Total Clips: 12

Headline		Date	Outlet
	Taste: 'Tis Not Simple to Give Gifts	07/13/2007	Wall Street Journal
	Exploring the Prehistory of Europe, in a Few Bold Leaps	07/13/2007	Science Magazine
	‘We Doubled Our Color’	07/11/2007	In-Plant Graphics
	Stanley Cup Coming to Colgate	07/11/2007	NewsChannel 2 at 6 PM Weekend - WKTV-TV
	Hailing the History of New York's Yellow Cabs	07/08/2007	National Public Radio (NPR) - New York Bureau
	Cup coming to Colgate- Syracuse.com	07/08/2007	Post-Standard
	Doug Taylor: Creator of ice soccer - mlive.com	07/06/2007	Ann Arbor News, The
	"Sticker shock" teens deserve encouragement	07/05/2007	Post-Standard
	Cohoes Grandpa enjoying bragging rights times 3	07/05/2007	Times Union
	Q&A with Mark Dekanich	07/05/2007	Hockey's Future - USA
	2007-07-05: New York Cabdriver	07/05/2007	CRI (China Radio International) English
	Track meet unites King and Kosciuszko	07/02/2007	Buffalo News

Taste: 'Tis Not Simple to Give Gifts 07/13/2007 Wall Street Journal Sahner, Christian	Return to Top
The moody graphics and pulsing soundtrack of Karma Tycoon convey the look of your typical video game. Absent, however, are the M-16s, camouflage humvees and vampires that fill the screens of most of its competition. Karma Tycoon is all about another type of thrill-seeking: youth philanthropy. Confused? Karma Tycoon is a joint venture between the Web-based youth volunteerism organization Do Something and corporate partner JPMorgan Chase. Their goal: to teach middle- and high-school kids about "fiscal responsibility and social entrepreneurship." Players are encouraged to support charitable causes, such as community centers and senior citizen homes. The greater the effect these initiatives have, the more a player's "karma" increases. Along the way, players learn the mechanics of philanthropy, from soliciting grant applications to dolling out loans and reviewing the success of their projects. "We want to convert the time kids spend playing video games into time they spend learning how to help their communities through philanthropy," Nancy Lublin, CEO of Do Something, told me. "Karma Tycoon is like a vitamin in a Twinkee." The game is part of a recent general effort, taking various forms, to teach young people about charitable giving. It's not hard to see why such an effort is needed. The nonprofit sector has witnessed phenomenal growth in the past 20 years, and it will be looking for even more philanthropy-savvy workers and leaders as baby boomers -- not a few of them embarrassingly prosperous -- retire and funnel some of their money to charitable causes. Americans gave a record $300 billion to charity last year, according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Classes at more than 125 universities expose students to the nonprofit world, mostly through managerial training, accounting and study of nonprofit policy. Classes at a smaller number of institutions try to examine philanthropy using a wider lens. Robert Rycroft, a professor at Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, Va., teaches a philanthropy course "from the perspective of economics." But at other colleges, he told me, "they approach philanthropy from political science, commerce, sociology, leadership studies. This is a topic that embraces a lot of different fields." Many of the new philanthropy courses are being offered thanks to grants from outside foundations. At Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y., a $10,000 gift from the Brennan Family Foundation established the Upstate Institute Student Philanthropy Council, a year-long noncredit course in which students learn to run a nonprofit. After studying the history of philanthropy and management strategies, students solicit applications from local community groups. This year, 16 proposals came in, which students then judged according to criteria they designed themselves. The selection process included on-site visits and a formalized review process, culminating in awards from the foundation given to four groups. "This was our first year, and so it was very risky," Ellen Kraly, the program director, said. "But the students were not bleeding hearts; they were serious, and tried to stretch their dollars as far as they could." Critics say that courses whose budgets come from outside grants or from university funds miss a critical component of any philanthropic enterprise: fund raising. According to Leslie Lenkowsky, a professor of philanthropic studies at Indiana University and the former head of President Bush's Corporation for National and Community Service, "the best undergraduate courses engage students in raising money, not just receiving it. The key to a successful program is not simply acquiring managerial skills but a holistic sense of how philanthropy works." But a well-rounded education should mean not only learning to bring in and give out money but also studying the philosophical foundations of charity. James Smith, whose work at Georgetown University has provided a model for newer courses at Colgate and elsewhere, said that he draws heavily on Aristotle, Cicero and Tocqueville in his