A Passion for Science - Columbia College - Columbia University

Columbia CollEgE Today CLASS NOTES
of Rabelais, but a bit cruder; Mark
tells me it went something like
this: “Gentlemen: We are students
at Columbia College of Columbia
University and are taking a course
in humanities. Generally speaking,
we have enjoyed reading the
Penguin Books Limited versions
of the various texts. Unhappily, in
the case of Rabelais’ Gargantua and
Pantagruel, for those persons who
read the books, the bindings came
apart and thus we were unable to
benefit from the erudition because
the pages refused to remain in any
logical order. We suggest that you
train your bindings more effectively,
or in the future, no school will
wish to purchase copies of books
that in Rabelaisian terms have the
runs.”
Mark adds that Penguin Books
thanked us for our letter and sent
us two new copies of the books —
which also fell apart. Those of you
who recall the reading assignment
will know that Mark and I saw a
perfect use for the pages that fell
out of the book, since we did not
have “a well downed goose.” (The
answer, for those who need a hint,
appears in Chapter 13 of Book
One, Gargantua). By the way, some
might not know that Lit Hum
courses no longer include the written
quizzes that challenged us.
Thanks to Dan Carlinsky ’65
for calling my attention to the
interview/profile of author Siri
Hustvedt in Scanorama Portfolio,
the in-flight magazine of SAS — I
likely would have missed the piece
without Dan’s e-mail; the article
calls Hustvedt and her husband,
paul auster, “Brooklyn’s — and
America’s — best known literary
couple.” We learn from the article
that Paul always has the beef bourguignon
when dining at Sweet
Melissa Patisserie around the corner
from the couple’s home. You
can tell I am in need of class news
when I start reporting on what a
classmate eats.
This issue appears as the Columbia
College Fund’s 2011 fiscal
year draws to a close (Thursday,
June 30). Reading CCT leads most
classmates to recall their days at the
College and what is special about
them: the readings, the teachers, the
activities, the friendships, the time
of growth, the campus and more. If
reflecting makes you feel like part
of the Columbia community, show
your active connection by supporting
the College. We really would
like to increase the participation rate
for the Fund. Any amount from a
new donor would be greatly appreciated.
But, of course, the more our
classmates give, the more that can
be of immediate help to the current
student body. Send your donation
to Columbia College Fund,
Columbia Alumni Center, 622 W.
A dozen members of the Class of 1971 gathered with spouses and guests
at Fuleen Seafood Restaurant in NYC’s Chinatown on March 13 for a prereunion
Year of the Rabbit Banquet organized by Richard hsia ’71. Pictured
(left to right) are Dr. Lew Preschel ’71, Bernie Falk ’71, Ray gaspard ’71,
dick Fuhrman ’71, Hsia, greg wyatt ’71, Jim Shaw ’71, Ken Lehn ’71, Irwin
warren ’71, Larry weiss ’71, Mat Thall ’71 and Joe Boorstein ’71.
PhOTO: hEAThER huNTE
113th St., 3rd Fl., New York, NY
10025, or give at college.columbia.
edu/giveonline. Make a note that
your contribution was prompted by
reading CCT.
70
leo g. Kailas
Reitler Kailas & Rosenblatt
885 Third Ave, 20th Fl.
New York, NY 10022
lkailas@reitlerlaw.com
Just prior to my recent five-week
trial in beautiful Greenbelt, Md., I
got a note from dennis graham
bragging about phil russotti: “Good
luck with your trial, counselor.
And if you need to sharpen up
any of your aggressive courtroom
techniques, please consult Kailasproclaimed
football bad luck charm,
phil ‘double barrel’ russotti,
the sharp shooting trial attorney
of Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro.
He’s lost only two of 97 cases … or
something like that.”
Phil’s “sharp shooting” must
have rubbed off on me, as the jury
came back in two hours with a
verdict in favor of my client.
Mike passow recently completed
his presidency of the National Earth
Science Teachers Association. In
August, Mike organized a teacher’s
workshop for the American Geo-
physical Union Meeting of the
Americas in Iguassu Falls, Brazil.
Every month, research scientists
from Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory provide information
about cutting-edge investigations
for classroom teachers and
students in the Earth2Class Saturday
Workshops for Educators that Mike
has organized for more than a decade.
