Matters A Newsletter for The City University of New York • Spring 2000

BATTING ORDER OF TRUSTEES, CHANCELLOR, PRESIDENTS At A Glance CUNY: The Visiting Team in Albany LaGuardia and Wagner s the New York Mets and Yankees this road trip. Archives: Leader in Urban were limbering up at their spring Community History Joining Badillo and 1 Atraining camps, CUNY leaders Goldstein on the jour- When Dr. Richard K. Lieberman talks were touching all the legislative bases in about how, as the founder and thus far ney were Vice Chair- Albany. The excursion took place on man of Trustees, sole director March 6-7 and was timed to precede the Benno Schmidt, Jr., of the La- beginning of negotiations on the higher Guardia and education budget among the Assembly, and Trustees Wagner the Senate, and Governor’s Office. Mizanoor Biswas, Archives at La- Pictured above, in conversation with John Calandra, Ken- Guardia Com- Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, left, and neth Cook, Alfred B. munity College, Trustees Chairman Herman Badillo is Curtis, Jr., George he got involved Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, Chair of Rios, Bernard in his crusade to bring the history of the State Higher Education Committee. Sohmer, and Jeffrey the City to its residents, he gives full The subject? Doubtless it is revealed by credit to his students. The professor Wiesenfeld. The the button that was in frequent evidence Chancellor was ac- of urban history is referring, specifi- on this road trip. cally, to the students in his very first companied by repre- Joining Badillo and Goldstein on the sentatives of the City history course, taught as an ad- journey were Vice Chairman of Trustees, junct some 27 years ago. Chancellery and the Council of Presidents. with many expressions of confidence in Benno Schmidt, Jr., and Trustees Mizanoor the, Chair of the State Higher Education Biswas, John Calandra, Kenneth Cook, Al- Committee. The subject? Doubtless it The Write Place for legislative reception and several fred B. Curtis, Jr., George Rios, Bernard is revealed by the button that was in fre- Students Is to Visit Sohmer, and Jeffrey Wiesenfeld. The Arounds of meetings provided opportu- quent evidence on this road trip. 2http://writesite.cuny.edu Chancellor was accompanied by represen- nities to advance the University’s agenda, When I have to answer the frequently- tatives of the Chancellery and the Council notably an increase in full-time faculty, To the left Saul B. Cohen, Chair of asked question—“What is the Write- of Presidents. additional funding for community colleges, the Board of Regents Higher Educa- Site?”—I don’t start by talking about A legislative reception and several College Now, and improvements in the Tu- tion Committee, listens as Trustee technology, computers, rounds of meetings provided opportuni- ition Assistance Program. Jeffrey Wiesenfeld talks with Assem- or software. ties to advance the University’s agenda, Albany’s leaders, in turn, responded blyman Edward L. Sullivan, Chair of The CUNY WriteSite notably an increase in full-time faculty, with many expressions of confidence in the Assembly Higher Education Com- is, above all, a collabo- additional funding for community col- the leadership and stability at the City mittee. Pictured below is Senator ration of people— leges, College Now, and improvements in University. John J. Marchi with Trustees Kenneth CUNY faculty, with ex- the Tuition Assistance Program. A legislative reception and Cook, center, and Alfred B. pertise in every aspect Albany’s leaders, in turn, responded with Albany’s leaders, in turn, responded Curtis. of writing, who share many expressions of confidence in the the conviction that leadership and stability at the City Univer- writing is at the heart sity. Pictured above, in conversation with Ka Boom Resounds at USA Today of our lives and our uni- Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, left, and ou have to wonder just how Sophie A legislative reception and several versity. Trustees Chairman Herman Badillo is Sen- Davis Medical School senior Vivian rounds of meetings provided opportuni- ator Kenneth P. LaValle, Chair of the State YKa (pictured at left) finds time to be ties to advance the University’s agenda, Flourishing on Several Higher Education Committee. The sub- the member of a fencing team. Ka, who notably an increase in full-time faculty, Fronts: CUNY-1199 ject? Doubtless it is revealed by the but- won a place on USA Today’s 2000 All-USA additional funding for community col- 3Union Partnership ton that was in frequent evidence on this Governor George Pataki announced College Academic First Team in February, leges, College Now, and improvements in road trip. $1 million in state funding to help cre- has thrust and parried to a 4.0 GPA with a the Tuition Assistance Program. ate the John F. major in biomedical sciences, initiated a Albany’s leaders, in turn, responded with oining Badillo and Goldstein on the Kennedy, Jr. student-run health education program at a many expressions of confidence in the journey were Vice Chairman of Institute for J homeless shelter, and served in the Ameri- leadership and stability at the City Univer- Trustees, Benno Schmidt, Jr., and Trustees Worker Educa- can Medical Student Association. sity. Pictured above, in conversation with Mizanoor Biswas, John Calandra, Kenneth tion at CUNY. She has also published research on the Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, left, and Cook, Alfred B. Curtis, Jr., George Rios, The Institute, use of Chinese medicine among the home- Trustees Chairman Herman Badillo is Sen- Bernard Sohmer, and Jeffrey Wiesenfeld. the Governor bound elderly and on the toxicity of com- ator Kenneth P. LaValle, Chair of the State The Chancellor was accompanied by repre- said, “will be monly-used Chinese herbs. She plans to Higher Education Committee. The subject? sentatives of the Chancellery and the a fitting tribute to a man who worked become a physician. Her fellow Sophie Doubtless it is revealed by the button that Council of Presidents. tirelessly to help direct-care workers was in frequent evidence on this road trip. A legislative reception and several Davis student Sherry Xin Hsu (at right) build a better life.” earned a Second Team award with her re- Albany’s leaders, in turn, responded with rounds of meetings provided opportunities many expressions of confidence in the to advance the University’s agenda, notably search on how the compound pravastatin Sontag on her new work:: removes plaque from arteries, her work as leadership and stability at the City Univer- 19th-Century Viticulture, an increase in full-time faculty, additional sity. Pictured above, in conversation with funding for community colleges, College director of a Harlem tutoring program, and 4Crop Rotation student government service (and another Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, left, and Now, and improvements in the Tuition As- After her 4.0 GPA). Trustees Chairman Herman Badillo is Sen- February 29 sistance Program. ator Kenneth P. LaValle, Chair of the State Queens College Albany’s leaders, in turn, responded Higher Education Committee. The subject? reading from In with many expressions of confidence Doubtless it is revealed by the button that America, her in the leadership and stability at the was in frequent evidence on this road trip. new historical City University. Albany’s leaders, in turn, responded with novel set in many expressions of confidence in the 19th-century leadership and stability at the City Univer- Poland and America, Susan Sontag ictured above, in conversation with sity. was questioned about how she re- PChancellor Matthew Goldstein, left, searched it. and Trustees Chairman Herman Badillo is As CUNY•Matters went to press, it was Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, Chair of the announced that Ka has become the second State Higher Education Committee. The CCNY student to win a Fulbright Fellow- subject? Doubtless it is revealed by the ship. She will use it to study traditional button that was in frequent evidence on medicine at the University of Western Syd- ney in Australia.

