the knothole, volume 67 issue 1

FREE www.facebook.com/esfknothole September 24, 2012 Volume 67, Issue 1

Summer Travels and the State of the quadA stumping question and Humans of ESFAn election selection, and More!

2 • THE KNOTHOLE • Student Life & The Environment

Letter From The Editor

Inside Issue #1:Summer Travels.............................................................2Election Spotlight Central Issues.......................................................4 Green policies.....................................................4Campus News..............................................................5Mind & Body Extended Triangle Pose........................................6 Something to Meditate on...................................6 Toda Con Calma.................................................7 Dalai Lama.........................................................7Around the Quad State of the Quad................................................8 Humans of ESF....................................................9Stumpy Pride Stumpies no more?.............................................10 Cranberry Lake...................................................11Mighty Oaks...............................................................15In Remembrance........................................................16

The views and opinions expressed are those of the writers only and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publication’s staff or anyone affiliated with the State University of New York College of Environmental Science & Forestry.

The mission of The Knothole is to provide its readers with

writings that are both stimulating and contemporary: to inform its students of clubs, events, and off-campus happenings, to challenge a world driven by progress to uncover the truth about current environmental policies and innovations, and to express such ideas, ingeniously and collectively. We are not a newspaper; we are not a magazine; we are not The Daily Orange. We are simply created by Stumpies, for Stumpies... and we like it that way.

is the State University of New York College of Environmental Science & Forestry’s exclusive monthly student publication. The contents of the publication include recent and upcoming event coverage, interviews, editorials, opinion articles, political cartoons, artwork, poetry, club announcements, and much more. SUNY-ESF students are able to make submissions at The Knothole office in 12D Bray Hall (BraySpace) or by email at [email protected] before 6:00PM on Tuesdays the week before the next issue is published.

Co-Managing EditorsHeather HelmanGavin Cohen

Layout & DesignMeg Callaghan

Christian Hill

TreasurerHui Lin

Editorial StaffBrigitte Moneymaker

Emily AdamsAdvisorKaren Moore

PrinterScotsman Press

The Knothole meets every other Wednesday at 7:30 pm in the basement of Bray Hall. If you are interested in attending, please send us an email at [email protected] so we can expect you!

THE KNOTHOLE

Cover Photo: David S. Goodsell

Dear Faithful Readers,

Welcome back to all returning students and faculty and welcome here to all new members of our beloved ESF campus community. The beginning weeks of collegial life have come and passed and for a majority of us classes are starting to ramp up into projects due and tests to be taken. Stress not my fellow stumpies(which I assure you, you all are) take a break, fill your head with tales of the summer gone and ways to relax that worried mind with some yoga stretches. So procrastinate like I know you want to and read what your fellow students put so much loving time and energy to create for your mind consumption. I have a question for you good folks reading at home, think hard to yourself and contemplate when the last time you heard some donkus refer to the end of the Mayan calendar recently and how it pertains to the end of the world? It seems to me as this mythic date inches closer and closer people are growing more apathetic. People! Awaken from thy slumber and live each of your days as if an ancient calendar is about to cease counting. Hmh…As an interesting point of conjecture the use of a certain phrase has increases exponentially in the recent months; I am referring of course to the popularity of “YOLO”. Possibly there is a connection between these trends, but I don’t have time to sit and postulate, I’ve got to go, I’ve got to live, I’ve got to procrastinate on my studies.

-hoochie coochie, Gavin Cohen

Student Life & The Environment • THE KNOTHOLE • 3

Summer Travels

An Alaskan SummerKristen Howard, 2014

As many of us are entering the real world of jobs and taxes, we are

realizing all the places we want to go, but may not be able to. For many years, Alaska has been on my list of places to visit. Luckily, I was able to spend my summer in Craig, Alaska, working for the US Forest Service in Tongass National Forest. Because I experienced the Northern Lights, a lesson in chainsaw expertise, and a serious culture shock, I walked away with a love of Alaskan living. A major-ity of the people I met in Craig didn’t actually live there, but they taught me a ton about the industries that allow SE Alaska to grow socially and economically. The word “logging” is gener-ally questioned upon at ESF. Many of the men that flood into Craig on their off days are loggers. Although

they are generally of a crude personal-ity, they were able to answer many questions I had about their indus-try. Particularly on Prince of Wales Island, logging has been minimized and made more environmentally sound. A type of for-est thinning, instead of clear-cutting, is being used to gather cedar lumber on POW Island, which has its own lumber mill. Even more men that in-filtrate Craig on their off days are commercial fishermen. The typical commercial boats that dock in Craig fish for King Salmon, Halibut, Geo-duck (google it), and different types See Alaska, pg 12

