“Open the doors to all — let the c h i l d ren of the rich and the poor take their seats together and know of no distinction save that of industry, good conduct, and intellect.” — Townsend Harris, founder c u n y.edu/news THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK • FOUNDED 1847 AS T H E F R E E A C A D E M Y SEPTEMBER 2006 Macaulay Gives $30 Million to Honors College, I n s i d e Says He was Inspired by CUNY’s ‘ Tu r n a r o u n d ’ PA G E Wrongfully Convicted, 2 Now Pursuing B. A . n September the University received also that this academic year marks the I ra q .” He had been in Jordan for three Alan Newton spent 22 the largest donation of its history, a beginning of three highly significant new months awaiting an American visa. years in prison for a I$30 million gift to the CUNY Honors p r o g rams at the University, a Gra d u a t e The 27-year-old Zeyad (who for his crime that DNA shows College from financier William E. School of Jo u r n a l i s m , a Teacher A c a d e m y own protection did not use his last name) he did not commit. M a c a u l a y, who said he wanted to “ h e l p specializing in math and science, and an will study interactive media with Professor Medgar Evers comes to ensure that young people today can get a Online Baccalaureate progra m . Jeff Ja r v i s, whose own blog inspired the rescue with a schol- high quality education just as I Z e y a d ’s efforts. Z e y a d ’s reports from arship and a job offer, received at CUNY some four I raq have been featured by The New and Newton now hopes decades ago.” York Ti m e s, The Washington Po s t, a n d to become a law y e r. S e e Macaulay added, “The turnaround The Guardian, among other major pages 2 and 3, t o p. at CUNY over the past several years news outlets. under Matt Goldstein has given me The new Teacher A c a d e m y, w h i c h PA G E New Trustees Promise the confidence and inspiration to has 107 students in its inaugural class to Build on Past Gains help support the University through but hopes to reach 300 students in its 2 this gift.” second academic year, is located on Philip Berry The generous grant will go largely seven CUNY campuses — Brooklyn and Fr e i d a t o ward the purchase of a building on C o l l e g e, The City College, College of Fo s t e r- To l b e r t M a n h a t t a n ’s Upper West Side that Staten Island, Hunter College, are newest will become the permanent home of Lehman College, Queens College and members of the Honors College. York College. Its purpose is to “ p r e- the Board of Chancellor Goldstein expressed pare a new generation of exceptional Tr u s t e e s. T h e y deep appreciation, noting the teachers to produce high levels of stu- will work Honors College “has become a mag- dent achievement and to inspire mid- with Chair- net for the city’s finest students.” dle and high school students’ interest man Benno C. S c h m i d t , who was reap- Board of Trustees Chair Benno C. in mathematics and science.” pointed to a new seven-year term, a n d S c h m i d t , J r. s a i d : “ M r. M a c a u l a y ’s A great incentive for applying to will bring “special perspectives” to their generosity comes at a time when the the Teacher Academy is that, like the t a s k s. See pages 2 and 3, b o t t o m . University is seeing record enroll- Honors College, students receive free PA G E ments and highly accomplished tuition and stipends for their four The College Library s t u d e n t s … ” y e a r s. The Academy is a `partnership 4 Enters a New A g e Macaulay is a 1966 Honors gra d- between CUNY and the New Yo r k The role of the college uate of City College, h aving majored City Department of Education. l i b rarian has changed signif- in economics at the Baruch School This summer, a student in the icantly in recent years, of Business, which was part of City incoming first class of the A c a d e m y, Chancellor Matthew Goldstein (left) with William and especially since the birth of C o l l e g e. Steven Herbst, addressed a gathering Linda Macaulay, outside the Steinhardt Building at 35 We s t the Internet. The craft is an This is indeed a time of expansion of other students, professors and 67th Street, a Gothic revival structure that will be home of increasingly complex disci- and of great achievements at the CUNY administrators at The CUNY the CUNY Honors College, thanks to William Macaulay. p l i n e, and librarians are now U n i v e r s i t y. G raduate Center. more teachers than they are According to preliminary fig u r e s, The journalism school — the only such “The real reward of the Te a c h e r f a c i l i t a t o r s. See page 4. 226,213 students were enrolled in CUNY g raduate program at a public college in the Academy is not only the full tuition schol- degree programs at the beginning of this Northeast — is historic in more ways than arship we have all received, nor is it only PA G E College Recruiting s e m e s t e r, making it the largest student o n e, being located in the hallowed former the dedicated faculty we are privileged to body in 31 years. And increasingly they are headquarters of the late, great H e r a l d work with,” Herbst said. 6 As an A r t t ransferring to our colleges from others. Tr i b u n e newspaper in midtown. The real rewa r d , explained Herbst, w h o Colleges are aggressively marketing them- T h o u s a n d s, h aving heard about the suc- The class of 57 students, selected from will be based at Hunter College and is a selves to prospective students, trying to cesses of CUNY among 216 applicants, g raduate of James Madison High School in tell the stories of success that make oth- students and gra d u a t e s constitutes the most B r o o k l y n , is the joy of helping others to ers say, “I want to go there!” Hearing the in recent years, a p p l y ‘The turnaround at diverse student body of succeed in life. n e w s, t h o u s a n d s from out of state. ( S e e any graduate school of “New York City will have a new genera- of out-of-state article on page 7.) CUNY… under journalism in the country. tion of math and science teachers to teach residents are Especially worthy of Matt Goldstein has D avid Chiu, 3 2 , o f the future of New York City,” he said. “A n d applying to mention is the experi- B r o o k l y n , said he wa s I am proud to be a part of it.” and attending ence of the Honors given me the pleased by his decision to Executive Vice Chancellor for CUNY col- C o l l e g e, where applica- e n r o l l . Academic Affairs Selma Botman said: “ T h e l e g e s. See pages tions soared nearly 40 c o n fidence and “The professors I’v e Teacher Academy is a place for aspiring 6 and 7. p e r c e n t , to 3,186, c o m- had are experienced and teachers to blossom….” inspiration to help PA G E pared to last year. T h o s e the students are bright As for the new CUNY Online Bacca- CUNY Month seeking admission were support the and full of energy,” h e l a u r e a t e, it is designed for working 12 All around the University during facing some of the U n i v e r s i t y,’ Wi l l i a m s a i d . C h i u , who worked students who have great difficulty attend- N o v e m b e r, CUNY Month, c a m p u s e s stiffest competition as a freelance contributor ing classes and can benefit from “ d i s t a n c e sponsor conferences on topics of interdis- a r o u n d , with the appli- E . M a c a u l ay said. for such publications as l e a r n i n g.” ciplinary interest; they hold open houses; cants from some of the The New York Ti m e s a n d “If you are looking for a flexible way to and they otherwise show best high schools in the Rolling Stone, a d d e d : “ I ’ m gain a high quality bachelor’s degree while how excit- r e g i o n , applying for roughly 320 seats. T h e totally learning a lot here.” balancing career and family obligations, t h e ing college acceptance rate of 25 percent was on par The last student to register, Zeyad A . , i s Online Baccalaureate is for you,” the pro- life can be. with that of the most competitive priva t e an Iraqi dentist who chronicled daily life g ram beckons on its website. There are S e e colleges in the nation. under siege in Baghdad over the past two about 260 students registered now in the page 12. Chancellor Goldstein proudly noted years in his blog, which he called “ H e a l i n g Online progra m . THECHANCELLOR’S DESK The Expanding University Enrolled at Medgar Evers, He n Au g u s t , a New York Ti m e s article not- students to this by Curtis Stephen raised in the Bronx. ed the sharp increase of people in the noble profession Since being exonera t e d , Newton has shared INew York metropolitan area who hold is an essential lan Newton, 4 5 , had long dreamed the details of his ordeal in local and national at least a bachelor’s degree. One of the rea- goal of the of going to college. When he gra d - media outlets, including an appearance on the sons given for this growing concentration of A c a d e m y. A uated from Dewitt Clinton High long-running WABC-TV public affairs show, highly educated people in our area is the We know how School in the Bronx in 1979, he entered “Like It Is.” He also gave a well-received increase of residents obtaining degrees—as important increased K-12 participation and the workforce and took jobs at a local bank address during the Board of Directors dinner a result of enrollment growth at CUNY. p r o ficiency in math and science are—and and a telephone company in the Wo r l d at the NAAC P ’s annual convention in The University’s resurgence continues, we also know that excellent teachers are the Trade Center to pay his way through Washington D. C. r e flected in the number of students it key to meeting those objectives. s c h o o l . “I never thought I would be a t t racts (with freshman applications This fall, our new Online Baccalaureate “I didn’t want to take t h e r e,” said a still-surprised increasing by more than 5 percent this is opening up new opportunities for those out a big loan,” h e After Alan Newton N e w t o n . “It was just an honor to year) and in the educational experiences it whose work demands, family responsibili- r e c a l l e d . “I wanted to use spent 22 years in be around people that you only o f f e r s. As we welcome the growing interest t i e s, or physical disabilities have made a tra- the company’s college read about.” in CUNY by students of all backgrounds, ditional “bricks and mortar” e d u c a t i o n p r o g ram to get some state prisons, Yet the same could also be said including more high-achieving high school d i f ficult to complete. The online degree a s s i s t a n c e.” of Newton himself — that he is g ra d u a t e s, we are creating innovative new p r o g ram is designed specifically for busy But in June 1984, D NA evidence being read and talked about quite a ways to respond to the needs of individual adults who have already made signific a n t those plans came to an showed conclusively b i t . H e ’s been fielding phone calls l e a r n e r s, the community, and the market- progress toward a baccalaureate degree and abrupt and terrifying halt. from a number of public fig u r e s, p l a c e. We are very proud that this fall now want to finish it. The 300 students He was arrested for the he was not guilty. including Carl Banks, the former marks the launch of some brand-new wa y s who have already been admitted are fin d i n g rape of a 25-year- o l d New York Giants linebacker, a n d that CUNY will help New Yorkers adva n c e an answer to their need for a flexible and woman inside an abandoned building in Eric A d a m s, co-founder of the Brooklyn-based their academic aspira t i o n s. convenient program that maintains a rigor- the Bronx after the victim identified him in advocacy group, 100 Blacks in Law F i r s t , the CUNY Graduate School of ous curriculum taught by experienced fac- two separate lineups. At his 1985 trial, E n f o r c e m e n t . Journalism greeted its inaugural class in u l t y. I am very pleased that the University Newton was convicted of rape and assault But nothing prepared Newton for the call S e p t e m b e r. Led by founding dean Stephen has developed this online degree option to charges and was sentenced to up to 40 he received one afternoon from Noel Hankin, S h e p a r d , former editor-in-chief of Bu s i n e s s maximize students’ ability to achieve their years in prison. a marketing executive at Moet Hennessy. We e k , the school is the only public gra d u a t e academic and professional goals. N o w, after a judge recently determined H a n k i n , who is also vice chairman on the school of journalism in the Northeast. T h a t An essential component of an adva n c e d on the basis of DNA evidence that he had Board of Directors for the Thurgood Marshall fact is central to the school’s purpose: s t u- education is an appreciation of our civic not committed the crime, Newton is going Scholarship Fund, offered Newton the chance dents with high ambition and limited means r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s, and another new initiative to live out his dream of attaining a bache- to achieve his lifelong goal of earning a now have access to a top-quality, i n t e n s i v e this fall expands CUNY’s longtime work to l o r ’s degree. This semester, h aving been b a c h e l o r ’s degree. learning experience in the heart of the help new immigra n t s, and all students, p a r- awarded a full scholarship, he is enrolled as Established in 1987, the scholarship sup- media capital of the world. The first cohort ticipate fully as citizens. Voter A wa r e n e s s a student at Medgar Evers College, w h e r e ports students at Historically Black Colleges of 60 students is meeting a faculty compris- Month runs from September 13 to October he plans to take courses that will prepare and Universities (HBCU’s) nationwide. A m o n g ing veteran journalists and industry profes- 1 3 , and its intent, according to Carlos Sierra , him for a career as a law y e r. the participating institutions are CUNY’s Yo r k sionals and participating in print, b r o a d c a s t , chairperson of the University Student Senate If Newton was happy as he wa l k e d College and Medgar Evers College, w h e r e or interactive tra c k s, a community news ser- and a key organizer, is nothing less than to through the halls of his new college, the joy Newton has decided to enroll. A d d i t i o n a l l y, v i c e, and summer internships. The school is turn CUNY into “a powerhouse of voters.” was magnified by the fact that, a mere two Medgar Evers President Edison O. Jackson gav e housed in the former headquarters of the The University is partnering with other city months before, he was standing anxiously Newton a job with the college’s Male New York Herald Tr i b u n e , a truly historic organizations to increase the number of reg- in the halls of justice. Development and Empowerment Center, a s setting updated with a state-of-the-art news- istered voters in New York City by sponsor- On July 6, after more than two decades of well as additional scholarship money and a room and wireless classrooms. ing registration drives, helping students to i ncarceration, Newton had appeared in a l a p t o p. Newton is now fully covered for his Students in the new CUNY Te a c h e r serve as poll workers on election days, a n d crowded Bronx courtroom before Judge $2,200 in tuition for the semester, as well as Academy also began their innovative aca- working to maximize voter turnout by dis- John Byrne, who granted a motion to over- other expenses. demic program this fall. Responding to the abled students. The effort is a natural exten- turn the conviction as DNA evidence “This is incredible on so many levels, e s p e- need for more high-quality math and sci- sion of CUNY’s citizenship efforts, w h i c h proved what Newton had adamantly main- cially when you consider that Alan was sitting ence teachers in the New York City schools, include this year’s “Nation of Immigra n t s ” tained all along — that he was innocent. “I in a prison upstate just three months ago,” C U N Y, in partnership with the Department C a l e n d a r, developed by the Office of always believed that the truth would come said Vanessa Po t k i n , who represents Newton of Education and New York University, h a s University Relations and the LaGuardia and out. I didn’t give up, though, because I and serves as a staff attorney at the Innocence developed a new approach to teacher edu- Wagner A r c h i v e s, in partnership with T h e knew that I had to keep fighting,” said P r o j e c t , a non-profit legal clinic in New Yo r k . c a t i o n . Combining a rigorous program in New York Ti m e s,JP Morgan Chase, a n d Newton, who was born in Manhattan and Earning a college diploma is seen by m a t h , b i o l o g y, c h e m i s t r y, or earth science T I A A - C R E F. I encourage CUNY staff and and a strong liberal arts curriculum with faculty to participate in Voter A wa r e n e s s e a r l y, hands-on experiences in New Yo r k Month on their campuses and within their City public schools, the Academy prepares communities and, of course, to register to Berry and Fo s t e r- Tolbert A r e students for long careers in urban educa- vote and exercise that important privilege. t i o n . The selective progra m , based at On behalf of the University, thank you hilip Berry and Freida Fo s t e r- To l b e r t , for so much of what we see has happened B r o o k l y n , C i t y, H u n t e r, L e h m a n , a n d for your important role in helping more the newest members of the Board of in the University,” Goldstein told Schmidt, Queens colleges and the College of Staten and more CUNY students advance their PTr u s t e e s, said they looked forward to a former President of Yale University. I s l a n d , offers four years of free tuition and e d u c a t i o n . I hope you enjoy a productive building upon advances made during New Trustee Berry, who is the Vi c e stipends for internships. D rawing the best and successful 2006-07 academic year. Benno C. S c h m i d t , J r.’s tenure as c h a i r m a n , President of Global Workplace Initiatives as new Honors College Dean Ann Kirschner and Corporate Officer for Colgate- promised to take her progra m Palmolive Corp. , a $12 billion BOARDOFTRUSTEES aggressively into a new era of global consumer products com- The City University of New Yo r k g l o b a l i z a t i o n . p a n y, said he wants “to contin- Berry and Fo s t e r- Tolbert were ue to build on the innova t i o n s PostScript Picture CUNYMatters cube.eps Benno C. Schmidt Jr. C h a n c e l l o r appointed this summer by that have taken place and bring Chairman Matthew Goldstein Governor George Pa t a k i , w h o more perspectives from the Valerie L. B e a l Joseph J. L h o t a Secretary of the Board of Trustees and also took another notable action: world of work and from the Vice Chancellor for University Relations He reappointed Schmidt to world of business.” Philip Berry Randy M. M a s t r o Jay Hershenson another seven-year term. Berry is a Trustee of the John S. B o n n i c i Hugo M. M o ra l e s University Director for Media Relations Speaking at a Board of CUNY Construction Fund and Wellington Z. C h e n Kathleen M. Pe s i l e Michael A r e n a Trustees meeting in late Ju n e, a member of CUNY’s Business Chancellor Matthew Goldstein BENNO C. SCHMIDT, JR. Leadership Council. He also Editor Ron Howell B o a rd of Tru s t e e s Kenneth Cook Carol Robles-Román said the University owed its sits on the Mayor’s Educational W r i t e r s Gary Schmidgall, Rita Rodin C h a i rma n Rita DiMartino Marc V. S h aw P h o t o g r a p h e r André Beckles resurgence to Schmidt’s 1999 Priorities Pa n e l . Freida Fo s t e r- To l b e r t Jeffrey Wi e s e n f e l d Graphic Design Gotham Design, N Y C report that laid out a new direction of A graduate of Borough of Manhattan growth and achievement for CUNY. Community College and Queens College Manfred Philipp A rticles in this and previous issues are available at c u n y. e d u/n e w s. Carlos Sierra Letters or suggestions for future stories may be sent to the Editor “[Y]ou wrote the play book with your (with an MBA from Xavier University and C h a i r p e r s o n , C h a i r p e r s o n , by email to M e d i a re l a t i o ns@m a i l . c u n y. e d u. Changes of report that really served as the foundation an MSW from Columbia University), Student Senate Faculty Senate address should be made through your campus personnel office.