1 Message From The Chancellor Message From The Chair

dward V. (Ned) Regan—a scholar in Inc., RB Asset Inc., Offitbank, the Commit- r. Eduardo Marti, who has previ- tween 1960 the field of public infrastructure in- tee for Economic Development, the Coun- ously led Corning and Tompkins- and 1971 he Evestment, the current Chairman of cil on Foreign Relations, the Woodrow Wil- DCortland Community Colleges in earned his the City’s Municipal Assistance Corpora- son International Center for Scholars, the upstate New York for a total of 16 years, B.A., Mas- tion (MAC), and a former Erie County Ex- Brookings Institute, and Continuum Health was appointed President of Queensbor- ter’s, and ecutive and New York State Comptroller— Partners. ough Community College by the Board of Ph.D has been named President of Baruch Col- Trustees on March 27. His tenure will in that field lege by the Board of Trustees. The ap- graduate of Hobart College in 1952, begin on July 1. at New York pointment was formally made at the “Dr. Marti is a prominent educator who University. Regan earned a J.D. cum laude from Board’s March 27 meeting, and Regan will A has led three community colleges with From 1966 the State University of New York School of assume office on July 15. distinction and ability. He will bring this to 1975 he Law in 1964. He has been a Trustee of “Ned Regan has an extraordinary back- outstanding record to Queensborough taught in the ground well-suited for Baruch College,” Marymount College, New York Law School, Community College,” said Board Chair- Department said Trustees Chairman Herman Badillo. and a member of the New York University man Herman Badillo. Chancellor of Science “He has effectively managed large profes- Stern School of Business Board of Over- Matthew Goldstein recommended the ap- at Borough sional organizations. His distinguished ca- seers. pointment after a search led by Trustee of Manhat- reer in government, finance, and education As New York State Comptroller from Nilda Soto Ruiz. tan Commu- will provide the Baruch student body with 1979 to 1993, Regan was responsible for Like many CUNY students historically— nity College, then served as an Associate exemplary expertise.” Chancellor Matthew providing financial services for the state 115 countries of origin are now represent- Dean of the Faculty from 1975 to 1978. Goldstein recommended the appointment and its local governments, including New ed among Queensborough’s 10,400 stu- Like many CUNY students historically— following a nationwide search conducted York City, during a period of major fiscal dents—Marti was an immigrant. He left 115 countries of origin are now represent- by a search committee chaired by Trustee crisis. The Comptroller is also the sole Cuba shortly after Fidel Castro came to ed among Queensborough’s 10,400 stu- Kathleen M. Pesile. trustee for the state pension fund, which power and, also like many CUNY students, dents—Marti was an immigrant. He left Regan is a grew from $10 billion to $56 billion during was the first in his family to attend col- Cuba shortly after Fidel Castro came to Distinguished lege. Marti and his wife, Patricia, are the power and, also like many CUNY students, his tenure. The Erie County government Fellow at the parents of three children. was the first in his family to attend col- he led had 9,000 employees and provided Jerome Levy lege. Marti and his wife, Patricia, are the health, library, community college and Institute at arti’s field was originally biology. parents of three children. Bard College, other urban services to the Buffalo metro- MBetween 1960 and 1971 he earned Like many CUNY students historically— which he politan area. his B.A., Master’s, and Ph.D in that field 115 countries of origin are now represent- joined in Regan has taught as an adjunct profes- at New York University. From 1966 to ed among Queensborough’s 10,400 stu- 1993, after sor at SUNY Buffalo, Canisius College, and 1975 he taught in the Department of Sci- dents—Marti was an immigrant. He left almost three the Stern School of Business. ence at Borough of Manhattan Community Cuba shortly after Fidel Castro came to decades of A graduate of Hobart College in 1952, College, then served as an Associate Dean power and, also like many CUNY students, government Regan earned a J.D. cum laude from the of the Faculty from 1975 to 1978. was the first in his family to attend col- service. He State University of New York School of Marti has also been a prominent region- lege. Marti and his wife, Patricia, are the also serves as Law in 1964. He has been a Trustee of al educational leader. He is now Presi- parents of three children. a Trustee of Marymount College, New York Law School, dent of the Association of Presidents of the Financial and a member of the New York University Public Community Colleges in New York. Marti has also been a prominent region- Accounting Foundation, which oversees, Stern School of Business Board of Over- He has also served as Chairman of the As- al educational leader. He is now Presi- raises funds for and appoints the members sociation of Presidents of Public Commu- seers. dent of the Association of Presidents of of the Financial Accounting Standards nity Colleges’ Task Force on Performance Public Community Colleges in New York. Board and the Governmental Accounting Indicators. Since 1994 he has been a He has also served as Chairman of the As- s New York State Comptroller from Standards Board. member of the Middle States Association’s sociation of Presidents of Public Commu- graduate of Hobart College in 1952, A1979 to 1993, Regan was responsible Commission on Secondary Schools nity Colleges’ Task Force on Performance ARegan earned a J.D. cum laude from for providing financial services for the Indicators. Since 1994 he has been a the State University of New York School of state and its local governments, including arti’s field was originally biology. member of the Middle States Association’s Law in 1964. He has been a Trustee of New York City, during a period of major fis- MBetween 1960 and 1971 he earned Commission on Secondary Schools. Marymount College, New York Law School, cal crisis. The Comptroller is also the sole his B.A., Master’s, and Ph.D in that field and a member of the New York University trustee for the state pension fund, which at New York University. From 1966 to Stern School of Business Board of Over- grew from $10 billion to $56 billion during 1975 he taught in the Department of Sci- seers. his tenure. The Erie County government ence at Borough of Manhattan Community As New York State Comptroller from he led had 9,000 employees and provided College, then served as an Associate Dean Board of Trustees 1979 to 1993, Regan was responsible for health, library, community college and of the Faculty from 1975 to 1978. providing financial services for the state other urban services to the Buffalo metro- Marti has also been a prominent region- The City University and its local governments, including New politan area. al educational leader. He is now Presi- York City, during a period of major fiscal dent of the Association of Presidents of As New York State Comptroller from of New York crisis. The Comptroller is also the sole Public Community Colleges in New York. 1979 to 1993, Regan was responsible for trustee for the state pension fund, which He has also served as Chairman of the As- Herman Badillo providing financial services for the state grew from $10 billion to $56 billion during sociation of Presidents of Public Commu- Chairman his tenure. The Erie County government and its local governments, including New nity Colleges’ Task Force on Performance York City, during a period of major fiscal he led had 9,000 employees and provided Indicators. Since 1994 he has been a Benno C. Schmidt Jr. crisis. The Comptroller is also the sole health, library, community college and member of the Middle States Association’s Vice-Chairman other urban services to the Buffalo metro- trustee for the state pension fund, which Commission on Secondary Schools politan area. grew from $10 billion to $56 billion during Regan has taught as an adjunct profes- his tenure. The Erie County government arti’s field was originally biology. Satish K. Babbar sor at SUNY Buffalo, Canisius College, and he led had 9,000 employees and provided MBetween 1960 and 1971 he earned John J. Calandra the Stern School of Business. health, library, community college and his B.A., Master’s, and Ph.D in that field Kenneth Cook other urban services to the Buffalo metro- at New York University. From 1966 to Michael C. Crimmins stablished in 1919 as City College’s politan area. 1975 he taught in the Department of Sci- Alfred B. Curtis, Jr. ESchool of Business and Civic Admin- Regan has taught as an adjunct profes- ence at Borough of Manhattan Community Ronald J. Marino istration, Baruch College was renamed sor at SUNY Buffalo, Canisius College, and College, then served as an Associate Dean Randy M. Mastro in 1953 in honor of Bernard M. Baruch, of the Faculty from 1975 to 1978. the Stern School of Business. John Morning statesman and financier. It became an Marti has also been a prominent region- Kathleen M. Pesile independent senior college in 1968 and al educational leader. He is now Presi- egan has taught as an adjunct profes- is now, with more than 15,250 degree- dent of the Association of Presidents of George J. Rios earning students who come from over 90 Rsor at SUNY Buffalo, Canisius College, Public Community Colleges in New York. Nilda Soto Ruiz countries, one of the largest CUNY se- and the Stern School of Business. He has also served as Chairman of the As- Jeffrey Wiesenfeld nior colleges. His many publications include a forth- sociation of Presidents of Public Commu- Regan’s many ties to the local business coming book, Corporate Governance and nity Colleges’ Task Force on Performance Bernard Sohmer and finance community will benefit the the Role of the Institutional Investor, to be Indicators. Since 1994 he has been a Chairperson, University Faculty Senate College, which is the premier CUNY cam- published by Nasdaq, and a monograph, “A member of the Middle States Association’s Mizanoor Biswas pus in these fields. He serves as director, New Approach to Tax Exempt Bonds,” pub- Commission on Secondary Schools Chairperson, University Student Senate trustee or member of OppenheimerFunds, lished by the Jerome Levy Economics In- Marti’s field was originally biology. Be- stitute in 1999. 2 One Happy Registration Line

