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Rutgers AAUP
Emeriti
Volume 11 – Issue 2
Reporter October 2007
I hope you renew your membership and, if you are
THE CHAIRPERSON’S CORNER not a member, join us soon. There is not a better
Shanti S. Tangri deal in town for $10 a year.
Emeritus Professor of Economics
RICHARD WASSON LEADERSHIP AWARD
As before, the Emeriti Assembly held several lunch PRESENTED TO ISABEL WOLOCK
meetings listening to thoughtful speakers dealing
with issues such as the role of cartoons and humor
in teaching, immigration, schism in the Episcopal The annual AAUP Emeriti Assembly award
church due to issues of gender and marriage, (Richard Wasson Leadership Award) was
Catholicism and politics in Nicaragua, the American presented to Professor Emerita Isabel Wolock on
electoral process and health issues affecting Tuesday, August 14, 2007. This award was
seniors. Next year should be a very interesting one established in 1999 in memory of Richard Wasson,
as we head into another general election bearing Founder and First President of the AAUP Emeriti
on issues of war and peace in the Middle East, Assembly. It is presented to an individual who has
foreign policy in general, global warming, public demonstrated leadership in the area of academic
infrastructure, education and growing inequalities of retirement. The leadership can take a variety of
wealth and income. I intend to tap the best talent forms such as teaching, research writing, public
available for addressing these issues and hope for service, organizing programs, or promoting the
active participation in discussions by our members. provision of resources and legislation. Isabel has
served with distinction as an officer for the Emeriti
In addition, we had several Planning Committee Assembly, and for the Retired Faculty Association
meetings and a general membership meeting. of Rutgers University as well. She has done the
Several of us are jointly exploring the possibility of member profile interviews for the Emeriti Assembly
participating in the freshman seminars program newsletter for years, and she is still active with
directed by the Associate Dean of SAS, Sarolta teaching and mentoring. She presented her
Takacs, and Associate Dean Julio Nazario. scholarly project in Social Work as a special event
Depending on member interest we intend to for the Assembly and she remains an active
schedule a reception as well as some poetry participant on the Planning Committee. She and
readings. her husband, Mel, have hosted the annual picnic
meeting of the Emeriti Assembly at their home for
The National AAUP is engaged in serious internal several years. Her award, presented at the August
discussions about its future and the possibility of meeting at their home, is in the form of a wooden
legal restructuring. The Emeriti meetings are a plaque showing her name, the name of the award,
good place to have some input in the process. and the year. Congratulations to Isabel!
Livingston College doesn’t exist as a college as of
June 30. Fortunately, we will continue to enjoy the
use of room A232 in Lucy Stone Hall and other EDITOR:
support from the University administration. DONALD BORCHARDT
others. In High Society, with Bing Crosby and
IMAGES OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG: Grace Kelly, he comments on the love story as he
JAZZ MUSICIAN sings. During the Viet Nam War, Louis Armstrong's
"It's A Wonderful World" received high ratings and
continued to rate well over the years. It has a
lasting quality.
David Cayer, retired Associate Vice President for
Academic Affairs and the Institute of Jazz Studies As Professor Cayer comments, "Armstrong made
at Rutgers, presented "Louis Armstrong on Film: dozens of television appearances, many preserved
Jazz and Race in Hollywood" on February 27, on film or video. His distinctive vocal style
2007, at Livingston College, Lucy Stone Hall. This continues to provide films, television dramas, and
was a special Emeriti Assembly event in commercials with appropriate commentary. There
cooperation with the Office of the Dean, Livingston are several documentaries such as BBC's Laughin'
College. Louis (1984). Armstrong's career is a major theme
in Ken Burns's 2001 ten-part documentary, Jazz."
Professor Cayer showed film clips from Louis Armstrong died before his 70th birthday.
Armstrong's 38-year career in films, illustrating how
Professor Cayer's presentation provided an
this jazz musician reflected attitudes of Americans
inspirational and moving event.
over this span of time. Professor Cayer's
presentation was divided into three parts entitled:
Stereotype, The Established Jazz Musician, and
The Greek Chorus. Each part illustrated a politically WHAT ABOUT DARFUR?