2 CUNY MATTERS — September 2006 Hopes to Retrieve Years Lost While Wrongfully Imprisoned on the tra i n ,” said Debbie Mukamal, d i r e c- smarter you get. T h a t ’s the basic principle.” tor of the Institute, which aided about 130 The turning point in Newton’s case began CUNY students last semester. in 2001 after family members filed an online As he faced an unrelenting daily night- application with the Innocence Project, mare as a wrongfully convicted man inside which has helped to exonerate 183 falsely New Yo r k ’s toughest maximum security imprisoned men nationwide through DNA p r i s o n s, which included the Sing-Sing and evidence since it was founded in 1992. Attica Correctional Fa c i l i t i e s, Newton took Newton had initially petitioned the solace in the support of his family and the court for DNA testing of the rape kit in unyielding faith that his innocence would 1 9 9 4 , but was denied since that evidence be proven. could not be found in the Queens wa r e- “It was my source of strength,” e x p l a i n e d house where the New York City Po l i c e N e w t o n , who has eight siblings. “I didn’t Department had stored it. set a time limit when I first went into But after a direct appeal from the p r i s o n . I always believed that the evidence Innocence Project in 2005, Bronx A s s i s t a n t would turn up. U n f o r t u n a t e l y, one year District Attorney Elisa Koenderman made a turned into five and five turned into ten. personal request for a thorough search of And the time just kept going on. It felt like the facility, which led to the discovery of a blur after aw h i l e.” the evidence. “Had this evidence not turned At the trial, N e w t o n ’s defense attorney u p, Alan would still be in prison right now,” sought to prove that he was nowhere near said Po t k i n , the Innocence Project staff the scene of the crime when the incident l awyer who represents Newton. o c c u r r e d , an account that was supported To date, the real perpetrator has yet to by members of his family. But the jury had be found. And it’s a fact that continues to been swayed by the multiple identific a t i o n s rankle Newton. made by the victim — the first of which “The way the system is designed, it usu- was made from a police mug shot book ally means justice for the victim. But my that contained Newton’s photo from a pri- unjust conviction denied the victim justice or arrest as a teenager after having a fig h t . because the person who did this is still out The victim, who has since died of an t h e r e. So who received justice in this case?” undisclosed illness, had also identifie d he asked. “I received a lot of time wrong- Newton in a live police lineup and during fully and the victim didn’t receive any jus- the trial. tice because the person who assaulted her After losing on direct appeal, N e w t o n is still free. Justice for all doesn’t mean jus- Alan Newton, as he begins the semester at Medgar Evers College. launched a vigorous campaign to bring tice for one person.” attention to his plight and wrote letters to N e w t o n , who began taking classes at experts as the best way to overcome the detained in Rikers Island jails. And last year civil rights groups, elected officials and Medgar Evers College in late Au g u s t , plans to e x t raordinarily difficult obstacles facing the Prisoner Re-Entry Institute, which pro- news organizations. use his own experiences in the criminal jus- those who have done time in prison, e v e n vides academic opportunities and support “I tried to reach everyone. I was getting tice system as part of his long-term goal of those who were wrongfully convicted, r e i n- to individuals with criminal records, wa s little to no help in my case, and the little becoming an attorney and creating an organi- t e g rating them back into society with established at John Jay College. help I got wasn’t doing me any good,” h e zation that can make a difference in the lives steady employment and stable housing. The Institute, which receives some fund- r e m e m b e r e d . When feelings of disillusion- of other formerly incarcerated individuals. For decades, CUNY has been deeply ing from the Black Male Initiative launched m e n t , rage and isolation threatened to “ T h e r e ’s a lot of other groups out there, engaged in this issue through a number of by Chancellor Matthew Goldstein earlier this consume Newton’s soul, he occupied his but having somebody who was actually initiatives designed to increase the chances y e a r, also regularly convenes workshops and time by working on his case and earning inside is different,” he said. that the formerly incarcerated will lead panels with policymakers, researchers and an associate’s degree from Dutchess One lesson Newton will be sure to productive lives. In 1991, L a G u a r d i a criminal justice advocates to explore re-entry Community College. impart is the sheer importance that educa- Community College developed CUNY issues and solutions to the broader dilemma. “ You face so many pitfalls behind those tion can have in one’s life. “ T h a t ’s one thing C a t c h , an early-intervention program that “Education is the bridge to help people wa l l s, so I tried to find the things that that no one can ever take from you,” h e offers career development, academic coun- who have come out of prison and other- could help me cope, like music, poetry and e x p l a i n e d . “They can take your freedom seling and vocational training to at-risk ado- wise would have a barrier to getting back b o o k s. I was just trying to soak in whatever and your possessions, but they can’t take lescents who are either on probation or into the job market. It helps them get back I could because the more you learn, t h e the knowledge that you possess.” New Tr u s t e e s, Kirschner is New Honors Dean

