Winter 2005
CAMPUS NOTES
Geneseo
in the News
SUNY Geneseo faculty, staff and students fielded dozens of inquiries from
local, regional and national media since the start of a new fiscal year.
In addition, news items were published in newspapers across the state
as a result of news release distribution.
Here are the highlights: George Gotcsik of the Small Business Development
Center (SBDC) was credited for assisting safety consulting company C.Y.
Concepts Inc. in an article in the Daily Record. In addition, the
company’s owner credited the College’s students for designing
the company’s brochures. Admissions counselor Erica Mayou was
quoted in the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin in an article
about teens shopping for the perfect college. Liz Argentieri and
Ed Rivenburgh (Milne Library) were quoted in The Buffalo News
in an article about their search for the statue of Minerva, which used
to stand in the College’s Old Main building (before it was demolished
in the 1950s). In addition, Argentieri was quoted in the Democrat and
Chronicle in another article on the same topic. President Christopher
C. Dahl was interviewed by WOKR-TV 13 about Chancellor Robert L. King’s
proposed SUNY budget, and what it might mean for the College and for SUNY
tuition. Ed Drachman (political science and international relations)
talked to WHAM 1180 AM about the resignation of Colin Powell as U.S. Secretary
of State. Jeff Koch (political science) talked to numerous reporters
about national and regional elections. He was quoted in an Associated
Press article that got picked up in newspapers across the state about
the Barend-Kuhl Congressional race. He was on air twice on election night
on WOKR-TV 13 and did stories previous to the election with the station
and the Democrat and Chronicle, talking about everything from negative
campaign ads to the debate over the electorate and popular votes. The
day after the elections, WOKR-TV 13 and WHEC-TV 10 both came to campus
to talk to Koch and Geneseo students. In addition, Geneseo students garnered
a slew of coverage for their efforts at registering other students to
vote. Overall, 1,300 students were registered to vote in the town of Geneseo,
and about 1,000 voted. The students received coverage from WOKR-TV 13,
WHEC-TV 10, FOX Rochester, R News, WXXI, The Buffalo News, the
Democrat and Chronicle, and several local radio stations and print
outlets. The Democrat and Chronicle, WHEC-TV 10 and R News came
to campus to talk with members of the College men’s soccer team
and Mike Mooney (athletics) before the team headed to North Carolina
for the NCAA Division III Final Four. WOKR-TV 13 filmed student athletes
who spent a Sunday afternoon raking leaves for area residents, especially
senior citizens.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s visit to SUNY Geneseo to announce
the new Finger Lakes Trading Cooperative attracted significant media coverage.
In addition to all five Rochester TV stations sending crews to campus,
articles appeared in the Democrat and Chronicle, Buffalo Business
First, Livingston County News and the The Lake & Valley
Clarion, and WHAM interviewed Jones School of Business Dean Mary
Ellen Zuckerman. Bill Cook (history) appeared on the front
page of The Daily Triplicate, the newspaper for Del Norte County,
Calif., in August. Cook was there to teach U.S. teachers how to study
primary sources and incorporate local history into curricula in social
studies. Tom Matthews was quoted in a front-page article in the
Democrat and Chronicle about college students voting in the presidential
election year. Jerry Wrubel was quoted in the Democrat and Chronicle
in an article about the status of post-college careers for recent
graduates. Rose-Marie Chierici (anthropology) wrote a Speaking
Out piece in the Democrat and Chronicle titled: "Floodwaters
run in Haiti’s furrows of poverty, neglect." Anne Eisenberg
(sociology) was quoted in the Democrat and Chronicle’s Our Towns
section in an article about people who have eclectic collections. George
Gotcsik (Small Business Development Center) was quoted in a front-page
article in the Democrat and Chronicle about the revitalization
of the South Wedge neighborhood in Rochester. Gotcsik works closely with
the South Wedge as part of his role as director of the SBDC. Jim Williams
(history) was on WHAM to comment on the refusal of 18 soldiers from
an Army Reserve unit from South Carolina to obey orders to transport fuel
and food in unarmored vehicles. Michael Oberg (history) was quoted
in the Democrat and Chronicle in an article about a taxation case
involving the Oneida Indian land rights and the town of Sherrill, which
will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. Director of Multicultural
Affairs Kelly Clark and Mark Denaci (art) were guests on
Rebecca Leclair’s noontime program on WHEC-TV 10 and promoted the
College’s Cultural Harmony Week. Denaci was quoted in the Batavia
Daily News, and City Newspaper picked the weeklong program
as its "City’s Choice" selection. The Livingston County
News ran articles about the visit to campus by this year’s Wadsworth
Lecture speaker, Newsweek Managing Editor Jon Meacham, and "The
White" author Deborah Larsen.
