101 Things To Do Before You Graduate Living In History ... - Alumni

freezes, an early retirement incentive
program, streamlined programming,
and a reworking of the employee
health insurance plan, he said.
Kasparov scolds Putin
government in campus talk
At a campus address in April, former
world chess champion Garry Kasparov,
who turned to politics after retiring
from chess in 2005, lambasted
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Kasparov then spelled out his own
opposition coalition’s efforts to create
a “true democracy” in Russia. His visit
was supported by the The Kerschner
Family Series Global Leaders at Colgate
program and the Institute for Philosophy,
Politics, and Economics (PPE).
“The number one export of Russia
is corruption,” said Kasparov. He
added that a nation such as Russia can
call itself a democracy, but turns that
into a misleading and empty label if
the government doesn’t adhere to the
Go figure
The mighty oaks — and
other campus trees*
2,292 Trees on the main campus
59 Oak trees along Oak Drive
100+ Age of several Oak Drive trees,
the oldest on campus
> 7 Oaks at Seven Oaks Golf Course
73 Willows on the Willow Path
1991 Year the ailing Willow Path trees
were replaced with German white willows
7 Grounds crew members certified in
logger safety
1,406 Trees over 35' tall
560 Yards of mulch used per year to
protect campus trees
1 Each of several specimen trees:
Russian olive, black walnut, bald cypress
2 Kentucky coffee trees
263 Sugar maples, the most populous
species on campus
*according to a 2009 inventory
Politician Garry Kasparov spoke
candidly on campus about the state of
Russian politics.
rule of law, protect individual liberties,
and provide accountability.
Now the chairman of the United
Civil Front and political leader
of The Other Russia, a coalition of
opposition parties, Kasparov likened
Putin to Lord Voldemort, the
villain in the Harry Potter books.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
can fire Putin under the country’s
constitution, said Kasparov,
but the president doesn’t have
the physical constitution to do it.
Kasparov noted that his coalition
pursues nonviolent forms of
opposition, and that by employing
“tactics of survival” and utilizing
the Internet to help spread
the message, it has made some
progress.
Jason Finder ’12, who took the
course Liberal Democracy and
its Limits with political science
professor and PPE director Stanley
Brubaker, was among those who
continued the discussion with
Kasparov at a dinner in the Hall
of Presidents. “I think in some
ways we need to take what we
hear from a government with a
grain of salt,” he said. “We need to
consider everything we can learn
and evaluate it as a whole.”
Alumni reflect on founding
of campus cultural center
For Gregory Threatte ’69 and
Todd Brown ’71, the watershed
events of the late 1960s that gave
birth to Colgate’s first cultural
center remain indelible moments
in their lives. “This valley was
transformative,” Threatte, a Col-
Andrew Daddio
Back on campus
Reunion College 2010
More than 30 alumni returned to lead Reunion College sessions June 3–6. Highlights
included showings of four documentaries by Jon Alpert ’70 as well as a Q&A
session on his experiences; a look at Colgate in 1909 leading up to World War I by
George Tamblyn ’60; and a discussion about the future of Afghanistan and Iraq by
Larry Cooley ’70, who has worked in Iraq with the United States National Capacity
Development Program, and R. Michael Smith ’70, who is executive assistant to the
president and general counsel at the American University of Afghanistan.
There were also plenty of opportunities for the more than 2,000 alumni, family,
and friends to relax during Reunion 2010. On Friday afternoon, chef and author
Lauren Braun Costello ’98 led a High Tea Tasting Event at the Colgate Bookstore,
where she offered samples of herb-flavored iced drinks like thyme lemonade and
ginger peach black tea. She paired these thirst-quenching beverages with unique
treats such as the biscuits for which she provides the recipe below.
Lavender Vanilla Bean Tea Biscuits with Rosewater Icing
Fragrant and mildly floral, these shortbread cookies are an unexpected treat for a
summertime garden party. It is important to use the seeds of a vanilla bean instead
of the more typical extract so that the natural, rich flavor shines. The dried lavender
gets a little boost from the optional rosewater icing.
Cookies:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter at room
temperature
2 eggs
seeds of one vanilla bean
1 teaspoon dried lavender, crushed
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Optional icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk or water
1/2 teaspoon rosewater (if you can’t find this at your grocery store, visit
kitchenkrafts.com)
To make the cookie dough, beat the sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla bean seeds, and
lavender in a large mixing bowl until fluffy and well combined. In a separate bowl,
combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and then stir it into the butter/sugar
mixture. Divide the dough into two equal parts and roll into logs in plastic wrap.
Store in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or until chilled enough to slice.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Once the dough is chilled, cut the logs crosswise into 1/8 inch–thick circles and
space an inch apart on a lined or greased cookie sheet. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes.
Remove the cookies from the oven to a cooling rack.
Meanwhile, prepare the icing. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and rosewater
together in a mixing bowl and drizzle over the tea biscuits once they are completely
cool.
Makes about four dozen cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
News and views for the Colgate community
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