Approximately 2,278 freshmen and 740 transfers arrived on campus August 28, to begin their first semester as Binghamton University students. They were joined by upperclassmen who arrived August 29. The first day of classes was September 2.

This year, the University again received a record number of applications. Freshman applications were up 4 percent over last year, to 19,069 from 18,315. Transfer applications received were 2,268. In addition, graduate applications were up 5.8 percent, to 3,456 for degree programs — the highest number ever. Binghamton’s total applicant pool, including transfer and graduate students, was approximately 24,793.

BU continues to be highly selective, accepting only 44 percent of its applying freshmen, up from 42 percent last year. National figures indicate that 90 percent of U.S. colleges admit more than 90 percent of their new student applicants. BU is one of the few schools in the country admitting less than 50 percent of its applicants for freshman admission.

Binghamton’s Class of 2007 also continues to rank well above the national average in SAT scores. Of those who have indicated that they will be coming to BU, combined SAT scores are 1230 or higher, about 200 points about the national average.

Binghamton University currently carries the highest rating among the SUNY university centers in the "most selective" designation. More than 70 percent of the freshman class meets the designation, which is based on SAT scores and high school averages as defined by the SUNY system.

The mean high school average for entering freshman also remains high and is consistent with last year’s figure of 92.

The majority of Binghamton students come from New York state. About 88 percent of freshmen and transfers are in-state residents. Of the total number of incoming New York students, 24 percent are from New York City, 22 percent from Long Island and the remainder from upstate areas. Of all new students from New York, both freshmen and transfers combined, 10 percent are from Broome or Tioga counties. Out-of-state students, 12 percent of incoming students, represent 20 states.

As in past years, the class mirrors the state’s diversity. Thirty-two percent of the entering class represents minority groups. Of that number, nearly 19 percent are of Asian background, followed by Hispanic/Latino at 7 percent, African American at 5 percent and Native American at .1 percent.

More than 300 new international students will attend BU this year. Of those, approximately 65 percent are graduate students and 35 percent undergraduates. The greatest population of international students comes from India, China, Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Turkey. Incoming international students represent 45 countries, including Yemen, Tajikistan, Côte d’Ivoire and Barbados.

Growth at the graduate level is steady, with both domestic and international applications showing gains. Domestic applications are up by 7 percent, while international applications are up by 4.8 percent. Much of the increase in applications and anticipated enrollments may be attributed to new programs, such as the master of social work (MSW) program, which is accepting its first class this year. In addition, master’s and doctoral programs in the Watson School continue to drive interest in mechanical engineering and related fields, while programs in art history, English, political science, clinical psychology, public administration and nursing show notable increases.

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Professor Kern weighs in on rent in the city. Got the high rent blues? Kern explains why: High rent comes down to the simple law of supply and demand: several people vying for few apartments keeps Manhattan expensive. "The rent has always been high, but it has its ups and downs," said Kern, an intermittent New York renter. "Prices really relate to whether the white-collar industry in Manhattan is moving or not." He observed that Manhattan rents spiked the highest between the mid 1990's and September 11, 2001, a period of unprecedented prosperity and high employment, especially in the financial sector. Wall Street paid "fabulous salaries," he said, and a record number of migrants arrived. "All these things translate into a demand for housing." Kern wryly recalls passing up the chance to buy a Manhattan apartment in the 1970's for around $100,000. "It would probably sell today for $1.5 million," he said. Who knew?

While many cities have lost their downtowns to generic strip malls and shopping centers, New York City's has remained as exciting and busy as ever. The key to its success, according to Clifford Kern, professor of economics at Harpur College, is an abundance of white-collar jobs and plenty of fun places to go after hours.

Kern was one of the first in the nation to study "urban economics," a field that emerged in response to America's urban crisis of the late 1960's. He got in on the ground floor, so to speak, as a doctoral candidate at Harvard when he witnessed the city, which he calls his "favorite place to go," decline and decided to investigate why.

Going to the heart of the matter -- City Hall -- Kern poured through thousands of building permit requests and studied construction trends. "The most interesting part was the spatial pattern: where it was happening," he recalled. "All the renovation was concentrated downtown."

In spite of government subsidies encouraging urban renewal throughout the city, Kern said he found the majority of improvement covered the southern two-thirds of Manhattan, most of it independent of urban renewal incentives. "Immediately as you got away from that area, there was almost no activity," he said. "While the suburbs also improved, building renovation was still "never anywhere as intense as the inside of the city."

Meanwhile, families departed for the suburbs and a shell of poverty surrounded a thriving downtown. "Why was the center of the city such an attractive place for landlords to invest in?" he wondered. Just what exactly was going on downtown that the rest of the city hadn't experienced?

Not everyone was moving to the suburbs. White-collar jobs, such as medicine, law and finance kept downtown alive and well. Executives needed to meet frequently and communicate rapidly (Remember, this was the era before e-mail, fax machines, video conferencing and cell phones and even today, many interactions are most effective face-to-face). Kern said, "The penalty for having your law office removed from your clients was a lot of wasted motion," costing both time and money.

