Nostalgia, excitement at Clinton College Day

PLATTSBURGH | It was sort of a farewell party, one where background chatter softened by nostalgia hinted of excitement. Students, administrators, professors and staff at Clinton Community College walked their familiar halls and stared long into the Lake Champlain view. It's the kind of view that inspires classic works of art. The wide porch on the lakefront side of what was once the Hotel Champlain peers into the space where water flows between Crab and Valcour islands. An overlook, Bluff Point and is the highest point of land on the northwestern shore of Lake Champlain. It was highly sought after as a lookout perch during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Clinton Community College opened in 1969 on the historic hotel property, conveyed by the Society of Jesuits, who had used the buildings for Bellarmine College. The agreement was meant to be temporary, but for some 56 years, learning endured here. Clinton is moving out in August, relocating to buildings at the corner of Beekman and Court Street on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus. REMINISCING The rain paused its all-day drill just in time for the community's College Day gathering. There were refreshments, nostalgic photo posters, historic photographs that reached back 100 years, a variety of decorative items and former cottage furnishings set up for a silent auction. The college support dog, Enzo, strolled around it all. Students reminisced about their days here. Kaleigh Thomas will be a senior next year, moving to the new campus for classes in the fall. From Au Sable Forks, she is aiming for a career in social work. "I'm going to miss this college, it's so pretty," she told the Sun. "I think it's going to be fun, I'm just really going to miss this place." Nearby, Carol Arnold remembered her graduation in 1973, about four years after the college opened. Having run in seven marathons, she was an Olympic torch bearer for the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. "I remember sitting in the classrooms and thinking: How fortunate am I to be in this place?" she mused. The imminent change, she said, is vital to CCC's future. "I think it is absolutely critical that we streamline facilities and make sure the school is viable," she said, stealing a look at the lake just beyond the foyer windows. David MacAlpine is also going to move with the college. He will be a Human Services senior next year. President of the Student Senate and a U.S. Army Veteran, he plans to begin a career in veterans services. MacAlpine and a group of students went through years of photographs and records to create posters that show how things changed over the decades. "We knew that in leaving a lot of people were going to miss this site, the spirit, the personality," he said. "So students in our group picked a decade, the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. It was really cool looking back, what changed and what remained the same." Consistency is reflected student energy and engagement in learning. Many photos shared sports legacies, even though team shorts got longer since the 1970s. He pointed to a yearbook theme from the early 70s, which reads, in part: "Regardless of the perils ... man marches on ... carrying the torch of knowledge and wisdom / into the darkness / and shadows of ignorance / that every flower / may blossom in the sun." Clinton students Brandy Williams and Alex Cone helped with the historic review. Jean Blanchard, originally from Saranac Lake, got a Criminal Justice degree from CCC in 1994. She attended the afternoon celebration with her son Michael Ray, a senior next fall, who will be moving to the SUNY campus site. Ray plans to continue on at SUNY Plattsburgh for a teaching degree in history. Mother and son shared memories though some 30 years apart. "I like the historic campus," Ray said. "I'm disappointed to be leaving this. I understand that its expensive to maintain and heat this place, and travel at the new location will be easier. It's just disappointing." ENROLLMENT The ongoing shift has made a difference in college support and enrollment. Administrators have seen numbers grow.. "It's like a canary in the coal mine," said Tom Nesbitt, Clinton's vice president for enrollment. "Right now we are up 16 percent in applications to the college." Interest has grown incrementally over the last three semesters, up 8 and 12 percent. Clinton Vice President of Institutional Advancement Steven Fredrick is seeing the same across the board in gifts from alumni, businesses and community. "That, to me, says the community likes what we're doing," he said. Six of Clinton's programs are part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's Reconnect college program for students age 25 to 55, specifically designed to connect adult learners with high-demand job skills. The nursing program, both Computer Science degrees, Renewable Energy, Mechanical Technology and the Electrician's certification are part of SUNY Reconnect. The state pays all tuition, college fees, books and supplies for New York residents, ages 25 to 55 who pursue an associate degree in high-demand fields. SUNY Reconnect starts at Clinton in the fall this year. Administrators believe the SUNY incentive will help CCC grow. PACKING TO MOVE Meantime, Clinton has to sort, pack and relocate an entire staff, with furnishings and equipment they need to keep the college moving. Frederick is focused on what is now a sorting process to line it all up. On Community Day, he set some of the unneeded items out for silent auction. Moving trucks will begin the physical relocation on Aug. 1, he said. "How do you move a whole campus?" he said, rhetorically, of a somewhat daunting task. "It's never been done before in this state. We're putting the tracks down in front of the train." But SUNY administrators and SUNY Plattsburgh staff have been incredibly helpful, Frederick said. "They have been wonderful." The college has two months to coordinate logistics while getting new classrooms ready. In advanced preparation mode, Administrator in Charge Ken Knelly expressed the confidence reflected in Clinton students and staff. "We're itemizing, coordinating how to move different things at different times. We've already donated over $175,000 worth of educational items to area schools and to CVES, you name it, tables, chairs, science equipment. We continue to make items available as we go," Knelly said. That way, equipment Clinton does not need will be reused. "We're going to hold auctions this summer, including items from the kitchen," Knelly said. Dates and times of Clinton auction events will be announced on their social media and website pages online. The Clinton community's willingness to pitch in has been incredibly supportive, Knelly said. "I'm very proud of everyone," he said. To find out more about Clinton programs and course schedules: clinton.edu

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Nostalgia, excitement at Clinton College Day

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