Coming Back Together Again Through CBT, Minority Alumni Are Discovering Their Syracuse Legacy
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et al.: University Place UNIVERSITY PlACE Coming Back Together Again Through CBT, minority alumni are discovering their Syracuse legacy. Alumni John '63 and Sylvia Mackey '63, shown with Chancellor Melv i11 A. Eggers, chaired SU's Coming Back Together Ill reunion. Among those in attendance (at left): Jim Brown '57. im Brown will tell you that in 1957, The first was the NCAA's naming of when he graduated from SU and Brown as one of five outstanding student ath headed for the NFL, he wasn't very letes of the association's first 25 years. Brown Jsorry to leave. Although Brown was a knew that Syracuse had promoted him for hero on the playing field, attaining All the award and took it as a sign that the school America ranking in both football and was aware of past actions and interested in lacrosse, his status off the fi eld was somewhat moving forward. different. Then in 1986 Brown returned to campus As late as 1957 (and later), the atmosphere for the second Coming Back Together (CBT) for black students on predominantly white reunion for black and Hispanic alumni. He campuses could be chilly. Among "white" had heard good things about the first reunion, schools, Syracuse was actually liberal in its held three years earlier, and decided to see admission of black students, but that did not the modern-day Syracuse for himself. With ease Brown's pain. "When someone finally roughly 600 other minority alumni, he came spoke more than two words to me, it was to back to campus and spent the weekend tell me I couldn't be in a frat," he recalls in his working with current students and sharing recent autobiography, Out ofBounds. old memories. "Seeing all those black profes For many years, relations between Brown sionals .. was one of the richest experiences and Syracuse were tepid at best. But then two of my life," he wrote in his book. things happened to close the schism. Brown was back on campus for the third Published40 by SURFACE,• S YRACUSE 1989 UN IV ERS I T Y MA GAZ I NE 1 Syracuse University Magazine, Vol. 6, Iss. 2 [1989], Art. 8 ..... CBT ACHIEVERS. Six alumni received the Chancellor's Citation for Distinguished Achievement at Coming Back Together (CBT) CBT in mid-September, and the old wounds to keep your goals focused and get an educa Ill on September 16. The recipients, all under now seem like ancient history. "The last gap tion," Poindexter-Wilson told the crowd. the age of 40, were recognized for outstand ing has been closed," he says. "Those of us who Accolades rather than advice were offered consider ourselves minorities feel we are parr at the CBT Dinner Dance, the culmination contributions to their career fields. They were: of the inner structure. For the first rime in the of the weekend's events. Chancellor's Cita • Lynn Bolles '71, associate professor history of the University, minority students tions for Distinguished Achievement were and director of women's studies at the Univer feel like a total pan of its operation. It's an awarded to Vanessa Williams '86, Lynn Bolles sity of Maryland Formerly director of the Afro honor ro walk on this campus and feel a parr '71, Raymond Colon '79, Lawrence Morgan American Studies Program at Bowdoin ofthis family." '76, and brothers Robert '78 and Locks ley '80 College, she currently specializes in black That, in essence, is the commonality that Spencer (see story at right). Chancellor women's stud ies. binds these alumni together, people who Eggers also awarded a surprise citation to • Raymond L. Colon '79, assistant com span 50 years of history at SU and may share Robert Hill, SU vice president for public rela missioner for equal employment opportunity little other common ground. Since 1983, they tions and creator ofCBT. for New York City's Department of Corrections. have reunited on campus every three years to "I read this Citation with deep feeling and remember the past, strive for the future, and, appreciation," Eggers told Hill. "We honor A lawyer, Colon has served as aforeign ser like a family, offer one another praise, recog you for bringing SU black and Hispanic vice officer for the U.S. Mission to the Un ited nition, criticism, and support. alumni into the life of the University." Nations and for the U.S. Embassy in Managua, The theme ofCBT III was "Charring our One of those returning to the fold was for Nicaragua. Future: Family, Career, Community, Eco mer All-American Jim Nance, attending his • Lawrence M. Morgan, owner and presi nomics, and Education." The reunion began first CBT. He likened the experience to dent of Creative Restoration Consultants of with two days of seminars