After hours, New York's workforce wanted to have fun, and downtown was already bustling with the world's best theatre, music, shopping and dining. Kern discovered that more and more, the yuppies of yesteryear were less apt to settle down so quickly and move to the suburbs. "In the middle and upper income populations, fewer people were family-oriented," he said, "and they wanted exciting things to do in the meantime, such as not mow the grass."

"People changed the way they ordered their lives," Kern noted. "The lifestyle that makes suburbs attractive was not an issue to New Yorkers. Saving a long commute and access to entertainment and social life were the issues."

That trend is no longer a trend, but a way of life well documented by everyone from academia to television sitcoms.

Kern said New York owes its thriving downtown comes to lots of well-paid professional jobs and plenty of leisure activities for the off-hours. Several other cities, such as San Francisco, Boston and Chicago follow the same formula. "Those places all have neighborhoods downtown thriving in part because of the employment and in part because of the leisure time activity," he said.

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University Fest Features Harpur College

Several thousand people came from both the residence halls and the Binghamton area to kick off the new academic year at University Fest, a big party held every Fall to welcome back the students and invite the community to our campus. Harpur College greeted visitors with two large tables of candy, pencils and stacks of academic information.

The book tent took center stage, as always, offering not only free books to match many interests, but also flashlights, binders, computer labels, and CD's. Greek organizations, campus clubs, sports teams, children's games, and craft and food vendors lined the Peace Quad.

Follow this link for photos from University Fest 2003.

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Alumni Spotlight: Michael Holober (M.S.`83) Talks Jazz

The Harpur Hotline was pleased to meet Michael Holober (M.S. `83), a jazz pianist who, when not touring Europe or recording CD's, teaches music at City College of New York. Here is his story.

There was always a piano in our house.  When my dad got out of World War II, he bought a piano before he even found a place to live.  I started playing when I was 6 ½.  I also played saxophone and performed in my high school's big band, which is 5 saxophones, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, a piano, guitar, bass and drums. 

After graduating from college at Oneonta, I stayed on as a piano accompanist.  I came to work with former Harpur College Professor Walter Ponce, who is now the head of the piano department at UCLA.  Walter encouraged me to audition at Binghamton in 1980, and when I did, they offered me a teaching assistantship on the spot. 

Al Hamme (Professor Emeritus of Music) helped me get where I am today.  While I was studying classical piano at Harpur, I was also playing jazz sax.  Al Hamme needed a pianist in his jazz quartet, and although I had never played jazz piano before, he must have felt I could transfer my knowledge from one to the other. 

It was an interesting transition.  With classical music, you just play what's on the page, but there's a lot of improvisation in jazz.   There are a lot of different types of jazz, but most commonly you have a set of chord changes that the melody of the tune is built on.  After you play the melody, you improvise on the chords. 

I haven't stopped teaching since Harpur College.  I'm assistant professor at City College of New York.  I direct the big band and teach jazz composing and jazz arranging.  I also teach improvisation, sight-reading, and rhythm section seminar. 

I play piano in quite a few bands and have performed on more than 25 records.  I also lead The Mike Holober Quintet and we have a new album coming out called "Canyon." 

I've been a guest soloist with some European radio bands.  I did a ten-concert tour as guest composer and pianist with the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra.  The BBC Orchestra in London just bought some of my music.  The radio orchestra in Helsinki, Finland and the Metropolitan Orchestra in Amsterdam just contacted me. 

Occasionally, I get commissioned to write classical music and I have some things on recent recordings.  I wrote a piece for the American saxophone quartet. I had another commission for a piece for flute and marimba, that's on Capstone Records, which is a good label.

I was recently a fellow at the McDowell Colony, an artists' retreat in Peterborough, NH.  That was a high point in my career so far.

I really love teaching and it goes well with the performing.  Teaching makes me a better player and vice versa.  I'll never tire of the joy of making music with the level of players I get to work with.  My friends and I still get together and play.  It's great getting to do the trips to Europe and play good venues in NY.  Every time someone hires me to be on their recording, I can't believe it.  I say wow!  The thrill never wears off.  Teaching gives you a perspective on how much work you have to do and that it will never end, but that's the best way for it to be.  Sometimes I'll be pleased, and I'll think I've played as well as I hoped to, but I'll never think, "I got it."  I try to impress that on my students.  I'm relieved that I feel I'm still improving a lot. 

Holober is married to Melissa Hall (M.A. `85, Ph.D. `93), a professor at Westchester Community College.

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Professor Emeritus Christian "Pete" Gruber Dies at 82

Christian P. Gruber, one of Harpur College's earliest faculty members, died at his home in Binghamton on Sunday, August 31 at the age of 82.  He suffered a stroke after a long struggle with coronary artery disease.

