Alumni eNews
June/July 2008
News
What a Fabulous Weekend!
More than 800 alumni and their guests gathered on the IC campus May 30-June 1 to celebrate reunions, catch up with friends, and visit their old stomping grounds. The campus was abuzz with activity and joyful sounds of recognition.
A family movie night in Park Hall Auditorium on Friday evening, a magician, and dude ranch-themed children's activities were also huge hits with both parents and "future alumni" of Ithaca College!
Close to 70 members of the class of 2003 toasted their college days Friday night at the Lost Dog Café during a fifth reunion get-together.
Also on Friday night, for the first time in more than two decades, IC hosted a special affinity gathering for alumni members of Greek social organizations-with more than 250 lively attendees at a very celebratory friendship rekindling event. We look forward to hosting similar gatherings in future years.
A special Saturday morning conversation with Father William Graf was well-attended by almost 50 alumni in attendance who enjoyed reminiscing about the 1960's -- a pivotal time of change in our country's and campus's history.
On Saturday afternoon, a "perennials" reception, paying tribute to those who graduated at least 50 years ago, welcomed 24 members of the class of 1958 to this distinguished group of alumni.
You can always count on Ithaca weather ... to be unpredictable, and it was! But even moving Saturday's picnic inside did not put a damper on the excitement of reuniting with friends from years gone by. Saturday afternoon, thanks to more than 10 local wineries, this year's Finger Lakes Wine Expo was bigger and better than ever.
Saturday night the annual alumni awards dinner and celebration honored the recipients of the 2008 alumni awards: the late George Hoerner '47, M.S. '53 (Lifetime Achievement Award), Vergiu Cornea (James J. Whalen Meritorious Service Award), the late George Williams (James J. Whalen Meritorious Service Award), Robert A. Iger '73 (Edgar "Dusty" Bredbenner Jr. '50 Distinguished Alumni Award), Anthony J. DeSare '98 (Outstanding Young Alumni Award), and William A. Diehl '63 (Professional Achievement Award).
To view a slide show from the weekend, click here.
Don't miss next year's extravaganza, and mark your calendar now: Alumni Weekend 2009 will be held May 29-31 on campus. If you're interested in volunteering for your class committee and making it a truly special weekend for yourself and your classmates, contact events coordinator Brenda Carlisle, bcarlisle@ithaca.edu. We look forward to helping you make wonderful new IC memories!
Young Grad Wins John Lennon Scholarship Songwriting Competition
Songwriter
Travis Knapp '07 won first place and a $10,000 scholarship for his song "Before
You Go" in the BMI Foundation's 11th annual John Lennon Scholarship competition.
Recognizing the best and brightest young songwriters between the ages of 15
and 24, the Lennon scholarships were established by Yoko Ono in conjunction
with the BMI Foundation and matched by donations from Gibson Musical Instruments.
Knapp received his award on stage in May at the BMI Pop Awards ceremony, held
at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles.
"Receiving an award like this is a huge encouragement for me to keep writing music," Knapp says. "I haven't written a lot lately, but now I feel like some doors are surely opened, should I choose to step through them. Winning this award also means that I can confidently pursue further education in whatever way I'd like to, without worrying as much financially."
Knapp graduated with a dual bachelor's degree in music and anthropology. He cited his College experiences as key factors in winning the Lennon Scholarship from among thousands of other applicants. "I certainly wouldn't have had the same confident approach to song writing if it hadn't been for sight singing and jazz classes I took as an undergraduate," Knapp says. "In fact, I'd say that every single course I took in the music school was a help to my songwriting. And beyond that, the anthropology courses I took got me thinking in important new ways."
Truly a Hearfelt Reunion: Alumnus Meets the Doctor Who Saved His Life
by Aaron Munzer, Ithaca Journal Staff
used with permission
Thirty-nine
years ago, Joe Palmieri's life was saved by a doctor he didn't know.
On Saturday, May 31, at Ithaca College's Alumni Weekend event, the 81-year-old Palmieri, a 1953 alumnus, finally met his guardian angel, Dr. George Heitzman of Syracuse.
In 1969, Heitzman removed a potentially lethal aneurysm on the left ventricle of Palmieri's heart.
At that time, open heart surgery was a new procedure, and Palmieri's chances for survival weren't good.
"Back then," Palmieri said, "they didn't even think I was going to come through."
After the two met and embraced like old buddies on campus in Philips Hall, Heitzman, who towers over Palmieri, inspected the surgery scars he incised in the other man's chest almost four decades ago.
"Without (surgery), he wouldn't have lived very long," Heitzman
said. "People don't live this long after an operation. He's as sharp
as a tack. It may be some kind of a record, I don't know."
Read
the full article in the Ithaca Journal.
Bombers Bulletin
The
end of the 2007-8 season came with much deserved recognition for a number
of Bombers teams. Just to name a few, All-America honors were awarded to IC
athletes in Baseball,
Women's
Crew, Men's
Lacrosse, Women's
Lacrosse, Softball,
Women's
Track and Field, and more.
Details of all honors, awards, and many fall sports schedules can be found at here.
In addition to national recognition, IC presented awards to outstanding young athletes at the annual Senior Luncheon on May 13. Congratulations to the Bombers class of 2008!
If you're a former IC student-athlete yourself, you'll probably want to join us for an upcoming Bombers alumni event. Save the date, and make plans to return to the beautiful Ithaca campus with old friends and teammates:
* Women's Basketball: July 25-27
* Baseball/Wrestling Annual Golf Tournament: August 1-3
* Homecoming 2008: September 19-21
* Men's Lacrosse: September 20
* Women's Lacrosse: September 20
Details will soon follow. Be sure to check the alumni events home page for more information.
View a few photos from the field hockey alumnae game, held April 26.