City history pored over by 9,000 4th- graders each year for the last 11 years, a seven-part radio series on the life and By Randy Fader-Smith times of Fiorello LaGuardia, and those coveted history calendars which have hen Dr. Richard K. Lieberman been created from the Archives’ treasures talks about how, as the founder and distributed to more than 5,000 people W and thus far sole director of the annually for 21 years. LaGuardia and Wagner Archives at La- Guardia Community College, he got in- aking history acces- volved in his crusade to bring the history Msible to ordinary cit- of the City to its residents, he gives full izens took on a more credit to his students. The profes- formal aspect when, sor of urban history is referring, in 1982, Lieberman specifically, to the students in his was handed the for- very first City history course, midable task of taught as an adjunct some 27 managing La- Photo, André Beckles. years ago. Guardia’s fledgling “Two weeks into the course a archives. “We had Drive for Child Health Care Registration group of students approached me nothing,” he recalls, and asked, ‘When do we get to “just an idea.” seminar of shining young faces from the Borough of Manhattan Community Queens?’ My first response was, ‘I That idea—to College Day Care Center met on March 13 to launch a registration drive for know nothing about the history of build a repository A Child Health Plus proposed by Trustees Chairman Herman Badillo. It is estimat- Queens,’” Lieberman says, adding around the College’s ed that about 40,000 CUNY students under 19 and children of CUNY students will how stunned he was by their inquiry. namesake—soon be- be eligible for this program, reported in the Winter issue of CUNY•Matters, to pro- “From all my training as an urban histori- came plausible when Marie LaGuardia, vide free or very low-cost health care in New York State. Four older seminar par- an and all my reading, the history of New the beloved former Mayor’s widow, called ticipants were, from right, University Student Senate Chairman Mizanoor Biswas, York means Manhattan, a little bit on the archives and asked if they would be BMCC President Antonio Perez, Badillo, and Dr. Rosa Gil, Special Advisor to the Brooklyn and the Bronx, and nothing on so kind as to take her husband’s personal Mayor for Health Policy and Chairperson of the Health and Hospitals Corporation. Queens or Staten Island.” papers from her premises. What arrived, With no history books to rely on, in those several boxes, was a treasure Lieberman explained that he quickly trove to make an archivist’s heart palpi- formed student research groups and sent tate. RESOURCES ON THE CUNY HOME PAGE his novice researchers out into their With time, this donation served to at- neighborhoods to uncover information on tract the personal papers of three more everyday life in Queens. They came back Mayors: Robert F. Wagner, Abraham D. Click City : www.cuny.edu from interviews with older relatives, Beame, and Edward I. Koch. In fact, this neighbors, and patrons of senior centers mayoral archives is unique in the nation. hen the news needs to get out and developed by CUNY faculty for CUNY stu- with a rich bounty of artifacts, photos, Notable too among Archives possessions Wfast, there’s nothing like the CUNY dents. Or you may have wondered what and documents of community history. are the papers of nearby Steinway and Home Page (http://www.cuny.edu) as a CUNY is doing on the distance learning These bits of history flowing into Sons (on which Lieberman himself has place to post it. In a new tickertape fea- front: check out CUNY Online in the Re- his classroom, Lieberman sums up, written the book), a collection of City ture, one can find Today’s Highlights sources section and see what faculty “changed my whole career and launched Housing Authority material, and papers of scrolling across the top, providing you from 13 CUNY colleges have been doing me into a whole new way of doing histo- the City Council. Visited by some 3,000 with all of the latest news affecting CUNY with the help of generous funding from the ry, community history.” researchers each year, the LaGuardia and students (scholarships, for example, or Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. All those tangible remnants have Wagner Archives, Lieberman feels safe in health programs), CUNY applicants (like Those who are curious about new infor- made possible the many Archives exhibi- LaGuardia’s Archives director Richard Lieberman,boasting, “isleft, one looks of overthe mostartifacts important all the new Frequently-Asked-Questions mation technologies in campus libraries may tions on such topics as leisure and work, donated by Beame with his assistant archivist,research Eric centers Wolf. on 20th- century New on Admissions), CUNY funding (the cur- click on CUNY Libraries and access digital special elementary school curriculums on York.” rent state of our University budget re- sources and services already available, as The Archives is also expanding quest), and everything noteworthy affect- well as materials in the planning stage. Stu- vigorously onto the Web. Its ing the University. dents planning to transfer from a two- to a ever-expanding site (www.la- If you visit Today’s Highlights in April, four-year CUNY college should click on Lieberman’s Sloan Award you will see a special message to prospec- CUNY TIPPS in the Student Info section to tive students from Chancellor Matthew learn how their course work will be evaluat- For Public Service Goldstein, as well as a fully functional on- ed by each of the senior colleges and what line application procedure for freshman the University’s current remediation policies iting Director Richard Lieberman for the and transfer students. As well, you will are. CUNY Study Abroad in the Student C“ingenuity, energy, and compassion” he has find Chairman Herman Badillo’s introduc- Info section lays out the available opportu- brought to the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives tion to the availability of New York State’s nities for study in foreign countries. and to the teaching of New York City history, Dr. Child Health Plus program and its afford- New information appears on the CUNY Mary McCormick, President of the Fund for the able health coverage for CUNY students home page every day, and it is clearly be- City of New York, awarded him the Sloan Public and their families. coming an important bookmark for a grow- Service Award at a ceremony on March 14. On the instructional and research side, ing number of the University’s students, In presenting the award, McCormick quoted take a look at CUNY Resources and visit faculty, and prospective members of the this praise for Lieberman from a national leader the CUNY WriteSite (see story, page 5) CUNY community. Lately, there have been in social history programs: “As a historian he and CUNYMath—two web-based resources about 450,000 hits on the site a month. has led the way in showing a community its his- tory. He has done it better than anyone.” The Fund, launched with a grant from the CUNY¥Matters, You, and the Future Ford Foundation, has been citing outstanding If you have any suggestions for future articles or new regular fea- city employees for 27 years. Lieberman was tures in CUNY¥Matters—or any views to express about the newslet- among six honored this year; each received an ter that would improve its coverage of life in the City University honorarium of $7,500. community—please take the time to visit the CUNY home page and At a reception after the ceremony, Lieberman respond to a very brief “Survey for Readers.” The survey can be in turn applauded the support for his endeavors at the College: “You cannot imagine how much accessed at fun and how easy it has been at LaGuardia. http://www.cuny.edu/events/cunymatters/survey.html Mark The College has been, and remains, a petri dish Twain once remarked that he didn’t mind criticism at all—as long as for creativity.” it was all positive. CUNY¥Matters is not so squeamish: readers’

Continued on page 12 3 THE JOURNALS OF CUNY

issue, a special issue on race, class and Journal of Basic Writing culture in the basic writing classroom. In that issue, the journal's first full cu- Celebrates its 25th mulative index accompanied a set of es- pecially important articles, none more so than Ira Shor's call for an end to any believe that, like so much basic writing, which he called “Our else about writing in CUNY, Apartheid.” The issue and that article M the Journal of Basic Writing in particular—and the vigorous respons- (originally just Basic Writing) began es to it by Greenberg and others— with Mina Shaughnessy. In a sense it seemed to re-energize a field demoral- did. She was one of nine City College ized by cuts and marginalization. The faculty members who founded the jour- debate spawned made the journal itself nal, with support from the Instruction- the source of considerable discussion. al Resource Center she had created. And she did write the first few editori- reflection of that exchange is the al columns. Aissue in preparation, which includes But that was only the beginning. In pieces by scholars nation-wide on such 1981, the year after Sara D'Eloia be- topics as “Basic Writing and the Issue of came editor, the journal moved from Correctness,” “Meanness and Failure: being an “in-house” CUNY publication to Sanctioning Basic Writers,” “How We having a National Advisory Board includ- Have Failed the Basic Writing Enter- ing a number of renowned writing schol- prise,” and “Illegal Literacy.” Keith ars from across the nation. Five years Gilyard, the author of an article on later, Lynn Quitman Troyka became edi- “Basic Writing, Cost Effectiveness, and tor, expanded the editorial board, and Ideology,” is a CUNY alumnus and cur- made JBW a refereed journal. Editor rently chair of the Conference on Col- from 1986 to 1988, she was succeeded lege Composition and Communication by Bill Bernhardt and Peter Miller. In (the largest national organization devot- 1995, Karen Greenberg and Trudy Smoke ed to college-level writing instruction). became editors, though Karen stepped He is among the scholars “grateful” for down after three issues and was re- the chance to contribute to JBW. “It is placed by George Otte (Baruch College), one of the most important intellectual who became co-editor with the Fall 1996 components of CUNY,” he says. issue and continues to edit JBW with Gilyard’s contribution to what has Smoke (Hunter College). come to be known as the Shor-Green- As the one scholarly journal devoted berg debate on the future of basic writ- to basic writing, JBW represents a rich ing offers compelling reasons why both legacy of research and publication. A the field of basic writing and JBW, the recent watershed was the Spring 1997 journal devoted to it, will live on.