The Island EscapeCecilia Walenza, 2013

“What did you do this summer?” Everyone has been asking me

since returning to school. “Was it fun?” The person in question has turned twice as dark as they were when they left (mostly from sunburns, now healed) and is covered head to toe in bug bites. They have had almost no out-side contact all summer due to incon-sistent cell phone reception and sparse internet, all while spending twelve weeks on an island that you can only get to by boat. But instead of complaints, a grumpy face, and the exclamation that they are “Never doing that again”, there is a smile, a genuine, happy smile. “It was great.” The person in question says, and everyone is confused. If you have ever been down in the Georgia area and visited Cumberland Island, then you will know what I mean. The island has changed very little in the decades since it has become a national seashore in October of 1972. When you go walking under the canopy of live oaks draped in Spanish moss, with palmetto plants growing along-

side you, it feels as if you have entered another world, a jungle far away from civilization. On this island, various hid-den structures dot its landscape, their residents elusive, and most of its edges are lined by either beach or marsh. Deer, armadillos, turkeys, and feral horses run amuck. Sea turtles crawl ashore during summer nights to nest. If you are particularly observant, you can sometimes find fossilized sharks teeth on the dirt road. This summer I was part of a Student Conservation Association program called the National Park Service Acad-emy. The goal of this organization is to diversify the workforce of NPS through hands-on experiences. Several dozen students and I were placed in national parks around the US, from Alaska to Maine to the Virgin Islands. From May 31-August 23, I became a Visi-tor Services and Wilderness Intern on Cumberland Island and began to call it home. Cumberland is the largest and southernmost island of Georgia’s bar-rier islands. Hidden away from most of civilization, it still manages to be packed full with history. The Island is the loca-

tion of the first African Baptist Church in America, the place where Eli Whitney invented his first cotton gin, the final resting spot of General “Lighthorse” Harry Lee, and a vacation home for Carnegie descendants, who used to own 90% of the island. Unfortunately, if you were to look in a book about National Parks, Cumberland would barely garner more than a paragraph, if it is even mentioned at all. I assure you, however, that it is worth the visit. There are a variety of activi-ties available on Cumberland if you are interested in either staying on shore or going in the ocean. Fishing is a popu-lar pastime and Manatees sometimes appear during low tide, while dolphins often swim around in search of fish. The beach is vast, yielding a variety of shells and the occasional horseshoe crab. Campgrounds fill up quickly, and are the only way that you can see the star-filled sky, beautiful sunrises, and sunsets. If you are hardy, you can also walk or bike the seven miles up to Plum Orchard, or take a van tour that brings you around the island. If you are cre-ative, you never run out of things to do.


Election Spotlight

Do you know what time it is? Well it is game time for the

2012 Presidential Race. Election Day is only a little less than two months away, so I am sure that we all know the main points for both Republican Mitt Romney and Democratic Barack Obama’s campaign, right? If not, then you are in the same boat as many students and it is not entirely your fault. Politicians and the media are both things we have been told time and time again to trust only with a grain of salt. Without going online and using your internet surfing skills to deduce where the candidates stand, which you should do as soon as you finish reading this Knothole issue, it has been difficult to figure out the presidential campaigns. Common issues that both candidates address regularly

include the Economy, National Security, Health Care, Energy & the Environment, and Immigration, to name a few. On each candidate’s website you can read about their stances to no end. Yet, candidate’s speeches and media coverage seems to only be covering one thing recently, women’s health. Republicans have been called misogynists and Democrats have been called baby-killers. If you throw those middle school insults aside, what is left? Barack Obama and the Democratic Party have upheld women’s right to health coverage with the Affordable Care Act, where many insurance plans are now required to fully cover birth control. There are exceptions for houses of worship, but any non-profit organization that “Employs or serves people regardless of their faith” qualifies only for a year

