Body and soul

Polcer ’58 running for jazz

Pounding the pavement, mile after mile, might not appear to have anything to do with jazz, but cornetist and swing jazz bandleader Ed Polcer ’58 will bring together his passion for both when he runs the New York City Marathon Nov. 2 to raise money for the Jazz Foundation of America. Polcer got involved with the organization, which helps support older jazz and blues artists, three years ago and today works with its development department. The New York-based group, founded in 1991, provides emergency-housing funds for rents and mortgages, finds jobs for musicians in public schools, and, in partnership with a New Jersey hospital, arranges free health care.

Polcer, who took up running in 1994 at age 57, will have company -- his wife, Judy Kurtz, a singer and actress who performs with Polcer in concerts and jazz festivals, will keep pace with him. This will be Polcer's 10th NYC marathon and Kurtz's 13th. They hope to raise as much as $100,000 for the Jazz Foundation. As of Oct. 15, they had collected $20,000 in pledges. In addition to keeping him in great shape for performing gigs, running for the Jazz Foundation, says Polcer, is his way of "addressing the needs of some of our country's great jazz artists who are self-employed, with no corporate pensions and health/retirement plans as safety nets." By Katherine Federici Greenwood

Above, Ed Polcer ’58 and wife Judy at the 2006 New York City Marathon. (Photo courtesy Ed Polcer ’58)

Young guns top alumni in men's lacrosse

Youth trumped experience at Class of 1952 Stadium when former members of Princeton's men's lacrosse team returned to campus to take on the young Tigers in the annual alumni game Oct. 19. In an uncharacteristic loss for the alumni, the undergrads stomped them out, 17-4.

Princeton head coach Bill Tierney does not take this game lightly. His players stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the sideline, dressed in their black uniforms, and at halftime, they formed a tight huddle around Tierney to talk strategy. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, volunteer assistant coach Bryce Chase ’63 had to yell to grab the attention of alumni, dressed in a hodgepodge of lacrosse shorts, running shoes, and in a few cases, business casual.

But the alumni can still play. Just ask goalie Howard "Cookie" Krongard ’61, former inspector general of the State Department. "I think I'm in pretty good shape," said Krongard, who has rarely missed a chance to strap on his goalie pads and face the undergrads. He even practiced with the team the day before. Practice seemed to pay off when he came up with a big save against freshman Oscar Loynaz.

This year's freshman class "adds a lot" to the team, said Krongard. With more speed on the team, Krongard thinks it will be a good year for Tiger lacrosse -- and he should know what a good year looks like. Princeton did not lose an Ivy League game during his three years as a starter. By Sarah Harrison ’09

Names in the news

On Oct. 16, The New York Times profiled Amit Chatwani ’04, a blogger and author who satirizes the lives of young investment bankers -- a tough job in a down market, according to Chatwani. "It's just not the same to kick them when they're down," he told the paper. ... On Oct. 15, poet and Northwestern University professor Reginald Gibbons ’69 was nominated for a National Book Award for his collection of poems Creatures of a Day. The National Book Award winners will be announced Nov. 19. ... An Oct. 17 Washington Post review complimented the "haunting, bracing, and ultimately heartbreaking" accounts of Robert Kennedy found in former Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach ’43's new book, Some of It Was Fun: Working with RFK and LBJ. ... NPR's All Things Considered looked back at Adlai Stevenson ’22 and his presidential candidacy in 1952, one of the first times in which television played a major role in the election's outcome. ... Standup comedian Jeff Kreisler ’95 will join four other performers to "rant, vent and occasionally educate audiences on campaign topics" at the Gotham Comedy Club Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m., according to Time Out New York.