assessing those "coming home for Christmas. That's the kind Maplewood, New Jersey. In both public ser issues. Topics ranged from "Minority Eco of warmth I feel from these people.... Many vice and private business, his work has con nomic Development in the 21st Century" of us didn't have a lor of access when we were centrated on providing new housing to and "Increasing the Graduate Student Pipe here. We did a lor of networking among our line," to "Athletes' Roundtable," open only selves. So even though we all weren't here in depressed areas of New Jersey. to current and former football and basketball school at the same rime, this is like a family." • Robert '78 and Locksley Spencer '80, players. At that latter event, former greats, Sylvia Mackey '63, who has attended two chief officers of Sunbeam Welders Inc. and including Brown, Vincent Cohen '57, G'60, of the minority reunions and co-chaired CBT Meta lion Paint Corp. Their companies special John Brown '62, and Floyd Little '67, shared III with husband John, concurred. "As much ize in product finishing for original equipment experiences with roday's Orange men, urging as I enjoyed SU as a student, I could never manufacturers. their successors to stay off drugs, complete have imagined being back 20 years later feel • Vanessa Williams '86, entertainer. The their educations, and be responsible in their ing this much love for the University." former Miss America recently recorded her social behavior. Helen Holt Williams '31 said she was debut album, The Right Stuff, which wen t gold "A lor of you aren't going to play pro ball," "dragged kicking and screaming" to CBT II and produced a number of hits, including the said Jim Brown. "Doesn't make any differ in 1986. "I hated Syracuse," says Williams, ence. The world isn't based on pro ball. It's who attended SU when blacks were nor title song and "Dreaming." based on this," he said, pointing to his head. allowed to live or ear on campus. Bur she In addition, a special citation was pre Many alumni participated in the Student came back this September ro CBT III. She, sented to Robert Hill, SU vice president fo r Networking Alumni Program (SNAP), roo, has made peace with Syracuse Univer public relations who, in his former post as through which students sought advice from sity. "I think it's important for us to come vice president for program development, cre alumni working in their fields of study. back and be involved with the University and ated SU's CBT reunions for minority alumni. Suzanne Huntley, a black senior from Mil these young students," she says. "It's impor waukee, felt the program was valuable tant for them to know what they came from." .....TOP HONORS. Gary M. Radke, formerly because it enabled minority students at the - RENEE GEARHART L EVY chairman of the fine arts department in the Col University to see what their predecessors had lege of Arts and Sciences, is the new director done with their lives. "I feel like they want to CAMPAIGN N EWS of the Honors Program at SU . help us through," she says. Radke expects to concentrate Sheila Payton '70, owner of her own sales Better Faster on increasing the number of stu and marketing communications firm in Mil dents who complete upper-divi waukee, volunteered for SNAP to tell stu Good, better, best, sion Honors Program courses. dents what to expect. "Students look at a Never let it rest successful person and see the end result bur Until your good is better Of the 600 students enrolled in nor the means," she says. "I want them to Andyour br:tter, best the Honors Program, only 100 know that nothing comes easy." are upper-division students working on their For the first rime, CBT mentoring went o goes the childhood chant, fomented, Honors theses. beyond the boundaries of campus. A group of Sno doubt, by schoolmarms in one-room Radke succeeds Robert McClure, who was alumni- including Paula Poindexter-Wilson schoolhouses as their charges labored recently appointed associate dean at the Max G'80, an executive at the Los Angeles Times; over their slates and hornbooks. well School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Ross Love '68, vice president for advertising Slates have become computer monitors at Procter & Gamble; and pro-football leg today, and hornbooks, microfiches. School ends John Mackey '63 and Jim Nance '65- at SU, anyway--expands over acres of cam visired Syracuse's Fowler High School, pus. Bur the desire to move forward from addressing two assemblies. To two standing better to best remains a driving force. ovation crowds, they conveyed a simple mes So it is with the Campaign for Syracuse. In sage: you can succeed if you have a dream 1985, when the campaign began, raising $100 and work to make it happen.