Berry has been tire- W h i t e wa t e r. with the tremendously talented students, Honors Dean lessly active as an During the mid-1990s Fo s t e r- To l b e r t f a c u l t y, and staff of the CUNY Honors Kirschner wa s alumnus of those worked at Borough of Manhattan C o l l e g e,” Kirschner said after her appoint- instrumental in i n s t i t u t i o n s. Community College as Human Resources ment by the Board of Trustees this summer. d e v e l o p i n g “ We ’ve shown we A d m i n i s t ration Liaison and as a recruiter Selma Botman, executive vice chancellor C o l u m b i a can produce quality for COPE (College Opportunity to Prepare for academic affairs, said that the feelings U n i v e r s i t y ’s overa l l s t u d e n t s,” Berry said for Employment), advocating for students of appreciation were mutual. s t rategy for technol- ANN KIRSCHNER of CUNY. “ T h e on public assistance who were attempting Kirschner “will apply her considera b l e ogy and learning, Dean, teaching faculty at to further their education. talents to advancing the CUNY Honors which led to the CUNY Honors College the City University “I became completely sold on the idea C o l l e g e, a program that has a proven record creation of Fa t h o m , FREIDA FOSTER-TOLBERT of New Yo r k , I that it is education that can transform a of recruiting accomplished students, e n g a g- the first online knowledge network. Fa t h o m Tru s t e e would stack against c i t y, the state, the world,” Fo s t e r- ing dedicated faculty, and creat- was created in association with the London any scholars in the world. What we have to Tolbert said of her experiences ing exciting academic School of Economics, the New York Public continue to offer is a world-class education working at CUNY. p r o g ra m m i n g ,” Botman said. L i b ra r y, and other institutions in the United — so that students can function not just in Berry and Fo s t e r- To l b e r t An honors graduate of the States and United Kingdom. the City of New Yo r k , or the State of New replace former Trustees Nilda State University of New York at Opening doors of opportunity — for Yo r k , or just in the United States, but any- Soto Ruiz and John J. C a l a n d ra . Buffalo and holder of a Ph.D. i n i m m i g rants and others striving to succeed in where in the world.” K i r s c h n e r, an English scholar, English from Princeton, New York and in the global economy — is Fo s t e r- To l b e r t , Deputy Director of the i n n o vative administra t o r, a n d Kirschner “brings fresh ideas, what motivates Kirschner. “As a kid growing G o v e r n o r ’s Office of Community A f f a i r s pioneer in the use of digital e n e r g y, and a deep respect for up in New York City, and a child of a and a former Assistant to the Governor for m e d i a , said she is honored to be the students and faculty con- Holocaust survivor, I never doubted that African-American A f f a i r s, has a bachelor’s the new dean of CUNY Honors nected with the Honors public education was my front door to degree from Hofstra University and a mas- C o l l e g e. PHILIP BERRY C o l l e g e,” Botman added. o p p o r t u n i t y,” Kirschner said in a late Au g u s t t e r ’s from University of Wi s c o n s i n - “I am delighted to be working Tru s t e e Before coming to CUNY, interview with the journal Inside Higher Ed.

CUNY MATTERS — September 2006 3 STUDENTHONORS Role of Librarian Undergoes Great Changes Hunter Student at NPR he Internet has had an said Downing with a smile. i chael Ehrie, an MA student in impact on virtually One salient example: the partnership Mmusicology at Hunter, was an Tevery person in between the library staff and the mar- intern this summer at National Public American higher education. keting department to develop the Radio in Wa s h i n g t o n , D. C. But even in that vast expanse, Direct and Interactive Marketing Selected out of more than 1,000 the librarian stands out as one Resource Center. Working with market- a p p l i c a n t s, Ehrie worked for the classical whose work has undergone a ing professor Harvey Markovitz, t h e music program “ Performance To d a y,” sea change. l i b rar y two years ago designed the cen- where he listened to and logged the tim- C U N Y ’s campus libra r i e s ter as a “ l a b o ra t o r y ” for students to ing of new concert acquisitions. — there are 20 of them now learn how to create marketing He was also a reporter for the inter- — were once considered to c a m p a i g n s, using sophisticated informa- nal radio program “Intern Edition,” a be largely support systems for tion resources obtained by the libra r y, show produced, reported and edited by classroom instruction. But in such as proprietary data bases. the summer interns. an age of high technology and Last year, a survey of more than information profusion — in 7,000 CUNY students and faculty Lehman Student in Ja p a n which information literacy is across CUNY campuses found that hree 2006 a hallmark of a strong educa- users placed a high value on their TL e h m a n tion — librarians have taken l i b rary facilities. College gra d u a t e s on a much more critical role. “One of the most surprising fin d i n g s and one current “The fact that so much was how important the library is as a student attended a information is out there physical place,” said University global conference m a k e s … l i b rarians even more L i b rarian Curtis L. Ke n d r i c k . “ T h e y in Hiroshima, i m p o r t a n t ,” said George Otte, like being in that space when they’r e Ja p a n , this past C U N Y ’s Director of not in class.” s u m m e r, to galva- Instructional Technology and At some colleges, like Hunter, nize support for Jeniffer Herrera a member of the doctoral fac- libraries are unveiling a “browser’s improving educa- ulty at the Graduate Center. lounge” where students can gather and t i o n , h e a l t h , and social equity as a pre- “How do you get [informa- peruse books and journals. Brooklyn lude to peace. tion] and authenticate it and College’s new library, completed in The conference was titled “Building a know that it’s good? You go 2002, offers an “information Just and Sustainable Pe a c e.” to libra r i a n s. Who knows bet- commons” — including distinctive Jeniffer Herrera, now a junior, a n d ter? They have a huge role to study and reference areas, each with g raduates Alice Michelle Au g u s t i n e, p l a y.” dozens of PCs. Frank Critton and Monique McPherson About 12 million people B a r b ra Higginbotham, C h i e f Students use computers and search for books at Baruch College were chosen based on their outstanding enter CUNY libraries every L i b rarian and Executive Director of L i b r a r y, which has been transformed by the information explosion academic achievements and keen inter- year to make use of the uni- Academic Information Te c h n o l o g i e s, of recent years. est in the conference’s goal of building a v e r s i t y ’s collections, w h i c h said that a principal goal is to make culture of peace. include more than 7.5 million books, tion closer to the heart of the university’s Brooklyn College’s library a “ c o m f o r t a b l e ” The conference’s keynote speakers 30,000 periodicals, and thousands of educational mission, said Assistant Professor p l a c e. “ We give many options as to spaces to included Nobel Peace Laureates Shirin m i c r o fil m s, music scores, s l i d e s, tapes and LaRoi Law t o n , director of the Gerald S. do work: more formal settings, alone or in Ebadi of Iran and Jody Williams of the v i d e o s. Millions more access the libra r i e s Lieblich Learning Resources Center at g r o u p s, quiet or noisy,” Higginbotham said. United States. o n l i n e, searching data bases and Bronx Community College. One of the main challenges facing the reading books, m o n o g raphs and journals “A lot of us are very, very proactive University broadly is to make its va r i o u s Studying Latin in Italy that have been put into digital formats. when it comes to teaching,” said Law t o n , l i b rary resources available throughout the risten DeJo s e p h, a senior in the Students have access to and borrowing who is also president of LAC U N Y, T h e s y s t e m , Kendrick said. He foresees a num- KCUNY Baccalaureate Progra m , t h e privileges at all CUNY libra r i e s ; a l u m n i L i b rary Association of the City University ber of “growth areas,” including the creation University's individualized bachelor's h ave privileges at colleges they attended. of New Yo r k . of a “digital repository” that would “serve as degree progra m , spent two months in The libraries are still evolving places, “ We ’re always in the classroom.” a home for documenting the scholarship R o m e, I t a l y, studying Latin with one of and digitization projects — in which docu- At Baruch, t o o, there is a sharp focus on and creative activity of CUNY faculty.” O f the preeminent instructors in the world. ments “ m i g ra t e ” into digital files — hav e “tying the library into the curriculum,” s a i d c o u r s e, a major considera t i o n , as alwa y s, i s D e Joseph studied with Fr. R e g i n a l d been launched at many campuses. Arthur Downing, Chief Librarian and Vi c e m o n e y. But Ke n d r i c k Foster of the Latin Letters Department At John Jay College, for example, t h e President for Information Te c h n o l o g y. “ We said that the will is of the Vatican Secretariat of State. “Crime in New Yo r k , 1 8 0 0 - 1 9 5 0 ” p r o j e c t spend a lot of time strategizing how to t h e r e, and the will While in the CUNY BA progra m , includes the digitizing of all the tra n s c r i p t s insinuate ourselves into people’s courses,” leads the wa y. D e Jo s e p h ’s “home college’ is Brooklyn from the trials of the Court of Genera l C o l l e g e, where she is studying “ C l a s s i c a l Sessions from1883 to 1927. “ M u r d e r, Languages and Linguistics” under the g rand larceny, assault—every type of crime The College Library as a Music mentorship of Professor Craig Wi l l i a m s. in New York is covered,” said Larry S u l l i va n , chief librarian at John Ja y, n o t i n g L o v e r ’s Realm Fire Chief is A l u m the project included the colorful 1904 trial hen he graduated from Brown University in 1980, C u r t i s ohn Jay and New York City College of the notorious gangster, Monk Eastman, L . Kendrick decided to pursue the dream of many post- Jof Technology alumnus S a l v a t o r e one of the characters in the movie “ G a n g s Wcollege 20-somethings: playing in a rock ’n’ roll band. C a s s a n o was recently sworn in as the of New Yo r k .” Kendrick spent his nights playing keyboards for a band called “ L a s t Fire Department of New York's Chief The goal is to make such information Visible Dog” — the name inspired by a passage in the well-known of Department. “ a c c e s s i b l e, with the intent of being search- c h i l d r e n ’s book, The Mouse and His Child, by Russell Hoban. C a s s a n o, who has the highest-ra n k i n g able on the We b,” S u l l i van said. Of course, Kendrick had a day job, t o o, as an assistant in the Brown Libra r y. uniformed position in the agency, w i l l The We b, i n d e e d , has become an abid- So when the band broke up, the Long Island native headed off to Simmons oversee the department’s three major ing feature of the modern libra r y, s a i d G raduate School of Library and Information Science in Boston. uniformed bureaus: o p e ra t i o n s, t ra i n i n g Assistant Professor Lisa Finder, S e r i a l s He then launched a peripatetic career at a string of prominent academic libra r i e s : and fire prevention. L i b rarian at the Hunter College Libra r y. Oberlin College, followed by State University at Stony Brook (then back to gra d u a t e Cassano received an associate degree At Hunter, the libra r y ’s home Web page school for an MBA at Emory), then Harvard and then Columbia. in fire protection features links to almost 200 data bases, In the fall of 2004, Kendrick was appointed University Librarian at CUNY, a new technology from dozens of electronic journals and electron- position created within the Office of Academic Affairs “to reflect the close relationship City Tech in 1970 ic reserves (accessible from students’ home between the libraries and the University’s core mission,” Kendrick said. and later went on c o m p u t e r s, with passwords). The role of librarians has become increasingly complex, he said. “They act as go- to earn this bache- But if a college library is to offer a b e t w e e n s, and in an era of specialization, the need for go-betweens has become more lor of science dizzying array of resources, it must also p r o n o u n c e d .” degree in fire sci- ensure that students and faculty are Kendrick said that one of the most compelling challenges at CUNY is making dis- ence from John Ja y t rained to use them. p a rate parts work together as a whole. College of A n d , in fact, there has been in recent Using a metaphor from his music days, he added, “In the end, you realize that the Criminal Ju s t i c e. Salvatore Cassano years a major effort to bring library instruc- group only sounds as good as the whole group together.”