QUEENS WEATHER MAN WARNS THE BIG APPLE t struck New York City in 1821. It hap- more aware about the potential danger of pened again in 1893. Dr. Nicholas The Hurricane (Not the Movie) the next hurricane, Coch stressed educa- ICoch, now an adviser to the Mayor’s tion and rattled off a list of must-know in- Office of Emergency Management Agency, formation: “Understand the nature of the is warning that history repeats itself and By Alicia Chang beast. You must respond to what you’ve the City must prepare for the next one. Journalism minor, Queens College been told by the emergency planners.” The professor in the School of Environmen- (Coch briefed New York emergency plan- tal Science at Queens College is talking water. “It’s too frightening to contemplate,” tree branches surfaced years later when ners in early April.) And he prophesies, about the really big Big Apple Hurricane, a Coch said. he inspected the damage wrought on by “Understand that there will be fantastic subject on which he has performed years But his real point is that we must. Hurricane Hugo outside Charleston, property loss.” of research. Several factors make New York City vul- South Carolina. “If we can see in detail what happened nerable to a hurricane strike. Since New The hurricane, he recalls, “literally och suggested that people living in in the past, we can predict the future,” York and Long Island approximate a right snapped the trees and was quite a sight. I Careas less than 20 feet above sea said Coch, “and it will always be worse in angle with New Jersey, that intersection came back from that knowing this was the level move inland and take refuge in hard- the future.” would bear the brunt of the coastal on- thing I wanted to do.” ened shelters, schools, and auditoriums The last hurricane visited New York in slaught. In addition, hurricanes that edge In an effort to make New York residents for safety. 1938. Coch predicts that the next one will up the northeast coast tend to carry Ironically, the worst case sce- most likely strike within the next 70 years, stronger and faster winds and move more nario is not a hurricane that an assessment based in part on newly dis- quickly than elsewhere. hits New York City directly but covered evidence of those 1821 and 1893 Coch is currently investigating three rather one that passes over hurricanes. major northeast hurricanes. By research- New Jersey. In this case, the Coch predicted that when the next hurri- ing the 1635 hurricane that struck the pil- turbulent right eye wall, consid- cane strikes in the new millennium, “it will grims and the Bay colony, the 1815 hurri- ered by scientists as causing be the greatest catastrophe.” In a lecture cane devastating eastern Long Island, and the area of greatest flooding sponsored by the National Academy of Sci- the 1821/1893 hurricanes eroding New and highest winds, would be di- ences on February 7, he spoke about the York City, he hopes to provide insight on rectly over New York City. unique vulnerability of New York City and the susceptibility of New York to future “The earth is an inherently produced a step-by-step damage scenario. hurricanes. dangerous place. It is full of haz- “When a hurricane comes, the sea level is Coch has conducted his research on ards,” he said. “Accept the fact driven into the city. When you get salt these long-ago storms among government that there will be disasters. If water underground in those cables,” he ex- reports, church records, newspapers, and we’ve not prepared for them, they plained in an interview, “the whole financial various unpublished archival materials. will become catastrophes.” structure goes down. Wall Street goes out Professor Nicholas Coch at the hur- of business. The banks go out of business. ou might expect a hurricane expert ricane tracking board of the National This is the nerve center of America.” Y to have come from southeast, but Tropical Prediction Center in Miami, Besides disrupting the core of the city’s Coch’s interest in the subject was piqued familiar from many an emergency economic infrastructure, the hurricane will as a young boy in New Hampshire after television broadcast. His colleagues also harshly affect the transportation sys- witnessing the great 1938 hurricane that at the Center cordially placed a red tem. Subways will be flooded, bridges will left an extended wake of debris along the hurricane symbol on New York City close and airports will nosedive under New England coast. The image of broken and named it Nick. 4 hen I have to answer the frequent- gether on development and piloting, we ly-asked question—“What is the have ensured that what goes online makes W WriteSite?”—I don’t start by talking sense for many. about technology, computers, or software. Though the WriteSite will ultimately I talk about people: Nora Eisenberg of offer material for graduate-level writing, LaGuardia; George Otte, Gerard Dalgish of professional writing, and curricular devel- Baruch; Ann Peters, Stuart Cochran from opment, our sense of the pressing the Ph.D. Program in English; Janice needs of undergraduates has Peritz, Christine Timm of Queens; and Jane Paznik-Bondarin (BMCC), Clem Dun- bar (Lehman), and Bill Bernhardt (CSI). For the CUNY WriteSite is, above all, a col- laboration of people—CUNY faculty, with expertise in every aspect of writing, who Writing Center leaders meeting to share the conviction that writing is at the polish the CUNY WriteSite. Front, vass opinion from across the University, heart of our lives and our university. from left, Marian Arkin (LaG) and learning from faculty the most common Officially, the WriteSite is an OWL (on- Patricia Coleman (LaG); rear, line writing laboratory), a phenomenon from left, Myra Kogen (Brooklyn), kinds of writing tasks assigned in their that has spread in higher education over Gail Wood (CSI), Richard courses and what are the most common the past five years. Many other campuses Pisciotta (Queens), challenges and frustrations for their stu- have OWLs, but CUNY is the only universi- John Troynaski (Queens), dents. ty to have developed its own system-wide, Bill Bernhardt (CSI), Robert Timm, our first editor, and Rus- web-based resource center for writers on and WriteSite sell Day, the current editor of the Write- all levels—and throughout every discipline. editor Russell Site (both graduate students in the Ph.D. Three years ago, when the WriteSite Day. Program in English), assumed major re- started with technical support from the sponsibility for transferring the content of Office of Computing and Information Ser- textbooks and other materials written by vices, we were very aware that the vast CUNY faculty to formats suitable for the majority of students had scant off-cam- web environment. pus access to computing and the Inter- Moving away from the display model fa- net. We imagined building a resource vored by most other OWLs (essentially that could support activity on campuses, textbook pages on a screen) and toward a in learning and writing centers and as more interactive model required arduous adjuncts to particular courses, enhancing examination and experimentation. It existing services. meant trying out formats with faculty and But we dreamed of a time when CUNY students, developing templates to foster students would have Internet connections the site’s principles of dialogue, discovery, to support them off-campus too. Taking to interactivity. As George Otte has summa- heart the twin CUNY goals of access and rized, “You go to most OWLs to get stuff; excellence, WriteSite developers looked to you go to WriteSite to do stuff!” the near future, when CUNY students would dictated our priorities. Thus, the topics New areas under development include have ready access not only in campus labs. Grammar and Style and Writing Projects what we are calling the “Teachers and Tu- The Night Owl, as we thought to call the claimed our attention first. In the former tors Toolbox” (a self-instructional module site, would help students facing busy lives “corner” of the site, we now have a unique Collaborative Grant from the Office to ease faculty and staff into the online and the challenges of academic writing interactive resource called HotSpots, A of Academic Affairs has enabled fac- environment), discussion boards for pro- anytime, anywhere. which engages students—and of course ulty working on Writing Projects to can- Continued on page 8 any user—in discovery and application of he WriteSite (as we finally called it) grammatical principles in the four areas T builds on a foundation of strong prin- that collaborative conversations deemed ciples. First among these, perhaps, is the most pressing: “Watch your S,” “Don’t generous rapport. In the interchange the Drop D,” “Is it a Sentence?” and “Little site supports, stu- Words Mean a dents post ques- Lot.” In Hot- tions, drafts, con- Spots these cerns, and get most common feedback from “You go to most OWLs grammatical peers, tutors, or to get stuff; you go to minefields are faculty. In the cre- negotiated not ation of the site, WriteSite to do stuff!” through dreary too, generosity has fill-ins and rote reigned: faculty —George Otte rules, but have donated their through dynamic own textbooks; tu- interactivity. tors and teachers The same dy- have contributed materials; and students namic principles have shaped the develop- have donated their time and good judg- ment of Writing Projects. Here, students ment in testing our developing materials. writing in any course can discover through Indeed, the people who do the actual web activity the essence of the various tasks work on the site are CUNY undergraduates, involved in college writing. What is a com- who readily contribute their opinions on parison, an analysis, a discussion? What usability and style. are the basics elements of college papers? Which takes us to another principle, co- What is a writing journal—and why keep operation. Nowhere, perhaps, is the ten- one? What are the best ways take notes, dency toward idiosyncrasy more entrenched develop drafts, consult, edit, polish? Writ- than in texts and multimedia. By having ing Projects explores all of this in current faculty, tutors, and students working to- or developing resources. 5 Chancellor Goldstein greeting Governor Pataki at the Graduate Center on February 22 for the announcement of a new John F. Kennedy Jr. Institute at CUNY. At right is Chairman Badillo, Graduate Center President Horowitz is at rear, and Kennedy’s long-time friend and the Acting President of Reaching Up, Jeffrey Sachs, is at left. Photo, André Beckles.

