
Charlie & Suzy Scott
Vern & June Scoville*
Jane B. Stewart*
Twitty Styles
Francis R. Taormina
Clifford & Cynthia Tepper
Evelyn Thode,
In Memory of Robert Mielke
Jack & JoBerta Underwood
Paul and Amy Volk
Nancy L. Walden*
Ann Walraven*
Simon & Sally Weinstein
John & Faith Weldon
Harry & Sandra Willis
Anne Yunick
*Affiliated with a matching gift company.
minimal increases in the current level of tuition and fees.
The UCALL Steering Committee acknowledges all
participants in Friends of UCALL in the 2014/2015 academic
year, as shown below. If you have contributed since this
listing went to press, you will be on subsequent updated lists.
DONATION CATEGORIES ARE:
Lifelong Learner: $500 or more
Academician: $300-$499
Scholar: $100-$299
Donor: $10-$99
Based on annual cumulative giving
DONOR
Anonymous
Betty Carol Barlyn
Patricia Bumbarger
Ann Bish
Richard & Marlene Breault
Carolyn K. Callner
Marjorie Carney
Rose Cooper*
Robert Coppola
Marilyn Cummings
Rose DiCerbo
Bob & Barbara Donnaruma
Betty Dougherty
Linda Doyle
Fred & Robin Eddy
Rosemary Faulkner
Blanche Fischer
Gail L. Flanery
Ray George*
Gail Girvin
Dorothy Gray*
Renee Green
Cynthia Hamilton
Joel & Julia Helfman
Tom Herrmann
Marge Karowe
Margaret (Peggy) King
Isabel Krempa
Anne Kulak
Rita Leonard
Karen B. Levy
Katharine Lowe*
Marge Maas
Pat MacKinnon
Gini McDermott*
M. Richard & Lois Mendelson*
Patricia Mion
Cara Molyneaux
Jenny C. Overeynder
Shirley Rivest*
Boris & Harriet Severenko*
William & Rochelle Shapiro
Henrietta Slosek*
Austin & Marti Spang*
Frank B. Strauss DMD
Patsy Suydam
Bruce & Jane Tatge*
Nancy Tobiessen
Vince Vanina*
Janet Vinyard
Karen J. Watkins
Thomas & Mary Werner
Diane Whitburn
John & Jean Wilkinson
Sylvia Winer
Dick & Ann Wyles
UCALL Membership Registration Form - Spring 2015
mail completed Form and all payments to:
UCALL, Union College, 807 Union Street, Schenectady, NY 12308
Name(s)____________________________________________________________________________________
Address____________________________________________________________________________________
City________________________________________ State________________________Zip______________
Telephone___________________________________ e-mail address__________________________________
qCheck here if you would like to receive your newsletter via email
Are you an Alumnus/Alumna of Union College? qYes
Are you a new or returning member?
qNew
Graduation Year_________
qReturning
Year Joined__________
FEES: Annual membership fee (September – August) is $65.00 per person. Tuition is $25.00 per course.
COURSE SELECTION: In the spaces provided, indicate the name of the course(s) for which you would like to register in order of preference. If you pay for two courses, you may enroll in additional courses without an extra tuition
fee, provided there is space. Enrollment confirmation will appear in your confirmation letter.
Please return your registration form by March 5, 2015. You will receive a confirmation of your registration/
course enrollment in the mail, prior to the start of the program.
Please list your course selections in order of preference.
Individual Member Name
Member Spouse Name
First Course
$
First Course
$
Second Course
$
Second Course
$
Extra Course
no charge
Extra Course
no charge
Extra Course
no charge
Extra Course
no charge
Extra Course
no charge
Extra Course
no charge
Extra Course
no charge
Extra Course
no charge
Annual Membership Fee (September – August) $65
$
Annual Membership Fee (September – August) $65
$
Subtotal Individual Member
$
Subtotal Individual Member
$
Grand Total
$
Friends
of
UCALL
If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to Friends of UCALL, please send your donation in a
separate check.
Indicate how you would like your name(s) to appear on our donor listing__________________________________
Amount of donation $______________ qYes, I am affiliated with a matching gift company.
Direct your match to the Trustees of Union College. Name of company_________________________________________________________
(Eligible for GE Foundation Matching Gift. Please call: 1-800-305-0669)
Office Use:
UCALL Spring 2015 - Internet Registration
UCALL Check #________________ Amount $_______________ FOU Check #__________________ Amount $_______________
Date Received_____________________ Confirmation Mailed_________________
UCALL
Union College
807 Union Street
Schenectady, NY 12308
UNION COLLEGE ACADEMY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING
2014/2015 Committees
Steering Committee
Michael Bishop
Jim Burns
Valerie D’Amario (Director)
Linda Doyle
Fred Eddy
Gail Flanery
Richard Holt
Susan Leach
Therese McCarty (Academic Vice-President)
Jenny Overeynder (Chair)
Eugene Rowland
Bill Shapiro (Vice-Chair)
Karen Watkins
Harry Willis
Emeritus: Manuel Aven
UCALL Office
(518) 388-6072
Valerie D’Amario, Director
e-mail: [email protected]
Curriculum Committee
Phil Adams
Manuel Aven
Ted Bick
Jim Burns
James Comly (Chair)
Valerie D’Amario
Linda Doyle
Don Gavin
Joan Ham
Richard Holt
Marge Karowe
Jenny Overeynder
Anna Saville
Karen Watkins
Linda Witkowski
Photos Courtesy
Special Events Committee
Look for UC
ALL
Special Even
ts
& Excursion
s to
be announc
ed
in upcomin
g
newsletters
of
James Comly
Nott Memorial print
Thomas Rieschick
Terri Mueller, Administrative Assistant
e-mail: [email protected]
Visit the UCALL web site at www.union.edu/UCALL
Phil Adams (Chair)
Bernice Allison
Joan Bick
James Comly
Linda Doyle
Gail Flanery
Marge Karowe
Susan Leach
Jenny Overeynder
Barbara Pantalone
Gene Rowland
Anna Saville
Bill Shapiro