"off beat" image projected by Louis Armstrong over
the years. Some of the commercialized stereotypes
included the horse trainer who falls in love with a
horse, a street cleaner, and a bar tender. One clip Stephen Eric Bronner, Professor II of Political
showed him singing a song with a skeleton, and in Science at Rutgers, discussed "The Sudan and the
another he appeared in a mixed live and animated Crisis in Darfur" at the Graduate Student Lounge in
cartoon featuring Betty Boop. He visited Denmark the Rutgers Student Center on Thursday, March
in 1933 where ten thousand people greeted his 29, 2007, as an event sponsored by the Emeriti
performance. A Clip of "Tiger Rag" shows close-up Assembly and the Graduate Student Association.
shots of his finger work on the keyboard, and he Professor Bronner has been in Sudan and has an
projects the image of a bandleader. No one left the affection for this African country which has been
auditorium as he played and sang "Ain't experiencing severe political conflicts of interests
Misbehavin" during intermission time. resulting in a humanitarian crisis of great
magnitude.
The Howard Hawks film A Star is Born shows
Armstrong as a bar tender but emphasizes his role Darfur, once independent, is now an involuntary
as a bandleader playing with white musicians. He part of Sudan. The competition for natural
appeared in films along with celebrities, and he and resources has split Darfur into three parts. Rebel
Lionel Hampton appear together with a white jazz organizations have used troops to displace people
band. In the 1958 film The Five Pennies he sang in farming communities that are pitted against
"When The Saints Go Marchin In" with Danny nomads who have aligned themselves with militia
Kaye. In 1968 he sang along with Barbra Streisand groups. Raids on the communities are a way of life,
in Hello Dolly. and two million people have fled to reside in 153
displaced person camps in the South. There are
An Edward R. Murrow documentary of Louis some 80 tribes and ethnic groups divided between
Armstrong in 1957 emphasizes his being an
nomads and sedentary communities. There are
ambassador for America in his travels throughout
Arab and African conflicts resulting in ethnic
the world. Armstrong became the "Greek Chorus",
cleansing attacks in which people are just killed or
the good sympathetic guy who comments on
chopped up and thrown into the river.
2The UN is the primary aid to the displacement The Church of England of the 17th -19th centuries
camps, but the camps are not work camps. People followed the progress of the British Empire into
just sit there wanting to go back to their homes. The places far from home, planting itself in places in
sanitation situation is very poor resulting in disease which it felt its mission to be the supplanting of
and many deaths. Khartoum in the North is fascist. indigenous religion and culture with something
Thugs are organized. They use old weapons, more like the world it had left behind. Missionaries
probably from the 50s, and children soldiers are fanned out across Asia, Africa and the Caribbean,
involved. creating a federation of churches which, though
independent, looked to Canterbury for spiritual
Proposals by Professor Bronner involve unity. These became strong parts of their countries'
communications between the African Union, lives, easily surviving the end of Empire during the
Khartoum, and the United Nations. However, there twentieth century and serving to cushion the shock
is general criticism regarding the incompetency of of that change in many places.
the United Nations as well as the African Union.
The African Union should be able to establish The colonial experience was a mixed one; there
agencies to give aid, and independent research were gifts as well as obvious inequities. Because of
units should be employed. The UN should lift the gifts, it has taken a while for leadership of
sanctions and develop a strategy for Sudan to former colonies to find ways to express the residual
govern. Funding should be made available for anger caused by the fact of being "colonial." This
repatriation and conferences should be expanded cautious deference is coming to an end as Africa
to promote disarmament. Support should be and Asia come into their own.
extended to the African Union.
The controversy around homosexuality, the
Professor Bronner's discussion of this complex presenting issue in the Anglican schism, is merely
subject provided increased awareness and interest an expression of this deeper anger. Homosexuality
in this catastrophic international situation. is present in all human societies, as well as among
animals, but the hostile rhetoric attaching itself to its
presence in religious institutions suggests that it is
a western import into countries in which it was
A HOUSE DIVIDED unknown - yet one more way in which the West
attempts to degrade its former underlings. Indeed,
there are scores to settle between the former
colonizers and the countries they exploited, but the
The Reverend Barbara C. Crafton, Episcopal existence of gay and lesbian people in their midst
Priest, Diocese of New York, spoke to the Emeriti isn't one of them.
Assembly on April 25, 2007, at Lucy Stone Hall in
Livingston College. This event was in cooperation
with the Office of the Dean, Livingston College. The
Reverend Barbara C. Crafton summarizes her topic
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Anglican Communion teeters on the brink of schism
these days, as the result of an interesting array of ASSEMBLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
factors that have come together in something of a IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
perfect storm.
3AN INTERVIEW WITH ARLENE R. ROSINSKI, producing a product seems to have been more
Former staff member of Rutgers Chapter of AAUP attractive and satisfying to me. Number wise, I
By Isabel Wolock, AAUP Emeriti Assembly spent most of my working years in the Catholic
Church setting, although I also worked in corporate
medical and in product development for significant
periods of time.
When did you begin working at AAUP?