CCNY COMPUTER SCIENTIST HONORED Seriously Warped 1990 (the same year he arrived at CCNY) poses, of separate slices of a CAT-scan. the first comprehensive book on the sub- Pictured here are four frames from a ject, Digital Image Warping. Since then his prize-winning promotional video that Wol- research has focused on a theoretical berg made for City College in which a col- framework for morphing among multiple lage of alumnus Colin Powell, an unidenti- input images, the rendering of terrain for high-quality fly-throughs over landscapes generated by satellite data, and the refine- ment of mapping—or warp—functions. Wolberg holds two patents, one for separa- ble image warping and another for image f it does not help you much to learn fied student, and emeritus professor of that George Wolberg is deeply into foreign languages Manuel de la Nunez Imesh warping, control lattices, mor- morph into the official seal of the College. phing algorithms, and energy-minimizing The seal was designed and first cast in splines, then simply call to mind Forrest bronze in 1866. The three classic heads Gump, Terminator 2, and Babe. admonish, Respice, adspice, prospice These three films memorably featured (“look to the past, present, future”). the new computer technology called image morphing. According to Wolberg, a City College professor of computer science, Queer CUNY: An Unprecedented Conference the script for Terminator 2 was written quite specifically to exploit this technolo- n Saturday May 6th the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies will sponsor Queer CUNY: Campus gy, which had made its film debut in Wil- OOrganizing Across the Boroughs. This first such conference will provide a forum for faculty, staff, low in 1988. and students to address issues pertaining to queer life on CUNY campuses. Rather than the usual pre- On March 8, Wolberg was honored at sentation of papers, Queer CUNY will consist of a series of roundtables addressing such topics as how restoration. Gracie Mansion with one of the three to form and maintain a student group, combating homophobia on campus, queer pedagogy, and profes- Though video and advertising applica- 1999/2000 Mayor’s Awards for Excellence sional concerns of LGBT faculty and staff. Breakout periods and a post-conference party are also tions come immediately to mind, Wolberg in Science and Technology for his seminal planned. Queer CUNY is free, open to the public, and will take place on the 9th floor of the Graduate says he also hopes his research will have contributions to the field of digital imag- Center from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact CLAGS (212-817-1955 or some impact in medical imaging—for ex- ing. At the age of 26, he published in [email protected]) or visit its website (www.clags.org). ample the morphing, for diagnostic pur- 6 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CUNYAS her colleagues, she says, believe compas- sion and nurturing are incompatible with the need to give a final grade. Latzer, who Achieving Academic Renewal at CUNY admits to a reputation as a hard grader (“possibly one of the hardest at John Jay”), agrees, saying that one happy effect of this arly in 1997, Hunter College professor of philosophy Charles Landesman for the University to “continue working style is that he tends to attract some of E launched a CUNY-wide faculty initiative to promote higher academic standards hard to bring its most deficient students John Jay’s best students, those who want within the University. The result was formal establishment of the CUNY Associa- up to genuine college level, but this should rigorous preparation for law school or tion of Scholars (CUNYAS). In March the Editor of CUNY•Matters met with three not be for college credit.” graduate school. members of the executive committee of the Association to discuss their motiva- This view is born of obvious dismay at Several of the CUNYAS recommendations tions, hopes, and ideas for raising the quality of undergraduate education, as well the consequences of enrolling seriously are addressed to strengthening the rigor as the many specific proposals contained in a recently released CUNYAS position underprepared students in college-level and uniformity of the grading process paper, “Toward the Academic Renewal of CUNY.” They were Professors Dorothy courses. “This is the great error of CUNY,” throughout the University: Lang (Business, College of Staten Island), Barry Latzer (Government, John Jay Latzer asserts, “because it undermines College), and Nahma Sandrow (English, Bronx Community College). the quality of the courses, and the price is • The establishment of monitoring at really paid by the best students and even, each college to discourage departmen- really, those students in the middle.” Nor tal grade inflation intended to increase hen I asked my three visitors to CUNY requires higher expectations and does Lang concede that students granted course enrollments and gain new fac- the Central Office to recall par- standards for classroom performance, waivers of prerequisites are substantially ulty lines. Wticular moments that might cap- grades, maintenance of matriculation, helped: “Students with waivers in my in- ture their reasons for becoming active in and accountability.” troductory management course almost in- • Clear communication of grading ex- the CUNY Association of Scholars, Dorothy To this end, variably end up pectations by department chairs to Lang told of a student in her Business Pol- CUNYAS offers 11 dropping out.” new faculty, especially adjunct instruc- icy course. On one of his early papers she recommendations, I ask what kind tors, and concerted effort to erase dis- incentives felt by adjuncts to assign said she had remarked, “Writing needs im- and Lang, Latzer, of “critical “We are hoping for low grades when they are merited provement. Use complete sentences.” and Sandrow are mass” of defi- (one such disincentive being data from “His subsequent papers did not improve,” unanimous in be- better opportunities cient students in student questionnaires). Lang remembers, “and he finally came to lieving the most a class can my office and asked me what a complete fundamental are to ‘teach to the cause it to cap- • The abolition of the policy of permit- sentence was.” The capper: this was a the first three, size, and there ting students to eliminate F grades Business Policy course for seniors. which address the top.’” was agreement from their GPAs by retaking a course: Barry Latzer thinks of the time a stu- need to assure that between 20 by undermining the significance of a dent came in to his office to plead with that course con- and 30 percent failing grade, the current policy bene- fits poorly performing students at the him to change a D to an F. Being a prof tent is at genuine college level. CUNYAS was enough to cause trouble. “It is not expense of course quality, overall with a heart, Latzer obliged (more about recommends: fair to the middle and superior students to standards, and the reputation of the this F later). have to devote so much time to basics,” CUNY degree. The response of Nahma Sandrow, who • Establishment of a collaborative says Lang. specializes in teaching remedial writing, process for assuring that (a) course Or simply to repetition: Latzer tells of Apropos the last proposal, Latzer tells of was more general. “I just couldn’t bear to readings are at college level and are his chagrin, one day, when an extremely the student who asked for an F. “She see students in my classes over and appropriately challenging for course bright student said to him after class, thought that, with another instructor, she over—never graduating. I felt there had to level and (b) level-appropriate exams, “Professor Latzer, you have great pa- could get a better grade. I had no problem papers, and projects are required. be a better way; otherwise, let them go, tience.” “I knew she wasn’t commending with her request, since she was making stop playing with them.” • Rigorous enforcement of proper me for that: she was clearly frustrated by use of a bona fide University policy.” Still, Every CUNY faculty member can sum- course sequencing and course pre- the slow pace! Changing the institutional he thinks the policy a symbolic faux pas: mon up such moments to be bemused requisites, with waivers of prerequi- conversation to one of excellence means “Why give the poorest students the break? and/or weep over. I hark back, for in- sites permitted only in unusual cir- paying more attention to students like We should go out of our way for the better stance, to the student in my freshman cumstances, in order to assure suit- her—or like the former student of mine students.” writing class at Baruch several years ago able preparation for advanced course- who was the first John Jay graduate to go who referred to that period before the Re- work. to Harvard Law School. He’s back in the lso subversive of the pedagogical func- City now and taking me to lunch!” naissance as the “Mid-evil Age”—and to • Close monitoring by the central A tion, according to Latzer, are the many another who had occasion to mention that administration of grading for exit- “Yes, we are hoping for better opportu- students who are formally dismissed or famed analyst Sigman Fruit. from-remediation and “rising junior” nities to ‘teach to the top,’” Sandrow adds. withdraw because of poor grades, only to examinations, in order to assure ap- reappear mysteriously in University class- racing anecdotes like these—and propriate basic skills for introductory androw raises another area of CUN- rooms. “We believe the University’s read- Bextensive classroom experience— courses. SYAS concern when she remarks on the mission standards require clarification and have convinced the members of CUNYAS wide disparity of attitudes toward grading strengthening,” he says. The CUNYAS re- that, as “Toward Academic Renewal” Elaborating on these proposals, Latzer is among CUNY faculty—indeed, among de- port therefore recommends: “Current poli- states, “a new culture of excellence at quick to emphasize that CUNYAS is eager partments on any given campus. Some of cies regarding readmission of students who have withdrawn or were dismissed for aca- demic problems are unclear and may be Albany Trip, continued from page 1 encouraging retention of poorly performing students. Such policies may undermine University efforts to raise admissions and classroom performance standards and should be reviewed by the CUNY central administration.” Latzer expresses the hope that these recommendations not be seen “merely as faculty grousing,” and Lang agrees, saying CUNYAS has no intention of casting blame or putting the burden solely on students. “Our proposals are finally about a major changes in the organizational culture and in accountability.” Several proposals ad- dress this issue:

• Evaluation of presidents on the basis of their effectiveness in raising academic standards at their colleges; establishment of demonstrated com- mitment to high academic standards as a significant criterion in presiden- tial searches. • Evaluation of faculty on the basis of (a) the requirement of examinations, Continued on page 9 Photos, Colleen Brescia 7 QUEENS COLLEGE READING President Sessoms Sontag on 19th-Century Viticulture, Crop Rotation Resigns at Queens

