Many U.S. residents prep for Independence Day by cleaning the barbecue grill, buying wieners and booze in bulk and raising the flag, but what are we actually celebrating? Test your knowledge of our nation's July Fourth history. To reveal the correct answer, take your cursor and highlight from * to * below each answer.

1. Independence Day commemorates:
A. The adoption of the Declaration of Independence
B. The day the French surrendered
C. The signing of the Declaration of Independence

*The answer is A*

2. Which two U.S presidents died on July 4, 1826?
A. George Washington and John Adams
B. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
C. Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Edison

*The answer is B*

3. The only other president to die on a July 4 was:
A. John Quincy Adams
B. George Washington
C. James Monroe

*The answer is C*

4. The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere went from:
A. Boston to Lexington
B. Boston to Concord
C. Boston to San Francisco

*The answer is A*

5. Washington's crossing of the Delaware River was a surprise attack on:
A. Hessian forces at Trenton, New Jersey
B. Alien forces at Princeton, New Jersey
C. British forces at Ft. Duquesne, Pennsylvania

*The answer is A*

6. The 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence did not include:
A. Samuel Adams
B. James Monroe
C. William Hooper

*The answer is B*

7. The U.S. President born on July 4, 1872, was:
A. Warren G. Harding
B. Calvin Coolidge
C. Dwight D. Eisenhower

*The answer is B*

8. The "Star Spangled Banner" was written by Francis Scott Key during:
A. The Boston Tea Party
B. The Revolutionary War
C. The War of 1812

*The answer is C*

9. The first words of the body of the Declaration of Independence are:
A. We the People of the United States
B. When in the Course of human events
C. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion

*The answer is B*

10. The right to keep and bear arms is guaranteed in:
A. The Bill of Rights
B. The Declaration of Independence
C. The Magna Carta

*The answer is A*

If you scored a perfect 10, you're ready for a political office. If you got 7 or better, you're ready to vote. Fewer than 7 right? Ask an immigrant to teach you about our nation's history.

Labels: trivia

Roon tagged me and I am now morally obligated to fulfill his request.

The rules:
* link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
* share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
* tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
* let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Two years ago I posted 50 Things about me to my blog so I've already done this 10 times over. But I'll now make it 55 things about me by adding 5 new facts. Hmm, I can't mention television awards, movie appearances, or sea-monster sightings... this is going to be hard but I'll do my best.

Five (new) Random Facts:

1. Since Roon ended his facts by mentioning that he's been to Yankee Stadium many times but never went to Shea Stadium, I'll start by saying that I've been to Shea Stadium several dozen times but I've never been to Yankee Stadium. Other than Shea, I've been to Major League games in Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, and Minor League or Spring Training games in Florida, South Carolina, Maryland, and Maine.
2. I have been downstairs in the basement archives of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, way beyond where the public is allowed to see.
   
3. On more than one occasion I've hiked to the top of a cold, ice-covered mountain in the middle of the night using only a flashlight.
4. Since January 1st I've been mapping the progress of hiker Ryan Carpenter on his 1,800-mile journey of from Key West, Florida to Springer Mountain, Georgia. (I've never even met Ryan before.)
5. I am in Wikipedia. shhh. (I am not the one who wrote it (that's against the rules) but I did correct it once.)
   

Here are the 5 bloggers I've tagged, and now "they're it" and they have to list 5 random facts about themselves and so on and so forth.

Joe Video - Friend from college. Already tagged with this meme but he hasn't responded to it yet.
Kraig Koelsch - Former colleague, now living in sunny Florida.
Brian & Dawn - Current colleague and his wife.
Ian Isanberg - New York networker and fellow PSTV alumnus.
"Steele Creek Blogger" - Unknown Charlotte area neighborhood blogger I read.

Labels: other, trivia

Since last month's post, "SUNY Plattsburgh Trivia", turned out to be so popular I decided to do another round. With all the good trivia gone, I've always wondered what the stories were behind the names of some of the buildings around SUNY Plattsburgh. Some were obvious and some were surprising. I admit I couldn't find the meanings behind every campus building so if you can fill in some of the blanks, please shoot me an email.

Residence Halls
Adirondack Hall: Named for the nearby Adirondack Mountains.
Banks Hall: Named in memory of Dr. Marie Banks, professor of home economics.
deFredenburgh Hall: Named for Count Charles deFredenburgh, who was the first European settler in the area. He was the founder of a settlement called Freburg which occupied the sight of present day Plattsburgh.
Harrington Hall: Named for Charles M. Harrington. Harrington was a prominent attorney and judge in Plattsburgh, who served in the New York State Legislature and the College Council.
Hood Hall: Named for Diana R. Hood, a former residence hall director and Dean of Women from 1964 to 1969.
Kent Hall: Named for James Kent. Kent was a local attorney who served on the Supreme Court and authored the book, "Commentaries on American Law." This book is considered one of the most widely used legal references by the American Bar Association.
MacDonough Hall: Named for Commodore Thomas MacDonough, commander in charge of the American forces who were victorious over the British in the Battle of Plattsburgh in 1812.
Macomb Hall: Named for General Alexander Macomb. General Macomb directed the American Land forces against the British in the Battle of Plattsburgh in the War of 1812.
Mason Hall: Named for Ernest S. and Frederick E. Mason. Both were former local businessmen and members of the college council.
Moffitt Hall: Named for local Civil War hero Brigadier General Stephen Moffitt. After the war, Moffitt became a State Assemblyman who was influential in passing legislation to establish a Normal School in Plattsburgh.
Whiteface Hall: Named for Whiteface Mountain, famous as the skiing venue for the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics in nearby Lake Placid.
Wilson Hall: Lewis W. Wilson. Mr. Wilson was associated with the New York State Education Department for 43 years and served as Commissioner of Education from 1950-1955.

