Presidential Honors Society Gives Back to the Community
By Jennifer Juste
If there is one word to describe Stephanie Coon, president of the Presidential Honors Society (PHS), it is “energetic.”

That energy has paid off with increased visibility for the student group this year.

The mission of PHS is to create a dynamic group of achievers within the University by promoting academic excellence, personal and professional development, and ongoing service to the campus and community. To become a member of PHS, a student needs to have earned a 3.75 grade point average and have a minimum cumulative grade point of 3.2. Dues are $5, and members are required to complete at least 10 hours of service projects each term.

There are currently 180 members of PHS. According to Coon, this year the society plans to make a difference by tapping into its potential. “Although we have already had a great deal of success, we hope to continue the move forward by strengthening our relationship with various academic and administrative departments on campus; starting traditions, like the recent Make a Difference Weekend; strengthening the membership in terms of both numbers and involvement of members; and, of course, continuing our commitment to community service. Group cohesion to increase productivity is the final component of our goals. To facilitate this, we have special interest housing on Empire Commons once it opens.”

According to Coon, this year has been very successful so far. “We have been involved in a wide variety of off-campus community service projects, including the Ronald McDonald House, as well as organizing campus-wide projects this semester, including the candlelight vigil on September 11 and the Make a Difference Weekend (co-sponsored by the Office of Residential Life). Our success thus far would not have been possible without the incredibly strong membership we have this year.”

Although a junior, Coon has enough credits to be a senior. However, she intends to remain here for the full four years since she is “having so much fun!” She is a double major in public policy and issues in education, a self-designed, interdisciplinary major. Asked why she chose UAlbany, Coon, who is from Endicott, N.Y., replied, “My mom was the one who convinced me to attend Albany. I had my choice of several other highly prestigious institutions, but she said that she just had a feeling that this was the right place for me. Luckily, I took her advice and made one of the best decisions of my life. The opportunities awarded to me by this amazing institution have been incredible.”

The focuses of PHS activities have developed in response to the tragedy of September 11. Said Coon, “It has strengthened our intrinsic values of a commitment to changing the world for the better through community service, awareness of the world around us and quick responsiveness. For example, regarding awareness of the world around us, we are working with State Sen. (Neil) Breslin’s office to create a Wall of Difference, which will be a collage of stories and pictures of how people have made a difference in the world around them. The wall will be on display in the legislative offices in January.” Anyone interested in making a submission for the wall may send it to LC 31.

PHS was founded in 1991 by Kevin McIntyre and Brian Kerr, then juniors at UAlbany. Over the last nine years, the society has expanded in both size and scope, performing a wide variety of service projects for the University and the surrounding community.

Campus Security after Sept. 11

University Police Department Chief J. Frank Wiley recently offered new information on the University’s response to the threat of terrorism. Chief Wiley offered the following Q and A, based on information from federal antiterrorism organizations.

Q. Is the threat of a terrorist attack real?
A. The simple answer is “yes.” The U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, says the following: No jurisdiction, urban, suburban, or rural, is totally immune. An act of terrorism can occur anywhere, at any minute. The FBI and other intelligence and law enforcement organizations have agreed that other terrorist attacks are virtually 100 percent certain.

Q. What kinds of targets do terrorists usually attack?
A. Terrorists attack places with historical or symbolic significance, with high economic impact, telecommunications facilities, mass transit systems, public buildings and public assemblies.

Q. Why would the University at Albany need to be vigilant?
A. Federal authorities agree that nearly all communities contain some high visibility targets. Targets that are situated along routes with high transportation and access potential are vulnerable. This describes the University at Albany’s location. Add to that the University’s hosting of a number of public assemblies: football games, basketball games, speakers, social events, and the need to be vigilant becomes obvious.

Q. Has any high school or college been targeted by an international terrorist attack?
A. No, but there have been a number of domestic terrorist attacks involving high schools. In California, one even involved a day care center.

