Homecoming Weekend includes top alumni awards

Jane and Joseph Falcone, above, and Kirk Krull, at right, will be honored at the Homecoming Awards Brunch Saturday, Oct. 22.   Brunch tickets can be purchased online>>

From near and far, SUNY Fredonia alumni will reconvene “Under the Big Top" starting Friday, Oct. 21, for Homecoming Weekend and tours, reunions, athletic events along with a variety of entertainment on virtually every stage on campus. Alumni Achievement Awards will be presented to Joseph and Jane (Schuster) Falcone of Silver Creek, and Kirk Krull of Charlotte, N.C., all students during the 1970s, at a brunch Saturday in Cranston Marche.

Other highlights include the grand opening of the renovated and named Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery in Rockefeller Arts Center, the Mainstage opening of the annual musical, many concerts, SUNYAC sports, and a book-signing by Jessica Goodell, author of "Shade it Black: Death and After in Iraq."

“It’s a wonderful time for alumni to see friends, many of whom they haven’t seen in a long time, and to see all the incredible changes on campus,” said Patty Feraldi, director of Alumni Affairs.

“We usually have more than 1,000 people at all the different events, and some are coming quite a distance, from as far away as California and Arizona.” (Complete schedule information is available at the SUNY Fredonia web-site here>>

This year’s circus theme, as chosen by the Undergraduate Alumni Council, will take center stage at the pep rally Friday, beginning at 5 p.m., in the Steele Hall Arena. Skits, dances and songs performed by student groups from residence halls will reflect the “Under the Big Top” theme. The new Homecoming king and queen will also be crowned.  Immediately following the rally, students are invited to Dods Hall Grove to enjoy a free picnic serving traditional circus fare – hot dogs, candied apples and lemonade.

Outstanding Achievement Award Winners

The Falcones own and operate Falcone Farms, one of the most successful farming operations in Western New York, in nearby Silver Creek. Its 500 acres of Concord grapes makes Falcone Farms a major player in the grape-growing industry and Joseph (’74), the third generation in his family to operate the farm, currently serves as president of National Grape Cooperative and chairman of the board of directors of Welch’s, the food processing and marketing division of National Grape. Jane is manager of Falcone Farms Apples.

Falcone Farms includes another 2,200 acres devoted to beans, vegetables, apples and small grains.
The Falcones met at SUNY Fredonia when Joseph, a graduate of Alfred University, was a teaching assistant pursuing a master’s in Biology, and the former Jane Schuster (’74) was pursuing her bachelor’s in Biology and performing undergraduate research. Both studied under Dr. Irvin Schmoyer.

Strong supporters of SUNY Fredonia, the Falcones created the Joseph C. and Jane E. (Schuster) Falcone Biology Endowment fund through the Fredonia College Foundation to provide scholarships to Biology majors. The greenhouse in the new Science Center will bear their name.

The Falcones have two sons: Stephen, who returned to work at the farm after earning a degree at Cornell University, and Dr. John Falcone, a surgical resident at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.  

Kirk Krull (’78) serves as Executive Vice President of Real Estate and Development for Shoe Show, Inc., a national chain of 1,125 shoe stores with locations in 39 states operating under the banners of Shoe Dept., Burlington Shoes, Shoebilee, Shoe Show and Shoe Dept. Encore. Now residing in North Carolina, Krull has been with the company for 22 years.  A Business Administration major, Krull was a Resident Assistant at Alumni Hall and played basketball for three years, serving as co-captain in his senior year. He continues to remain active in basketball, both as a coach and player, and is involved with Big Brother and youth programs at his church. Krull and his wife, Elaine, have four children: Kyle, Kerrie, Joseph and Julia.

Mainstage presents "The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"

Three performances of “The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” the major fall musical production of the Department of Theatre and Dance, will be presented Friday and Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon at Marvel Theatre.

“Then and Again,” the Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery Inaugural Exhibition,” featuring select works by SUNY Fredonia faculty and students from the Department of Visual Arts and New Media, will be open for viewing Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon at the Rockefeller Arts Center Art Gallery.

A book signing for Jessica Goodell (’10), author of “Shade it Black: Death and After in Iraq” and a veteran of the Iraq war and former member of the Marine Mortuary Affairs Unit, will be held Saturday afternoon at the bookstore.
Jeff Conroy (1987), director of Core Genomics Facility, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, will deliver the Biology Department Alumni Seminar Friday afternoon.

Sporting events also figure prominently throughout the weekend. “We will have more athletic events than we’ve ever had before – two hockey games, two soccer games and a swim meet. That’s really incredible,” Feraldi exclaimed. The men’s swim team hosts Oneonta Friday evening. The men’s hockey team will play Assumption College twice, on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. The alumni soccer game will be held Saturday morning; the varsity team hosts Oneonta Saturday afternoon.