transition period. A main tenant is that no one will be forced to use or buy birth control. This compromise does not give coverage to drugs, like RU-486, which cause abortion. On the other hand, Republicans and Mitt Romney have prominently taken a stand against abortion and have tried futility to cut funding to Planned Parenthood, known for preforming abortions, but overwhelmingly providing health services for women including cancer screening and family planning. While this is true, Republicans strive toward not judging “Race, religion or gender [but] choose to view people not as members of groups but as individuals,” conservative columnist Michael Stikkel writes in the Daily Orange last week. See Election, p. 12

Meg Callaghan, 2014Central Issues of the Presidential Election 2012

With climates shifting and fuel sources dwindling, energy

is not only a hot topic in daily conversation but also a focal point of debates and platforms in the 2012 presidential election. Regardless of reaching the polls this November 6th, it is vital to stay educated on present issues that will influence our daily lives for the next four years, especially those that will continue to affect the planet we inhabit.

Incumbent president Barack Obama is the nominee of the Democratic Party. In his second and final run for office, Joe Biden accompanies him once again as the vice presidential nominee.

Delegates at the Republican National Convention officially named Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, as the party’s presidential nominee on August 28, 2012. He runs alongside vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan.

Two remaining candidates

are capable of winning the election by a majority of the Electoral College: Jill Stein, physician and nominee for the Green Party, and Gary Johnson, Libertarian presidential candidate and former governor of New Mexico. Stein’s running mate is Cheri Honkala, anti-poverty advocate. Johnson runs for office alongside Judge James Gray of the Superior Court of Orange County, California.

Mitt Romney and Gary Johnson address the energy crises in part by supporting extensive drilling for oil. In a March 2012 interview with Fox News’ Fox and Friends, Romney advocates efforts to “Drill in the gulf, drill in the outer continent shelf, drill in ANWR [Arctic National Wildlife Refuge], drill in North Dakota, South Dakota, drill in Oklahoma and Texas.” Romney sees drilling as a way

to limit dependence on the oil cartel and thus moderate gas prices. More recently, both Romney and Johnson show support for construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which will import tar sand oil from Canada.

Jill Stein, a known proponent of the Green New Deal, believes that America needs to grow in a new direction.

See Green, page 13

Laura Briel, 2014To green or not to green? Ask the candidates!

The Artic National Wildlife Refuge, a hot topic of debate in this year’s presidential election.


Campus News

The SUNY-ESF Undergraduate Student Association (USA) Fall

elections are this week! From Septem-ber 24 – 28, you can sign in on the MyESF student portal and vote for the candidates that would represent your voice on campus. All of the candidates’ letter of intent can be found on the USA website. The positions that are voted on this week include: Class Chairs, ESF/SU Liaison and Curriculum Sena-tors. You can still join USA! If you missed the elections and did not give in a letter of intent, you can still join. After elections, remaining spots for class senators and curriculum senators are open for interested students. You can simply attend an USA meeting and express interest verbally followed by a written statement. Join USA @ ESF on Facebook for upcoming events and news!

USA Update

If you have been feeling slightly cramped this year while walking around campus,

you are not alone. The total population of our school has been swelling the past few years and the behemoth that is Class of 2016 is no exception, touting 327 new undergraduates. Centennial Hall is taking the brunt of this gargantuan new class with several freshmen tripling up in rooms intended to be doubles. Some are even living in the B-Unit rooms intended for sophomores and juniors on the other side of the building. Despite congestion in the dorms, ESF is reaping in the extra inflow of tuition from this year’s freshmen class, which they definitely needed it in the wake of budget cuts dealt to SUNY within the past 4 years. The cuts total $1.1 billion in total state funding, according to the SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher. Along with having

the money-rug yanked out from under them, state-operated campuses were subjected to a “Tuition sweep”. This sweep, described by the Chancellor, set aside a portion of the tuition taken in by schools to be used for other state expenses. So, with more eager students rushing in, and less capital to support it all,

where does this school turn to for income? Downsizing faculty, programs, and hindering expansion are all things that SUNY has had to deal with the past few years. It does not help that our tuition here at ESF is among the lowest of all public institutions of higher education in the northeast.