4 CUNY MATTERS — September 2006 NOTED"ED ‘Gearing Up’ to Get Low- Athletic Programs Using Web Income Students into College for Continual Updates UNY GEAR-UP has one of the most UNY athletic programs increasingly Cimportant jobs in town. Care using the Web to provide exten- It starts working with youngsters in sive information about their teams to middle schools, and then stays with those sports loving students and faculty, as well students through high school, giving them as to outsiders. a rigorous academic program that includes The enhanced use of the Internet is college courses. being done in conjunction with Internet More than 2,000 students, m o s t l y Consulting Services (ICS), a 10-year- o l d African-Americans and Latinos, h ave gone company that has been servicing a growing through the program over the past severa l number of athletic websites. y e a r s. “ Websites with college athletics hav e Recently the University received an just exploded in the last decade,” s a i d $800,000 grant from the U. S. D e p a r t m e n t D avid Gansell, assistant director of the of Education to help GEAR-UP continue its CUNY Athletic Conference. mission of helping low-income public school At CUNY, “ We are catching on to the students enter and succeed in college. At the Stanford White-designed Hall of Fame for Great Americans at Bronx Community importance of having a really professional It is anticipated that the grant — which C o l l e g e, Political Science Professor James Freeman (left) asks Architect Lisa Easton questions w e b s i t e,” Gansell added. will fund GEAR-UP’s Middle Gra d e s about the Hall. The College of Staten Island recently Initiative (MGI) — will continue for six announced it was the latest CUNY college y e a r s, at $800,000 annually, for a total of to come on board with ICS, using it to $4.8 million. Hall of Fame Offers Insights publicize its 12 varsity teams. “The new Donna Linderman, the Project Director, site (at w w w. c s i d o l p h i n s. c o m) offers a total said that CUNY GEAR-UP has developed About the N e w New Yo r k multimedia experience for fans of CSI ath- “a comprehensive strategy for success.” I t he Hall of Fame for Great A m e r i c a n s, which honors prominent people who are l e t i c s,” the college announced. has successfully worked with 2,300 mostly considered great symbols of American culture, is located on the Bronx “ We got the ball rolling,” with regard to minority students from 2000 to 2005, s h e T Community College campus. using ICS, said Gansell. Baruch College s a i d . In Ju n e, this classical landmark, designed by Stanford W h i t e, was host to a two- soon joined the team, Gansell said, f o l l o w e d The Middle Grades Initiative has strong week seminar for Lehman, Hostos and BCC College professors, who met to develop lately by the College of Staten Island. relationships with 13 New York City pub- insights into how the old figures in the Hall of Fame could be made relevant to a Among the features are: players of the lic schools and features math, reading and d e m o g raphically changed Bronx. w e e k , updated scores and statistics, n e w s writing progra m s, along with outreach to Thanks to a $75,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant to BCC’s Center stories and photos of players. parents and early counseling about college. for Teaching Excellence, the professors explored how the historical figures Walt W h i t m a n , “They make it easy to update your web- Nathaniel Haw t h o r n e, Edgar Allen Po e, George Wa s h i n g t o n , John Adams and Benjamin s i t e,” Gansell said of ICS. Study of Hebrew Making a Franklin can be connected to Americans coming from countries and cultures different As Gansell spoke, the CUNY A t h l e t i c Revival at Lehman College from that of early U. S. A . Conference website (cunyathletics. c o m ) The bronze busts of these Great A m e r i c a n s, along with 92 others, make up the was featuring photos of soccer players who fter a decade-long absence, the study of landmarked Hall of Fame for Great A m e r i c a n s. It is a 630-foot, open-air colonnade had just returned from their summer A Hebrew is making a comeback at that connects four buildings, including the Gould Memorial Libra r y. Goodwill visit to South A f r i c a . Lehman College, thanks to Professor Z e l d a “Through course assignments and projects or just by walking through the vera n d a h College of Staten Island administra t o r s Kahan Newman, an expert in Hebraic and of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans colonnade, and contemplating the bronze are happy with their new site. “Our part- Judaic Studies, and a growing group of inter- busts and their inscriptions, sons and daughters of new immigrants and those of work- nership with ICS means that visitors to ested students. ing-class parents have the opportunity to contemplate the role they wish to play in the our site will now have a wealth of infor- With the success last year of its fir s t f u t u r e,” stated Dr. Harriet Shenkman, project director and Director of the Center for mation at their fin g e r t i p s, complete with a Hebrew course in ten years, the College’s Teaching Excellence. sleek design and user-friendly interface,” Department of Languages and Literature is (The Hall of Fame for Great Americans is open free to the public daily. For more said Jason Fe i n , A c t i n g offering two additional courses this fall i n f o r m a t i o n , please call (718) 289- 5161.) Director of A t h l e t i c s that will provide more advanced language at the college. instruction as well as study of the modern Hebrew novel. Honors College Students Visit Pe n t a g o n In the first-year course, Hebrew 101, students learn to read, write and speak rustee Kathleen M. Pesile took 18 Students said they learned a fact of public modern Israeli Hebrew. Students also learn TCUNY Honors College students on a life that has perhaps eluded many young to understand various levels of Hebrew, trip to the Pentagon recently where they p e o p l e : that there are plenty of job opportu- from formal language to slang. S e c o n d - y e a r met with Assistant Secretary of the Nav y nities at the Pe n t a g o n , w h i c h , after all, is run students will have the opportunity to fur- Richard Greco, J r. by civilians. ther explore the language. Greco is the comptroller of the Nav y, t h e “It was mind-opening,” said Christina Idit Pilch, formerly the language editor person responsible for its fin a n c e s, and Pe s i l e C u r e l l a , an Honors College student interest- for the Israel Academy of Science and thought that it was important for students to ed in a public service career. Curella said she Humanities Publishing House, will teach meet him and “broaden their horizons, t o was especially impressed with the dedication the first-year course. P i l c h , who received show that finances play a major role in edu- of the public servants she met. the Grinspoon award for excellence in cation and the military, and to look at” t h e “I feel people who work there are dedi- t e a c h i n g , also teaches at Queens College. field of finance from “different perspectives.” cated to the American people. That quality Professor Newman will teach the second- “ People think of the Pentagon as an indus- stood out,” Curella said. year course, a n d , as with Hebrew 101, s h e trial complex, but if you don’t have money, Pesile said she would like to create oppor- plans to incorporate song into the curricu- nothing gets done,” said Pe s i l e. tunities for Honors College students to win l u m . “In both courses, we learn White House songs as we learn gra m m a t i c a l Fe l l o w s h i p s, t h e c o n c e p t s,” she explained. prestigious pro- Website photo of CUNY soccer players in In addition, Newman will g ram in which front of Nelson Mandela statue in South teach “Hebrew 327: T h e Fellows work as Africa this summer. Modern Hebrew Novel.” T h i s paid assistants to t h i r d - y e a r-level course will top government CCNY alumnus Colin Powell was also a focus on the novels of Chaim o f ficials in White House Fe l l o w. S a b a t o, who won the Sapir Wa s h i n g t o n . “The opportunities are astounding,” Prize in literature for his novel A s s i s t a n t Pesile said. about the Yom Kippur War as S ecretary Greco During their Pentagon visit, students went seen through the eyes of a started his career on an official tour and then sat down for young soldier. as a W h i t e lunch in Assistant Secretary Greco’s priva t e Classes for Hebrew 201 and House Fe l l o w. dining room, with two admirals and two 327 will meet online, as well as Honors College students pose at the Pentagon during visit with Assistant Secretary of Former Secretary budget directors. on the Lehman campus. the Navy Richard Greco, Jr. of State and Of such experiences, great dreams are born.

CUNY MATTERS — September 2006 5 In a New and Competitive Environment, Colleges

n a fine day P i c t u red here , last spring, S T U D E N T left to right, are C h a r l e s Maxine Barg r a s s e r D e C i c c o, A M B A S S A D O R S Siegel, Special C i t y Events Coordinator for the Welcome Center at C o l l e g e Hunter College, with Student Class of ’67, Ambassadors Olga Owas in the Bronx doing what he Generalova, Dilini loves — sitting at Yankee Stadium, K a s t u r i a r a c h c h i , preparing to cheer his Yanks — Acyuta Cuffee, and when suddenly his attention wa s Clair Blake. d rawn to the huge centerfie l d s c r e e n . D e C i c c o, who has spent his professional life telling the outside world about the virtues and tri- umphs of the University, s aw something that left him unchara c- teristically drop-jaw e d . There on the screen wa s Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, who began to announce that C U N Y ’s own “Superstar Te a m ” had staked out positions on the academic field of dreams. G o l d s t e i n ’s remarks were accom- panied by a huge image of nine students from across the University who had won prestigious awa r d s and honors, including David Bauer, 2005 winner of the Intel Science c o m p e t i t i o n . B a u e r chose to attend CUNY Honors An ad showcasing College at City the successes of academic achievement who go at Brooklyn College senior majoring in C o l l e g e, though he York College grads on to the most competitive political science and philosophy. could have attended Fiona Smith and research programs and gra d u- Riding these waves of recruiting/market- virtually any priva t e Max Saenz ate and professional schools.” ing successes, C U N Y ’s colleges across the college in the country. He added, “The image of board have been stepping up their efforts. In DeCicco’s recol- Fiona stops you because she H i s t o r i c a l l y, C U N Y ’s recruitment progra m s lection of that superstar has an earnest face and people h ave been modest when compared to those d a y, which he recalled s a y, ‘That could be me.’ ” of private institutions, but that has been in a touching fir s t - p e r- Commuters have also been drawn to bus c h a n g i n g. son account published in stop ads featuring another charming pair of “New York City is one of the most com- City College’s alumni back-to-back winners, recipients of the petitive higher education markets in the m a g a z i n e, Goldstein told highly prestigious Truman Scholarships. n a t i o n ,” said Richard P. A l va r e z , U n i v e r s i t y the sellout crowd of what I would call the First was Claudio Simpkins, who recently Director of Admission at CUNY for the past 5 5 , 0 0 0 : art of the possible at CUNY, where students g raduated from the Honors College at City f o u r-and-one-half years. “The Tri-State area “[A]s more and more New Yorkers are of limited means, e c o n o m i c a l l y, can win top College and is now at Harvard Law School, has one of the nation’s greatest concentra- d i s c o v e r i n g , t o d a y ’s superstar high school competitive awards and become great suc- and then Ryan Merola, an Honors College tions of colleges and universities,” he added, students are choosing to study with the cess stories, through hard work.” champions at the City University of New At York College, a Yo r k .” spokesman for President With the fast-spreading awa r e n e s s, l o c a l- Marcia V. Keizs said the mes- New Dorm Opens Doors at CCNY ly and around the globe, of the importance sage about CUNY students of he image of CUNY as Commuter U. is being altered somewhat by the new City College dor- of higher education, universities have been modest means catapulting to mitory complex accommodating 600 students and faculty members — The Towers at T h e energetically striving to inform target audi- heights of success has been T City College of New Yo r k , which opened this semester. Some of the residents are from out-of- ences of the good being done within their e x t raordinarily effective. T h e s t a t e, although there are many students in the New York metropolitan area who want to avoid long hallowed halls. Marketing has become a spokesman referred specific a l l y commutes and who, i n tool not only of growth but of survival for to a new “ B a c k 2 B a c k the words of City College colleges and universities big and small. Wi n s 4 C U N Y ” poster featuring President Gregory H. The video produced by CUNY-TV and the late City College alumnus Wi l l i a m s, desire “ r e s i d e n- shown at Yankee Stadium was a marketer’s and Nobel Prize-winning scien- tial college experience.” d r e a m . But throughout the city and, i n tist Jonas Salk, who is pictured Pictured here in dorm f a c t , throughout the region — on city sub- side-by-side with York alumna apartment are (left to way cars, at city bus stops, at Long Island Fiona Smith, an ’05 York gra d right) David Wi l c o x Railroad stations and elsewhere — there and CUNY Salk Scholar now and Charles are countless colorful posters beaming sim- attending Penn State C l o u d . ilar messages of success about CUNY to University School of Medicine; men and women pondering their futures and Max H. S a e n z , an ’06 Yo r k in an ever-changing and global economy, g raduate and honorary Salk where a college degree has become all but Scholar now attending the e s s e n t i a l . University of Virginia School “This is a sea change,” said Ja y of Medicine. H e r s h e n s o n , Vice Chancellor for University The spokesman said, “ W h e n Relations and Secretary of the Board of you pair Fiona with Jonas Salk, Tr u s t e e s, speaking of the long reach of it says right away that York is C U N Y ’s message machine. an institution that produces “We now have a presence showcasing students at the high end of

