How to: Host a Movie and Food Night
Film critic and food aficionado Erich Van Dussen ’89 offers recommendations for some delicious watch parties. by Robyn Rime When it comes to food porn, “Big Night” is the gold standard. “It checks every box,” says Erich Van Dussen ’89, director of communications at Hillside, a multistate nonprofit based in Rochester, and — more to the point — longtime movie reviewer for Messenger Post and other upstate New York media outlets. “It’s a...
A Finder of Hidden Gems
Environmental educator Conrad Baker ’14 combines his journalism background with his enthusiasm for nature. by Robyn Rime From the joy of seeing his first-ever mourning cloak butterfly to the architectural history of an old stone wall, Conrad Baker ’14 finds magic in nature’s details. Happily, as an environmental educator for Letchworth State Park, he gets to share that enchantment with others every day. “In some ways, Western New York...
First Words: Freedom of Inquiry
As a student, David Levy ’94 was inspired by class discourse about life’s infinite questions. As a philosophy professor, he now inspires those same discussions. By Kris Dreessen David Levy ’94 enrolled at Geneseo with a much different career plan than his current position as associate professor and chair of philosophy. “I grew up watching all those 1980s-era, Perry Mason-type movies and reading Agatha Christie novels,” he says. “I...
VIDEO: A Finder of Hidden Natural Gems
Meet English major Conrad Baker ’14, who turned his love of nature and exploration into a career in multimedia and outdoor education at Letchworth State Park. Storytelling, which he developed at Geneseo, is the basis of his work.
“SUNY G Believe”
The rallying cry for student-athletes created by cross-country Coach Mike Woods caught on with every team. By Riley Damerell “SUNY G Believe” has been the rallying cry for the most successful athletic programs at SUNY Geneseo for nearly 30 years, but what does it mean, and where does it come from? Mike Woods ’69, ’82 MA, beloved cross-country and track and field coach for 23 years (1978-2015), was known for his success with...
The Ripple Effect
An alum and teacher sparked a love of photography in Keith Walters ’11, leading him to Geneseo and his life’s work. By Keith Walters ’11 The idea of ripple effects has always intrigued me: how one action can have a profound impact on the future. My ripple effect began in the early 1990s. I was only 5, but I like to think that’s when my journey to Geneseo began. During that time, 1995, a man named Gregory Ahlquist graduated from...
Q & A: Half a Century Passes, But Important Things Stay the Same
Karen Brown Bryant ’74 and Clara Worrall ’22 celebrate what makes Geneseo special in any era. By Kris Dreessen This spring, Clara Worrall ’22 will graduate with degrees in French and chemistry and a minor in anthropology. She started her four years at Geneseo navigating outdoor challenges with other first-year students in the Adirondack Mountains, and she has since studied abroad in Western Africa, completed an internship in a...
The Unofficial Mayor of Geneseo
George Gagnier graduated in 1988 — and has been a mentor and athletics behind-the-scenes guru ever since. By Brett Ford After being part of SUNY Geneseo in one capacity or another for nearly 40 years, George Gagnier ’88 has become one of Geneseo’s most recognizable faces — both on and off campus. He strikes up conversations with nearly every employee he passes and is seemingly omnipresent at campus events and activities. “I refer...
Looking Back, From the Class of 1948
Joyce Perry Johnson loves reading and has learned listening is most important. By Kris Dreessen Joyce Perry Johnson ’48 spent her first year as a Geneseo student in Emerson Hall, sharing the large boarding house with 15 other women. World War II wasn’t over, and the lack of male students — only one among the 300-plus undergrads — meant all men’s sports were canceled. She and her friends used to walk to the movie theater and diners on...
Geneseo Stories — Including Yours
Alumni Relations is publishing an oral history project to celebrate 150 years. By Kris Dreessen Learn more about the Oral History Project and submit your own Geneseo story. An hour-long tour that made the campus feel like home. A visit with an admissions counselor who offered new possibilities to attend college. Friends made in the first days on campus who are like family 40 years later. Alumni remember their college experience as...
