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

to transform the venue from “a safe
haven for African-American students”
into a “thriving community venue for
all people of diverse backgrounds.”
Threatte and Brown’s fight for
racial equality not only left a mark on
the campus community, but also gave
them the conviction to achieve their
own dreams. “Here’s a guy who is the
head of pathology at SUNY Upstate
Medical University,” said Brown, a
former Kraft Foods executive and
recently retired bank president, pointing
at Threatte. “In 1969, we never
thought this could be possible.”
Fellowships support
students’ passions
Nine seniors and a recent alumna
have been awarded prestigious fellowships
that will take them around
the world to explore their interests.
Shae Frydenlund ’10 and Jennifer
Rusciano ’10 received the Thomas J.
Watson Fellowship. Frydenlund plans
to create a documentary exploring
the complex ecologies and sustainability
of medicinal plant markets.
Rusciano will explore the relationship
between chocolate, communities, and
culture in Europe, Africa, and Latin
America.
Conor Tucker ’10 received the Paul
J. Schupf ’58 Fellowship, allowing him
to read for his master’s in modern
British and European history at Oxford
University.
Eight recent graduates will share
daily life and professional and creative
insights with people of a host
country as part of the U.S. Student
Fulbright Program. Victor Chiapaikeo
’10 will teach language and culture
lessons to students in Indonesia; Max
Counter ’10 will work with students
in Colombia; Matt Geduldig ’10 will
teach students in South Korea; and
Tara Woods ’10 will emphasize crosscultural
understanding with students
in Germany. Julia Quintanilla ’10,
who will assist teaching students in
Mexico, also plans to volunteer in a
local gallery, museum, or community
center. In a project titled “Voices from
the War of Resistance,” Jessica Chow
’09 will interview Chinese survivors
of World War II to create documentary
films highlighting the lifelong impact
of war. Alison Wohlers ’10 will travel
throughout Morocco to study the
effects of globalization on Moroccan
identity through the manifestations
of colonialism and the creation and
legacy of dualistic cities.
In recognition of her outstanding
potential and intention to pursue a
career in science, Meghan Healey ’11
was awarded honorable mention by
the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
program.
An independent study by Steffan Pierre ’10 (center) and Meg Cronin ’10 (second from
right) inspired students, faculty, and staff to create a “Relectronics” station for recycling
small electronics on campus. A Green Summit committee brought the new station, located
in the Coop, to fruition, in May. It provides a venue for the responsible recycling of waste
such as spent batteries, charger cords, old cell phones, and more.
Brooke Ousterhout ’10
Get to know: Mike Jasper ’91, MAT’96
Associate Director of Facilities and
Manager of Lands and Grounds
Student experience: political science and education major; linebacker, football team captain,
1991; Richard Mangano Award for team scholar-athlete; Delta Upsilon
Responsibilities: A lot of people think we’re just catching a suntan on a lawnmower, but
there’s a little bit more to it than that! We take care of the grounds, snowplowing, athletic
facilities, event setups like commencement, reunion, and bands who’ve come here over the
years, like Run DMC (I’m dating myself now!).
Path back to Colgate: For three years, I had a sales job in the family products division of
Playtex Corp. Then I did some teaching and coaching in the area, and worked on campus
while going for my master’s. I became the athletic facilities coordinator in 1995. I got to
know everything about the grounds and golf course (I was the superintendent for a year),
and earned various certificates and licenses. I’ve been in my current job since 2002.
On tending one of the nation’s prettiest campuses: We want the campus to blend into the
surroundings; we don’t want to get gaudy. We take a lot of ownership and pride in that.
On being the swan handler: The swans garner a lot of attention. We constantly get phone
calls with concerns for the swans, but as long as they have open water, they are happy.
Most challenging task: Dealing with Mother Nature and trying to make Colgate life work
around her. It makes me and the guys I work with feel good when staff members tell us on a
snowy day, “Jeez, I drove here today and the best roads were on campus.”
Odd jobs: Digging for burials in the cemetery is one of the more unusual things we do.
How being a former football player caring for the stadium plays out: Our proudest moment
was having the playoff games here in 2003. We didn’t have artificial turf then, so we were
under a lot of pressure. Just before the Western Illinois game, 10 inches of snow fell. Guys
brought in their personal four-wheelers, and we were plowing the lines during timeouts. I
asked the ref if we could paint lines in red at the goal and sidelines. When Colgate drove for
the winning score, the ref said, “Thank God you guys painted those lines red, or I’m not sure
I could have seen if it was a touchdown!”
Pastimes: I’m the varsity football coach at Sherburne-Earlville. I do a lot of hunting and
fishing. If you live in this area, you kind of have to get into it. I train my dogs to do bird
hunting.
Must-haves if stranded on a desert island: A knife, for sure. I never go without. With two
kids (daughter Courtney starts at St. John Fisher College this fall, and son Austin will be in
9th grade), I’ve gotten to be a cell phone/texting junkie. And I’d just as soon have something
comfortable to drink that’s going to take the edge off. Plus, you could use it to start a fire.
News and views for the Colgate community
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Andrew Daddio