courses on philanthropy. "My objective is to show there's a long charitable tradition rooted in many traditions throughout history." American Humanics, a national alliance of colleges and nonprofits, offers students a certificate of competency in nonprofit work if they fulfill course requirements in a range of fields, including ethics. The momentum behind these courses comes from a new generation of civic-minded students eager to take volunteerism to the next level, according to these professors and other philanthropy experts. "'Volunteering' is something your grandma did," Mr. Lenkowsky explained. By contrast, when young people use language like "philanthropy" and "social entrepreneurship" these days, they are trying to give their community outreach a greater sense of scope, sophistication and seriousness. Nancy Lublin, of the volunteer organization Do Something, notes that philanthropy plays a part in young people's choice of heroes. "Kids in middle and high school idolize Warren Buffett, but they have no idea what Berkshire-Hathaway is," she remarked. "They think he's cool because he gave away $30 billion last year." The shift from the lemonade stand to the philanthropy desk may be emblematic of a generation known for its impatience and sense of entitlement, but it also shows the group's admirable desire to address problems outside their local universe. On one level, today's youth philanthropy movement is intensely pragmatic: It's about adults equipping students with the tools to run nonprofits and effectively distribute charitable funds. But on another level, it points to a new sensitivity and shrewdness students have toward giving and its impact on their community. As Aristotle wrote in the "Ethics": "To give away money is an easy matter in any man's power. But to decide to whom to give it, and how large and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man's power nor an easy matter." That's where the video games come in.
Exploring the Prehistory of Europe, in a Few Bold Leaps 07/13/2007 Science Magazine	Return to Top
Colgate's Albert Ammerman, Olive B. O'Connor Professor in the humanities in the Department of Classics, was the subject of this lengthy profile in Science magazine, a prestigious academic journal.
‘We Doubled Our Color’ 07/11/2007 In-Plant Graphics	Return to Top
Compared to last year, color printing at Colgate University’s in-plant has jumped 96 percent since the Hamilton, N.Y., shop installed a pair of Xerox 250s. But the best part, says Bob Keats, director of Document and Mail Services, is the quality of that color. “We really, really, really liked the quality of the printing,” he says. “It’s much better than what we had previously.” Another boon: the operators can replace many of the parts themselves. “You don’t have to wait for a service guy,” Keats says. This is a big deal because of the in-plant’s semi-remote location, in central New York state. The shop is using an EFI Fiery front end, which allows it to switch jobs between its Xerox printers and black-and-white Canon equipment. Click charges dropped 25 percent with the new equipment, he says. Add in the improved quality, and customers have found the combination irresistible. “Because of the price points I can run to higher quantities and be competitive with offset,” Keats says.
Stanley Cup Coming to Colgate 07/11/2007 NewsChannel 2 at 6 PM Weekend - WKTV-TV	Return to Top
Former Colgate University hockey player and current Anaheim Ducks standout Andy McDonald ’00 will bring the Stanley Cup to Hamilton on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 11. The village and university will hold a special ceremony to honor the achievements of McDonald and the Stanley Cup champion Ducks, followed by a public viewing of the Cup and autograph session with McDonald. The celebration will begin at 9:30 a.m., at the north end of the Village Green in front of the Colgate Inn, which is located at the corner of Broad and Payne streets, in the area adjacent to the Hamilton Farmer’s Market. McDonald and the Cup are scheduled to arrive between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. When McDonald and the Cup arrive, a brief ceremony will take place on the patio in front of the Colgate Inn. The ceremony will include remarks by Hamilton mayor Sue McVaugh, Colgate University president Rebecca Chopp, Colgate head men’s hockey coach Don Vaughan, and McDonald. Following the introduction of McDonald and the Cup, fans will have approximately one hour to view the Cup, take photos, and obtain autographs from McDonald. Each fan in attendance will have the opportunity to receive an 8x10 print of McDonald hoisting the Cup on the ice after Anaheim ’s victory. McDonald is the first former Raider to win the Stanley Cup as a player. He was instrumental in helping Anaheim win the Cup on home ice in five games, scoring two goals and an assist in the Ducks’ Game 4 win in Ottawa . With 10 playoff goals, McDonald finished the playoffs as the NHL’s second-leading goal scorer, and he was fourth on the Ducks with 14 playoff points; he had five goals and seven points during the finals.