Gruber, known as "Pete" to his friends and colleagues, earned an A.B. in 1942 from Wooster College and from Princeton University, an MA in 1949 and a Ph.D. in 1954.  He began his career at Harpur College as assistant professor of English the same year, when the institution was only 4 years old.  Gruber taught the first courses on theater and directed the college's first departmental performances. He retired in 1983 after spending the spring semester as resident director of Binghamton's study abroad program in London.

Gruber was widely respected by both his peers and students.  "He made my project a rewarding and enlightening experience from which I have benefited enormously.  Professor Gruber gave me the time, patient attention and encouragement to help me produce what I feel is my best work at this university," said Kenneth Meltsner `78, who wrote his English honors thesis under Gruber's guidance.

In addition to teaching and research, Gruber served in several administrative capacities.  He was associate dean in Administration from 1960 to 1962, chairman of the Division of Humanities from 1964 to 1965, and Master of Hinman College from 1967 to 1973, assistant to the President from 1978 to 1980 and was appointed Vice President for Planning in 1978. 

Even after his retirement, Gruber remained active on campus and participated in Harpur College's General Education Mentoring Program in the mid-1990's

In 1995, in commemoration of Binghamton University's 50^th anniversary, Gruber and his wife, Marilynn, endowed the Gruber Family Scholarship to benefit full time Harpur College juniors and seniors with proven academic merit, intellectual ability and artistic talent.  The scholarship rotates between an English and Theatre major each year.

Marlon Torres `02, a two-time recipient of the Gruber Family Scholarship, expressed his deep appreciation for the Grubers' support of his education at Harpur College and said receiving the scholarship was a sign that he was taking the right path with his career. "I am very grateful to them for providing this help and for recognizing people who work hard and are in love with what they do, which in my case is theatre," said Torres.  "I have always had Professor and Mrs. Gruber in my mind because when I look back, I want to thank the people who helped me." 

Speaking of Professor Gruber, Harpur College Dean Jean-Pierre Mileur said, "For those of us who knew him, Pete's passing is a real blow; he was a friend and colleague we will sorely miss.  Those who never had the chance to know him cannot fully understand what a debt of gratitude they owe for Pete's many contributions to Harpur College and the University."

Gruber is survived by his wife and best friend, Marilynn, and two children Chris and Ilse, both of whom graduated from Harpur College. In lieu of flowers, his family requests contributions to the Gruber Family Scholarship at the Binghamton University Foundation or the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation Endowment Fund.  Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time.

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Guest Lecturer to Address "Big Bang" Theory

Can science and the Bible live in harmony? World-renowned physicist and religious scholar, Gerald Schroeder, Ph.D., will present "Genesis and the Big Bang: A discussion of harmony between modern science and ancient biblical commentary" on Friday, September 12 at 1:00p.m. in the Anderson Center Reception Room.

Schroeder holds a Ph.D. from M.I.T. and has authored several books on the subject of science and creationism, including the bestsellers"The Science of God: The Convergence of Scientific and Biblical Wisdom," "The Hidden Face of God: Science Reveals the Ultimate Truth," and "Genesis and the Big Bang Theory: The Discovery of Harmony Between Modern Science and the Bible." Schroeder teaches at the Aish HaTorah College of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.

The results of Schroeder's work have been reported in Time, Newsweek, Scientific American and in newspapers around the world. His formal training in chemistry, nuclear physics and the Earth and planetary sciences provides the basis for the broad scientific perspective he brings to his books and lectures.

This lecture is made possible through the generous support of Philip M. Piaker, Professor Emeritus, and is sponsored by the Office of the Dean, Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, in cooperation with the Judaic Studies Department, the Philosophy Department and the Chabad House. For more information, please call 607-777-6285 or write to hotline@binghamton.edu.

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1967: Joel G. Cohn earned an MA from the University of Notre Dame and a Ph.D. from the University of Phoenix. He is currently writing a book and working as a global account manager for Gartner, Inc. He and his wife, Fay, have three children and two grandchildren. Cohn would enjoy hearing from former classmates and especially Sigma Tau Omega members at joel.cohn@gartner.com.

1976: We were sad to learn that Barbara (Dolinsky) Pollack died on March 24, 2003 after a long battle with cancer. A resident of Chappaqua and former project manager at IBM, she is survived by her husband, Alan (`75), and son, Michael.

1977: Kenneth B. Cohen (M.A. `83) earned a diploma as Hazzan and B.A. in Sacred Music from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1982. The following year, he became cantor of Temple Sholom in Greenwich, CT. Cohen is the founding national director of the Academy for Jewish Religions, two Cantorial Schools in Los Angeles and New York City. He has performed throughout metro New York and published several monographs in the Journal of Synagogue Music. Cohen and his wife, Kim, have two children. Source: www.templesholom.com

1996: Congratulations to Adam and Lisha (Rubin) Levin `96, who became the proud parents of Andrew William on August 21, 2003. Andrew weighed 6 lbs., 6 oz. and was 19 inches long. The Levins reside in Vestal.

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