Even with budget cuts and bruises, our slightly stumpier college is not really stumpy at all. The Gateway building is an impressive feat in energy efficiency and the new Academic Research Building intended to be erected in place of Standart Street displays impressive growth. Additionally, the newly constructed Centennial Hall provides a home-comfort found only in dorms that are affiliated closely with your school. Who knows, with the few extra people taking up space it could be a little toastier in the winter too.

Crowded Campus

Cecelia Walenza, 2013 and Conn Fraser, 2014SUNY budget cuts prompt larger class sizes, dorm tripling

Image credit: www.facebook.com/sunyesf


Mind & Body

The Health Benefits of Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)

In Sanskrit, “utthita” means extended, “trikona” means three angle, and

“asana” means pose. This quintes-sential standing pose is basic to any yogi’s practice from novice to expert. It is natural to feel stiff or awkward when coming into posture, but don’t give up! It may take weeks of practice or you may be lucky enough your first time; gradually you will experience the sublime release that is felt as extended triangle opens up both your body and mind. Your abdomen may be cramped or tight during this pose, but stay focused on your breathwork (pranayama). Remember, breathing is the root from which yoga sprouts while posture is the fruitful embellishment.

Getting Into Extended Triangle Pose: Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Exhale and step your feet apart about 4 feet wide – it’s usually wider than you think. Your feet should be parallel to each other and your heels in line. Raise your arms parallel to the floor and reach out actively to the sides, palms down. Throughout Ut-thita Trikonasana, aim to keep your shoulders wide and your torso long and upright. Now, turn your left foot about 45 degrees towards yourself and your right foot 90 degrees to the right so the inner part of your right foot faces

forward. Keeping your heels in line with each other, turn your right thigh outward so it faces in the direction of your right toes.

Laura Briel, 2014

Something to Meditate On - The RugSee Yoga, pg. 12

Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge how challenging following the pace of

Jane Zhu, an ESF graduate of last year and the previous writer for this column, will be. Her column has been articulate-ly written and she has been a thoughtful member of The Knothole. May the Spirit Gods of meditation writing commence before me! I took to writing the column because of my own personal interest in the subject, as well as my own refuge for sanity during the beginning of a ball-busting fall semester here at SUNY-ESF. See, I’m feeling clearheaded already and I haven’t even started the ‘med’ talk and walk yet! What better way to re-establish a notable piece of Knothole material then take the most literal, incurious meaning of the title it has been known for? What is ‘Something to Meditate on’? Reasons to meditate range from the simply relieving one’s self from daily stress, to the act of penetrating the subconscious mind. The body can

be positioned in four different ways: sitting, standing, lying down or walk-ing, all of which occur on one surface or another (only experts defy gravity, and for those, this article does not apply). All over the world, people prac-tice situating themselves in a comfort-able environment and de-briefing their minds of stress-inducing clutter and feelings of anxiety or negativity. Places in which people choose to meditate range from the open countryside, to ritualistic temples, to the pre-imprinted comfort of their own home. Oriental rug making has been a tradi-tion passed down for thousands of years. Certain styles of rug making have been formed specifically for meditative purposes; some of which are colorful, most of which are comfortable. The most elaborate displays of prayers rugs or prayer mats have usually been made by hand. The importance of a medita-tion rug is to create a mental and physi-cal relaxation zone particulate to each individual. For example, the Persian styled

prayer mat is typically made up of cot-ton, wool, camel fur, or silk. The center of the rug usually displays a large figure of importance. In Muslim culture, a mihrab, or a place of worship, is dis-played in the center. This is where the head of a Muslim lays during prayer. Of-tentimes, a lotus is pictured in Tibetan culture, symbolizing the perseverance of beauty amidst ugliness. However, do not be alarmed if your daily life does not suit your meditative desires. Behold! The birth of a yoga mat has arrived, a relatively inexpensive and comfortable option. The foundation of meditative practices lies within the ability to be aware of one’s own mind and con-scious stream. With that said, material limitations cannot be held legitimate. The ability to liberate the mind of unforgiving social or personal tensions is independent of the ground you are standing on. Unless of course, you no longer need said ground; level four is walking mediation. But, let’s not get hasty.