Hailing the History of New York's Yellow Cabs 07/08/2007 National Public Radio (NPR) - New York Bureau Smith, Robert	Return to Top
** To listen to the follwing segment, go to http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11804573. ROBERT SMITH, host: New York City is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the motorized taxicab this year. Well, celebrating maybe is an exaggeration. Most New Yorkers are more worried about finding a cab than wishing it a happy 100th birthday. (Soundbite of indistinct conversation) SMITH: After work in midtown Manhattan, commuters do this bizarre urban dance to capture the cabdriver’s attention. Unidentified Man #1 (Resident, New York City): Yeah, you jump in front of it. SMITH: You got to jump right in there. Unidentified Man #1: No, I mean jump in front of the car. Their eyes are so straight. They don’t even think about looking to the side. Unidentified Man #2 (Resident, New York City): Get in front of a hotel or a bank. Unidentified Woman #1 (Resident, New York City): Run in front of people and just – and not steal their cab but run in front of people and be aggressive. Yeah. You steal it. SMITH: For 100 years, New Yorkers have known the reality of the old joke: You can always find a cab until you actually need one. Professor GRAHAM HODGES (History, Colgate University; Author, “Taxi! A Social History of the New York City Cabdriver”): Cabdrivers are a part of city life that people either take for granted or I’ll say have sort of a love-hate relationship. SMITH: Graham Hodges should know. He was a cabdriver in the 1970s. Now he’s a professor of history at Colgate University. He wrote the new book “Taxi! A Social History of the New York City Cabdriver. In fact he points out that the first metered cabs arrived in 1907 because of an irate customer. Prof. HODGES: There was a young financier named Harry N. Allen, who was built one night, and he and his girlfriend were coming back to the theater and they were charged $5, which was an extortionate amount for a very short ride. SMITH: Allen got his revenge by importing 65 shiny red cabs from Europe with a feature that ensured he would never be cheated again - the taximeter clicking away every tenth of a mile. (Soundbite of film “Speedy”) SMITH: Early silent films from the time show how successful his idea was. In this Harold Lloyd classic, “Speedy,” our hero swerves a cab through the chaotic streets of New York. (Soundbite of film “Speedy”) Prof. HODGES: There were no traffic lights, no parking regulations, so add to these new high-powered metal machines and yes it could be very dangerous and very difficult to comprehend. (Soundbite of music) SMITH: And this was when the stereotype of the modern cabdriver was born – aggressive, pushy, willing to do anything for a buck. In the 1930 film “Taxi Tangle,” a policeman gives a cabdriver the third degree. (Soundbite of movie “Taxi Tangled”) Unidentified Man #3 (Actor): (As policeman) Didn’t you hear me blow that whistle? Unidentified Man #4 (Actor): (As cabdriver) No, so sorry sir. I’m sorry I’m a little bit deaf. Unidentified Man #3: (As policeman) I ought to give you a ticket but I don’t suppose you can read either? Unidentified Man #4: (As cabdriver) Also. Prof. HODGES: Early on, it was very easy to get a license… (Soundbite of whistle blowing) Prof. HODGES: …all you needed were - as one person described - a couple of greasy letters of recommendation and off you went. So there was no sense or a limit on the number of cabs on the street and it was a job for which native- born Americans and recently arrived immigrants so their sons could quickly get a toehold into New York life and make some fast money. SMITH: The streets were filled with cabs, especially during the Depression, when driving became one of the last hopes for the unemployed. In the 1930s, it became clear that regulation was needed. New York City capped the number of taxis in the city. When the war came, those limits plus an economic boom saved the industry. (Soundbite of movie “On the Town”) Unidentified Woman #2 (Actress): (As unidentified character) Taxi, taxi. SMITH: In the 1949 movie musical “On the Town,” we’re introduced to a strange new creature - the female cab driver. Unidentified Woman #2: (As unidentified character) Sorry, no