6 CUNY MATTERS — September 2006 s Must Market Themselves to Prospective Students “so we’ve got to be competitive, i n n o va t i v e a t t ract potential students from Long Island, initiated “Kingsborough For a Day,” w h e r e and Student A f f a i r s. “ We have developed a and proactive in getting our message out.” particularly Nassau County. Like Hunter, prospective students and their families expe- sharp focus on sub-populations, such as With CUNY’s reputation and profile in Queens College has highly motiva t e d rience what it’s like to be a Kingsborough v e t e ra n s, and are advertising in multi-cul- d ramatic ascendancy, he continued, “ T h e r e Student A m b a s s a d o r s, who conduct weekly s t u d e n t . They attend a mock class, tour the t u ral publications,” she said. has never been a better time to expand our campus tours and promote the college at c a m p u s, attend athletic events, take a KCC Of course, during the upcoming CUNY efforts to inform students, p a r e n t s, c o l l e g e recruitment fairs. boat tour, meet with student clubs and stu- M o n t h , through November, all of the col- advisors and the general public about the K i n g s b o r o u g h ’s President Regina S. dent government, and attend a financial aid leges will be publicizing themselves in wa y s depth and breadth of our progra m s, a n d Pe r u g g i , a former President of Marymount and admissions workshop. creative and even lyrical. Some of the our affordability.” Manhattan College, has stressed the impor- City Tech has a diverse menu of recruit- events are included on the calendar on While the University’s enrollment is up, tance of utilizing some of the recruitment ment techniques, according to Marcela page 12. O t h e r w i s e, visit cuny.edu and A l varez said, “the number of New Yo r k techniques of private colleges. So the College Katz A r m o z a , Vice President of Enrollment click the “ e v e n t s ” l i n k . State high school graduates is projected to decline beginning in 2013, and so we must be prepared to compete for a shrinking pool of students.” From A(rizona) to W ( yoming) They Love New Yo r k T h a t ’s one reason that CUNY is expand- ing its outreach horizons beyond the city, s an affordable public University be easy. Though a Te x a n , she was actually Carter applied to the University of and into the Tri-State area, he informed. A located in the most cosmopolitan born in Lima, Pe r u , and felt at home in the South Carolina, Fo r d h a m , S t . Pe t e r ’s city in the world, CUNY has understand- c i t y ’s ethnic mix. She came here at first to College (in New Je r s e y ) , CCNY and The Campus is the Place ably drawn many thousands of foreign- w o r k . Brooklyn College. She had her pick, a n d A l varez said CUNY must take a page born New Yorkers into its student rosters. “I had just started working at a jewelry her parents wanted her to attend the from the privates and get more students to But in recent years the University has store (in New York City) when an NYU University of South Carolina, which wa s visit the campuses, “because it’s where the also been drawing students from other professor in mathematics came into the closer to home. sale is made.” s t a t e s, ambitious young men and women s t o r e,” said the aspiring accountant. “ We “But I liked the location of City And that’s exactly what Hunter College from the West Coast, the Mid-West and started talking and he told me about C o l l e g e, and I liked Harlem,” said Carter. is doing through its highly regarded Student e l s e w h e r e, who are attracted by reports of B a r u c h . He said ‘NYU could give you the Carter is an athlete who plans to try Ambassadors Progra m . Beginning with just C U N Y ’s achievements and New Yo r k p r e p a ration courses; but Baruch will pre- out for City’s basketball team. She says three students in 2001, the program has C i t y ’s cultural vitality. pare you for the companies and the world. she’ll rent a room from a family she found grown to 45 students, including six leaders According to the most recent fig u r e s, You will be well-rounded.’ ” through the classifieds (“for at least one who also help train new members. slightly more than 5,000 students last And indeed she is. A member of A L P F A semester”) and plans to work at least 15 “In the past, we had difficulty accommo- year had out-of-state addresses and paid (Association of Latino Professionals in hours per week to supplement loans that dating large groups of campus visitors,” n o t- the out-of-state tuition. M a n y, of course, Finance and A c c o u n t i n g ) , Z e g a r ra is also her parents plan to take out on her behalf. ed Maxine Bargrasser Siegel, the Special hail from nearby New Jersey and captain of Baruch’s women’s cross-country Full-time out-of-state students taking Events Coordinator at Hunter’s We l c o m e C o n n e c t i c u t , but others come from t e a m . She said, “My mom wanted me to go 12 to 16 credits at a CUNY senior college Center who developed and heads the pro- Alaska and A r i z o n a , Kentucky and to a more big name school; but I love pay between $4,320 and $5,760 for a g ra m . “Now we are able to conduct a large K a n s a s, and points in between. C U N Y. I t ’s a wonderful experience, v e r y s e m e s t e r. After living in New York for a number of tours year- r o u n d .” While out-of-state students pay more diverse and you get the most bang for your year and establishing residence here, o u t - In addition to conducting campus tours than double what New York State resi- b u c k . I’m glad they accepted me. If they of-staters can become eligible for the low- for prospective students and their parents, dents pay, their tuition is still half to a hadn’t I’d be at NYU with a pile of debt.” er in-state tuition ra t e s. the Student Ambassadors regularly speak at third of what other public institutions The Office of Institutional c o l l e g e, community and alumni functions. charge their out-of-state students. Research and Assessment says B a r g rasser Siegel described them as “ b r i g h t , R E Y N t h a t , over the past six years, highly motivated and eager to share their Alaskan Finds Gold in Bro o k l y n CUNY colleges have drawn stu- positive experiences about Hunter with eyn Krebbs, a native of A l a s k a , w e n t K R E B S dents from every state in the left his home state of o t h e r s. They fully reflect Hunter’s diversity, Rto high school two blocks from the n a t i o n . and we couldn’t have better good-will University of A n c h o ra g e. But when col- Alaska to study music at ambassadors for the College and CUNY.” lege time came, he decided to trav e l Medgar Evers College. City College’s new Director of 3,400 miles to attend Medgar Evers A d m i s s i o n s, Joe Fa n t o z z i , promised that College in Brooklyn. He liked the idea of 2006-2007 will be an exciting year for being in a place that was like a micro- C i t y ’s recruitment team. “ With new aca- cosm of the whole world. demic progra m s, a brand new residence “New Yo r k ’s a place where you’re still hall housing 600 students opening in in A m e r i c a ; but at the same time it has S e p t e m b e r, and heightened awareness of the rest of the world in it. I’m learning a the new Harlem renaissance, t h e r e ’s much lot and not just in the classroom,” he said. for us to talk about.” Krebbs realizes he stands out, and he M e a n w h i l e, Baruch College offers seems to like that. “When my friends hear Executive MPA Open Houses where where Medgar Evers is they say, ‘Are you prospective applicants sit in on a current c razy? Yo u ’re a white kid!’” K r e b b s c l a s s, h ave lunch with students, and are recalled with a laugh. able to discuss the day and ask questions. He is a music major, a drummer and a The College also invites newly admitted member of the college’s jazz ensemble, Executive MPA students, and those still and he believes there’s no better place for Some admit they are wa n d e r e r s. M i c h e l e involved in the application process, to an a musician than New Yo r k . “ You can’t get Leaving Kentucky for Harlem Sutherland came from Arizona to attend informal session at which they can meet your name out when you live in a state icely Carter of Lexington, Ke n t u c k y, B M C C. S u t h e r l a n d , 3 3 , spent much of the and ask questions of current students. that is separated by another country,” h e Cwas so happy about her decision to last decade touring the United States as a “ We ’ve found these events to be very s a i d , referring to Canada. attend City College she wrote an article guitarist in a rock band. But she recently effective in encouraging prospects to apply A l r e a d y, h e ’s landed a paying gig about it in her hometown paper, t h e g raduated with her associate’s degree and is and in helping to form a close connection (through one of his professors) and feels Lexington Herald-Leader, where she off again, now to attend Stanford University, among new students and current students,” h e ’s being exposed to musical tra d i t i o n s worked this past summer as an intern. where she plans to study philosophy. said Michael J. L o va g l i o, Director of Baruch’s and skills that he couldn’t have found “Most people who ask me about my S u t h e r l a n d , who was a liberal arts G raduate Admissions and Student Services. anywhere else, certainly not in A l a s k a . college decision continue to question why m a j o r, feels BMCC taught her about life For its part, Queens College hosts a va r i- K r e b b s, who said he’s benefiting from I want to go so far awa y,” Carter wrote in and litera t u r e. Determined to again spread ety of workshops, b r e a k f a s t s, open houses a full scholarship through the college’s the article published in the May 31, 2 0 0 6 her wings, she applied not only to and campus visits with musical entertain- music department, lives in the Bedford- issue of the newspaper. “I proudly and con- S t a n f o r d , but to Ya l e, S m i t h , Brown and ment for high school guidance counselors, Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. fidently let them know that I'm ready for a Mount Holyoke, and was accepted at all. parents of potential students and commu- change and that I'm ready for something She is pleased with her life, and says she nity residents. Texan Chooses Baru c h new…It has always been in my blood to owes it all to a downtown Manhattan two- Queens is also reaching out to new mar- ercedes Zegarra , of El Pa s o, Te x a s, blaze my own trail and do something year college. “ I t ’s a community where k e t s, including an ambitious program to Mfound her transition to New York to d i f f e r e n t .” things can and do happen,” she said.