Liane DeRosa, 2014


Mind & Body

Toda Con CalmaAna Flores & Sam Steele, 2014

We found ourselves walking around the market in San Cris-

tóbal de las Casas, México, searching for a combi (VW bus) to what we now know is called Huitepec Reserve. Our assignment for the day was to go out and find the cloud forest. The one hint we were given from our instruc-tor, Stewart Diemont, was to head out to Honduras Street. We were soon overwhelmed by the aromas in the market. Chicken feet hanging over our heads, and vendors calling us in, “cinco pesos para Ustedes, gringos.” We knew we were now on Mayan territory. Stopping every few feet to ask for directions, we learned our first lesson on Mexican cul-ture: it is considered rude to say that a person doesn’t know where

a place is. So instead, we were given directions by someone who might know the answer, or might direct us to the wrong place entirely. We ended up walking in endless circles through the city. But we soon found out, it’s not about where you end up, it’s about

the journey there. We were educated on many aspects of Mexican culture that day, the foremost message being “todo con calma” (just chill). Merging from the ‘10 minutes early is on time’ schedule from the states, to ‘an hour late is on time’ schedule in

Mexico was a hard concept to grasp. The next morning we were eager to start our day by hiking up to Santa Cruz located at the top of a mountain. The journey up was a rigorous, steep cobble path ascending slowly to a small colorful church. We were greeted by homemade tamales and atole agregado (a pink corn drink). The locals invited us to join their celebration of the spring.

Dalai Lama in the 315Christian Hill, 2014

Yes, it’s true. The Dalai Lama, in all his holiness, will be in Syracuse

to speak at a two-day forum called, Common Ground for Peace at Syra-cuse University on Oct. 8th-9th. The Dalai Lama, for those who don’t know or those who pretend to know but really don’t, is perceived by followers of Tibetan Buddhism as the reincar-nation of a series of spiritual leaders. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th reincarnation of these leaders, who are believed as being born again in order to enlighten others. This event was brought to Syracuse by a Syracuse University trustee named Samuel Nappi, the founder One World Community Foun-dation – the organization producing and sponsoring the event. The objec-tive of Common Ground for Peace is to bring both the Syracuse community and international “thought leaders” together to discuss shifting the global consciousness towards peace. In an

official press release, Nappi has stated that, “This two-day event asks us all to remember our common ori-gins, to respect our religious and cultural differences, and to recognize our shared com-passion and humanity,” The forum will con-sist of many different panel discussions among students, faculty, and a list of special attendees. CIA head R. James Woolsey, Jr., Global Partner-ships Forum founder Amir Dossal, Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Mohamed El Baradei, hu-man rights advocate Martin Luther King III, NYU’s Moral Courage Project director Ir-shad Manji, and former U.N. ambassador Andrew Young will all be in attendance. According to a news release from SU, NBC News correspondent Ann Curry will moder-ate two panel discussions: one on last

year’s Arab Spring and another on shifting global consciousness toward

peace. The Dalai Lama will also hold a public talk in the Carrier Dome at 7pm on Tuesday, October 9th. The talk will be fol-lowed by the One World Concert, which will be em-ceed by none other than the majestic Whoopi Goldberg and will feature about two-dozen artists taking the

stage to perform an original song

for the event. The artists in attendance will include performances by Nas, the Counting Crows, Dave Matthews, and Andy Grammer, among many others.

His holiness is ready to Rock the Dome.

See Toda, pg. 12

See Dalai Lama, pg. 13


State of the QuadOur campus community is in a

state of constant flux. It is always evolving as new students enter and old classmates leave. It is hard for some of us to realize that the campus itself is an entity that evolves right along with us. It might seem difficult to accept these changes because you have a fixed mindset of how the campus should look. I am sure that by now many of you have noticed the various works of construction occurring to the campus environ-ment. It is my opportu-nity to bring everyone up to speed with what is cur-rently hap-pening, what has happened, and what is scheduled to happen in the future. I recently sat down with Christine Lan-glois, Assis-tant Director of Physical Plant for Maintenance and Operations, to find out.