more fares today. I’m turning in the cab. It’s overdue. Unidentified Man #5 (Actor): (As unidentified character) Oh please, mister. Hey, he’s a girl. What are you doing driving a cab? The war is over. Unidentified Woman #2: (As unidentified character) I never give up anything I like. Get in. SMITH: The drivers weren’t the only thing that was changing. The cabs themselves had gone from red to brown and white, to yellow and, of course, the famous Checker cab, and the public perception of cab drivers changed. They weren’t just portrayed as criminals and dopes in the movies anymore, but as lovable streetwise philosophers, dispensing tourist advice and folk wisdom. Training films from the ‘50s touted it as a respectable profession. (Soundbite of a 1950s training film) Unidentified Man #6 (Actor): (As unidentified character) It is a highly competitive business and the perspective operator should study the field carefully before making an investment. SMITH: Even Popeye got its hacked license. (Soundbite of TV show “Popeye”) Unidentified Woman #3 (Voice talent): (As unidentified character) Yoo-hoo, taxi. Unidentified Man #7 (Voice talent): (As Popeye) Well, I’m not missing this fare. Unidentified Woman #3: (As unidentified character) Twentieth Street and (unintelligible) Street, Driver. SMITH: Driving a cab was one way of making it in America. Remember those limits on taxi medallions, the city put into effect? Those medallions became extremely valuable quickly. In the film “The Catered Affair,” Ernest Borgnine plays a cabdriver. Unidentified Man #8 (Actor): (As unidentified character) You own your cab, do you? Mr. ERNEST BORGNINE (Actor): (As Tom Hurley) Well, I have plans of buying one, yes, but first you got to get this medallion and the going price right now is in the neighborhood of $8,000. SMITH: But even at that price, it was a great investment. The medallion today could be worth as much as $600,000, but the tough times were not over for most cabdrivers. Historian Graham Hodges started driving a taxi in 1971. Prof. HODGES: New York City is going through a nightmare phase in the 1970s and early 1980s. During the period of heavy drug addiction, they were targets. SMITH: The iconic portrayal of the dark side of the profession came in 1976. Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle in “Taxi Driver.” (Soundbite of movie “Taxi Driver”) Mr. ROBERT DE NIRO (Actor): (As Travis Bickle) All the animals come out at night, muggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, sick venom. Someday a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets. Prof. HODGES: My argument about “Taxi Driver” the movie is that whereas before Hackmen(ph) has always been seen as part of the New York City community. Now, they’re not. They’re seen as dangerous and somewhat psychotic. And so when New York City drivers become more immigrant in the 1980s, the arrival of Pakistanis and Indians, of West Africans, race becomes a mix with that perception that cab drivers and other Americans are not going to mix. SMITH: These days it’s more common to have your cabdriver talking on a cell phone to relatives on the other side of the world than philosophizing to the passengers in the backseat. But still, it does happen occasionally. Earlier this week, I caught a cab to Penn Station and got into a conversation with my driver. Mr. ROGER MONANI(ph) (Cabdriver, New York City): My name is Roger Monani. SMITH: And you’ve driven a cab for how long? Mr. MONANI: A year and a half. SMITH: For a hundred years, cabdrivers have been complaining that it’s a lousy way to make a living. Yet there are still people who line up to do it, why is that? Mr. MONANI: I guess it’s a quick way for cash and most of the drivers they’re not qualified or educated, and they’re all immigrants basically. I’ll drive as long as I can or I have to. (Soundbite of taximeter) Mr. MONANI: 12.90. SMITH: 12.90. Well, there you go. You can keep that. Thanks. Mr. MONANI: Thank you. Have a good day. SMITH: Monani eases his taxi back into traffic as cab drivers have done now for 100 years, looking for a fare and headed uptown. You can read more about how the modern taxicab system in New York City got its start at npr.org. You’re listening to WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News.