CUNY MATTERS — September 2006 7 FACULTYHONORS Professor Recalls Creating Forerunner to Internet n the spring of 1981, I ra Fuchs and people in universities all over the world,” “There was no charge,” Fr e e m a n President of Social Work A s s n . Greydon Freeman sat down at a confer- wrote Mark Humphrys, author of T h e e x p l a i n e d . “ You couldn’t charge anyone on ocial work Professor Carl Mazza h a s Ience for computing professionals in St. Internet in the 1980s. “It had worldwide e- campus other than for timesharing. T h a t Sbeen elected president of the New Louis and began hatching a bold new idea: m a i l ; it had real-time interactive chat…The was very important.” York State Social Work Education a computer network that could connect whole thing [BITNET plus connected net- Fuchs first approached 34 universities in Association (NYS S W E A ) , an organiza- faculty at colleges and universities nation- works] was an embryonic Internet.” the Northeast, asking whether they were tion that provides a forum for educators, wide — even worldwide. In the beginning, h o w e v e r, the primary interested in participating. Within a few professionals and scholars to discuss “ We wanted to connect every scholar at goal of Fuchs and Freeman was to focus on y e a r s, the network had spread to issues concerning social work education. every university,” said Fuchs, who at the serving the needs of university communities. C a l i f o r n i a , then Canada, Europe and M a z z a , of Lehman College, p r e v i o u s- time was Vice Chancellor for University “ We were tool makers,” Freeman said. Ja p a n . In 1986, Fuchs got permission from ly served as the NYS S W E A’s vice presi- Systems at CUNY, responsible for technol- “ We delivered very good tools to the facul- the U. S. Department of Commerce to d e n t . He is an expert in criminal and ogy at the university’s campuses. ty to make exciting things happen. B I T- allow Russia to connect to the network. juvenile justice, Fr e e m a n , who was then director of com- NET was one of them.” By 1988, more than 1,400 universities, and teaches a puting at Yale University, said they had the F u c h s, a Forest Hills native, came to s e v e ral research laboratories and govern- 16-week parent- s o f t ware they needed and the required IBM CUNY in 1973 at age 24 to become ment agencies in 32 countries had signed ing class at Sing h a r d ware was already in-house (many univer- founding director of the university’s com- onto BITNET, according to John S. Sing prison. H i s sities already were using IBM mainfra m e s ) . puter center. “There wasn’t anyone in the Q u a r t e ra n ’s 1990 book, The Matrix: research focuses “ We thought, ‘All the pieces are there, w h y world that I knew who was more qualifie d , Computer Networks and Conferencing on the emotional not do it?’” Freeman recalled in a telephone who knew more, who had more energy, o r Systems Wo r l d w i d e. Even IBM asked to and social needs conversation from his home in Wo o d b r i d g e, was more intelligent,” recalled Ke n n e t h connect its VNET system to BITNET. of children and C o n n . “ We decided to order it up.” K i n g , the former dean of computing sys- “ We both took the attitude, ‘ P r o s e l y t i z e, partners of So the two administrators did just that, tems at CUNY, in a published report sev- p r o s e l y t i z e, p r o s e l y t i z e,’ ” Freeman said. i n c a r c e ra t e d linking up the Yale computer center with e ral years ago. “Proselytize everywhere you went.” F u c h s D r. Carl Mazza p a r e n t s, as well C U N Y ’s computer center at 555 We s t When Fuchs and Freeman started had buttons made up: “Byte into BITNET.” as the re-entry 57th Street. Six months after their B I T N E T, they split the costs In 1987 BITNET merged with CSNET of formerly incarcerated people into meeting in St. L o u i s, Fuchs sent between Yale and CUNY. Ya l e (Computer+Science Network), creating a s o c i e t y, with an emphasis on tra n s i t i o n- his first e-mail message to paid for the leased lines from larger network managed by the new ing from prison to college. Freeman over a collabora t i v e New Haven to Manhattan, C o r p o ration for Research and Educational Award for ‘EarPopper’ university network they called probably about $200 a N e t w o r k i n g , or CREN. By then, Fuchs had B I T N E T. m o n t h , Fuchs said. C U N Y left CUNY to become Princeton Univer- rofessor Shlomo Silman of Brooklyn “It was probably, ‘ Wa t s o n , paid about $10,000 for the s i t y ’s computer czar, where he stayed for College and his colleagues are recipi- P come here, I need you!’” two modems, w h i c h 15 years before joining the Mellon ents of a National Institutes of Health said Fuchs with a laugh, weighed about 70 Fo u n d a t i o n . Around the same time, A ward for their EarPo p p e r, which wa s For several years BITNET— echoing the famous words pounds each and Freeman left Yale for Gartner, a technolo- developed for non-surgical/non- of Alexander Graham Bell co-developed by then CUNY were the size of piz- gy-related consulting company based in pharmaceutical treatment of ear disease. as he intoned the world’s za boxes, he said. S t a m f o r d , C o n n . , where he held severa l The so-called Tibbets A ward is first telephone message to Vice Chancellor Ira O r i g i n a l l y, B I T- senior positions until leaving last year. given for medical developments that are his assistant. NET stood for, For several years, BITNET was the technologically innovative and that will F u c hs— was the largest “I think I sent him a bot- “Because It’s T h e r e largest academic network in the world for likely have economic impact. tle of champagne, t o o,” s a i d academic network in the Network”— as in, c o m p u t e r-based communications. It also Silman is co-inventor of the F u c h s, now vice president “Why do people developed the concept of the e-mail list E a r Po p p e r, a non-inva s i v e, n o n - world for computer-based for research in information climb Mt. E v e r e s t ? service (tools such as LISTSERV) by pharmacological way of treating middle technology at the A n d r e w c o m m u n i c a t i o n s. Because it’s there,” which a user could send e-mail to a broad ear flu i d , or Otitis Media with Effusion, W. Mellon Fo u n d a t i o n . Freeman said. B u t g r o u p. But by the mid-1990s, it became which has often been treated with anti- Fuchs’ message, delivered 25 years ago that appellation seemed “a little too fli p,” clear that the Internet was providing va r i- biotics or surgery. this month, highlights the important histori- Fuchs said, so it became, “Because It’s ous capabilities that BITNET offered, a n d L i t e racy A ward at City Te c h cal role CUNY played in establishing a Time Network.” the network slowly faded awa y. ew York City College of Te c h n o l o - worldwide communications network for Whatever its name, once the mecha- S t i l l , Fuchs notes, the network that he Ngy English for Speakers of Other research and educational institutions — as nism for the network was set up, “it started and Freeman launched “because it’s time” Languages (ESOL) instructor Ja y well as helping to lay the to spread epidemiologically,” Freeman said. has secured its place in our language, a s K l o k k e r was one of eight recipients of g r o u n d -work that It was inexpensive and effic i e n t , a “ p o i n t - well as our technological history. “ I t ’s a the Literacy Assistance Center’s 21st eventually created t o - p o i n t ” network where e-mail messages little-known fact,” he said. “BITNET is a Annual Literacy Recognition A ward at a the Internet. and files were transmitted from one server word in the Oxford English Dictionary.” ceremony in Ju n e. “BITNET had to the next until reaching their You can look it up. Klokker was honored for his ability d e s t i n a t i o n . Anyone who had an to conceive of new and varied ways to account on a mainframe could help his students learn by involving send instant messages them in activities that connect with the and fil e s. larger world. As an example of his outside-the-box a p p r o a c h , Klokker several years ago developed a class around the theme of “Equal Rights in South Africa and the United States,” enabling students to learn about apartheid and its impact. Plan to Reduce Fossil Fuels n an article published in the journal IS c i e n c e, Reuel Shinnar, D i s t i n g u i s h e d Professor of Chemical Engineering at City College and Director of the Clean Fuels I n s t i t u t e, and Francesco Citro, a Research Associate with the Institute, present a roadmap for reducing U. S. dependence on fossil fuels by up to 98 percent. The plan, “A Roadmap to U. S. D e c a r b o n i z a t i o n ,” would sharply curtail carbon dioxide and methane emissions and reduce global warming while simul- taneously reducing A m e r i c a ’s depen- dence on imported oil and gas. Former CUNY Vice Chancellor Ira Fuchs, co-creator of BITNET.

