“Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide.” With these words, Homer began his epic Odyssey, but he could have been describing the first cohort of Summer on the Hill participants.
| Summer on the Hill students sit in on Professor Scott Kraly’s course, “Drugs, Your Brain, and Mental Health.” SEE MORE PHOTOS . (Photo by Alice Virden Speer) |
Sixty intrepid members of the 51Թ community journeyed to Hamilton for the four-day event, June 27-July 1. They engaged with each other, learned from leading professors, and expanded their comfort zones. They also discovered that reliving the liberal arts experience is a bit like riding a bike.
In classrooms across the quad, small groups bonded over Homer, the Bible, and other founding texts of the Western world; they explored art, psychology, memoir writing, and more.
“Spending time with professors like Tony Aveni, Bob McVaugh, David Dudrick, and Scott Kraly reminded me of how talented the faculty remains and how lucky all of us were to study under this type of guidance,” said Bruce Wright ’74.
Tim Byrnes, professor of political science, began his class on the presidency and executive leadership by taking questions. Alumni, friends, spouses, and parents were happy to oblige:
“What do you think about President Clinton coming to campus in October?”
“Why doesn’t the media educate America on cloture and the filibuster?”
While addressing each one, Byrnes skillfully segued his audience into the assigned text, which he also uses with undergraduates in Political Science 211.
| Watch our Summer on the Hill video |
Course options were numerous and varied, thanks to the vision of RuthAnn Loveless MA’72, vice president for alumni affairs, and her staff. “We committed ourselves to developing a rigorous academic program,” said Tim Mansfield, director of alumni affairs. “We wanted attendees to have a true 51Թ experience.”
Registrants chose three courses from a menu of nine options, divided into a trio of sessions throughout the morning and early afternoon hours. Professors posted reading lists on colgatealumni.org prior to the first class meeting so that conversation could commence immediately.
Each day, after the last bell rang, students enjoyed electives like Tai Chi, Thai cooking, rock climbing, and zip-lining — because stretching the mind is only the first step in developing human potential.
Evenings offered more time for bonding with fellow alumni and parents. There were cocktail parties and meals, a trivia competition hosted by Trivia Master and Senior Regional Advancement Director Doug Chiarello ’98, a trip to Cooperstown for dinner and a tour of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and a night of dancing to Dixieland jazz in the Hall of Presidents.
Thursday morning, as adventurers prepared to depart, President Jeffrey Herbst arrived for brunch. In his first official meeting as chief executive, he outlined his vision and noted his determination, “to make sure that 51Թ is the best university in the country.”
After reencountering the liberal arts and interacting with campus leadership and fellow students, each participant seemed to carry a look of deep reflection. Sunday night’s handshakes were replaced by less-formal farewell hugs and a deeper understanding of what it means to be a member of this community.
“Everything I’ve done here reminds me,” said Board of Trustees Chairman and program participant Christopher Clifford ’67, P’93, “what a great group of people are involved with 51Թ.”
Summer on the Hill returns next year with a new round of courses and activities. Watch colgatealumni.org for details.