The opening of SUNY Geneseo’s newest residence hall — Putnam
Hall — attracted media coverage during the College’s opening
weekend. WOKR-TV 13 interviewed Vice President for Student and Campus
Life Robert A. Bonfiglio and Putnam residents Charleen Wright
of Honeoye, N.Y., and Kristopher Heeres of Abbotsford, British
Columbia, Canada. President Christopher C. Dahl was interviewed
by WROC-TV 8 at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. In addition, R News noted
the new building, and the Democrat and Chronicle and Livingston
County News ran articles. The Rochester Business Journal
noted the College won a citation for new construction at the Design
& Build Rochester Awards for Putnam Hall. Dahl was quoted in The
Buffalo News about Geneseo’s Princeton Review ranking
as third-best bargain among public college in the country. The Democrat
and Chronicle also highlighted the College’s rankings. WOKR-TV
13 mentioned the College in a piece about colleges and universities in
the region seeing an increase in students from the region. The Buffalo
News also headlined SUNY Geneseo’s ranking as 12th among all masters-level
colleges in the North region in the U.S. News & World Report rankings
of the nation’s best colleges. Democrat and Chronicle and
Livingston County News also ran items on the rankings. The College
was mentioned in Democrat and Chronicle articles about the first day of
college for area schools, area MBA programs and entrepreneurship. Distinguished
Professor David Meisel (physics and astronomy) was interviewed
by a German radio station in advance of a conference on meteoroids that
was held in August at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario,
Canada. Associate Dean of Students Celia Easton was quoted in a
Democrat and Chronicle article about homework that area college
freshmen must complete before arriving for school. In addition, WOKR-TV
13 broadcast an item about the College’s new mandatory reading program
in which all first-year students were required to read "The White,"
about Mary Jemison. Associate Dean Stephen Burwood was interviewed
by the Livingston County News for an article about Geneseo’s
international study program. Vice President for Administration Kenneth
Levinson and Assistant Vice President for Human Resources Edna
Chun were quoted in an article in The Lake & Valley Clarion
about the College’s new online hiring system. Greg Hartvigsen
(biology) was quoted in an article in The Lake & Valley Clarion
about the ecology club’s donation to the Genesee Valley Conservancy.
Junior Daniel Welchons made the Clinton Courier for
earning a prestigious 2004 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for potential
in the field of biology. Richard Hathaway (geology and village
mayor) was quoted in the Democrat and Chronicle for the "Geneseo
101" tours he has provided for parents of incoming students. Erica
Mayou (admissions) was quoted in an article about the village of Geneseo
and the College in the Rochester Business Journal. Chris Pruszynski
(communication) was quoted in the August 2004 issue of Government
Video magazine in an article about how communication and mass media
departments address the legal issues of music playback in copyright and
ethics courses. Jeff Koch (political science) was interviewed by
WOKR-TV 13 for a story about the evolution of political ads. Myrtle
A. Merritt (emeritus, health, physical education and recreation) made
the front page of the Livingston County News, as well as The
Lake & Valley Clarion, following the ceremony in which the Alumni
Fieldhouse was renamed the Dr. Myrtle A. Merritt Athletic Center. Junior
Mark Ranieri, president of the Student Association, wrote
a Speaking Out page essay for the Democrat and Chronicle. First-year
student and volleyball player Kate Barth was highlighted in a Democrat
and Chronicle article about what college students pack and bring with
them to school. Sid Bosch (biology) was quoted in a Democrat
and Chronicle article about how proliferating weeds and algae are
being found in Conesus Lake. News obituaries about Carl Witzel
(emeritus, health, physical education and recreation) ran in the Democrat
and Chronicle, Brighton-Pittsford Post and Livingston County
News and Alan H. Lutkus (English) in the Livingston County
News.