When I interviewed for the AAUP position of
Assistant Staff Representative, I had been recently
"fired" from a position in the church for what I would
define as insubordination. I was employed as a
temp, but desperate for a permanent job. I
responded to a classified ad for a position at
Rutgers AAUP. I remember being interviewed by
maybe five people around the table, including Wells
Keddie, Mary Gibson, Ken Carlson, and Chris
How would you like to begin, Arlene? Berzinski – kind of an intimidating setting for me
because I never really was interviewed for a
Having typed and read so many of the stories of the position before. Positions were usually offered to
various professors life's work and experience in me through others suggesting I would be good for a
your newsletters, I am both humbled and flattered position. I really had no experience with unions
at the notion of putting my own on paper for you to prior to the interview, but felt that representing a
read. It certainly will be far removed from your own constituency and working for the good of that
in terms of academic accomplishments, but it may constituency held similarities to working in the
reveal something about how each of us longs to church setting. Lucky for me, I was hired – and
experience and learn more and how valued your became known as "the church lady" by those who
own calling to be educators is to someone like had some misgivings about hiring me. You may
myself. I'm pleased to take this on and evaluate my remember "the church lady" act that Gilda Radner
progress at putting together a new life as an did on Saturday Night Live. My employment was
"emerita." from September 1995 until retirement in December
2004.
What did you do before working at AAUP?
Tell me the things you liked most about your
I entered the world of full-time work when I job.
graduated from South River High School in 1957. I
was sixteenth in a class of 165 and received the I loved working at AAUP. There were always
award for "Best Secretary" at graduation, an award interesting people, ideas and conversations,
that apparently had implications for my working life. collegiality and inclusiveness in the office, a variety
My family was unable to pay for higher education, of tasks, a sense of striving for excellence and
but the award got me my very first "professional" fairness in all things, and the feeling of being part of
experience at J&J in New Brunswick. In retrospect, movement that attempted to uplift people. As a
J&J wasn't where I belonged, and after three staff, we were just a terrific team! We had our low
months I sought a position at Rutgers University, points and disagreements, but the team hung
mainly because my classmates had jobs there. The together, and it felt like we were working for
position was on the Ag Campus, as it was known something important much of the time. We were, I
then, in the State 4-H Office (part of the Extension think, highly motivated individuals who valued what
Service) as secretary to Clara Ann Smith, the we did to keep the union growing and serving
Associate State 4-H Leader. I loved my job in that everyone equally well. The staff was really a group
less "stuffy" atmosphere than in the corporate of people who were passionate and intent on
setting, and it kind of set the tone for future moving the union forward – helping faculty to make
positions. Over the years the world of educating it all that it could be. I was principally involved in
and supporting the efforts of people rather than negotiations, supporting the Executive Council,
4typing the newsletter, and, of course, supporting I did have an opportunity to go to Felician College
the Rutgers AAUP Emeriti. I have fond memories of in Lodi, New Jersey for several years on a partial
working with Isabel Wolock, Don Borchardt, Ludwig scholarship when I was in my early 50s to study for
Geismar, Ray Bodnar, Shanti Tangri, and the late a certificate in religious studies. I really thrived on
Dick Watson. the book learning, lectures and wonderful adult
discussions about the Catholic faith. It changed my
And when did you retire? thinking in countless ways and made me an adult
Catholic woman. They were exciting days for me.
All these good years made it possible for me to,
with a little financial prudence, retire comfortably to What are you doing now that you're retired -
Cameron, North Carolina in 2005. how do you spend your time?
What was the adjustment like to retire outside I am still an avid reader, but without access to a
of New Jersey? really good library. Harnett County is a rural county
that seems to run out of money in June and
I am adjusting to living a full-day's drive from New consequently few new books are added to their
Jersey, where I was always just ten miles from my collection. Used bookstores and sales are plentiful,
place of birth. I was actually born in my however, and they meet my needs. My love of
grandparent’s home in Helmetta, a mill town of 350 travel probably began in school when we spent
people, where we lived in mill-owned homes with rainy or snowy days playing a "what city am I
outhouses, without hot water and just a kitchen thinking of game" on a wall-hung map of the world.
stove to provide heat, and a mile walk to school I've been to Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland,
rain or shine – and we walked home for lunch most Tanzania, Kenya, and Canada - and since
days! retirement to Prague, Budapest, and Provence.