fter her February 29 Queens Col- their shoes or took can- r. Allen Sessoms, the President of lege reading from In America, her dles up the stairs when DQueens College for the last five years, A new historical novel set in 19th- they went to bed. That announced his resignation on April 7, ef- century Poland and America, Susan Son- would be a very amateur- fective on August 31. tag was questioned about how she re- ish kind of scene paint- Saying that “separated from my family, searched it. ing. . .You have to learn including my two young daughters, it has “Research sounds a little more preten- all this stuff and digest been an extremely difficult while produc- tious than what I actually do,” the distin- it, then forget about it. tive five years,” Sessoms said. guished novelist and critic replied. “I just But it comes back when Accepting the resignation, Chancellor read a lot of original documents. For the you need it.” Matthew Goldstein wished Sessoms farm—there are two chapters set on a During her opening “every possible good fortune as he con- farm in Anaheim [California]—I got pam- remarks, Sontag de- siders future challenges and opportuni- phlets issued by the Department of Agri- clared the venerable ties” and thanked him for his service to culture in the 1870s to find out about al- Queens Readings “the Queens College. falfa and crop rotation. . .The basic rule is best reading series in you have to know a hundred times more New York.” Her read- than you actually use.” ing will be broadcast Irish-American Sontag said she also read seven books several times in the on the wine industry back then in Califor- spring on the cable Institute nia. “I took copious notes but very little of Metro Channel’s Un- it actually got into the novel. . .It was the blinking Eye program Queens Evening Readings Established at same for [Sontag’s previous novel] The Vol- and throughout Canada on the CBC, as Director Joe Cuomo making cano Lover, which took place in the 18th will the March 21 reading featuring Susan Sontag feel quite welcome Lehman College century. Of course, I don’t want to say Leonard Lopate’s “Conversation with before her leap-day appearance. that people wore wigs or had buckles on Philip Lopate.” Photo. Rick DeWitt. proposal to establish a CUNY Institute A for Irish-American Studies, to be WriteSite, continued from page 5 based at Lehman College, was approved unanimously by the Board of Trustees at fessional conversations pertinent to writ- its February meeting. ing pedagogy, and support for advanced The Institute will focus on the Irish- writing tasks such as preparation for American diaspora and its impact on teacher certification examinations. Early Reviews American life and culture. A current pilot project with a group of of the CUNY OWL The proposal was made and vigorously campus Writing Cen- supported by Trustee John J. Calandra, ter directors is giv- “Technology is key to our success in the future, and the who said on the occasion, “We look for- ing us important WriteSite, a unique web resource, can play a key role as face ward to collaborating with other Irish- feedback and en- the challenges of fostering writing across the University.” American organizations, especially in pre- couragement. “Stu- senting cultural and literary events that Louise Mirrer, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs dents are thoroughly will enable more New Yorkers to share in engaged by the the rich Irish heritage.” WriteSite,” Marian “This is cutting-edge work with enormous implications for Serving on the Institute’s Advisory Arkin, Director of the way we as a society communicate in writing and the way Board will be CUNY faculty prominent in LaGuardia’s Writing that we communicate the critical value of writing skills to Irish studies, as well as leaders of vari- Center, says. “They our students.” ous cultural and artistic organizations. love the chance to Robert Maurer, former President of N. Y. State's Higher Among the members already on the discover principles Education Services Corporation Board, still in formation, are the poet and on their own and Lehman English Professor Billy Collins, apply these to their former Trustees Chairman James P. Mur- “Very useful, because it refreshed my memory. This material own writing. It’s re- phy, Ciaran O’Reilly, Producing Director markably dynamic, should be used by younger children in grade school. They of the Irish Repertory Theater, and humane—and fun!” are the ones who are just learning, and it will be easy for Lehman’s specialist in Celtic mythology, them to use.” Dr. Michael Paull. s our choice of Dagmar Cruz, student Welcoming the Institute, Lehman Presi- A the name Write- dent Ricardo Fernández said, “For the Site implies, we were “The WriteSite is integral to our work in writing across the past 75 years the Bronx has been a cen- taken by the spatial curriculum. Here students can not only read about college tral locus of Irish immigration. As we metaphors that have writing but practice writing and work through college assign- seek to understand the impact of that im- become so much a The gate at Levy Play- migration, we hope our borough, through ments. For faculty, writing fellows, and tutors, too, WriteSite part of the current ground, in Central Lehman College and CUNY, can also serve vocabulary for elec- Park at 79th Street offers a special mix of information and interchange essential as one of the centers for this effort.” tronic communication and Fifth Avenue. to support writing in the disciplines.” (cyberspace, chat- Dolores Straker, CUNY’s Associate Dean for Academic rooms, etc.). Affairs Got a Nanosecond? From the start, we have thought of the ast January President Clinton proposed major WriteSite as a means for crossing the ac- L increases in funding of research in (among tual, physical space of our vast and far- other areas) nanotechnology, at the same time urg- flung University community. We wanted ing a 17% increase in the National Science Founda- the site to be a meeting-place for faculty tion's total budget to $4.6 billion. and students, a place for conversation Seconding that motion, the NSF announced on and dialogue about writing that would link March 1 that it was awarding a $2.7 million grant to varied disciplines and enable writers on City College's Center for Analysis of Structures and every campus to join in the discussion. Unheavy Metal Interfaces (CASI) to boost research in the new We hope members of the University realm of nanotechnology. (The word "nanosecond" community will come to the WriteSiteand A close look at the sculptured just celebrated its 40th birthday and defines a bil- find there not just useful information but ironwork on one of the refur- lionth of a second.) Professor of Chemistry opportunity for the discovery and ex- bished staircases in the Graduate Daniel change that always distinguish genuine Center’s new home, the former B. Akins, CASI's director, expects to involve col- learning and potent writing. Consider Altman & Company department leagues at Hunter and Staten Island Colleges, as this our invitation to students, staff, tu- store. Photo, André Beckles. well as at Columbia and the University or Rochester. tors, and faculty to help us create a web "This project will create a pool of Ph.D.s trained in site that truly serves the needs of writers a cross-disciplinary environment in fields poised to throughout the University. contribute to the next generation of nanomaterials," Akins said. 8 The Faces of CUNY CUNY’S First African American Grad From City Hall To City U ictured here is William Hallett P Greene, the first graduate of n the eve of a major ex- City College who can be identified as Opansion of College Now in African American (B.S. 1884). The the public schools, Chancellor son of a coachman who lived on West Goldstein announced the ap- 31st Street, Greene was one of the 20 pointment of Ninfa Segarra graduates who survived from an en- to the new position of Vice tering freshman class of 250. Elected President for Inter-Campus secretary of his senior class and de- Collaboration, based at the scribed as “very popular” in the Col- CUNY Research Foundation. lege Mercury, after graduation he en- Segarra began work on April tered the U.S. Signal Corps, then a 1, while resigning from the second-longest Deputy Mayoral tenure in City branch of the army responsible for history. The former Deputy Mayor for Education and Human Services, communications and meteorological however, will continue her service on the Board of Education, which com- studies. Greene is featured in a new, menced in 1994. In addition to promoting College Now, Segarra, a native lavishly illustrated book, From the Lower East Sider and NYU-trained lawyer, will work closely with college Free Academy to CUNY, that offers an and University leaders to foster collaborative initiatives between campus- overview of CUNY’s 150-year history. es. Welcoming her, Chairman Badillo said, “Deputy Mayor Segarra brings The volume, edited by Professors Sandra Roff (Baruch), Anthony Cucchiara to CUNY more than 20 years of government, community, and educational (Brooklyn), and Barbara Dunlap (City), is scheduled to appear later this experience. Her talents and abilities will be very helpful in moving the spring; it will be featured more fully in the Summer issue of CUNY•Matters. CUNY reform agenda forward.”

On the Corner Of 80th Street & Livingston ou could call brilliant the recent choice of Larry Edwards by Chan- Y cellors Matthew Goldstein and Harold O. Levy to fill the new position A of Deputy to the Chancellor for Recruitment and College Preparation: he’s been preparing for the job for, oh, say 50 years. As a permanent Trustee bridge between CUNY and the Board of Edu- cation, Edwards is only slightly less venera- Marries ble than the “harp and altar, of the fury in fused” that Hart Crane went on about in his famous 1927 Brooklyn Bridge poem. First, Dhaka Edwards considers the appointment as “pay- back” time for the life-changing experience of earning three degrees from Queens Col- lege in the 1950s—a B.A. in Political Science and two Master’s degrees in Education and s CUNY’s Student Senate Chair and member of the Board of Trustees Guidance and Counseling. Second, Edwards A for the last three years, Mizanoor Biswas has made his share of po- brings 41 years of experience working with litical arrangements. Now he has submitted to the ultimate arrangement: the Board of Education, the last 15 of them his own marriage. In January, Biswas returned to his native Bangladesh— at the central Board office, where he latterly where he spent his first 18 years—to meet and marry Tajin. He is seen became Supervising Superintendent and fo- here with her just after the ceremony (his headgear is called a paghre). cused on the City’s high schools. The Jack- The marriage was arranged by a mutual friend of their two families, both son Heights native is also very familiar at the of which reside in the capital of Dhaka. In traditional Bangladeshi fash- CUNY Central Office, having worked on several University-Board initia- ion, the prospective bride and groom met twice, for less than a total of two tives during the last decade. Now he has his own office on both sides of hours and with family supervision. The meetings clearly went well. Tajin, the East River, and is preoccupied with the expansion of College Now. an architect, arrives here this spring, and the couple looks forward to rais- His favorite word these days? “Seamless”—as in transition from high ing a family in New York City. school to college.

CUNYAS, continued from page 7 Of Witches: term papers and other projects ap- he CUNYAS position paper con- Goldstein’s and Chairman Badillo’s decisive propriate to the content and level of Tcludes: “Academic renewal is the re- actions to begin the revitalization pro- The Origin of PC the course, (b) the assignment of sponsibility of all members of the CUNY cess,” Latzer sums up, “and we believe college-level textbooks and readings community, from the central and college the opportunity now exists to establish Q: When was the first appropriate in terms of difficulty and administrators to the faculty. These re- academic excellence—in all its aspects— recorded instance of polit - quantity for the level of the course, sponsibilities should be reflected in de- throughout the University. In our view, the (c) reasonable and appropriate grad- ical correctness? cisions concerning hiring, reappoint- faculty can and should play a constructive ing practices, and (d) appropriate A: In 1939, in The analysis of student evaluations. ment, promotion and tenure. The com- role in reinventing CUNY.” Wizard of Oz, when ac- mitment to renewal should be considered Membership in CUNYAS, open to all ac- tress Billie Burke, as • The requirement of annual reports a significant criterion in the evaluation tive and retired CUNY faculty, is $10 per from each college to the central ad- of CUNY faculty and administrators. The academic year. For information or copies Glinda, explains to Judy ministration on progress toward im- Board of Trustees and Chancellor’s office of its reports or newsletter, E-mail CUN- Garland’s Dorothy Gale plementing all the CUNYAS recom- should give strong support to higher [email protected] or contact Professor that “only bad witches mendations; publication of an annual standards, both verbally and through re- Dorothy Lang, Department of Business, are ugly.” Glinda, of report based on these reports and vised policies.” College of Staten Island, Staten Island, course, is the Good Witch. other relevant data. “We were encouraged by Chancellor N.Y. 10314 (718-982-2927). 9 Elebash Endowment Comes in Handy