8 CUNY MATTERS — September 2006 BOOKTALK Encountering Quixote on His 400th A n n i v e r s a r y Men in the Movies By Gary Sch m i d g a l l n his book, Manly A r t s, not least the Turning to ID avid A . G e r s t n e r, A s s o - t is today the most widely read litera r y mutilation of R u s s i a , the authors c i a t e Professor of Cinema masterpiece in world litera t u r e, and yet his left hand in note that a friend Studies at the College of Ithe 400th anniversary of its first publi- b a t t l e, his fiv e of Nicolai Gogol Staten Island, reveals the crucial role that cation in 2005 passed with little fanfare, years’ slav e r y wrote in her diary early cinema played in consolidating an except in its native land, S p a i n . For many as a Muslim that “Pushkin spent American masculine ideal. in the non-Spanish-speaking world, m e n- prisoner in four hours at Gerstner describes how cinema came tion its title and one immediately begins A l g i e r s, and his G o g o l ’s place and to be considered the art form of the New humming the tune of that Rocinante of d i s g race and g ave him the sub- Wo r l d , and shows how its experimental show-stopping warhorse anthems, “ T h e p u n i s h m e n t , a s ject for a novel qualities mixed with other art forms Impossible Dream.” a minor offi- w h i c h , like D o n (such as European painting, l i t e ra t u r e Filled with celebratory energy apt to a c i a l , for losing Q u i x o t e, will be and photography) to create a bra s h , n e w q u a d r i c e n t e n n i a l , co-authors Fay Rogg, g o v e r n m e n t divided into cantos. American form. professor of Spanish at Borough of money in a The hero will trav e l Manly A r t s : Masculinity and Nation in Manhattan Community College, a n d bank failure. all over the Early American Cinema was published by Manuel Durán, Yale professor emeritus of Part Two of p r o v i n c e s.” T h e Duke University Press. Spanish litera t u r e, h ave produced a book- Fi g h t i n g result was Gogol’s length homage intended to remind one Wi n d m i l l s comic epic, Reading New York City and all of the enormous after- p r e s e n c e, i n offers a Dead Souls. he Place Where We later centuries and in the literatures of oth- r e m a r k a b l e Ties are also TD w e l l spans many er nations, of Miguel de Cerva n t e s tour — and made to the d i s c i p l i n e s, including his- S a av e d ra ’s Don Quixote de la Mancha. critical tour novels of t o r y, l i t e rature and ethnic Fighting Wi n d m i l l s : Encounters with Don de force — Tu r g e n e v s t u d i e s, as it offers fin e Q u i x o t e ( Yale University Press), t h e revealing the and a lec- examples of good writing authors say, attempts to answer the ques- knight of La Statue, in office of Brooklyn ture of his, about New York City. t i o n s, “Why do Don Quixote and Sancho M a n c h a ’s pop- College President Christoph “Hamlet and Don The book, by Ju a n i t a Panza captivate us? How does the work up appeara n c e s M. Kimmich, was Q u i x o t e,” But and Mark Noonan, with an introduc- p e n e t rate and play on the modern mind?” in masterpieces sculpted by w h i c h tion by Brian Keener — all members of Rogg notes that Harold Bloom, t h e of world lit- alumnus Marc argues that the English Department at City Tech — author (among countless other books) of e ra t u r e. Mellon. m a n k i n d also crosses genera t i o n s. The Anxiety of Influ e n c e, played a role in Vo l t a i r e ’s can be For instance, The Place Where We sparking the project to life, and one could C a n d i d e, f o r d i v i d e d D w e l l : Reading and Writing about New well call Fighting Wi n d m i l l s a virtuoso e x a m p l e. The authors concede the obvious among these two types. In War and Pe a c e York City contains “generous portions of d e m o n s t ration of the pleasures of fin d i n g d i f f e r e n c e : C a n d i d e is “simply a short, b r i l- Tolstoy is credited with two Quixotes (the [19th Century industrialist] A n d r e w l i t e rar y influ e n c e. liant masterpiece, a sort of Fabergé egg, erstwhile world-changers Prince A n d r e y C a r n e g i e ’s ode to accumulation,” s a y s Before embarking on their search for whereas Don Quixote is more like a huge and Bezuhkov) and one Dulcinea (Natasha L a u ra Hapke, who teaches at City Te c h Don Quixote’s literary DNA in master- country house, full of corridors, secret pas- R o s t o va ) . and wrote a review of the book in the pieces of the last four centuries, Rogg and s a g e s, spacious halls, and turrets.” But these Turning to the New Wo r l d , Rogg and March 2006 issue of The Journal of Durán (Rogg’s mentor during her gra d u a t e w o r k s, the authors counter, are “ t rav e l Durán mount a comparison of the Don American Culture. studies at Yale) devote four chap- b o o k s ” not only in the geo- with Melville’s whaling captain-errant A h a b. ters in Part One to an g raphical but also the They note that Melville’s copy of Q u i x o t e i s Italian-American Roots overview of Cerva n t e s ’ philosophical sense: filled with pertinent marginalia and cite crit- uried Caesars takes a comprehensive life and personality, “both works announce ic Harry Levin’s view that “No A m e r i c a n Blook at Italian-American writing as it his intellectual milieu, the triumph of a pra g- a u t h o r...can be more fitly compared with explores connections between Italian- the creation of what matic attitude, fin a l l y C e r vantes than Herman Melville.” American language and culture. many consider the free from idealization.” Among “sightings of Cerva n t e s ” in the The author, Robert Vi s c u s i , a Professor fons et origo of all After all, t h e y 20th century are Fitzgera l d ’s The Great of English at Brooklyn later novels, a n d produced the near- G a t s b y:“ Just as Alonso Quijano requires a C o l l e g e, argues that many some of the author’s synonyms quixotic and new name for his new personality, Ja m e s Italian immigrants consid- d e fining stylistic p a n g l o s s i a n . Gatz will morph into Jay Gatsby.” K a f k a ’s ered English to be a dialect h a l l m a r k s. Two Gents of Its rich vein of paro- short story “The Truth About Sancho of Italian, and they Like his contem- dy and Cervantes’ will- Pa n z a ” is cited, as well as Graham Greene’s attempted to create an p o rary Shakespeare Modern Literature ingness to enter his 1982 novel Monsignor Quixote. The many American English refle c- (they both died in iguel de Cervantes and Wi l l i a m own narra t i v e, t h e m e t a - l i t e rary mindgames of Borges, t h e tive of their cultural roots. 1 6 1 6 ) , C e r vantes left MShakespeare are the “fonts and authors suggest, t i e Argentine librarian and fabulist, are thor- Buried Caesars and Other Secrets of hardly a clue about the origins” of Spanish and English lit- Don Quixote to the oughly Cerva n t e s i a n . Check out his story, Italian American W r i t i n g was published his “inner life.” T h e r e e ra t u r e, the foundations upon which novels of Henry “Pierre Menard, Author of Don Quixote.” by the State University of New Yo r k . is “no correspon- countless future authors constructed Fielding (both Jo s e p h Even Woody Allen makes a cameo d e n c e, no personal their own great works. A n d r e w s and To m a p p e a rance in Fighting Wi n d m i l l s, thanks to Revolutionary Mothers d i a r y, and only a few Thinkers have posited that the for- Jo n e s) and Laurence his 1985 film The Purple Rose of Cairo. n Revolutionary Mothers, Carol Berkin, references to himself m e r ’s Quixote and the latter’s Hamlet S t e r n e ’s garrulous nar- A l l e n ’s Mia Farrow character escapes the IProfessor of History at Baruch and T h e in the prologues to are polar opposites of human rative slapstick in dreariness of the Depression in a movie G raduate Center, shows how women his works.” Also like existence — the optimistic sally-forth Tristram Shandy. h o u s e, just as the Don avoids the dreariness played a vital role throughout the S h a k e s p e a r e, t h i s spirit and the pessimistic self-doubter S t e r n e ’s inimitably of La Mancha in his libra r y, and both char- American Revolution. very well-read author overwhelmed by dark musings. eccentric Uncle To b y acters are eventually thrust by their creators The women organized never darkened a It is notable, even poignant, t h a t (oddly referred to here into an exciting imagined parallel universe. boycotts of British goods, u n i v e r s i t y ’s door. C e r vantes and Shakespeare were born as Tobias) and his ser- By the wa y, Man of La Mancha, w h i c h raised funds, and managed C e r vantes’ “ o u t e r ” in the same year and died in the same vant Trim are plausibly was based not on the novel but on a prior family businesses. T h e y life is summarized by year — within days of each other, i n likened to the Don and television play, gets short shrift: “too many also fired weapons. B e r k i n the authors as fact — though they never met. S a n c h o. L i k e w i s e, i n l i b e r t i e s.” tells about Margaret “ i n t e n s e, a d v e n t u r - the next century, i n My favorite far- flung pop culture tie-in C o r b i n , who was crippled o u s, and va r i e d .” Dickens’ Po s t h u m o u s to Don Quixote is when Rogg and Durán for life when she took her N o t a b l y, it involved much traveling around Papers of the Pickwick Club, “ M r. P i c k w i c k , observe of the Don: “No matter how much h u s b a n d ’s place beside a E u r o p e, though his request to head for the a new Don Quixote, found his Sancho, h i s he suffers and falls down, he always picks cannon at Fort Monmouth. New World was turned down. Among his s e r vant Sam We l l e r.” himself up and continues his quest.” T h e y Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the high points were participation in the Holy C e r vantes’ strong vein of realism and then point to that cartoon character famed S t r u ggle for A m e r i c a ’s Independence, p u b- L e a g u e ’s defeat of the Turks at Lepanto in disenchantment with the politics and soci- for his impossible avicidal dream: “ t o d a y ’s lished by Alfred A . Knopf in paperback 1571 and the instant popularity of Part One ety of his day are the ties that bind young readers may be reminded of another earlier this year, illuminates a fascinating of Don Quixote. It was a long time coming, Quixote to Stendhal’s The Red and the c o u rageous chara c t e r, also familiar with and unknown side of the struggle for t h o u g h : he was 58 at the time. As with his B l a c k.Then Flaubert’s Madame Bovary i s adversity and misadventure, Wile E. American independence. h e r o, disappointments were mostly his lot, convincingly cast as a female Quixote. C o y o t e.”

CUNY MATTERS — September 2006 9 Up From the Streets: The Life and Times of A Beloved Professor P r o f. Peter J. R o n d i n o n e (who has just graduated from high school). By Neill S. R o s e n f e l d of LaGuardia Rondinone published short stories, w r o t e Community College: n o n fiction steadily for Omni magazine and eter J. R o n d i n o n e, a “These people are part of worked on a novel. “He was very driven,” teenager forged by the my family. . .” Jason remembered. Pp r o j e c t s, toughened by a Some of his work got noticed, n o t a b l y street gang, hardened by an the script that he and Wisotsky wrote for abusive father, was on the fast maker Jeffrey Wi s o t s k y, “ Yo Yo Land,” a tale about love, the mob, t rack to self-destruction circa who is now an associate rooftop golf and a gay golf course in the 1 9 7 0 . professor at Bronx B r o n x . It was a finalist in both the 1996 “The fact is, I didn’t learn Community College and Sundance Institute’s Screenwriters Lab and much in high school,” h e coordinates its media the 1997 Herbert Beigel Screenwriting w r o t e. “I spent my time on the technology progra m . A ward competition. front steps of the building Plunging into a writ- “ You should have seen him network,” smoking grass with the dudes ing partnership that Wisotsky said. “Every year we’d go to the from the dean’s squad. Fo r would last 26 years, Independent Feature Film Market at the kicks we’d grab a freshman, they expanded the op- Angelika [theater in SoHo]. We ’d have a tell him we were undercover ed article into a work in progress, a feature film or a screen- c o p s, handcuff him to a banis- $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 , 2 0 - m i n u t e p l a y. That was a tough week. You realized ter and take his money. T h e n fil m , “The Subwa y you had good stuff, but didn’t know the right w e ’d go to the back of the Fa n t a s y.” Two biting p e o p l e. I miss that. After Peter passed away in b u i l d i n g , cop some ‘ d o w n s,’ scenes from 2 0 0 2 , I never went back; i t ’s too hard.” and nod away the day behind R o n d i n o n e ’s life stand Rondinone earned a master’s in creative the steps in the lobby.” o u t : The father dispar- writing from City College in 1987 and a In this drug-induced haze, ages the protagonist’s P h . D. from New York University in 2002. Rondinone might have pre- quest for education He taught for two years at Bronx dicted that his life would hav e while insisting that he Community College and, in 1986, j o i n e d e n d e d , as it later did, in alco- take out the garbage. the English Department at LaGuardia, a t h o l , despair and suicide. H e And a film producer (in both schools teaching the basic writing could not see a second path- the op-ed and reality, a skills he’d learned at City College. wa y, one that would lead him TV reporter) calls the At LaGuardia, Rondinone focused on to become an author of fic- open admission students j o u r n a l i s m , mentoring students and, a g a i n t i o n , a writer of screenplays, at the campus W r i t i n g taking a chapter from his City College with advance degrees from Center “ a n i m a l s.” e x p e r i e n c e, working with the student City College and New Yo r k In succeeding years n e w s p a p e r, The Bridge. U n i v e r s i t y, a beloved professor Rondinone and Wi s o t s k y “ Pe t e r ’s students absolutely loved him, of English at LaGuardia produced two other and his colleagues had great respect for Community College, and a fil m s, “Housing Project, him as a teacher and as faculty adviser to mentor to a new generation of U S A” and “A Block in the newspaper,” said Dr. S a n d ra Sellers rough-and-tumble students the Bronx.” In these and H a n s e n , L a G u a r d i a ’s English Department like him in need of structure, in other scripts the c h a i r. “His students really, really connected self-discipline and basic aca- young writers drew on with him.” demic skills. their Bronx experiences. One was an immigrant from Guyana. To survive his youth, After graduating in “ Peter was central in my way of looking at Rondinone had recast himself 1 9 7 7 , Rondinone wa s the world and figuring out who I wa s,” s a i d into a thug. Gone was the sen- guest editing an issue of Bryan Vi ra s a m i , who took Rondinone’s sitive first violinist in his junior high school So despite his 65 av e rage and general — City Magazine when he met Kathrine Journalism 101 class, discovered a career o r c h e s t ra , the chess champion and the not academic — diploma from DeWi t t Ja s o n , then a Spanish translator and now a and now reports for Newsday. Their friend- v o racious reader. At times on welfare, h i s Clinton High School, Rondinone chose professor at Nassau Community College. ship continued after Vi rasami gra d u a t e d was one of last white families remaining as City College and enrolled in 1972, t a k i n g They adjuncted at Hunter College, e v e n t u- from LaGuardia, went on to Hunter the South Bronx imploded in violence, fir e remedial classes in writing and math, a s ally married and had a daughter, M i c o l e College and later earned a master’s at and decay. For years, his father, a n well as college study skills. alcoholic Italian immigra n t , was too sick to “I couldn’t write a coherent sentence or w o r k . His mother, a Russian Jew who had construct a para g ra p h ,” he later recalled. S o A Memorial A ward that Bridges Two survived a Nazi work camp during Wo r l d his Basic Writing I instructor, R e g i n a War II, barely spoke English. S a c k m a r y, made an offer: “ I ’d write an orn and schooled in Tr i n i d a d , R o b b y “ Peter inspired students to pursue their One night, smashed on pills and beer, essay a day in addition to my regular class- Soman spent several years in televi- c a r e e r s. This award honors his legacy,” h e he passed out in a gutter and was carried w o r k . A l s o, I ’d do a few term papers. S h e Bsion production in the Virgin Islands, s a y s. home by friends. His brother, f u r i o u s, had this idea that learning to write wa s enjoying the dynamic, e v e r- c h a n g i n g In a wa y, the award also pays tribute to shoved him down a flight of stairs. “ M y like learning to play a musical instrument rhythm of work. Yet he realized that he the University’s historic mission of access skull hit the edge of a marble step. . . T h e r e — it takes pra c t i c e, everyday pra c t i c e.” could advance his career with a college and two of the generations of students I wa s : a high school gra d u a t e, a failure, P ractice he did, including writing for degree — and New York City, hub of the who benefit e d . Rondinone wrote exten- curled in a ball in a pool of blood…. I The Campus newspaper and, l a t e r, T h e media world, was the place to earn one. sively of how his remedial coursework knew I had to do something… Pills and Observation Po s t, both student-run news- A CUNY brochure led him to the helped him climb from the tough street violence didn’t promise much of a future. p a p e r s. When he finished his first newspa- media technology program at Bronx environment of his youth and obtain his I went back to a high school counselor for per story, the editor-in-chief said, “ ‘ T h i s Community College. In 2004 he enrolled degree at City College. a d v i c e. He suggested I go to college.” isn’t even English.’ Yet they turned it over in Professor Jeffrey Wi s o t s k y ’s Beginning S i m i l a r l y, Soman arrived to the It was an era of turmoil and social fer- to a rewrite man and the story appeared Film and Video Production class, w h i c h University Heights campus in the Bronx in m e n t , fueled by Vi e t n a m , civil rights and with my byline. Seeing my name in print introduces students to the technical side of need of basic academic skills. “After being black power, roiled by the murder of was like seeing it in lights.” p r o d u c t i o n , from camera work to lighting out of school for four or five years, I wa s Martin Luther King Jr. , i n flamed by the In November 1976, when the University to sound. With classmates as his crew, h e r u s t y,” Soman says. “After taking the place- c i t y ’s racial convulsion over K-12 education raised the minimum standard of a high directed a five-minute film that was shot in ment exam I was very surprised, but I’m in 1968. In 1969, 200 students had taken school av e rage of 80 for admission to the M a r c h , edited in April and finished in May. g rateful that I took remedials in math and over City College, demanding that more senior colleges, Rondinone vividly sketched At BCC’s annual Film and Vi d e o E n g l i s h , because it sharpened my skills and black and Hispanic students be admitted to his life story in a New York Times op-ed Fe s t i val that year, it won a Peter J. helped me build my foundation” and tra n s- what then was a mostly white school. a r t i c l e : “I am one of those few individuals Rondinone Memorial A wa r d , w h i c h fer to Brooklyn College to pursue his bac- Moved by this tide, the University opened who was given a chance during a unique Wisotsky created after the death of his calaureate degree. the senior colleges to virtually all city high period in the history of American educa- classmate and screenwriting partner, a City To d a y, tens of thousands of students school gra d u a t e s, expanding the unrestricted tion to get a college education, and I did.” College alumnus and LaGuardia who otherwise might not have had a shot admissions policy that had long been the Soon after the op-ed appeared, Community College professor who previ- at college degrees are earning them at province of five community colleges. Rondinone met classmate and aspiring fil m- ously had taught at BCC. C U N Y ’s six community colleges, and at

