The Stars Aligned for IC in the City

By Kerry C. Regan, December 1, 2022

Alumni weekend full of engaging events.

School of Music, Theatre, and Dance student Shina Mitchell ’24 performs at the IC in the City “IC on Broadway: South Hill State of Mind” event. (Photo Credit: Kerry Regan)

One advantage to graduating from a college with strong music, theatre and dance programs is the good odds that your fellow alumni can put on a great show at your reunion. Especially if the reunion is held in New York City, where many of them are now plying their trade.

It's no surprise that the alumni stars aligned for the IC in the City reunion November 10-12 in New York City. Eight alumni actors, singers, musicians and dancers joined with more than 50 IC students and faculty members to perform an exuberant, well-paced show in the Marriot Marquis Broadway ballroom Friday, November. 11.

The “IC on Broadway: South Hill State of Mind” show capped off a day of alumni gatherings, including class-specific alumni receptions, a filled-to-capacity meet-and-greet with IC President La Jerne Terry Cornish, and an ICUnity diversity-focused event, “Building Bridges.”

Friday’s headline event, the South Hill State of Mind show included 164 alumni. Many alums were also among the 40,232 at Yankee Stadium the next day watching the Bombers defeat rival SUNY Cortland 34-17, including more than 1,500 alumni at the Bomber Bash pre-game at Stan’s Bar.

Making Connections, Building Bridges

“It doesn’t seem like 50 years since I left Ithaca and graduated,” said Irvin Nash ’72, a retired banker, ex-IC football and basketball player, and former member of the IC Alumni Board who attended the president's meet-and-greet as part of his 50th reunion. “But I'm happy to be here and to see people I haven't seen for many years. It’s a good opportunity for me to connect.”

The evening began with the “Building Bridges” event put together by ICUnity, a network of IC community members that supports diversity-related programs and events. The agenda included an alumni panel, presentation of the ICUnity Social Justice Awards, remarks by President Cornish, and a stirring performance by alumni members of the Amani Gospel Singers, which re-formed for the event.

ICUnity Building Bridges

ICUnity Panel Members

Michael Battle ‘77
Traci Hughes ‘85
Lisbeth Perez ‘17

ICUnity Social Justice Award Winners

Treasure Blackman ‘22
Nicole Bethany ‘22

The alumni panel at the ICUnity event: lawyer Michael Battle ’77, corporate executive Traci Hughes ’85, and journalist Lisbeth Perez ‘17. (Photo Credit: Kerry Regan)

Each of the alumni panelists—lawyer Michael Battle ’77, corporate executive Traci Hughes ’85 and journalist Lisbeth Perez ’17—spoke highly of their IC experiences.

Hughes noted her time at IC was the first time she’d been around people who didn’t look like her, a shock, but a valuable experience because “that was what my life was to be from that point on.” In response to a question, she also shared lessons learned working in other countries. “Realize you have a lot to learn about culture, about how people live their lives, about decisions they make that can be completely different from anything that shaped me,” she said.

In her remarks, Cornish credited ICUnity with having “positively shaped life for so many on our campus” and for laying the groundwork for the Ithaca College strategic plan, “which is for us to become a national model of colleges committed to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

South Hill State of Mind

John Cobb ’89 introduces himself to IC President La Jerne Terry Cornish at the presidential meet and greet. (Photo Credit: Kerry Regan)

Following the ICUnity event, Cornish moved on to her meet-and-greet session, where she gave brief remarks about her vision for the college before mingling. Among those who greeted her: John Cobb ’89, a chief executive officer of two companies, Giant Media and VuePlanner, who had a sister and a son attend IC as well.

“I just wanted to introduce myself,” he said to President Cornish. “I think you're doing a great job of communicating. I've been actively involved through my family in the Ithaca community and the college and if you'd ever like my perspective as an alumni and parent, I'd be more than happy to share that with you.”

Meanwhile, a handful of spirited class-specific alumni gatherings were taking place in several meeting rooms. Gradually they dissembled, alums mingling in the hallways and gaining early entrance to the night’s featured event, the South Hill State of Mind show in the sprawling Broadway Ballroom.

The Ithaca College Jazz ensemble. (Photo Credit: Kerry Regan)

Most of the show’s student performers were in either the African Drumming and Dance Ensemble, which opened the show with a performance that somehow was simultaneously trance-inducing and attention getting, and the IC Jazz Ensemble, which expertly backed many of the alumni performers.

The show also served as something of a coming out party for new dean of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance—and the show’s host—Anne Hogan, who’d been on the job just three months and 11 days, she noted in her welcome.

“It's terrific for students to learn about and be inspired by the accomplishments of our alumni,” she said. “And in this evening showcase I see alumni who are seriously accomplished.”

Who Knows Where or When?

Eric Jordan Young ’93, a professor at Long Island University who has a wide range of producer, director, choreographer, entertainer, playwright and songwriter credits, including on Broadway and in television, was thrilled to be taking part. That night he sang two songs with the jazz ensemble: “Old Devil Moon” and “Where or When?”

“I jumped at the opportunity to sing with them,” he said. “It's one of the great music programs in the country.”

Alumni South Hill State of Mind Performers

Eric Jordan Young ’93 performs at the South Hill State of Mind show. (Photo Credit: Kerry Regan)

Young also took some time before the show to reconnect with old friends. “I'm looking around the room and seeing faces that I haven't seen in over 20-something years. Whenever you have some type of attachment to the people that you're performing for—and I do have—it heightens the experience.”

And once onstage, he noted on the appropriateness of the song “Where or When?” to the occasion (music by Richard Rogers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart):

“And so it seems that we have met before
And laughed before and loved before
But who knows where or when?”

Of course, in this case the laughter and love almost certainly had occurred during college days on South Hill.