Photo, Church Family Papers, Special Collections, University of Memphis Libraries. Hurwitt Collection

ask, in the words of one Handy number on ties and the Arts at City College. the program, “Who’s That Man?” The concert ended with several In his program notes, Hurwitt calls numbers performed by the New W. C. Handy a “seminal figure in 20th-century Handy Orchestra, made up of some o fool he. On April 1, Elliott Hur- vernacular music” and describes his musi- jazz greats and students and faculty witt successfully defended his dis- cal background as embracing “the rich to- from the Copland School at Queens Nsertation on the great African- tality of American music in the 19th centu- College and conducted by Maurice American composer, folklorist, arranger, ry: spirituals, light classics, marches, min- Peress. Peress struck a nostalgic musician, and entrepreneur W. C. Handy strel song, parlor song, Anglo-American note in his program note, recalling, (1873-1958) at the Graduate Center. It folk music, and more.” “In my teens I saw and heard ‘the Fa- was sweet, no doubt, but pardon Hurwitt ther of the Blues’ at Carnegie Hall, a and the music scholars on his defense aking place just blocks from Times tall blind man who played the ‘St. Louis Photo, Hurwitt Collection committee for thinking of it merely as icing Square, where Handy set up a publish- Blues’ on his muted trumpet.” T The “Yellow Dog Blues” of 1914 was among the on the cake. ing house in 1918 and where Handy Broth- A poignant personal touch occurred at first to bring Handy big money, after it was For, the day before, a day-long confer- ers Music Company remains today, the the end of the conference, Graziano re- recorded for Victor by the white bandleader Joe ence, “W. C. Handy and American Music,” events were organized by City College Pro- calls, when the venerable jazz hornist Smith and his trombonist Harry Raderman. had unfolded, and it was followed in the fessor of Music John Graziano in collabo- Willie Ruff stood up, voiced his pleasure at Handy (at rear center, with moustache) is seen evening by a concert in the spanking new ration with the Center’s Ph.D. and D.M.A. the occasion, reminisced about meeting with his Memphis blues band in a photo Proshansky Auditorium that ranged Programs in Music. They were funded by the great celebrity in the mid-30s when he inscribed by him in 1918 to a powerful black through “unknown” Handy works, spiritu- the Center’s Baisley Powell Elebash En- was a third-grader, and then said that he Memphis businessman. Handy is also pictured als, vocal blues, swingin’ blues, and rags. dowment (its debut performance) and the brought greetings from the home town he here at a formal dinner circa 1940, a few years After it was over, there was no need to Simon H. Rifkind Center for the Humani- and Handy shared, Florence, Alabama. before entirely losing his sight.

he range of topics addressed in books by City University faculty T members and graduates has always been extraordinary. Here is a sampling to prove the point from among titles that have recently appeared. First, three far- flung novels. BOOK TALK OF THE CITY Growing out of a short story that ap- peared in American Fiction in 1998 (Joyce Carol Oates its editor), LaGuardia profes- sor of English Michael Blaine’s first novel lock (Algonquin) is the title, and the hero that follows two cousins, Hatch and Jesus, The Desperate Season (Rob Weisbach is a wrestler dismissed from college for as they face danger and come to terms Books) has received considerable favor- turning a match into blood with their families’ past. Deploying the able attention. Its subject—a horrifying sport. Singularly lacking central image of railroad tracks that carry case of murderous violence in wisdom, Odessa Rose African-Americans from one form of committed by a drops out to Las Vegas. bondage or freedom to another, Allen’s son against his Berlin, who earned his novel addresses the African-American ex- family—certainly MFA at Brooklyn Col- perience of exodus and exile in the last touches a topical lege, is now teaching half century. Library Journal called it “a nerve. Based on English at John Jay literary tour de force—raw, powerful, and actual events that College. often poetic.” occurred near Farrar, Straus, Blaine’s upstate re- and Giroux describes uban-American relations have been treat, the literary Rails Under My Cmuch in the news lately—and much on thriller was praised in Back, by Jeffery the mind of César Ayala, associate profes- the London Times as a Renard Allen, sor of Latin American studies at Lehman plantation agriculture and the business “tense piece of psy- who has been a College. tactics of the U.S. sugar industry. Says chopathology.” professor of Eng- Not Elián but sugar, however, is the one specialist in the field, Francisco Violence of a more sys- lish at Queens focus of his attention in American Sugar Scarano, “Ayala weaves a fascinating nar- tematic kind—that of the College since Kingdom: The Plantation Economy of rative about the making of an international cut-throat gambling world 1992, as a the Spanish Caribbean, 1898-1934 sugar plantation complex.” of Las Vegas—is the back- “brilliantly col- (University of North Carolina Press). The No fewer than four CUNY authors are on drop for another CUNY nov- ored, intensely study attempts to place the history of U.S. the title page of an important new socio- elist, Adam Berlin. Head- musical novel” colonialism in the context of the history of Continued on page 12 10 ON THE INTOXICATIONS OF CHANCE tal in funding the A Hunter College Chevalier American War of Inde- pendence. Puritans Probes the Gambler’s Psyche and Quakers, averse to gambling because it bred sloth and decep- tion, believed that ife is a gamble. Exit your front door and you gamble. Staying home is a gamble chance was in God’s do- too. Think of faulty Christmas tree lights, a light plane falling from the sky, or main and should not be L an armed intruder. Consider the ubiquitous forms of voluntary risk-taking— toyed with. online trading, say, or playing the lottery, visiting a casino, betting on a sport con- test—and our willingness to stake something of value on a contingency can almost reative artists through seem a cultural universal. In her new book Gambling, Game, and Psyche (SUNY Cthe centuries have not Press), Bettina L. Knapp probes the psychology and culture of gamblers from a only enriched our under- Jungian perspective by focusing on several illuminating literary works in the West- standing of the problemat- ern and Eastern tradition. Knapp, a prolific professor of Romance Languages at ics of gambling, but have Hunter College and the Graduate Center since 1961, ranges widely in chapters de- added to the subject a world voted to pertinent works by Pascal, Balzac, Poe, Dostoevsky, the Neapolitan of philosophical and psycho- Matilde Serao, Sholom Aleichem, Hesse, Yasunari Kawabata, and Zhang Xinxin. logical speculations as well. Last year, Knapp—most of whose more than 50 books are on French literary fig- Unforgettable, for example, ures—was named Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French is Rabelais’s portrait in Gar- government. Following here is an abbreviated excerpt from Knapp’s introduc- gantua and Pantagruel of Judge tion, which offers a fascinating thumbnail sketch of the history of “humanity’s Bridoi, who decided his legal never-ending quest to defy destiny.” cases by dice casting. The play- wright Marivaux gambled with ames of chance and of skill have both encompassed the notion of love and deception in his comedy, always existed. The casting of destiny and disclosed divine The Game of Love and Chance. A Gdice, pebbles, knucklebones, and judgments. Moses was in- man of learning and the author of sticks or the shooting of arrows have all formed by God that the land of celebrated memoirs, Casanova sup- served as signs and omens of divine pur- the Hebrews would be divided ported himself during his travels by pose. Seers, shamans, medicine men, and according to lot (Numbers); Saul was spying, expert seductive charms, and oracles were called upon to interpret elected king by lot (1 Samuel); and we are Yet gambling. The notion of fatality is in- meanings or predict future events. told in Proverbs that lots are an indica- that same year terwoven with gambling in Pushkin’s So significant were the prognostications tion of divine will: “The lot is cast into the Francis I, to raise funds for his riveting tale, “The Queen of Spades.” of dice-oracles that a set of questions and lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of government, issued the first letters of In Ts’ao Hsüeh-ch’in’s The Dream of answers, each connected to a specific the Lord.” patent in 1559 to establish special lotter- the Red Chamber, emphasis is placed on throw of the dice, were carved on the inner The casting of lots was popular in an- ies. Although forbidden during the reign games of skill played for diversionary pur- side of the gateway to a mountain necropo- cient Greece as well. Did not the Gods of Louis XIV, gaming continued even at poses. In Dickens’s The Old Curiosity lis at Termessus, in what is now Turkey. cast lots to divide the universe, Zeus ac- his court. During Louis’ reign, ironically, Shop, Little Nell’s grandfather, an obses- Here is one example: quiring the sky? Had not Zeus, in the Iliad, two mathematicians, Blaise Pascal and sive gambler, intended to make money for used a sacred balance to firm his decision Pierre Fermat, invented the calculus of his ward but loses it instead. Stéphane Kronos the Child Eater as to whether the Trojans or Greeks would probability. Gambling became a passion Mallarmé’s poem “A Throw of Dice Will Three fours and two sixes. This is the win their war? Indeed, Sophocles attrib- in 18th-century France, and, not surpris- Never Abolish Chance” cosmifies the very god’s advice: uted the invention of dice to Palamedes, a ingly, it was abolished by the revolution- concept of hazard, while Jean Cocteau’s Stay at home and go not elsewhere Greek, who taught the game to his coun- ary government in 1793. Only in 1901 allegorical novel, Children of the Game, Lest the destructive Beast and trymen to relieve the boredom of the 10- was it finally legalized. emphasizes the play of irrevocable destiny avenging Fury come upon you; year siege of Troy. Although legislation restricting games hovering over some children. And For I see that the business is neither Patrician Romans, however, considered of chance was promulgated in 14th-centu- Stephan Zweig’s “The Gambler” is, for safe nor secure. public gaming shameful. Still, perfor- ry England, borough officers were fre- some, a metaphor of his own obessessive mances at the Circus Maximus attracted quently chosen by lot and criminals con- suicidal tendencies. Dice (Latin datum, what destiny dic- gamblers of all types. Juvenal advised that demned in like manner. From the 16th But perhaps one of the most moving tates), used for thousands of years of gam- if one really intended to indulge in betting century on, public lotteries became an ac- paradigms of gambling—and the place bling, have also been associated with reli- at the gambling table, it was wiser to leave cepted way of raising money, their control where I begin Gambling, Game, and Psy- gion, ethics, and law. one’s purse at home. According to Sueto- passing from the crown to Parliament a che—is in the posthumously published The word play (German pflegen, from nius, the Emperors Augustus, Nero, and century later. The early Stuarts encour- Thoughts of a 17th-century mathematician, Old English plegen and Old Frisian plega, Claudius were mesmerized by dicing, the aged sports requiring skill, but Puritans scientist, and religious philosopher. For to vouch or stand for, to take a risk, to ex- last having written a book on the subject. found them offensive because of the gam- there Pascal places his famous wager in pose oneself to danger) implies not only Caligula was known to have cheated at bling that accompanied them. Despite in- favor of the existence of God. honor, struggle, and judgmental qualities, gambling; Domitian to have enjoyed it; terdicts, such games as faro, hazard, dice, but also divine will, the power behind Commodus to have had special rooms set roulette, baccarat, lotteries, and card- Correction everything, as John Huizenga explained in apart for it. Horace warned against it, and games remained popular. In the Winter Issue, the website for the his classic study, Homo Ludens. Tacitus claimed that Germanic tribesmen Not only did lotteries virtually finance CUNY Faculty Development Program Gambling and dice in ancient Japan were passionate gamblers, losing material the Virginia Company’s endeavors in the was incorrectly given; it is http://web.gc.cuny.edu/cfd were associated with sacred Shinto ritual. possessions and selling themselves into New World, but they were also instrumen- The diviner, a priest, had to cleanse his slavery in consequence. body, withdraw into a sanctuary, close his eyes, suspend his breathing, and finally hough permitted in the Koran, the concentrate on requesting the help of su- T casting of lots was forbidden to lay- Freedom of the Whitney for All CUNY Students pernatural powers. Buddhists also used men, and even priests and judges could dice casting to search for philosophical avail themselves of this method as a last s part of their course work for a class on “The American Century,” the stu- guidance from Buddha or to fulfill a vow. resort. The Koran warns, “Satan seeketh A dents of Dr. Sally Webster, professor of modern and contemporary art at only to cast among you enmity and hatred Lehman College and the Graduate Center, were required to make several visits to n the Bhagavad-Gita (Sanskrit for “Song by means of strong drink and games of the Whitney Museum, especially during its Biennial. Iof God”) and part of the Mahabharata, chance, and to turn you from remem- Webster thought: why not write to the Whitney’s director, Maxwell Anderson, Lord Krishna, a creative power, is de- brance of Allah.” to ask if admission fees might be waived for them? scribed as follows: “I am the game of dice. The special dicing schools (scholae de- Delighted “to hear that this and other Whitney exhibitions have been of interest I am the self seated in the heart of beings. ciorum) and guilds of medieval France not and service” in Webster’s classes, Anderson responded in a January letter with an I am the beginning and the middle and the only trained knights in the art of gambling, even better idea. “It gives me great pleasure,” he continued, “to extend herewith end of all beings.” In the Yajur-Veda dice but helped them to uphold its standards as to all students enrolled in a City University of New York college complimentary ad- were identified with the live coals of Agni, well. Countermovements following the mission to the Whitney Museum of American Art through December 2000.” the Fire God, who “throws down the dice. . . Council of Mayence in the 9th century mili- When Webster passed the good news on, Chancellor Matthew Goldstein has- striving with [the Sun God] Surya’s rays for tated to outlaw gambling, and John Calvin, tened to thank Anderson for his “splendid and generous gift” of access “to one of the middlemost place among brethren.” convinced that everything was predeter- our nation’s most treasured cultural institutions.” He also expressed the hope The casting of a lot (from the Teutonic mined by God, condemned the notion of that this new CUNY-student perk would be widely publicized and enjoyed. root hleut, referring to the pebble used in chance in his Institutes of the Christian casting) was another form of gambling that Religion of 1559. 11 Book Talk, continued from page 10 Archives, continued from page 3 logical study of part-time work in the guardiawagnerarchive.lagcc.cuny.edu) Big Man on LaGuardia Campus for his 94th American business landscape. The Part- contains more than 20,000 photos, which Time Paradox: Time Norms, Profession- are categorized by collection and search- al Life, Family and Gender (Routledge) able by year, place, subject, or person. is authored by Cynthia Fuchs Epstein, The site also offers an index to all the Bonnie Oglensky, Robert Sauté (all collections. based at the Graduate Center), and Car- roll Seron (Baruch). The study focuses entirely on the legal profession and explores the various di- mensions of the part-time work solution at a time when flex-time work arrangements are steadily increasing. Among the topics addressed: “Cultural Perspectives on Part- Time Work,” “Career Issues and Prob- lems,” and “The Family and Part-Time Work.” Said one reviewer, Richard Abel, author of American Lawyers, “Lawyers now rival medical interns and residents in workaholism (though at least they kill only themselves). This book...shows that lawyers can...effectively serve employers and clients—as well as themselves and ormer Mayor Abe Beame was BMOC last March in every sense but the literal one on their families.” FMarch 22, when the enthusiastic supporter of the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives— his own papers are housed there—came to celebrate his 94th birthday. Speaking on the happy occasion, Chancellor Goldstein said, “Abe Beame is a stellar example of how CUNY empowers all New Yorkers to achieve their dreams, and to contribute to our city and our society.” He was referring to the fact that the City’s 104th Mayor, who was raised on the Lower East Side, graduated with honors from “City College downtown” (later Baruch College). Present for the occasion were, from left, Trustees Chairman Her- man Badillo, former Mayor David Dinkins, Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, City Council Speaker Peter Vallone, Goldstein, LaGuardia’s Interim President Roberta Matthews, and Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden. Photo, Randy Fader-Smith. Board of Trustees PaineWebber President Grano Sounds Reveille at Job Fair The City University

