CSI/CUNY News Release
	For Immediate Release - Monday October 6, 2003

CSI alumni, faculty reunite

Former students, faculty and friends reunite at the College of Staten Island’s Willowbrook campus for a day of learning, networking and fun.

CSI’s third annual Alumni Day honors the classes of 1973 and 1978, on their 30th and 25th anniversaries respectively.

On Saturday October 25, during a day that starts with coffee and ends with a luncheon, CSI faculty will present six compelling programs that focus on war, history, health science, transportation, pop culture, and personal growth.

“Confronting the War Machine: Draft Resistance during the Vietnam War.” Michael Foley discusses his recent book that tells the story of draft resistance, the cutting edge of the antiwar movement at the height of the war's escalation. Unlike draft dodgers, who left the country or manipulated deferments, draft resisters openly defied draft laws by turning in their draft cards and refusing induction.

• “New York, Year by Year, A Chronology of the Great Metropolis.” Jeffrey Kroessler discusses his recent book, named Best of Reference by the New York Public Library, highlighting the significant, memorable, and interesting events in the city's long history, from Giovanni da Verrazano's discovery of the harbor in 1524 through the tragic events of 2001.

• Touring the Tomato and Other Macromolecular Tales. Ruth Stark discusses how plants as well as animals can fall victim to disease, and how the outer skin of fruits and vegetables form their first line of defense. She continues by discussing how CSI researchers seek an in-depth understanding this plant protection and it relevance to crop protection, and implications for new waterproofing materials.

• Transportation: Where Are We Going and How Are We Going to Get There? Jonathan R. Peters and Cameron Gordon discuss recent transportation trends, urban planning, regional development, traffic congestion, and energy consumption.

• “Emergency Broadcasting and 1930s American Radio.” Edward D. Miller discusses his book and how new media are changed by commercialization. He looks at the rise of free-form and underground FM radio in the late 1960s as a way to explain the recent--and seemingly unprecedented--popularization of the Internet via the World Wide Web.

• Staying Alive: Approaching Life with Wit, Wisdom, and Witality. Irene Deitch examines how we confront challenges that often block our growth and well-being; apply psychological principles that enable us to cope with change, crisis, and calories; develop personal strategies designed to enhance our quality of life.

• CSI’s Alumni Day begins Saturday October 25 at the college’s Center for the Arts with registration and coffee at 9:15 a.m., presentations at 10:00 a.m., and a Celebration of Excellence Luncheon at 12:15 p.m.

After the luncheon, retired faculty and staff, lead by Peter Spiridon and Stamos Zades, reunite to dedicate a tree in memory of Walter Willig, the first president of Staten Island Community College.

Reservations for CSI’s Alumni Day 2003 are required. The day is free for retired faculty and $20 for everyone else.

For additional information about Alumni Day, or to make reservations, contact CSI’s alumni office at 718-982-2290.

The College of Staten Island (CSI) is a senior college of The City University of New York (CUNY), the nation’s leading urban university. CSI offers 35 academic programs, 15 graduate degree programs, and challenging doctoral programs to 12,000 students.

The 204-acre landscaped campus of CSI, the largest in NYC, is fully accessible and contains an advanced, networked infrastructure to support technology-based teaching, learning, and research. For more information, visit www.csi.cuny.edu

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