Alfred University gives away two pairs of EnChroma glasses for color blindness

Alex Teijeira, a senior at Alfred University, dons a pair of EnChroma glasses for color blindness, which he won in a free raffle over Homecoming weekend. He is shown with Mechele Romanchock, director of libraries at Alfred University. The libraries sponsored the drawing for the glasses.

Over Homecoming weekend, Sept. 27-29, Alfred University Libraries held free raffles to give away two pairs of EnChroma glasses which help people with color blindness. The raffles were held in recognition of National Color Blindness Awareness Month, observed each year in September.

The two lucky winners were Nick Badolato, a 15-year-old from Bayport, NY, who was on campus to visit a cousin and take in a football game with his family, and Alex Teijeira, a senior biomaterials engineering major from North Collins, NY. Nick won his glasses by entering a raffle at the Homecoming football game at Yunevich Stadium. Alex won his by entering a drawing at Scholes Memorial Library.

The glasses were donated to Alfred University by Berkeley, CA-based- EnChroma, a company co-founded by alumnus Don McPherson, who earned master's and doctorate degrees in glass science in 1984 and 1988, respectively. McPherson, who discovered the technology used to create the lenses that help people with color blindness, serves as the company's chief technology officer.

Teijeira, who is color blind, had previously tried on a pair of the EnChroma glasses at the library, which has a few pairs on hand that it lends out much like it would a book. Alfred University's libraries, Scholes and Herrick, has several pairs of glasses on hand to loan to members of the campus and local communities.

"It's really cool the founder of the company is an Alfred University alumnus," Teijeira remarked while receiving his glasses from Mechele Romanchock, Alfred University director of libraries. "I'm happy he's helping our students. This means a lot to me because I can bring these home and let my brother and grandfather-who are both color blind-try them out."

Nick Badolato was in town Homecoming weekend with his family, visiting a cousin who is a first-year student at Alfred University. He and his family attended the football game the afternoon of Sept. 28, where the libraries had a table set up where fans could try out the glasses and enter the free raffle.

Jamie Badolato, from Bayport, NY, with the pair of EnChroma glasses for color blindness that her son, Nick, won in a free raffle held at Alfred University over Homecoming weekend.

Nick's mother, Jamie, said Nick has a vision deficiency in which he can't see colors clearly. She said her son, a sophomore at St. John the Baptist High School in West Islip, NY, had heard about the glasses but had never tried them out. "He never complained about (not seeing colors clearly). He just thought that's the way it is," she related.

"My husband suggested he try on a pair, and they worked," Badolato recalled. "Nick said 'Wow! This is what (the colors) are supposed to look like.' It was very fun to see."

Herrick and Scholes libraries each have 10 pairs of the glasses, which can be checked out and borrowed for up to seven days.