Cup coming to Colgate- Syracuse.com 07/08/2007 Post-Standard Kramer, Lindsay	Return to Top
Colgate University hockey coach Don Vaughan used to joke with star forward Andy McDonald that when the player someday won the Stanley Cup, he needed to bring it back to Hamilton. "At that point, it was sure, no problem," Vaughan recalled of McDonald's reaction. "It was easy to say yes when you don't have to actually follow through on it." A promise is a promise, though, and it leapt from fanciful daydream to reality when McDonald's Anaheim Ducks won the prized chalice this spring. Now, McDonald plans on splitting his precious 24 hours with the hardware between his two homes. Plans are nearly complete for McDonald to bring the cup to Hamilton the morning of August 11. Following a ceremony and public viewing on the Village Green, McDonald and the trophy will get on a jet whose use has been donated by an anonymous Colgate alumni and fly 359 miles due west to his hometown of Strathroy, Ontario. "It means a lot to me personally and everyone at Colgate that Andy thought enough of us to do this," Vaughan said. "He's been very gracious. It's really unbelievable that he's followed through on this." The school just needs to clear up some customs issues and get approval for use of the Village Green from the village board at a meeting Tuesday. That second condition shouldn't be a problem. Village Mayor Sue McVaugh and her family housed McDonald when he was a freshman at Colgate. "I said no way will permission be given for anything unless the mayor gets to be part of this," she joked. It's going to be a great event. I know we're going to have hockey playing kids wearing Ducks shirts." After the ceremony, fans should have about an hour for pictures and autographs. Every fan will receive a picture of McDonald hoisting the Cup. All members of the winning Stanley Cup team get a day with the trophy to take almost wherever they please. Last year, Carolina's Erik Cole brought it back to his hometown of Oswego. McDonald, who could not be reached for comment Friday, is the first former Raider to win the Cup as a player and his 10 post-season goals led all the Ducks. In a playing career that spanned 1997-2000 with Colgate, he contributed 155 points. Vaughan said he first raised the possibility of a Cup visit for real a couple of weeks after the Ducks' win. "He said if we can make it happen, I'd love to do it," Vaughan said. The momentum of McDonald's joyride has even forced Vaughan to reconsider his NHL allegiances. He is from the Ottawa area and is usually a fan of the team that lost to Anaheim in the Finals, the Ottawa Senators. Vaughan attended game 3 of the series in Ottawa, getting great seats through the Senators' front office. McDonald jokingly made Vaughan promise that he wouldn't show up in a Senators jersey. That proved to be a non-issue. Loudly cheering on his former player, Vaughan had to fight the urge to pull on a Ducks seater right then and there. "I was a little bit torn, but it didn't take long to know where my allegiance was," Vaughan said. "I was rooting for Andy."
Doug Taylor: Creator of ice soccer - mlive.com 07/06/2007 Ann Arbor News, The	Return to Top
More than 13 years after receiving the patent for his version of ice soccer, Brighton Township's Doug Taylor still is fighting to gain acceptance for the sport. Taylor, 64, who invented the game for a winter party in 1987 and got his patent in 1994, is encouraged by the latest development. The Traverse City Castaways chose ice soccer as its showcase fundraiser. Twenty former "Survivor'' participants played an exhibition game on June 9, raising money for local charities. "You've got to overcome some perceptions to get it accepted. This event in Traverse City will go a long way to do it,'' he says. Organizer Tammy Schuster says the Survivors "had a blast.'' "It is something we would chose to do again,'' she says. "It's fast-paced. It's fun. It's definitely a workout.'' Taylor launched the company, Taylor Sports LLC, to sell his D-GEL shoe-boots, designed for high traction on ice, and the Boot'r, a pillow-like ball that allows "controllable and sustainable play.'' Both are available from his Web site, www.icesoccer.com. In the last year, he says he's mailed information to more than 100 winter festivals in seven states and to more than 100 colleges and universities to create intramural programs for the sport. Colgate University students played an exhibition game in 2005. "The whole thing is to create an understanding and awareness that this not a bogus sport,'' he says. He says the resistance he faces happens with all new ideas, from snowboarding (ski hills originally banned it) to ice cream. "When chocolate ice cream was introduced, it was rejected. It was a dirty color,'' he says. The cost and lack of available ice time also are concerns. "This has been a laborious undertaking. I need a staff of three people and an infusion of $100,000,'' Taylor says.