Gateway The Gateway building is the newest addition to ESF, with construc-tion beginning last year and scheduled to be in the final stages before the end of this semester. It is anticipated that Gateway will not be seeing occupancy until mid-November. With the completion of Gate-way there will also be the opening of the ground between Jahn and Gateway and the walkway behind Moon to the other side of Illick Hall.

Illick Hall The recent work being done on Illick Hall has been the most no-table due to the large overhead cover-ing the entrance to the quad and the fences surrounding the exterior. From the top down, Illick is undergoing vari-ous upgrades and revamps that should be very visible in the next coming months.

If anyone was planning on buying a little cactus for their room this year, I am sad to say that the Illick greenhouses are in the middle of an intense rehabilitation, as the rest of the roof is also being redone. All of the plants and planting material in the greenhouses were moved to the Lafayette Road Facility and are being organized and repotted until the con-struction is complete. They have the greenhouses slated to be done in the fall of next year. There is also going to be work done all around the exterior of Illick this year, which includes repointing all of the current bricks. On the second

floor there is a plan to update all the current labs in addition to implement-ing the new Center for Integrated Research and Teaching in Aquatic Sci-ence, or CIRTAS. Completion of CIR-TAS is planned to finish by the first of next year or, at the latest, earlier next semester.

General Quad The Quad itself has recently

been the subject of overarching, campus-wide upgrades. The most prominent feature is the large patch of dirt that seemed to come out of nowhere while ev-eryone was gone for the summer. This monstrosity came from a current project to improve the phone and communica-tions lines

throughout campus, which necessitat-ed that the quad was trenched in order to run lines directly to Bray. Now that the lines are in place, they will start working on reseeding in order to re-store the aesthetic of grass. The com-munications upgrade will continue, however, as the process continues for Bray 1 to become the new server room. Unfortunately, this update is interfer-ing with other grounds maintenance that must be completed around the Quad, such as the removal of the hack-berries.

AROUND THE QUADGavin Cohen, 2014

See Quad, pg. 13


Humans of New York is a project created by a photographer named Brandon Stanton. His aim is to create a “photo-graphic census” of New York City, and showcase the interesting, beautiful, diverse people that the city holds. Our

community here at ESF is no different. Many students spend their time with the same group of people, never overstepping their comfort zone and getting to know new faces. Some interesting and wonderful people go relatively unnoticed because they are shy, new to ESF, or fill their free time with academic responsibilities. Here are two new students at ESF that are definitely worth getting to know:

Marci Savage Age 26First Year Ph.D. in Envi-ronmental Chemistry

When I ap-proached Marci, she was hesitant about participat-ing in Humans of ESF. “I don’t think I’m all that interesting,” she warned. After I insisted that there had to be something unique about her, she smiled somewhat reluctantly and began with the basics. Marci is a native Canadian from Northern Ontario who attended Lake Superior State for her undergraduate studies. Then, in an extreme climate flip-flop, she traveled all the way to Texas for graduate school. “People there put on sweaters and boots when it gets below 75 degrees” she laughs, finding this behavior ridiculous after spending eight months in the cold for most of her life. In Texas, Marci spent on average of 60 to 80 hours a week in the lab. Now, in her first year as a Ph.D. student, Marci finds herself with a surprising amount of free time. “Now I’m like, what is free time? What do I do?” she asks herself, overwhelmed with

the possibilities. When I asked Marci where she saw herself when she was done with school, she said, “I just want to work on something that will help people. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do”. Marci has had to overcome adversity to ar-rive at where she is today. In high school, Marci was told that she should not continue her education after graduation. Her guidance counselor even admitted that Marci probably was not smart enough to succeed in a university. Fortunately, she did not listen and has since made them all eat their words with her impres-sive grades and ambition. Marci’s dedication to her studies is more than admi-rable, and her kind demean-or and contagious laughter make her a truly beautiful and interesting person.

