June 2019 Union in the Media Archive

Union celebrated its 225th Commencement on Sunday, June 16. Nearly 500 students in the Class of 2019 received their degrees during the ceremony.

Susan Zirinsky, the president and senior executive producer of CBS News, was the featured speaker. She received an honorary doctorate of letters degree.

The College also awarded an honorary doctorate of letters degree to Deborah Margolin, a playwright, actor and founding member of Split Britches Theater Company. Margolin is Professor of the Practice in Yale University’s undergraduate Theater Studies Program.

Several local media outlets provided coverage of the ceremony (subscription may be required):

• The Daily Gazette
• The Times Union
• CBS6

Max Stwertka '19 composed a seven movement suite to honor his grandfather's uncle, Julius Stwertka. Stwertka was brought to the Vienna by Gustav Mahler to be concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra from 1902 until his retirement in 1936. From 1934 to 1938 he was a member of the Rose Quartet. In 1938, Julius was deported to Theresienstadt, where he died on December 17, 1942. Two years later his beloved wife Rosa was put on the train to Auschwitz. Max Stwertka recently performed his composition.

To learn more about this remarkable story, read a column in the Times Union (subscription may be required).