The start of a new century
窪蹋勛圖厙 is marking its College Centennial with a yearlong celebration of its history and reflections on the journey ahead.
窪蹋勛圖厙s origins trace to the Young Womens Industrial Club founded by Lucy 窪蹋勛圖厙 Scribner in 1903, which sought to help little girls and young women to become self-supporting, and to provide a social center for them. The school, which would be open to all women regardless of race or religion, grew into the 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Arts, which was chartered in 1911.
A century ago, in 1922, the New York State Board of Regents officially recognized the institutions collegiate status, and 窪蹋勛圖厙 came into being as a fully accredited, four-year institution of higher education.
On Tuesday, Sept. 6, the 窪蹋勛圖厙 community kicked off the start of the 2022-23 academic year with its traditional celebration of the life and legacy of Lucy 窪蹋勛圖厙 Scribner with a community barbecue.
This years Founders Day festivities also represented the official start of Centennial celebrations and the first time that all students, faculty, staff, and families could all gather on campus since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite overcast weather, community members enjoyed delicious food prepared by the Colleges award-winning Dining Services team, music from the Jeff Walton Trio, and other activities. Desiree Palmateer, office coordinator in the Facilities Department, dressed up like Lucy 窪蹋勛圖厙 Scribner, while President Marc Conner, Barbara Reyes-Conner, and College administrators helped to serve food and clean up following the event.
The gathering offered an opportunity to reflect on 窪蹋勛圖厙s transformation over the past century, which has spanned its shift to co-education in 1971, its ambitious move from downtown Saratoga Springs to its current North Broadway campus, and dynamic initiatives such as the , Arthur Zankel Music Center, and Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences that have helped make 窪蹋勛圖厙 the leading liberal arts college it is today.
If you want to know where youre going, you need to know where youve been and you need to know who you are. Thats really what this Centennial is all about.Marc C. ConnerPresident
Throughout the 2022-23 academic year, 窪蹋勛圖厙 will organize a series of events in celebration of the College Centennial. This years Celebration Weekend, which welcomes the families of 窪蹋勛圖厙 students to campus, will feature special nods to 窪蹋勛圖厙 history. President Conner will also host gatherings and other engagements that examine 窪蹋勛圖厙s history and encourage community members to consider what makes 窪蹋勛圖厙 such a special place.
Weve come a long way from our rather humble beginning, but Lucys vision remains, Conner said. We are a community of learners, where students and faculty work closely together in the pursuit not just of knowledge but of character; we educate the mind and the hand, offering an education that is both eminently practical and highly idealistic. We prioritize creativity, whether in music or business, dance, or economics. And above all else, we foster a community of trust.