Tell me a little more about your early So far, I still have Michigan, Wisconsin, North
education? Dakota, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii to
visit in the U.S.A. My next trip will be after Labor
We were a small school with maybe fifty children in Day to Maine to visit my daughter, Kathryn, who
kindergarten through eighth grade. There were some of you may remember – she is now the proud
three teachers and each had three grades in her owner of a health food store in Bar Harbor called A
room. By seventh grade, I really became a & B Naturals. David and Lynn and their families still
teacher's aide for part of the day, and perhaps call Flemington their home. Of course, I miss my
that's where my interest in learning more about children, grandchildren, and friends. The loss is not
many things was stimulated. In my last year of as acute, but will undoubtedly always be there to
elementary school there were only two of us in some degree. My email address, if anyone would
eighth grade. Our library consisted of a bookcase like to write, is arlener39@windstream.net.
with three shelves of books - I remember reading Between the computer and phone, I am able to stay
the dictionary page by page from sixth grade on in touch quite well.
and enjoying it.
When I return to Cameron I will begin volunteering
Our teachers had a very positive effect on my life in once a week at First Health Moore Regional
so many ways - inspiring me to read, love music, Hospital in Pinehurst in their Infusion Center (out-
have a sense there was a world out there that was patient chemotherapy). As a cancer survivor I think
different than mine, be creative, dress well, and to I have something to offer. And I joined a gym earlier
give me confidence to excel in my school work. I'm this summer where I go for water aerobics three
a firm believer that children can be strongly times a week. As always, I'm an avid hiker in the
influenced by an excellent and caring teacher who cooler weather. We have a not-for-profit theatre
guides and nourishes them in ways in which here in Southern Pines, which I usually frequent on
sometimes their family might be deficient. Sunday afternoons - only "artsy" films there and
Unfortunately, the Helmetta Elementary School no really good ones. This year I have a subscription to
longer exists. The building houses administrative a local theatre that does a variety of plays, and we
offices. When I visit Helmetta, I fondly give the old have wonderful concerts in this area as well.
school a loving wave of the hand. Carolina Sandhills Community College offers a
5speaker program for six months each year, with
some really good speakers that keep me thinking. THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM:
I'm an avid Charlie Rose fan and keep up-to-date REFORMATION OR TRANSFORMATION?
on many areas of life by watching PBS and reading
Newsweek. With all of these activities, I keep
myself quite busy.
Sy Larson, Rutgers Professor Emeritus, Labor
My passion, however, is my garden. I have a half Studies, and President of the NJ Chapter of AARP,
acre which I am in the process of taming - a daily spoke to the Emeriti Assembly on May 23 in Lucy
chore, but a happy one. Just learning what to grow Stone Hall, Livingston College, in cooperation with
in what space requires planting and replanting,
the Office of the Dean, Livingston College.
especially in the hot and dry weather we are now
Following is his written summary of the
experiencing. I love to see something grow
presentation:
successfully. With the long growing season and
plants that are unfamiliar to me, it's quite an
adventure. There are five lemons on my tree right The American health care system is in crisis. This
now-strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes and observation has permeated American thinking
peppers, and a fig tree are all thriving, as are gaining acceptance from both labor and
azaleas, crape myrtles, loropetalum, camellias, management, conservatives and liberals and those
lantana, roses, irises, and spectacular lilies. who deliver medical care and the broad range of
Americans who are recipients of its services. Many
Do you have any advice to those who are of the problems of the American health care system
planning to retire? can be seen through the prism of costs and
outcomes.
Adjustment when you retire to the loss of your
workday and to a new place takes time. It's
The United States expenditures for health care
beginning a new process and somehow you work
totals 16 percent of its GDP (gross domestic
your way through it. Like gardening, there's a seed,
a sprout, a blossom, and then fruit. But isn't that product) or $6200 for each individual as compared
how life is – over and over again? It keeps us with Canadian expenditures of 8-10% of its GDP
young and students forever. Each day after dinner, and $3200 for each of its residents, approximately
I take a few moments to sip a little wine and listen half of that of its neighbor to the South. Annually,
to the quiet and peace where I now live – the birds our total cost for medical care exceeds $2.2 trillion.
are singing, the sunset is wonderful, and all is well
in this half-acre. Rising health care costs have negatively affected
corporate profits and the health of the American
people. Companies find that the high cost of health
insurance - premiums for family coverage have
risen by 87% since 2000 - places them at a
disadvantage with their competitors in countries
where governments have largely undertaken the
cost of providing health care to their employees.
For older Americans, the cost of prescription drugs
and long term care are the greatest financial risks.
