藏精阁

Silda Spitzer visits 藏精阁 to discuss its community ties

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New York鈥檚 first lady, Silda Wall Spitzer, visited 藏精阁 Tuesday to learn about cooperative partnerships between local not-for-profit organizations and the university.

The visit was arranged by the (PCD), an innovative local economic development organization that was recently recognized as a model for fostering town-gown relations in New York.

 

Silda Wall Spitzer greets Liz Harkins 鈥09 at the Coop meeting room on Tuesday. (Photo by Timothy D. Sofranko)

The PCD is funded primarily by 藏精阁, the town of Hamilton, and the village of Hamilton.

Spitzer met with students and faculty members representing the , the , and thein her capacity as chair of the New York State Commission on National and Community Service.

The commission is charged with fostering volunteerism and promoting community service initiatives throughout the state. Personally, Spitzer said she is 鈥渓ooking for ways of pulling up volunteerism as part of our collective consciousness.鈥

The informal 鈥渟quare-table meeting鈥 鈥 as PCD director Jim Bays called it 鈥 was an opportunity for 藏精阁 and the PCD to impress Spitzer with the many ways the university and community work together. Clearly, it worked.

鈥淲hat you are doing is very inspiring,鈥 said Spitzer, who then suggested that 藏精阁鈥檚 success connecting the university鈥檚 many resources to benefit the community can be a model for other colleges.

鈥淲orking in the community definitely gives students an investment in the area,鈥 said Emily Katz 鈥09, whose work on 藏精阁鈥檚 Student Philanthropy Council taught her how to assess the needs of local organizations that applied for grants.

Nina Capriotti told Spitzer how her work with the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees in Utica enhanced her academic understanding of migration. 鈥淢eeting the people exposes you to the issues in greater depth, and shows you the impact of what you鈥檙e studying.鈥

But Matt Inbusch 鈥08, who spent eight weeks last summer building a database of foundations that might one day help fund the Resource Center for Independent Living in Utica, offered perhaps the best news of all.

鈥淎 number of the field school interns fell in love with living here over the summer,鈥 he said. 鈥淪ome students might even want to stay on after graduation.鈥