Q. What kind of terrorist attack could occur?
A. Four types are more likely: biological, incendiary, chemical and explosive.

Q. Of categories mentioned above, which might be the most likely?
A. Bombs. It is estimated that 70 percent of all terrorist attacks worldwide involve explosives. The FBI reports that of 3,163 terrorist incidents in the U.S. since 1994, 77 percent were due to explosives.

Q. When a bomb is planted, aren’t we likely to get a warning?
A. That is highly unlikely. Of the bombings mentioned since 1994, only 4 percent were preceded by a warning or a threat. The FBI also notes that even when police agencies know of the presence of the threat of a bomb or explosive device, there is only a 20 percent chance of finding it. Residential properties are the most common targets of bombings.

Q. What can I do to help?
A. Although there is no reason to suspect that the campus is unsafe in any way, it is important to be vigilant in this environment without being frightened. You can play a very important role in this effort by doing the following: Make certain windows and doors are locked after the close of business. Make certain that doors are not propped open. You know best who should be in your area of employment. If you see someone who appears to be out of place, or that you don’t recognize, call the University Police Department.

Q. Can you guarantee that a terrorist attack will not happen here?
A. We will do everything we can to limit our vulnerability, but we cannot guarantee that we can immunize ourselves from all vulnerability. One final comment: The safety and security of this community depends on a partnership between concerned citizens and the police department.

The University Police Department encourages all citizens to be proactive and report any suspicious activity to the UAlbany Police at 442-3131. For more information on campus security and the University’s response to the events of September 11, go to the Web site at http://www.albany.edu/ and click on “After Sept. 11- Updates and Campus Safety.”

Fink Internship Winner Announced
By Ivan Edelson
Arlene Payne is this year’s winner of the Stanley Fink internship award. Payne, a junior with a dual major in history and African/Afro-American studies, has a 3.75 GPA and also serves as tutor and mentor to the Liberty Partnership’s after-school program.

During the summer months, she has worked at the Brooklyn Borough President’s office in the public relations department and in the Action Center/Citizens Complaint office. In addition, she has worked for State Sen. John Sampson’s office, working on quality of life issues and representing the senator at local events. Her future plans include attending law school after graduating from the University.

Three years ago, supported by a grant from the Bell-Atlantic Foundation, UAlbany established a legislative internship to honor the late Stanley Fink, former Speaker of the New York State Assembly. The full-semester internship carries a $5,000 scholarship, which covers most of the costs of the semester. Funds for the scholarship will be generated from the income from an endowment set up in memory of Fink, who was also a former senior executive with the Bell-Atlantic (NYNEX) Corp.

To be eligible for the internship, students must meet the academic requirements for the Dean’s List and have earned at least 56 academic credits at the University.

Police More Stressed by Management than by Criminals
By Lisa James Goldsberry
Picture the police officer out patrolling the dark streets at night. A call comes over the radio. The police officer rushes to the scene, uncertain what he or she will find there but knowing full well it may be danger.

To say this sounds like a stressful situation for the officer is an understatement. But University at Albany psychologist and Distinguished Professor Hans Toch has discovered there is something even more stressful about police work - departmental politics and top-down management practices.

In his new book, Stress in Policing, published by American Psychological Association Books, Toch provides new insights into the often misunderstood world of the law enforcement officer and challenges departmental administrators to find creative ways of initiating institutional reform. Critics describe it as a must-read for criminologists, police psychologists, counselors, and those who simply care about the police and their role in our society.

A social psychologist working in criminology and criminal justice administration, Toch is a prolific author whose other books include Living in Prison (1975), The Disturbed Violent Offender (1989), and Corrections: A Humanistic Approach (1997). He was president of the American Association for Forensic Psychology in 1996 and a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Juvenile Violence.

Toch is a noted expert on the psychological aspects of criminal justice and planned change, and on police and corrections. He earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University.

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