"Sticker shock" teens deserve encouragement 07/05/2007 Post-Standard	Return to Top
To the Editor: I would just like to take a moment to congratulate the members of SWAT, Students Working for Alcohol Truths, on their "Sticker Shock" campaign, which took place June 25 at Price Chopper in Oneida. They were able to cover over 500 cases of alcohol with stickers that warn of the legal repercussions for providing a minor with alcohol. They are sending the right message to our community by reminding adults that providing minors with alcohol is illegal and dangerous. These youth are providing our community with an admirable service and should be commended for their efforts. For this reason, it was rather disappointing to read the article reporting on the "Sticker Shock" campaign in The Post-Standard last Tuesday. The article refers to the placement of warning stickers on alcohol as property defacement, stating: "A bunch of teenagers strolled into the store and started defacing 12 packs of beer." This does not seem like an appropriate or accurate way to depict the actions taken by these youth. The entire purpose of their efforts was to safeguard their peers and to make their community a safer place. It is simply wrong to make it seem as though what they were doing was offensive or illegal. It is very difficult as a teenager to do what the youth of SWAT have done. They are standing up for something that they believe is right. These teens deserve nothing but the encouragement and appreciation of our entire community. Liz Harkins Student, Colgate University Hamilton
Cohoes Grandpa enjoying bragging rights times 3 07/05/2007 Times Union Parry, Marc	Return to Top
If you bump into Allan Van Vranken at his Cohoes garage, he might start to brag. Indulge him. He deserves it. His granddaughter, Mellissa Cross, graduated first in her high school class. His other granddaughter, Paige, finished second. And his grandson, Adam, finished third. Now the high-achieving triplets are bound for the same New York university: Colgate. "I don't know where they get their brains from," said Van Vranken, 69, of Latham. "Sure didn't get 'em from me. I'm just an auto mechanic." The triplets' mother, Deborah Cross, graduated from Shaker High School in Colonie. Cross and her husband were both Marines, meaning the kids moved around a lot: Virginia, Missouri, Japan and then the small Cortland County town of Marathon. The Marathon Central High School graduates are good friends. They had to be, with all that moving. "A lot of people are really surprised that we get along," said Paige Cross, 18. "I think they're used to having siblings not even like each other." A lot of people are also surprised they wanted to go to college together. They didn't plan it that way, their mother insists. Then again, they did apply to the exact same schools. Mellissa (born at 9:01 a.m.) is interested in science. Adam (9:02) likes history and psychology. And Paige (9:04) likes English and languages.
Q&A with Mark Dekanich 07/05/2007 Hockey's Future - USA Gunning, Holly	Return to Top
One of the most underrated prospects the Nashville Predators organization, Mark Dekanich has all the tools to be a very successful NHL goaltender. He is extremely quick, a good skater, and has his head in the right place. Drafted in 2006 at the age of 20, two years later than most prospects, the now 21-year-old Dekanich has put up great numbers at Colgate University, a .924 save percentage as a sophomore in 2005-06 and a .923 save percentage as a junior in 2006-07. The 6’2, 192-pound North Vancouver, BC native took part in the Nashville Predators 2007 prospects conditioning camp this past week. There he roomed with 25-year-old goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris, who was at the camp as a free agent invitee, but who as since been signed by the organization. With the signing of Grumet-Morris and the expected graduation of Pekka Rinne to Nashville, there’s another AHL spot to be filled this season, and Dekanich is certainly skilled and developed enough to handle the work. But he would have to forego his senior season at Colgate for that to happen. Hockey’s Future spoke to Dekanich after a day’s work in which some of the most experienced shooters put the goaltenders though the ringer, using a contraption that looked a lot like a free-standing wooden blackboard. The design of it hides the motions of the shooter, and all that can below be seen is the puck and blade of the stick. HF: Some of these drills were a little unfair for the goalies, weren’t they? MD: It’s all fun. It’s these guys’ job to score and it’s our job to stop it. It’s all good fun and a lot of competition. HF: What was the hardest drill that you did out there? MD: Certainly it was the screen board down at the far end where you can’t see the shot coming underneath or the skater coming on either side. I’ve never done anything like that before and (laughs) it was pretty tough, but I think it will be helpful. HF: Do you think that’s the toughest drill you’ve ever done? MD: Oh yeah, by far. HF: Maybe you could make one at home. How are your woodworking skills? MD: I took woodworking in high