Classroom Buildings:
Beaumont Hall: Named for Dr. William Beaumont, known as the "Father of Gastric Physiology".
Champlain Valley Hall: Named for the Champlain Valley region which surrounds Lake Champlain.
Hawkins Hall: Named for George K. Hawkins, the principal of Plattsburgh Normal School from 1898 to 1933. Hawkins Hall replaced the original Normal Hall.
Hudson Hall: Named for George Henry Hudson, who served as Professor of Natural Science from 1890-1926.
Memorial Hall: (unknown, but possibly a memorial to a war.)
Myers Fine Arts Building: Suggested to be named for John H. Myers, a prominent businessman and local politician in Plattsburgh during the late 1890's.
Redcay Hall: Named for Dr. Edward "Doc" Redcay, president of the college from 1952-1954.
Sibley Hall: Named for Margaret Sibley, a long-time teacher in the Campus School when it was located in Hawkins Hall.
Ward Hall: Named for Dr. Charles C. Ward, the fourth principal of the Plattsburgh Normal School.
Yokum Hall: Suggested to be named for George E. Yokum, a former music teacher.

Resource Buildings
Angell College Center : Named for Dr. George Angell, president of the college from 1954-1974.
Kehoe Administration Building: Suggested to be named after Harry P. Kehoe, a prominent Judge in Plattsburgh who was appointed Deputy Attorney-General for the State of New York in the early 1920's.
Feinberg Library: Named for Benjamin F. Feinberg. He was a prominent Plattsburgh native and New York State Senator who sponsored the 1948 legislation creating the State University of New York system.
Saranac Hall ("The Bookstore"): Named for the Saranac River which runs along the southern border of the campus.

Dining Halls
Algonquin Dining Hall: Names for the native American tribes indigenous to the region.
Clinton Dining Hall: Named for Clinton County.
The Sundowner Cafe: Named as such because it was originally supposed to be open significantly later in to the evening than other dining facilities.

Other Random Stuff Around Campus
Amité Plaza: This area between the Angell College Center and the Myers Fine Arts Building is named after its huge metal sculpture of two people shaking hands. Amité is french for Amity, which means "peaceful relations, as between nations" and the sculpture represents the friendly relationship between the U.S. and Canada.
Ronald B. Stafford Ice Hockey Arena: Stafford was a popular and influential New York State Senator, representing the North Country for 37 years.
Chip Cummings Baseball Field: Alumnus of 1956 who was instrumental in baseball returning to Plattsburgh as a varsity sport.
Albert R. Montanaro Television Studio: Montanaro is a current Professor who was instrumental in building the Communications Department.
Willard C. Flynt Commons ("The Blue Room"): Flynt was a former VP for student affairs.
Draper Avenue: Named after Judge Andrew S. Draper, former State Superintendent of Public Institution who was instrumental in bringing the Normal School to Plattsburgh.

Labels: Plattsburgh, trivia

I present this extensive list of useless yet interesting trivia about my alma mater, SUNY Plattsburgh. Send a link to this post to other Plattsburgh State alumni you know!
_{( The URL of this post is http://www.mikesussman.com/blog/2007/01/suny-plattsburgh-trivia.php )}

Updated 2/27/08

• Before the State University of New York System was founded, SUNY Plattsburgh was named the Plattsburgh Normal and Training School, a teaching and nursing school.
  
  
• Teaching is still the largest major at SUNY Plattsburgh.
  
  
• The original Plattsburgh Normal School was a two-year non-selective institution. To demonstrate how non-selective it was, the requirements for enrollment were as follows:

  To gain admission to the school, pupils must be at least sixteen years of age, and must possess good health, good moral character and average abilities.

  
  
• If the Plattsburgh Normal School had not been built, Plattsburgh would most likely have had settled for a state insane asylum instead. (Insert your own jokes here.)
  
  
• The Plattsburgh Normal School burned completely to the ground on January 26, 1929. It took more than three years to replace the original structure.
  
  
• Often mistaken for Hawkins Hall, the structure on the left side of the current SUNY Plattsburgh seal is actually the central tower of Normal Hall.
  
