Celebration toasts campaign progress
From a bugle fanfare to the Alma Mater for soprano, music shaped the unfolding of
a gala evening kicking off Skidmore's "Creative Thought Bold Promise" campaign. The
event drew some 400 revelers to New York City's Gotham Hall in celebration of the
people and programs that the $200 million campaign will support.
In a special cameo appearance, Sam the bugler from the historic Saratoga racetrack
sounded the call to dinner. Hosts John Howley '80 and Billie Stein Tisch '48 - on
behalf of their fellow campaign co-chairs Sara Lee Lubin Schupf '62 and Susan Kettering
Williamson '59, opened the festivities. A musical interlude showcased violinist Mugi
Ayurzana '09, a freshman Filene Music Scholar from Mongolia; accompanying her solo
rendition of Mongolian folk themes were dancers Maggie Stack '09 (ballet) and Jessica
Herring '07 (modern).
Non-musical art and media also figured prominently. Along with an old-fashioned (but digitally high-tech) photo booth that inspired many a giggle and hug, the event featured large-scale video and still photo projections of students, alumni, and campus scenes.
Mary C. Lynn, the Douglas Family Professor of American Culture, outlined the college's "Legacy and Leadership". Three alumni described their "Passions": Heather Hurst '97, an archaeological illustrator who won a MacArthur grant for her masterful re-creations of ancient Mayan art; Felicia Axelrod '62, a physician whose pioneering work in childhood dysautonomia has dramatically improved its care; and Gene Friedman '92, a Russian immigrant and entrepreneur who introduced the first hybrid-fuel vehicles in the New York City taxi fleet. Skidmore's "Promise" was discussed "and embodied" by alumni Ben Fox '96, Christine Wright Hanley '76 (also parent of an '06 grad), and Wanda Swann Ibru '79 (also parent '08).
Suzanne Corbet Thomas '62, who chairs Skidmore's board, and President Philip Glotzbach thanked those who have fueled the campaign's strong start. Glotzbach sparked big applause when he announced that commitments now totaled $121 million after just two and a half years. Citing the power of small actions to amplify into major effects, he stressed the importance of further individual acts of support for the creative passion and promise that defines Skidmore. The evening closed with a rendition of the Alma Mater sung by Sylvia Stoner '94, a concert soprano (and a lecturer in Skidmore's music department this year), with Professor Tom Denny on piano and Filene freshman Ayurzana on violin. - SR
