www.cuny.edu • N EWS OF THE C ITY U NIVERSITY OF N EW Y ORK • May 2002 ATAGLANCE Future CUNY Facility on Governors Island CUNY Media Conference Jointly Announced by Governor and Mayor Addresses “Attack Mentality” he local Canarsee Indians called it as a recruiting 1at The Graduate Center Pagganck. In 1637, when the Dutch depot and prison T governor general Wouter van Twiller for Confederate New York Times bought it for two axe heads, a string of captives. assistant manag- beads, and some iron nails, the name was ing editor Michael changed to Nooten Eylandt. The British Looking to the Oreskes was the later called it Nutten Island, eventually future, keynote speaker reserving it for the “benefit and accommo- Bloomberg at a student dation of His Majesty’s governors.” emphasized how media confer- Consistent with an announcement on the new campus ence attended by April 1 by Governor George E. Pataki and will “give us the more than 500. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, historic ability to move See page 9. Governors Island may also become known programs here, to as CUNY Island. The Governor and the free up space on New Chair in Social Justice Mayor informed happy New Yorkers—and City University Receives First Occupant even more enthusiastic New York City campuses in all at Medgar Evers College students and educators—that President five boroughs.” 2 George W. Bush had embraced their pro- Noting that Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, left, with Mayor Bloomberg, Longtime Medgar Evers College posal to turn the 172-acre former military CUNY already Governor Pataki and several CUNY students at the Governors professor and international base into a major campus within the City has 12 campuses Island news conference on April 2. human rights University consortium. with public high advocate, “This is a very big idea,” Chancellor schools on them, the Mayor also system now.” Andrée- Matthew Goldstein said later at a expressed his hope that a CUNY- The Chancellor expressed hope that Nicola Governors Island press conference with the Governors Island would nurture even Governors Island might see students as McLaughlin, Governor and the Mayor on April 2. “We more extensive CUNY-Board of early as this summer. “We have a big has been will need a thoughtful, comprehensive aca- Education collaboration. “This is do-able, summer school, and if we can get some of named to the demic plan to help realize its potential.” this is something affordable, this is some- these facilities ready, I would much Betty Shabazz According to the State and City exec- thing that absolutely needs to be done. It rather our students come to an idyllic set- Distinguished utives, the Island—which is a half-mile addresses the number one problem we ting like this.” Chair in from Lower Manhattan and a mere three- have in this city, which is that not all of Pataki also expressed his pleasure Social Justice. See page 5. minute ferry ride from Brooklyn across our kids are getting the good education that “the buildings have been so well Buttermilk Channel—will be turned over everybody wants.” maintained, and they are already facili- 50 City University Students to the City and State for a nominal sum. Pataki agreed: “By moving some ties totally appropriate for a campus.” Serving as Interns in Offices CUNY operations here, we will be able These include a mess hall that could of City Council Members New York City Board of Education and to free up space on CUNY campuses become, Pataki said, “a spectacular dining 3 CUNY leaders expressed their delight at across the city, so that we can have those hall,” a “magnificent gymnasium,” and CCNY B.A. the opportunities afforded by the vast new high schools, new middle schools, military quarters that can be converted in political array of capital facilities on Governors new elementary schools.” He indicated to dorm space “at minimal cost.” The science Marie Island. Many of these officials, several that “all education benefits” from the Governor said he also expected the Adam-Ovide CUNY college presidents, and a contin- transfer of Governors Island. State’s $1 billion budget for upgrading has graduat- gent of CUNY students were present at Chancellor Goldstein made clear at CUNY capital facilities would figure in ed from a the press conference, at which the the conference that planning was already the transformation. Rogowsky Governor and Mayor offered a glimpse under way. “We have already started the Internship to of a fantasy island for teachers, and espe- process of thinking of appropriate educa- Appreciation was enthusiastically a full-time cially the teachers of future teachers. tors and staff to work with the Governor expressed. Thanking President Bush, position in Calling it “a great day for college kids, and the Mayor to develop an academic the Governor promised, “we’re going to the office of City Councilman David high school kids, the future of our city,” plan…This is on a very fast track for us, make sure we take this opportunity and I. Weprin. For her story and others Pataki told his audience that Governors because I want our students and our fac- do it right.” Applauding “the vision of on CUNY interns in the city, Albany, Island has “the potential to be one of the ulty to get here as quickly as possible.” the education president and the educa- and Washington, see page 3. great campuses anywhere in America. It Calling the Island a “bucolic place to tion governor,” Bloomberg also singled is an absolutely magnificent facility that study,” Goldstein observed, “We don’t out former New York Senator Patrick Faculty, Student Researchers has classroom buildings already intact.” have anything like this in the CUNY Moynihan for his early efforts to trans- from College of Staten Island The former military build- fer the Island to public use. on Antarctic Expedition ings, he added, “have the At the press conference, Pataki told of 4 potential to house being shown around the island by the Ship-to-shore transit for a College of thousands of students and Mayor on a stealth visit the week before: Staten Island researcher at Palmer hundreds of teachers. “Mike asked me, ‘When you see this, what Station in Antarctica. For more on Mayor Bloomberg and I are do you think of?’ We couldn’t help but this expedition, see pages 6-7. committed to making this agree that this was going to be one of the one of the flagship entities great college campuses in the country.” of the City University.” Governors Island could become that Agreeing with that opti- rarity, a campus of the “Subway University” mism, Bloomberg ventured, without a local stop. Still, there is a major “I don’t know of any Ivy subway connection with the island: begin- League school that has a ning in 1901, it was enlarged with earth nicer campus”—a boast excavated during construction of the 4th underscored by the Island’s Avenue (now Lexington Avenue) subway rich history as a line; half the island’s acres are subway and Revolution-ary War battle- Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel landfill. field, its storied Fort Jay Setting forth for a new academic world: a contingent of For more information on Governors and Castle Williams, and its Queens College students on the ferry across Buttermilk Island and plans for its future, log on to service during the Civil War Channel to Governors Island. the CUNY web site: www.cuny.edu. Turning “D”s into Degrees: A CUNY Student Tells How ajen Persaud is the first to admit going down South babe!” The sub-head for a chapter he was not a very good student in to a family reunion. on Time Management reads, “Time Rhigh school. “Intellectual embar- Everybody was flies when you are wasting it.” On rassment—that’s like one of the worst ready to help. the very last page, to inspire even things that can happen to you in life. You Baruch really does the most laggard of potential college are sitting in class and the teacher asks a provide a homey students, Persaud’s high school tran- question, then points to you. And you environment. Even script is arrayed in full gory detail. don’t know the answer!” if you are from out The humor is no accident. Since gradu- Persaud’s cluelessness in his Bryant of town you can ating in 1992 with a B.A. in Political High School classes in Long Island City connect with some- Science, Persaud has earned some of his made him a model “D” student. “I failed one at CUNY.” keep in stand-up comedy (it also paid a ton of classes. .that’s why I didn’t off some of his Baruch tuition). Though want to go on to college. I just didn’t Persaud’s experi- now involved in the writing, producing, want to fail again.” ence inspired him and directing of films, he is still planning He then reminisces about interest- so much that he to hit the books again—law books. ing walks he took with his cousin Eric decided to write a Author Rajen Persaud’s stylish, desktop-published through some of the city’s most blighted book that would Persaud in book makes clear his entrepreneurial neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens, and help other students mid-routine at knack (it has its own website: the Bronx. “This is what happens when make the most of Caroline's, the www.makingitthroughcollege.com). you don’t have an education,” he told their college experi- New York com- On the back cover Persaud defines the Persaud.