  
• Also seen in the official seal is the year 1889. It was founded in 1889 but the school didn't actually open for classes until 1890.
  
  
• In 1904, Plattsburgh was shut out by Potsdam in a basketball game by a score of 123-0. Now that's what I call an ass-kicking!
  
  
• For decades, Plattsburgh was the #3 nuclear strike target of the Soviet Union, right after Washington, DC and NORAD. Plattsburgh was strategically essential because the quickest route for military aircraft to reach Moscow was over the arctic circle, but those aircraft would need to be refueled along the way by the Plattsburgh Air Base, which specialized in those mid-air maneuvers. The large siren on campus at the intersection of Broad and Rugar was an air raid specifically to warn of a nuclear attack.
  
  
• Due to it's immense dimensions (over 3 miles long) and double-thick tarmac, the runway at the old Plattsburgh Air Force Base was capable of landing the Space Shuttle. That fact had nothing to do with the college but it's still pretty cool.
  
  
• MacDonough Hall has long been rumored to be haunted. The legend is that the basement of MacDonough Hall was once the morgue for the old city hospital that used to exist near Champlain Valley Hall. This story is completely false! MacDonough Hall opened in 1951 as a dormitory and has never served any other purpose.
  
  
• So then what's the deal with the catacombs under MacDonough Hall? Aside from maintenance purposes, the labyrinth of catacombs below the dormitory also served as a network of bomb shelters. (See "Plattsburgh was Soviet target #3") There are several places around the building where you'll find air vents to the underground bunkers.
  
  

• So then what about the ghosts? I'm not about to tell you whether or not MacDonough Hall is haunted but here are two facts to consider:
  1) Two pre-Revolutionary War gravestones were unearthed on the site during the building's construction.
  2) The field behind MacDonough Hall was used as a public hanging grounds for the nearby Plattsburgh Arsenal which was destroyed (along with most of the surrounding area) by the British raid of July 30, 1813.
  3) In October of 2007, "paranormal investigators" were brought in at the request of school R.A.s to investigate reported hauntings in MacDononough Hall. They reportedly recorded a mysteriously unexplained female voice whispering either "wait" or "hate."

• Champlain Valley Hall was once the residence hall for nursing students training at the city hospital which used to exist on Rugar Street.
  
  
• Before Feinberg, Redcay Hall once served as the central library on campus.
  
  
• The college bookstore used to be the campus cafeteria. Before that the cafeteria used to be located in the basement of MacDonough Hall.
  
  
• In addition to a couple of underground tunnels that remain open to students, there is another underground tunnel that connects Algonquin Dining Hall all the way to the Angell College Center. This tunnel is now closed to students and only available to maintenance workers.
  
  
• The Rockwell Kent Art Gallery is the largest collection of Kent's artwork outside of Russia.
  
  
• The Nina Winkel Sculpture Gallery within the Myers Fine Arts Building is the second-largest gallery in North American dedicated to the art of one woman.
  
  
• Yokum Hall was once home to the region's PBS television affiliate, WCFE. In 1987 WCFE moved to a new studio, donating their previous studio and equipment to the communications department.
  
  
• It is a well known legend that if a virgin ever graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh that the eagle atop the MacDonough Monument in downtown Plattsburgh would take off and fly away. The eagle is still there.
  
  
• The campus radio station WQKE "The Quake" used to be known as WPLT "The Pilot" in respect to the Plattsburgh Airforce Base. In 1997 the college sold those call letters to a station in Detroit that wanted to brand itself as "The Planet". Before WPLT, the original campus station call letters were WSUP... as in "WhatS UP".
  
  
• Peter Frampton's classic rock hit song Do You Feel Like We Do, from the best-selling live album of all time, Frampton Comes Alive! was recorded live at SUNY Plattsburgh's Memorial Hall (not the Field House) on November 22, 1975. So next time you listen to that song remember that all those screaming fans are actually SUNY Plattsburgh students.
  
  
• On July 10, 1976, the campus served as the official staging area for the United States Olympic Team before leaving for the Summer Olympics in Montreal. President Gerald Ford visited SUNY Plattsburgh to address the Olympic team at rally outside the Field House.
• SUNY Plattsburgh shut down for an early spring break in 1980 for the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Over 800 Plattsburgh students were hired to work at the Olympics, and were bussed back and forth from the campus daily.
  
  
• The reason SUNY Plattsburgh always has spring break during St. Patrick's Day stems from a St. Patrick's Day riot in downtown between drunken students and drunken townies. New York State Troopers had to be called in to restore order, and dozens of students were arrested. Following the melee, the Mayor demanded that the college always hold its spring break to coincide with St. Patrick's Day so that most students would be out of town and away from downtown.
  
  
• Playboy Magazine once named SUNY Plattsburgh one of the top party schools in the entire country. It took the school years to shake that national reputation.
  ^{*[Exact year unknown.]}
  

Want more SUNY Plattsburgh Trivia? Check out "SUNY Plattsburgh Trivia II".

Labels: history, Plattsburgh, trivia