Forty seven million Americans lack health
insurance. Studies indicate that individuals without
coverage tend to delay seeing doctors when they
have health concerns leading to increased medical
problems. Eventually, as their health deteriorates,
they are forced to go to a hospital, seek charity
care, leading to escalating state costs and to a
medical condition which, if treated early, could not
6have further impaired the individual's physical well Below is a list of organizations and their
being. contact information including web sites you
may find useful:
It would be logical to assume that a correlation
exists between high medical expenditures and an Rutgers Council of AAUP Chapters, AAUP-AFT
increasingly healthy population. Yet, the opposite is 48 Street 1603
(Livingston Campus)
true. A recent study of white middle-age Americans,
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8036
regardless of income or educational level, found Phone: 732-445-2278
they were far less healthy than their counterparts in Fax: 732-445-5485
England: Americans had higher rates of diabetes, E-mail: aaup@rutgersaaup.org
heart disease, strokes, lung disease and cancer. www.rutgersaaup.org
Life expectancy is lower in the United States than
other industrialized nations. According to the World Sign up with Rutgers AAUP-AFT’s Action
Health Organization, the United States ranks below Center:
two dozen other countries in measuring the quality http://www.unionvoice.org/rutgersaaupaft/home.html
of health of its citizens.
American Association of University Professors
1012 Fourteenth Street, NW, Suite 500
Aside from Iraq, polls indicate that health care is
Washington, DC 20005-3465
the most pressing issue facing the American
Phone: 202-737-5900
people. Presidential candidates, from both political Fax: 202-737-5526
parties, find it politically expedient to discuss ways E-mail: aaup@aaup.org
of overhauling our present system. The AARP is www.aaup.org
mobilizing its 38 million members and allying itself
with organizations reflecting a broad spectrum of American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
the thinking of the American people to force the 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW
issue onto the national agenda. Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-879-4400
Divisions among candidates and political parties on www.aft.org
the issue revolve around the role of government
versus the private market. Some would rely AFT’s Web Page for Retirees:
primarily, if not exclusively, on private insurance www.aft.org/retirement/index.htm
companies to deliver health care while others favor
a single payer system. Still others would favor a Rutgers University’s Web Page on Retiree
combination of the two by strengthening the Services:
employer-based system and expanding http://uhr.rutgers.edu/ben/RetireeServices.htm
government programs along the lines of Medicare.
AARP
HEALTH CARE FOR ALL 601 E Street NW
REAL SOLUTIONS FOR NEW JERSEY & THE NATION
A STATEWIDE HEALTH CARE CONFERENCE Washington, DC 20049
Phone: 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
The Emeriti Assembly is co-sponsoring a statewide health www.aaup.org
care conference on November 13, at the Labor Education
Center, 50 Labor Center Way, New Brunswick from 8:45
a.m. to 3:00 p.m. “Health Care For All” will explore the AARP NJ
various options to improving our health care system. Forrestal Village
Governor Jon Corzine, NJ Congressman Frank Pallone, 101 Rockingham Row
Congressman John Conyers and several presidential
candidates are among the list of invited speakers. Princeton, NJ 08540
Confirmed speakers include many experts on the subject of Phone: 1-866-542-8165 (toll-free)
health care. Fax: 609-987-4634
E-mail: njaarp@aarp.org
If interested in attending, register by calling 732-246-4772,
ext. 18 or e-mailing healthconference@njcitizenaction.org
http://www.aarp.org/states/nj/nj-news/
giving your name, organization or business, title, phone
number, complete mailing address and e-mail address.
7MISSION AND MEMBERSHIP
The Mission of the Emeriti Assembly is to sustain and enhance the personal, intellectual and University interests of
retired faculty. These interests will be met through meetings, special programs, a communications network, and work
with other groups concerned with retiree issues. All retired faculty individuals, who are members of AAUP-AFT, are
eligible for full membership. Non-voting, Associate Membership is available to retired faculty who are not AAUP-AFT
members.
Membership extends from September through August. If you are not a paid member you may fill in the application
form below. Your membership enables us to continue to publish the newsletter and make plans for the activities
during the year. Membership in the Emeriti Assembly also entitles you to an associate membership in the Rutgers
AAUP-AFT Chapters. Some Emeriti also continue AAUP National dues and membership.
Name ___________________________________________________ Telephone ( ) __________________
Street Address ______________________________________________________________________________
City ______________________________________________State ___________________________________
Zip Code _________________ E-mail Address ____________________________________________________
Enclosed is my check for $10.00 payable to Rutgers AAUP Emeriti Assembly.
NEW member 2007-08 RENEWING membership 2007-08
Return to Rutgers AAUP-AFT, 48 Street 1603, Bldg. 4103, Livingston Campus, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8036
Rutgers AAUP Emeriti Assembly
Rutgers Council of AAUP Chapters, AAUP-AFT
48 Street 1603, Livingston Campus
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8036
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