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"From breadth to depth to perspective." The words of founding faculty Professors Bernard Huppé and Robert Rafuse echoed loudly across the Binghamton University campus this weekend as alumni, students, faculty and staff gathered to help Harpur College launch its 50th Anniversary during Reunion 2000.
From memories of carrying chairs to class at Colonial Hall in Endicott to speculating whether or not there really is a Lake Lieberman monster, alumni gathered to meet old friends and reminisce about good times spent on campus. Drawing alumni from as far away as Taipei and Europe, Harpur College and Binghamton University pulled out all the stops to show alums a good time. In true Binghamton style, the weather was iffy -- thunderstorms one minute, sunshine (and plenty of humidity) the next. But in true Binghamton alumni fashion, no one even seemed to notice.
With a swirl of color, a waterfall of rice
and a huge birthday cake, Artists-in-Residence, The Second Hand unveiled
their specially commissioned piece titled, appropriately enough, Harpurpiece,
before a packed house in the Anderson Center Concert Theater on Friday,
May 5.
Assisted by "special guests" President Lois DeFleur and Dean Solomon Polachek, the piece, set to the Finale of Camille Saint-Saens' "Symphony No. 3 in C Minor -- Organ," the celebratory fanfare was one of The Second Hand's most extravagant pieces yet.
The Second Hand have strong connections to Harpur College -- the three performers, Greg O'Brien, Andy Horowitz, and Paul Gordon, met in the early 1980's during their undergraduate studies, where all three were studying theater and dance.
On February 1, 1994, the company
became Artists-in-Residence at the University and were given the ability
to sign out rehearsal space on the campus to create and present new works
and works-in-progress. In exchange, the members agreed to act as Cultural
Ambassadors for the University and the community and teach workshops and
classes on campus.
In the 50th Anniversary performance program notes, The Second Hand stated: "It is with deep gratitude for the extraordinary support of so many people at Binghamton University over the years that we accepted Dean Polachek's invitation to create a specially commissioned piece for the Harpur College 50th Anniversary. Thank you all."
Dean Polachek noted: "The Second Hand's performance of the new Harpur piece lived up the values that has been a Harpur tradition since 1950 -- it was innovative, unconventional but certainly unique." Far from being just a single-performance-only piece, Harpurpiece will become part of The Second Hand's repertoire and will be performed at venues across the country in the coming year.
From flights of fancy with award-winning author and photographer Peter Guttman '76 to the hearty drum-beating fun with percussionist Chris Adams, alum took up the challenge of Day 2 of Reunion 2000 on Saturday morning.
Professor Gerald Kadish led a popular "stroll-down-memory-lane" presentation which inspired a mini "remember-when" competition among attendees. Over in the Registration area in the Student Union, Michele McFee, author of the special 50th Anniversary Harpur history book, The Cornerstone, met with visitors for a book signing session. The Cornerstone is now available in the Campus bookstore.
Festivities then moved under canvas as alum gathered for lunch under a huge tent located between the Lecture Halls and the Chenango Room. And for those who missed the Anniversary Cake ceremony at The Second Hand performance on Friday night, Dean Polachek and President DeFleur repeated their cake-cutting duet.
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| Above left: Michele McFee signs a copy of The Cornerstone for Brent Arnold '73. Above right: Peter Guttman '76 and his family, Lori Greene and their son Chase. Right: Hazil Skelton '85 and Marie Saget '86 joined alums in touring the campus. |  |
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Above left: From l to r (back row), Robin Berstein Shnitkin '80 and Bruce Tucker '79, Sharon Levy Tucker '80 and their family and drumming buddies join percussionist Chris Adams. Above right: Myron Gregory '50 stopped for refreshments during the morning presentations. Left: Phil Teplitzky '70 and Harriet Grossman Teplitzky '73 met in Professor Gerry Kadish's Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations class and have been married for 18 years. |
Lake Lieberman and the Loch Liebernessie Monster -- fact or fiction? Elliot Lieberman '66 came clean and revealed the true story of how Lake Lieberman got its name -- he wanted to impress his friends with the view from his dorm window of a rather small pond of water -- thus, Lake Lieberman. At a ceremony held on Saturday afternoon, Lieberman was presented with a certificate and a visit from the monster. He, in turn, debuted the Ode to Lake Lieberman, putting in a stirring presentation of his latest writing.
| Old crusty lake. For your sake. We, this solemn promise make. Standing here upon your shore, Like all those who came before, Fearsome Lieby at our side, Breathing fire, commanding pride. We will never fear life's blasts. Your great waters raise our masts, Having seen the morning sun, Glisten upon your watery scum, We know life's not always pretty, Like your shore, it's rough and gritty. Mosquitos bite and flies abound, The smell of sewage all around, Yours is not a noble splendor, Abandoned bikes with rusted fenders, But your soulful calm inspires, To push ahead with Lieby's fire, For we your faithful band, Fighting crud where e'er we can, Children of Lake Lieberman. |
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A gathering of champions -- emeriti, faculty, staff and alum -- joined President DeFleur and Dean Polachek in the Grand Corridor of the Fine Arts building late Saturday afternoon to toast both faculty and alumni and Harpur College's five decades of rich tradition.
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| Above left: Professor Paul Goldstaub from the Music Department joined Dean Polachek, Gene Flood '57 and Martin Triano '76 for a photo-opp during Reunion 2000's Festival of Faculty. Above right: Betty Pellegrini and Anthony Pellegrini, Professor Emeritus of Romance Languages, join Alex Huppé '69 in catching up on old times. | |
Many of the alumni, faculty and emeriti who gathered for the Founder's Club Dinner on Saturday evening had not heard the Harpur College Alma Mater in a number of years. But in fine voice, guest speaker Alex Huppé delighted everyone with a rendition that brought back many memories and an impromptu sing-along. Drawing from memories of his Dad, Professor Bernard Huppé's career as one of Harpur College's founding faculty and his own experience as a Harpur student, Huppé reflected on the journey Harpur College has made over the past 50 years. In his address, Huppé remarked that the singular quality that distinguished Harpur and continues to do so, is its clear vision -- to be the standard by which all other undergraduate programs in the state could be judged. And to the honorees of the Founder's Club Dinner -- the classes of 1949 and 1950 -- Huppé noted "You were there when Harpur was born, and it is those early years of an institution, or a nation, that shape its ultimate destiny ... it was great beginnings!"
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| Above left: President DeFleur, Dean Polachek and Alex Huppé '69 prepare to meet the crowds at the Founder's Club Dinner. Above right: Joan Babbitt Williams '53 and Carle Williams '53. | |
Robin Bernstein Shnitkin and Donna Zalecky -- your prizes are in the mail! Thanks to all who entered the Registration room drawing.
Last updated 5/8/00. Written by Gail Glover, Harpur College Public Relations Specialist.