school so I’ll see what I can do (smiles). HF: This is your first prospects camp. MD: Yep. I got drafted last year and couldn’t make it unfortunately, but I was really excited to come down this year – work hard and train hard for it – I’m happy to be here. HF: What kind of activities have you been doing? MD: Oh, we’ve been doing a little bit of everything. Climbing poles, yesterday doing the pamper pole – you climb up a tower, a 40-50 foot pole, stand on the top and jump about 10 feet to grab onto a trapeze. It was pretty scary but I think a lot of us conquered our fears. HF: Did you know anyone before you got here? MD: Yeah, actually I’ve been skating most of the summer with the Santorelli brothers and I grew up playing with Mike. HF: How long have you been doing summer training with them? MD: Well, my first year of bantam I played on Mike’s team and then since I started college, we’ve been skating in the summers. We get a bunch of college and WHL guys in the morning and go out and skate 3-on-3. HF: Mike and Mark (drafted in 2007) seem to have similar strengths and weaknesses, would you agree? MD: Yeah, I can’t really tell them apart (laughs). They’re both pretty crafty players with great hands and good speed. They both great players. HF: Mike scored a lot of goals last year (the CCHA's leading regular-season goal scorer with 30). Is his shot tricky for goalies? MD: Yeah, it didn’t surprise me when I saw that – his hands around the net are phenomenal. He’s just so quick with the puck and can make you do anything he wants you to do and then put it in the net. HF: Are you starting to feel more a part of the organization now? MD: Yeah, for sure. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of new people and I’m really proud and excited to be a part of this organization. I’d like to play here in future for sure. HF: Did you attend the draft last year? MD: No, I was working, I couldn’t attend. It was in my hometown of Vancouver, but I couldn’t attend. I was drafted in the fifth round so I wasn’t going to go up on stage or anything like that. The only person in the organization I met before I got here was their amateur scout Jeff Kealty, who came and interviewed me while I was working in Boston. HF: Why were you working in Boston? MD: I had an internship last summer with the Kraematon Group and that was located in Wellesleyk, Mass. Me and my goalie partner from Colgate worked there for six weeks. It’s a financial planning company. HF: Is financial planning something you want to do when you finish playing then? MD: Um, it’s a possibility. I was just looking for a job and the owner of the company was a Colgate graduate and he always offers Colgate hockey players a chance to work for his company. It was a really good experience and I learned a lot. HF: You were passed over in the draft in 2005. Were you OK with that because you were expecting it? MD: Exactly. I was completely expecting it. I only played in five games I think that year. I hadn’t talked to any teams so I didn’t expect to be drafted at all and I don’t think I deserved to be drafted at that point for what I’d done. I was looking to make an impression the next year. HF: So you were just slow to get on people’s radars? MD: Well, actually my second year in junior, the year before I left for college, I was ranked by Central Scouting 30th in North America for goalies, so that was a little bit on the bubble. I didn’t know if I was going to go or not that year and I ended up not going and that was fine with me. I just decided to keep on working hard, keep performing. No one can argue with results. I was also in a junior A league (BCHL) that doesn’t get as much NHL exposure as the WHL or OHL. I’m happy now that I am where I am and I’m excited about the opportunity that I’m going to have. HF: You look really good laterally, would you say that’s one of your best assets? MD: Yeah, I think I’m quick for my size. I’m pretty mobile for a big guy. I just try to stop the puck day in and day out. HF: Have you ever been in a goalie fight? MD: No I never have been. Almost twice in junior, but I’ve never been in a fight and I’ll probably keep it that way. I’m not the toughest guy out there. HF: Why did you pick goaltender as a kid? MD: I think like most of us started out, a team needs a goalie or you try it out once or twice and you think you look cool with all the gear on. And that was me. I started playing goalie when I was 10 years old. I wanted to be cool, the team needed a goalie, so I tried it out and I loved it. HF: Your parents didn’t mind the expensive gear? MD: No, they didn’t mind. They’ve always been very supportive of me and I’m very fortunate to have parents who support me like that. HF: Do you have a goaltending coach at school? MD: Yeah, we have a volunteer goaltending coach. He was a Colgate grad in 2002 I think. He just came on this year, Jason Lefevre. HF: Do you feel like he’s helped you? MD: Yeah, we work on a lot of lateral stuff, and stuff around the net. Little technical things that you can’t be too good at. Throughout the season I think that’s the most important thing for me – keep my mechanics set and keep working