March came in like a lion and went out the same way, but the brisk Ithaca weather didn’t stop the College from starting a new era in the history of the music school and honoring President James J. Whalen.
On March 17 about 250 people gathered at the west side of Ford Hall to witness the groundbreaking of a building project that will nearly double the size of the music school. Scheduled for completion during the 1998–99 academic year, the expanded facility will be called the Center for Music at Ithaca College (see ICQ, fall 1996).
"Sixty years ago my father was a student here in the School of Music, when all the classes were held downtown," said Marjorie Rooke Schwab ’69, chair of the campaign to fund the Ford Hall addition. "Thirty years ago I was in one of the first classes to use the present music building, and now we’re breaking ground for the music school that you and your children and your students will be using in the future. Imagine how many lives will be touched by this new expansion."
Joining Schwab in lifting the first shovelfuls of dirt were James J. Whalen, Ithaca College president; Arthur Ostrander, dean of the music school; David Sass ’57, vice chairman of the board of trustees; and Bonnie Gordon ’77, vice president for college relations and resource development. Though the ceremony marked a time of celebration, it put Bob Bunnell ’52, a retired music teacher, in a reflective mood. "I remember when they had the practice rooms in a building at the corner of Cayuga and Court Streets, where the public library is now," he said. "Then they built Ford Hall up on the hill, and now they’re building on to that. It’s really something, looking back on what were for me Ithaca College’s good old days and seeing things grow like this."
In addition to reflection, the groundbreaking was an occasion for good music. The faculty brass quintet performed the fanfare, and after the ceremony Grant Cooper and Lawrence Doebler conducted the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and Choir in performances of the overture from Tannhäuser and Beethoven’s "Ode to Joy," as well as a new horn concerto by Professor Dana Wilson. The featured soloist was Gail Williams ’73, associate principal horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who three days earlier had performed the concerto’s world premiere with the Syracuse Symphony.
Not only did a new era for the music school get off to an auspicious start, but it also provided an opportunity to pay tribute to the 22-year presidency of James J. Whalen. "I recall the day some years ago when Jim Whalen suggested the board members tour Ford Hall with Dean Ostrander and hear in detail about the wonderful programs going on here," Sass said at the groundbreaking.
"I think it took a grand total of 15 minutes following that tour to agree enthusiastically with the president’s recommendation to find a way to build some badly needed and well-deserved additional space. Now as we break ground, the idea becomes a reality, and I can tell you that the trustees are thrilled for the College, for the School of Music, and for Jim Whalen, without whose efforts none of this would have come to pass."
"I am honored," said the president, "to be a part of the mosaic that began with Grant Egbert’s vision and that, with the help and support of thousands of people over the years, has developed into an institution of which we may all be proud."
An important part of that mosaic is Ithaca’s tradition of undergraduate research, and on March 18 an academic symposium was held to honor Whalen’s support of collaborative work between students and faculty. "We have a long tradition of encouraging students to become partners in inquiry, and Jim Whalen has been instrumental in fostering that type of intellectual activity," said acting provost Mary Lee Seibert at the symposium luncheon. "He has had a clear vision for what Ithaca College can offer its students in order to prepare them for graduate and professional schools."
The all-day event featured 23 student research presentations in fields ranging from psychology to film, computer science to exercise science, biology to business. "I’m very impressed by the professionalism of these students," Whalen said, "and the articulate way they talk about their research is most impressive."
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Peter Finger photo |
Those students included Justin Biffinger ’97 and Quang Truong ’97. Their research, under the direction of chemistry professor Heinz Koch, tested how certain chemical substitutions might affect the ways various drugs react. The students were among 40 chosen from research-intensive undergraduate colleges across the country to present their work to members of Congress.
"I came to Ithaca College because I knew I’d have more interaction with the professors," Biffinger said. Truong agreed: "I prefer a smaller school. You can get in touch with your professor and not a teaching assistant."
Samara Engstrom ’98 and fellow psychology major Jessica Richardson ’99 had worked under the sponsorship of assistant psychology professor Carol Brejnak. Their project examined psychological symptoms in selected groups of postmenopausal women. "At Ithaca psychology majors are required to have three consecutive semesters of team research if we want to get our degree," Engstrom said. "That’s really special because a lot of my friends from other schools have never even heard of required research."
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