GOLUB HOUSE
Alford Prize Report

Every Minerva House tries to adhere to the goals and guidelines of the system in order to enhance the social and academic lives of both students and faculty in unique ways. Brainstorming, organizing, planning, and following through are all steps that each house council must take to ensure a successful event is put on. At Golub House, our House Council does exactly that in an efficient manner. The Golub House Council consists of a diverse group of students coming from a wide range of class years, majors, states, varying ethnic backgrounds, hobbies and personal interests. We all share the same enthusiasm, however, when it comes to making Golub House the best it possibly can be.    

The Council in itself is something worth mentioning. Golub House Council has a Constitution that we adhere to. It includes the specific breakdown of positions and responsibilities, an attendance policy, and guidelines for event planning and discussion. It is reviewed every year and revised if necessary. This year we added two Public Relations Chairs, separating the responsibility of advertising from the Communications Chairs to two other students. We have found this to be a very successful change, as advertising has significantly improved and events are much better attended. Golub House Council meets weekly, and before each meeting the Co-Chairs create an agenda which they email to all other members via our Google group. This ensures that our meetings are run smoothly and that everyone can equally contribute. The meetings are professional and organized, yet enjoyable – which says something about our Council as a whole. Golub House Council has brought together such different groups of people and fostered close friendships among students that will last far beyond the college realm. After the meetings, minutes and current events are added to our website, which is always kept up to date.

Golub House Council does all it can to pull in interest from a wide array of people on campus, particularly first-year students. Our All Around U event in September was incredibly successful; there were about 90 students present, and at least 2/3 were Golub members. In addition to the bi-weekly Minerva Program sponsored First-Year Lunches, Golub held a specific luncheon for first-years only to pick up their house t-shirt. All Golub faculty were invited, and the turnout was excellent. Golub residents were invited as well, and gave tours of their bedrooms upstairs. All Council members were present and gave more information about becoming involved with House affairs. We also created a suggestion box, in which students could write out their concerns and drop them off, which we would review on a weekly basis. The council noticed after this event we had a much stronger first-year turnout to events, and came to know groups of students that regularly attend Golub events. Additionally, Golub has taken the initiative to become involved in academic affairs for first-year members. The House Council is involved in the selection process of the summer reading assignment. 

We also make special efforts to reach out to faculty members, Golub members or not. This is something we have improved on immensely in the last year. We constantly go out of our way to invite professors to share something with students, be it their research (as was done in the Women’s Commission talk with Professor MacManus-Spencer) or tips on what to do after graduation (“How to Get into Law Schools” with Professor Brad Hays). Although a popular way of hosting an academic event is to show a film and have a discussion on the issues it brings up, Golub House gets more creative than simply doing that. While we have hosted a number of film discussions with students and faculty, we also hosted a number of original events that came directly out of the ideas of council members. We hosted a trip for Physics students to see Dr. Atomic, an opera on the atom bomb, and a reception/discussion afterward. Golub put on the Educated Voter Series in Fall 2008, in which we invited a different professor every week to discuss issues relating to the presidential campaign, ranging from healthcare and the economy, to swing states and race relations. We also hosted a discussion with Greg Jean (’10), who spent fall term working for the Obama campaign. The same group of people interested in politics and the presidential campaign came to hear Greg talk about his experiences. Perhaps the biggest success with a faculty based event was the Underground Railroad Reception in Winter 2009. The History Department helps to sponsor this annual conference, and this year it was held on campus at Union. Golub House Council provided a wonderful wine and hors d'oeuvres reception for all those in attendance. It was very well attended and received. The Golub House Council received a letter from the hosts of the UGRR conference, thanking them for their outstanding efforts to put on the event. Not only does this help the image of Golub House, but it advances the reflection and reputation of Minerva Programs in general with the entire Union and surrounding Schenectady community.

Golub House recognizes the importance of cultural awareness in the events it puts on. The council has hosted a number of events that provide a cultural experience for all those who attend. We have hosted off-campus trips and discussions for Broadway shows at Proctor’s Theater, rented a number of Asian documentaries for a film series event, and helped to celebrate International Week with an Australia themed party. In fact, our three largest events of the year are all very heavily culturally based. Though they’ll be discussed in further detail at a later point, Oktoberfest, Cinco de Mayo, and Art For Progress are all events based on the idea of immersing oneself into a specific culture. A particular success we’d like to mention is the Sexuality in Asia event in Winter 2009. This event was a quintessential “Minerva” success. It involved not only the Golub House Council, but the participation of theme houses – Iris, Culinary, and Thurston – as well as students and faculty members. The discussion revolved around issues of sexuality in Asian countries, with three professors to facilitate and contribute. Everyone enjoyed an Asian dinner cooked by members of Culinary House. The event was academic yet social, intellectually stimulating yet in a casual environment, and involved many different groups on campus, all while providing a unique look at another culture.

Golub House makes a special effort to develop the idea of the “third space”. There are many groups on campus that have used Golub’s space and welcoming environment so often that their weekly meetings are held almost exclusively in the house. This includes Shakti, NGA, various other clubs, and DDD. DDD (Dinner and Discussion among Differences) is an event that Golub hosts on a weekly basis every term of the year. Campus Protestant Ministries and the Multifaith Council come together to discuss various issues surrounding faith and religion while enjoying dinner that Golub provides once a term. The council purchased new furniture last spring to replace the old and worn pieces, and repainted the bulletin board in the foyer. It is updated with Golub events and flyers on a regular basis, to keep residents, members, and passers-by an idea of what the council is planning. The Golub House Council ensures that resident-only events aren’t left out of the budget, either. Oftentimes one will find groups of students utilizing all rooms of the house at once for studying, watching TV, and cooking. All these efforts help to guarantee that the “third space” scheme is a visible portion of the Minerva System.

Since its inception, Golub House has created things that have become traditions, and over time, known to be as staple events. Oktoberfest and Cinco de Mayo were particular successes this year. Both events are large-scale and involve working with a fraternity. Golub House Council thinks it is especially important for Minerva Houses to foster a relationship with Greeks on campus, which is something we have established firmly among many fraternities. Both Oktoberfest and Cinco de Mayo feature authentic food of each culture, as well as academic-based presentations and talks that all guests find intellectually stimulating, and more entertaining than a normal party. Art For Progress is another annual event that Golub House hosts, once again in collaboration with a fraternity. Though it has not actually occurred yet, it is set to go on later this week. This event recognizes the hard work and talents of Union students, brings together faculty and administration, and this year will do even more. Golub House is allowing two student groups on campus – Engineers Without Borders and Face AIDS – to table and present during AFP, in order for each group to accept donations to their cause. The show will also feature the work of Minerva Fellow Robbie Flick. It is important to note that although Oktoberfest, Cinco de Mayo, and Art For Progress all have alcohol present, it is not the beverages that are the main star of each event. Alcohol is merely in the background to add to the cultural experience and allow people of age – students and faculty - to enjoy a drink responsibly.

Above all else, Golub House Council has made a significant effort to make Golub a distinct organization on campus. We have worked hard to secure a name and image apart from being a generic Minerva House. This has been done through reaching out to students, creating unique and original events, establishing traditions that the campus community looks forward to every year, working with a vast variety of groups on campus- including Greeks, multicultural clubs, theme houses, and faculty – and successfully carrying out each idea thanks to an efficient and hardworking group of people. Golub House follows the goals and guidelines of the Minerva System by uniquely providing outlets to academic and social aspects of Union College life.