everal thousand new and recent competition is not about market share of New York but about people and growth.” CUNY graduates were greeted by Herman Badillo S127 employers at the University’s A member of the CUNY Business Lead- Big Apple Job Fair on April 6. This was ership Council and holder of an honorary Chairman the largest number of employer partici- Doctor of Humane Letters from Queens pants in the 12-year history of the Job College, Grano outlined some of the ef- Benno C. Schmidt Jr. Fair, which took place at the Jacob K. forts of PaineWebber (and doubtless many Vice-Chairman Javitz Convention Center. other major corporations) to respond to Breakfast keynote speaker for the the heated job market, including the es- Satish K. Babbar event was Joseph J. Grano Jr., Presi- tablishment of a “diversity council” that John J. Calandra dent of PaineWebber Incorporated, the reports directly to him—Grano noting that Kenneth Cook “three of every five of tomorrow’s replace- leading full-service security firm. He Michael C. Crimmins highlighted the aggressive recruitment ment employees are today’s minorities.” At left, PaineWebber President Joseph Grano strategies that are intensifying in the He also noted that at PaineWebber Alfred B. Curtis, Jr. during his kick-off speech at the 12th annual Ronald J. Marino booming economy, observing of his firm “women already constitute 46% of our CUNY Job Fair. Above at left, Morgan Stanley's Randy M. Mastro that “we compete with no fewer than 10 labor force. . .The glass ceiling is begin- representative Ed Vladich, greets Dwayne major firms, and in today’s society the ning to crumble.” Barrett, a frequent Dean's Listee at York John Morning The last of 10 specific recommendations College until he graduated in 1997 with a B.S. Kathleen M. Pesile Grano left his audience with was to urge in Accounting. George J. Rios that “business leaders acknowledge the Photos, Andre Beckles. Nilda Soto Ruiz importance of our City University system Jeffrey Wiesenfeld by interviewing and hiring its graduates Among the first-time participants at the and by demanding of our government offi- Fair, which is administered by the Office of Bernard Sohmer cials the competitive requirement of hav- Student Affairs and the CUNY Career Chairperson, University Faculty Senate ing the best college and university system Counseling and Placement Association, Mizanoor Biswas in the country. The best city in the world were ChaseMellon, ComScan, Keyspan En- Chairperson, University Student Senate needs the best academic foundation if it is ergy, LSG Sky Chefs, Tiffany & Co., and to remain the best.” United Healthcare of New York.

The Office of University Relations Letters or suggestions for The City University of New York 535 E. 80th St. future articles on topics of New York, NY 10021 general interest to the CUNY community should be addressed to Jay Hershenson Vice Chancellor for CUNY Matters University Relations 535 E. 80th St., 7th Floor Editor: New York, NY 10021 Gary Schmidgall CUNY Matters is available Managing Editor: Rita Rodin on the CUNY home page at http://www.cuny.edu.

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