10 CUNY MATTERS — September 2006 Who Never Left the Neighborhood Crossing the Border

Columbia Journalism School. the core command to gobble up the bank’s former social group… I do retain some with Mexico, T h e n Rondinone had a way with students glitch systems, the distress calls. Then I’m values from my old community/family Climbing the from the inner-city streets he knew so r i c h , you turkeys.” that make me sometimes feel equally an w e l l . “ Peter was very good at seducing very Newspaper interviews followed publica- outsider to my new social group…” Ladder of tough kids and talking their language,” t i o n . The national rap magazine T h e Jason said: “Of course… I knew that his Jason said. “He could get them to believe Source said the book “exposes the heart of past selves lived uncomfortably in the pre- S u c c e s s in their own experi- the South Bronx neon sent… But Peter… was also a consummate e n c e, in their own wilderness without d i s s e m b l e r. To give voice to these confli c t s v o i c e s, and he could f e a r.” Barnes & Noble would have been to disclose his own speak their picked The Digital uncertainty about a divided self.” Where he l a n g u a g e.” Hood for its “ D i s c o v e r grew up, “If you’re uncertain, y o u ’re a tar- Rondinone also Great New W r i t e r s ” g e t , a pussy and a dupe.” learned from his s e r i e s, putting it in After The Digital Hood was accepted s t u d e n t s. “ H e ’d ask storefronts across the for publication, Rondinone began drinking. them what the c o u n t r y. Rondinone and His marriage deteriora t e d . Yet Jason stood street talk was and Wisotsky pitched its by him as, in the summer of 2002, t h e y e n c o u rage that talk stories for film adapta- began an infuriating and ultimately futile in his classroom. t i o n . search for help. A detox program rejected Starting with associate’s degree, Pe d r o From his students And then something him because he had quit drinking a week Rojas climbed to the heights of success. h e ’d get a connec- went wrong. In remarks b e f o r e. He couldn’t get into a hospital tion to that world read at Rondonine’s because of limited insura n c e. At an outpa- edro Rojas still remembers 1993 like it he knew,” she said. memorial service at tient progra m , he encountered street kids Pwas yes t e r d a y. T h a t ’s when he arrived He channeled LaGuardia in 2003, and crack addicts, along with professionals. in the United States from his native their 1990s street Jason said it could hav e M e t a p h o r i c a l l y, she said, “ H e ’d gone back E c u a d o r, hungry for educational oppor- l i n g o, gangsta ra p been “what Te n n e s s e e to the Bronx.” tunity and the chance of a better life. and a hip-hop beat Williams once called In October he tried to hang himself Like thousands of other Latino immi- into his history and ‘The catastrophe of with his bathrobe belt. “It was almost with g ra n t s, he had crossed the border i m a g i n a t i o n , p r o- s u c c e s s.’ Maybe the a sense of relief that I called 911 and between Mexico and the United States. ducing an edgy vol- success wasn’t as gra n d reported a suicide attempt,” Jason said at Today Rojas is a story of glowing ume of short stories as he’d imagined it; o r the memorial. Finally he could get into a a c h i e v e m e n t , living proof that higher Daughter Micole and widow Kathrine called The Digital it came too late, w i t h h o s p i t a l , but his insurance ran out after education is the sure route to personal Jason with Rondinone portrait. H o o d his father, his judge, just 13 days. “Never mind that only days and professional success. ( P i c a d o r, 1 9 9 8 ) . I n now gone; maybe it before Peter had told our friend Rebecca Rojas today holds associate’s and bleak scenes, his mostly black and Latino didn’t begin to assuage his ambitions or that if he decided to hang himself again, b a c h e l o r ’s degrees from City Tech and a protagonists speak in code, the language i n j u r i e s ; or maybe he didn’t feel deserving.” he would succeed. Never mind that he m a s t e r ’s degree in electrical engineering v i g o r o u s, slangy and misogynistic, the tone Maybe Rondinone couldn’t escape his wanted more interaction with the staff, from City College. often bitterly humorous. p a s t . Even taking the subway to and from more thera p y.” And this past June he started working In the title story set during the cra c k L a G u a r d i a , his hand was always near an X- H o m e, Rondinone refused to take an with Science Systems and A p p l i c a t i o n s, epidemic — a rant that echoes his own acto knife tucked between student papers antipsychotic medicine because it made I n c. ( S S A I ) , a firm under contract to the childhood — a black South Bronx com- in his briefcase. him feel gra n d i o s e, as he had when he wa s National Aeronautics and Space puter geek urges the Glock-fir i n g , d r u g - In his doctoral dissertation, a memoir d r i n k i n g. He attended only one out-patient A d m i n i s t ra t i o n ’s (NASA’s) Goddard dealing gangbangers who knock off his which he was submitting to publishers v i s i t . Two weeks after his release, h e Space Flight Center Greenbelt, glasses to become cybergangstas like him: when he died, Rondinone wrote: “I would hanged himself. M a r y l a n d . “All I need is one headlong rollercoaster loathe socializing with those who hav e n ’ t Kathrine Jason ended her memorial “A lot of people helped me along the ride on a program that makes me a money become as educated as I hav e, or those remarks by quoting from his last story: wa y,” he said, r e fl ecting on his life over the laundry — one cyber-cleaning megabuck from my old community who reflect the “This is going to sound mad cra z y. But I past 13 years, “from my parents who trust- on-line cash transfer to my own convolut- values and ways that I’ve worked so hard had to arrest myself. Let me say that one ed me and my employers who gave me ed electronic credit slot in a Zurich bank, to reject. But… [t]hese people are part of more time just in case you missed it: I flexible work schedules so I could go to the Cyrillic alphanumerics reeling down my family… And I don’t want to suggest… HAD TO ARREST MYS E L F.” c o l l e g e, to my professors at City Tech and my monitor, the zeros multiplying until that even after my ‘ t ransformation’ (so to City College, who always went the extra my final squirt transmission cuts behind speak) that I reject everything from my mile to help me excel in my studies.” After crossing the border in 1993 and arriving in New York City, Rojas found a G e n e ra t i o n s s a y s. “It took me job as a busboy. He mastered the English a week to get the language within a year, but it became four comprehensive colleges that offer building [for the increasingly clear to him that higher associate degree progra m s. Admission is shoot] and peo- education would be the way to success. open to any student who holds a high ple to work with. The year 2001 brought him his fir s t school or GED diploma. Before I wa n t e d college degree — an associate’s in Now 29, Soman expects to gra d u a t e to be a camera p- telecommunications technology from from Brooklyn College next spring with a erson or do light- City Te c h . He went on to earn a bache- degree in radio and television. He intends i n g , but now I’d l o r ’s degree summa cum laude in the to continue his education, like Rondinone like to become a same field from the college in 2004, a n d going on for a master’s degree with the director of music he completed his master’s in electrical long-term goal of teaching. v i d e o s.” engineering with a concentration in pho- The Rondinone A wa r d , kept vibra n t Her parents, tonics at City College this past spring. with the support of Communication A r t s i m m i g rants from The next step in Rojas’ plan is to and Sciences Department Chair Debra G u a t e m a l a , continue studies towards a PhD degree, G o n s h e r, herself an award-winning televi- attended the fes- but that effort is being delayed briefly as sion producer, is the centerpiece of BCC’s t i va l . “I wa n t e d he begins his new job in Maryland. Film and Video Fe s t i va l . Wi s o t s k y, w h o their opinion Rojas squeezed enough from his launched the festival 13 years ago, h a s most of all,” s h e earnings over the years to help all seven worked to make it an inspiring event. H e s a y s. “ T h e y of his siblings back in Ecuador complete has brought in sponsors like Eastman understood what their high school education, and help Ko d a k , Avid Technology and Clearview I was trying to Robby Soman put one sister through college. He is C i n e m a s, which hosted the festival last s a y, and they now a naturalized U. S. c i t i z e n . June in one of its theaters near Lincoln really liked it.” It goes without saying that his family C e n t e r. Like Rondinone, Arreaga , 2 0 , hopes to a young couple and overprotective parents is very proud of him and of what he has The latest first-place winner wa s attend City College after securing her asso- who try to separate them. “If I do become a a c c o m p l i s h e d , “although what I am Jennifer A r r e a g a . “I learned how much you c i a t e ’s degree. M e a n w h i l e, s h e ’s sketching Hollywood director, I ’d like to make it a doing in my research and related work is h ave to work through to be a director,’ she out a Romeo and Juliet kind of story about real fil m .” very difficult for them to understand.”

CUNY MATTERS — September 2006 11 CUNY Month at the C a m p u s e s : A Time to Vi s i t , a Time to Enjoy

ovember is CUNY M o n t h , the time when Nthe colleges open their doors to students, alumni and the general public, putting on display an exciting variety of events and ideas. Among the offerings: “Romeo and Ju l i e t ” can be seen at Queensborough Community College for the pittance price of a dollar. The life and work of Enrico Caruso will be explored at LaGuardia Community College. A l s o, conferences of great intellectual value are being h e l d . For instance, H o s t o s Community College and Medgar Evers College, i n conjunction with other CUNY campuses, are spon- soring a conference span- ning several days on “ T h e African Presence and I n fluence on the Cultures of the A m e r i c a s.” E n j o y ! ( For more details, s e e calendar or visit w w w. c u n y. e d u .)

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTA G E Office of University Relations P A I D The City University of New York UTICA, NY 535 East 80th St. Permit No. 79 New York, NY 10021