Visiting Faculty from China Get a Personal Perspective about New York City's Central Park from Berkeley College Professor and Author Stephen Wolf

21 August 2019



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2019	Contact: Ilene Greenfield Director of Media Relations 973-278-5400, Ext. 1-5122 IGL@BerkeleyCollege.edu
Photo Captions (clockwise from top left): (1) Stephen Wolf, PhD, Professor, English and Humanities, Berkeley College School of Liberal Arts, and editor of “I Speak of the City: Poems of New York,” published by Columbia University Press in 2007, and more recently, “Central Park Love Song: Wandering Beneath the Heaventrees,” published by Griffith Moon, in June 2018, signs a copy of his book for one of the visiting faculty from Guizhou University of Finance and Economics in China. (2) Heather Klomhaus, PhD, (second from left) leader of Berkeley College’s Global Alliance Faculty Development program this year, invited Dr. Wolf to provide an historical perspective on Central Park and New York City. Here they sit beneath the Angel of the Waters statue at Bethesda Terrace. The statue, above the Bethesda Fountain, references the Gospel of John, which describes an angel blessing the Pool of Bethesda and giving it healing powers. The fountain commemorates the Croton water system, which first brought fresh water to New York City in 1842. The angel carries a lily in her left hand, a symbol of the water’s purity, very important to a city that had previously suffered from a devastating cholera epidemic before the system was established. The piece is the only statue that was commissioned for the Park. Emma Stebbins created it, marking the first time a woman received a public art commission in New York City. (3) The author shares a laugh on his walking tour of Central Park. Dr. Wolf’s relationship with Central Park began more than 40 years ago when he looked for a more open space for his dog to romp and explore. (4) The group stops for a photo under the elm tree canopy of the Mall, one of the largest and last remaining stands of American elm trees in North America. The quarter-mile pedestrian path is the only intentional straight line inside the Park. *(5)* One of several musicians and artists Dr. Wolf introduced to the group on his walking tour was a guitarist Carlos Kőnig who played classical Spanish music. To learn more about Central Park, click here. To view a video program interview with Dr. Wolf click here. About Berkeley College A leader in providing career-focused education since 1931, Berkeley College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and enrolls more than 7,000 students – including more than 350 international students – in its Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs. Students can study in more than 20 career fields. Berkeley College is comprised of the Larry L. Luing School of Business®, the School of Professional Studies, the School of Health Studies and the School of Liberal Arts. The School of Graduate Studies offers an MBA in Management online and in Woodland Park, NJ. Berkeley College has three New York campuses – Midtown Manhattan, Brooklyn and White Plains. In New Jersey there are four campuses – Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge and Woodland Park. Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. For six consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans. The website address is www.BerkeleyCollege.edu. - end - To view the above images as high resolution photos go to: (1) https://berkeleycollege.edu/newsroom/images/NYC_CentralParkBookSigning.jpg (2) https://berkeleycollege.edu/newsroom/images/NYC_CentralParkFountain_081519.jpg (3) https://berkeleycollege.edu/newsroom/images/NYC_CentralParkLaughCR_081519.jpg (4) https://berkeleycollege.edu/newsroom/images/NYC_CentralParkPromenade_081519.jpg (5) https://berkeleycollege.edu/newsroom/images/NYC_CentralParkGuitarist_081519.jpg