By Ken Hesselbacher
Yes, most people would think of Valhalla as the final
heavenly resting place for slain Viking heroes. You would
imagine a place where each day is perfect and the
season never changes. This is not the Valhalla of which I
write. Rather, Valhalla is a small town 50 miles north of
New York City. Within Valhalla is the campus of
Westchester Community College, part of the State
University of New York.
The campus is located on what was once the summer estate of Huntington Hartford, heir to the Great Atlantic & Pacific Company fortune. The team mascot most fittingly is named “Vikings”, although it should be noted that in the era of gender equality there are now “Lady Vikings” and “Vikings” Westchester Community College and Valhalla, New York experience four very unique and beautiful seasons.
My Four Seasons of Valhalla refer to the four large paintings now prominently displayed in the Academic Arts Building on the campus. Originally created in 1988, they were placed for many years in the Administration Building. In 2019 they were relocated to the Academic
Arts Building. This is a much better setting because they
now look out through the large glass walls and enjoy the
four changing seasons of Valhalla.
According to the plaque, the project was organized under the direction of Dr. Thomas Halsall, formerly Dean of the Arts School. The idea was conceived by Joeseph Quadri. The painters were Jody Corbo and Michelle
Schuster, who were assisted by Maureen Doebbler and Sue Oliveres. The medium was acrylic and measures 8 by 16 feet. It was funded by the Faculty Student Association.
I think the four seasons could also represent the four years of college. Taking it one step further, I thought of the four distinct seasons of a persons life. Spring would represent your first 25 years, Summer your second 25
years, Fall your third 25 years and Winter your final 25 years. Then I wondered where the people who worked on the paintings were now.
Then I thought about the young people depicted in the paintings. They were most likely students just starting out in life. Wherever they might be now, they will remain forever young in the painting!
And then the evil Covid-19 attacked us and life as we know it just stopped. The campus is basically deserted and appears frozen in time just like the paintings. Fear not however for the Vikings of Valhalla shall overcome this pandemic and once again the campus will be filled young students in the spring time of their lives pursuing their dreams. And since I am now in winter of my life, I offer the following advice to everyone: be safe, work hard, register to vote, and last but not least, Vote!