Mike, now in his 41st year in
the classroom, teaches at Dwight
Morrow H.S. in his hometown of
Englewood, N.J.
roger crossland reports: “I
finished 2010 with participation in
the Moloka’i Hoe 2010, the world’s
MAY/JUNE 2011
61
premier outrigger competition. Our
crew raced a distance of 41 miles
across the Kaiwi Channel between
the islands of Moloka’I and O’ahu
alongside 120 other outrigger canoes.
See article, video and photos
at fairfieldcitizenonline.com/de
fault/article/Fairfielder-braves-thehigh-seas-in-premier-816073.php.
“I’m a trial lawyer in Connecticut.
In 2005, I retired from the Navy
after 35 years of service, active and
reserve (one cold war and two hot
ones).”
REUNION JUNE 2–JUNE 5
ALUMNI OFFICE CONTACTS
ALuMNI AFFAIRS Ken Catandella
kmc103@columbia.edu
212­851­7430
dEVELOPMENT heather hunte
hh15@columbia.edu
212­851­7957
Jim shaw
139 North 22nd St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
jes200@columbia.edu
71
Our 40th reunion is less than a
month away, Thursday, June 2–Sunday,
June 5. There will be a great mix
of cultural happenings throughout
New York City and class-specific
events where we will have a chance
to renew old friendships. Thursday
night, there will be a chance to take
in a show in Manhattan. Friday offers
mini-Core courses and a class
dinner. Saturday is Dean’s Day, with
great lectures, including a talk by
Dean Michele Moody-Adams, followed
in the evening by the all-class
Wine Tasting, a class dinner and
then the Starlight Reception with
sweets, champagne and dancing on
Low Plaza. In between, there will be
plenty of other happenings to keep
us entertained. Don’t miss it. It’s not
too late to register: alumni.college.
columbia.edu/reunion.
lawrence thomases passed
away on December 10. He was a
translator, interpreter and immigrant
rights advocate.
art Engoron: “The Chief Administrative
Judge of the State of New
York has elevated me from Civil
Court Judge to the position of Acting
Supreme Court Justice. The Supreme
Court is the state’s basic trial court,
with original, unlimited jurisdiction.
“Meanwhile, I sold my Upper
West Side co-op after 29 years
there, and I now live in an apartment
on Worth Street, downtown,
near the courts.”
lew preschel: “Since I retired
from the active practice of orthopedic
surgery in 2004, I have earned a
master’s in library and information
science from Rutgers. I did this with
the intent of working part-time or in
a library associated with pharma-
ceuticals or medically related
products. However, in the interim,
writing has caught my interest. I
have written a murder mystery
novel, with a main protagonist, Dr.
Madison Muttnick. He is a mash-up
of Philip Marlowe and ‘Trapper’
John McIntyre. I am trying to find
literary representation for the first
in a series of manuscripts. I also
started a blog that is co-authored
by both my ego and my alter-ego,
madisonmuttnickmd.blogspot.com.
If you drop by or have a friend drop
by, you might like it. If you do, drop
me a note and let me know. The
least that could happen is that you
can link to some fine jazz as selected
from old time stuff on YouTube.
“Where have the good ol’ days
gone?”
Lew, they were good ol’ days,
and I find them again at reunion.
sam higginbottom ’74L: “I hope
that my wife, Cyndi, and I will be
able to attend reunion. I am a lawyer
with the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission. I have more than 35
years of federal service. Cyndi and
I are the parents of seven children.
The oldest is 35 and the youngest is
15. I am the grandfather of five, who
range in age from four weeks to 11.
None of my children have attended
CC, but my youngest daughter, 15,
claims that her near-term goal is to
attend Columbia.
“I have many family members
who also are Columbia grads. My
dad, Sam Higginbottom ’43E, is
alive and well in Miami. Others
are my dad’s brother, James Higginbottom
’53; my maternal grandfather,
Richard Steinschneider ’19;
his brother, William Steinschneider
(Class of 1910E), two of my mother’s
brothers, Dick Steinschneider
’43 and Eugene Rowan Steinschneider
’49; and a cousin, Pat
Steinschneider ’73, ’76 Arch. One of
my sisters, Rowan Higginbottom
Maclaren ’87E, earned a master’s
in computer engineering.
“Life has been good, and I believe
it has been good in part due