on them. HF: Do you think Colgate has a good outlook for the year? MD: Absolutely. We have lots of guys coming back and a good recruiting class – five new guys coming in. A couple new defensemen who should be making an impact pretty quickly. We’re set, we have a good outlook. We were slated to be No. 1 at the start of last season and I don’t think that’s going to happen this year. I think that put a lot of extra pressure on us. I think we’ll have a good start and hopefully build off that. HF: You’re a history major, what got you interested in that and what’s your favorite topic? MD: I don’t know what got me interested in it. I had always watched a little bit of the History Channel growing up and stuff like that. We never really had too many history courses when I was in high school, because the Canadian high school system is so much different than the American high school system. When I got down to school, I took an American history class my second semester freshman year and that sort of set me off and I really enjoyed it and started taking history classes since then. Specifically, I don’t really know if I have a focus area. I’ve been taking classes on Europe, Mexico, America, all that stuff. I like it all. HF: You’ll have to do a senior thesis though, right? MD: Yeah. (laughs) I’m not too sure what I’m going to do it on yet. I think my seminar is in 20th century American history so we’ll see how it goes. HF: Just to make sure, are you going back to school? MD: As of right now, yes. HF: If Nashville wants you to turn pro, how would you feel about that? MD: That would be a big decision I’d have to make if the opportunity arose, but right now I’m set on going back to school. I haven’t heard anything otherwise so that’s the plan right now. It’s a matter of one year and Colgate’s a really good academic school and that degree would mean a lot after my hockey career was done. I don’t want to leave school and play in the East Coast league when I can get a degree in one year, from that school. But I’ll take it as it comes and see what happens.
2007-07-05: New York Cabdriver 07/05/2007 CRI (China Radio International) English	Return to Top
Whether it's Beijing, London or New York, taxicab drivers represent the voice of the common man. And they are the topic of a new book by Graham Russell Hodges, Professor of History at Colgate University and Fulbright Professor at Peking University. "Taxi!: A Social History of the New York City Cabdriver" is the first full-length account of New York hacks and is hailed by the Wall Street Journal as "the best account of taximen that is ever to be written." Hodges begins with horse-drawn carriages in mid-nineteenth century New York City and covers all the way to the present day bid for the 600,000 USD medallion. So on today's program, I caught up with Professor Hodges to talk about his own experience driving cabs during his university days and about the similarities between New York and Beijing cabdrivers. "Taxi!" is available for purchase at www.amazon.com.
Track meet unites King and Kosciuszko 07/02/2007 Buffalo News Thompson, Chrissie	Return to Top
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Poland's Thaddeus Kosciuszko seem like an unlikely historical pairing. But centuries before King became synonymous with the civil rights movement, Kosciuszko, a hero in the American Revolutionary War, attempted to buy freedom for America's slaves. On Saturday, the Kosciuszko-King Unity Track & Field Classic at Johnnie B. Wiley Sports Pavilion honored both men as civil rights heroes. Kosciuszko, a Pole who fought with Americans in the Revolutionary War, requested in his will that his friend, Thomas Jefferson, use Kosciuszko's wartime back pay of more than $15,000 to buy, free and educate slaves and give them land and cattle. Graham Russell Hodges, a history professor at Colgate University and co-author of a book on Kosciuszko scheduled for a January release, said Kosciuszko suggested buying Jefferson's slaves and emancipating them. "The plan was to make slaves into citizens," Hodges said. But Kosciuszko's executors did not follow through on the promise. Few of the more than 170 spectators at Saturday's track meet had heard of Kosciuszko, but upon learning of his desires to free slaves, most said he deserves a place in civil rights history. Which is why Cheektowaga's Jim Serafin suggested the historical linkage. Serafin grew up on Fillmore Avenue when mostly Polish-Americans called the East Side home. Now that the neighborhood is mostly African-American, Serafin wants to show Buffalo -- which has a reputation as one of the most segregated cities in the nation -- the connection between Polish-Americans and the civil rights movement. "Let's acknowledge how the East Side is changing," he said. "Let's bring [both ethnicities] together. Kosciuszko's contribution is starting to appear in local schools' curriculum. Adrianne Lockhart, principal of School 78, said pupils at the school learned this year about the relationship between King and Kosciuszko. And some of those pupils competing in the track meet said they knew Kosciuszko stood for peace, friendship and freedom.