AROUND THE QUAD Humans of ESF

Justin Evanicki Age 20Junior in Environmental Science: Watershed Sci-ence Justin is a new transfer student from Hemlock, New York. For those of us who are as directionally chal-lenged as I am, Hemlock is near Rochester, New York. “I do miss home,” Justin admits. He trans-ferred to ESF from OCC, so fortunately it was not too much of a change. “I definitely like it here, living off campus, the people, the independence” he states confidently. “I like my classes, even though they’re bigger” When asked about his hobbies, Justin jokes, “I like long walks on the beach,” he says, “No but re-ally, I like golfing, bowling, and fishing”. He is glad that he has been able to golf since he has moved to his off campus house on Clar-endon Street. His hobbies have helped him relax during his first few weeks as an ESF student. And just in case you

were wondering, he also has musical talent. “Something some-one wouldn’t know about me is that I play the drums,” he confides. He also has mul-tiple electric guitars, one at school, and one that he is restoring at his home in Hemlock. Justin is relatively uncertain about his future. “I’m going to be living in a box,” he laughs. He then gives a more optimistic alternative for his future, “It would be really cool to be a DEC of-ficer of some sort,” he says enthusiastically, and his passion in the environment is suddenly evident. “I’ve always liked being outside.” Justin’s interests and love of nature provide for him a bright future full of possibilities and make him an interesting person and human of ESF.

Emily Adams, 2014


If you ask any Syracuse student for a few words to describe their neighbors

next to the Carrier Dome, a few choice phrases might be thrown around, such as “hippies” or “tree huggers”. If you asked those same Syracuse students 50 years ago, however, the term “Stumpies” would be a more common response. What is a Stumpy? According to Merriam-Webster, it is something that is “short and thick; or full of stumps”. If you ask Google the same question, a Stumpy could be anything from a giant blue elephant that served as the mascot for the 2011 Cricket World Cup, to an unfortunate amputee victim. Although none of those technical representations are particularly endearing, ‘Stumpy’ has been a unique nickname that students at ESF have learned to love just as much as their equally distinctive school. After researching in more appropriate areas (what up, Wikipedia?), I found a more appropriate response to what a Stumpy actually is. According to the historical overview section of the 2010-2011 edition of the SUNY-ESF Student Handbook, “Stumpy (or ‘Stumpie’) was the

affectionate nickname given in the early days to ESF students by their next-door neighbors at Syracuse University. Today, ‘Stumpy’ is used affectionately by students at ESF.” Additional research found that websites such as Urban Dictionary.com and a college profile published by Unigo.com expanded this definition, by explaining that Stumpy was originally derived from the term ‘stump jumper’. Stump jumping is a forestry term that involves a forester jumping from one stump of a tree to another, as opposed to walking around them. Seems appropriate enough considering our school’s aversion to just walking through things (see: the quad). But why the sudden interest in this nickname now? It’s simple: now that there is the prospect of this term of endearment being phased out in as little as four years, people are getting a little sensitive about losing touch of this particular phrase. Unless you were involved with the

freshmen orientation this year, chances are that this is your first time hearing about this recent development. During the training for this year’s Orientation Leaders, we had a session with Anne Lombard, Dean of Student Affairs, who explained that the administration wanted all the Orientation Leaders to try to avoid using the nickname in any of our chants, songs, or generally around the freshmen and transfers. See Stumpy, p. 14

The Death of the Stumpy?Brigitte Moneymaker, 2014

Stumpy pride

Thank you to our contributors Nicholas Tripsas, Ed Kwietniewski, and Kasia Szczurek

Sketches from Cranberry:summer 2012


It was a bright, sunny day with a crisp breeze in the air. There were

students draped along the shoreline of a lake. Some students were bask-ing like lizards in the sun, while others were picking grasses and flowers to observe them more closely. They were all waiting for the famous Forester, a 20 passenger boat, to take them on a 30 minute journey across Cranberry Lake to the Cranberry Lake Biological Station. It is there they spent the next three to five weeks being introduced to the area’s flora and fauna. It was also where they would learn important lessons about themselves. Cranberry Lake Biological Station hosts students and research-ers year round. It is a pristine setting which offers a canvas of diverse ecosystems and habitats ideal for students study-ing field biology. CLBS is the setting for EFB 202, a biological survey-ing course that helps students develop their skills as biologists, and learn invaluable hands-on field experience. It offers a myriad of courses, from ornithology and herpe-tology to soils, plants, and sampling techniques, which help to foster indi-vidual student growth. Having to attend Cranberry Lake has its benefits, but it also has its drawbacks. Probably the major drawback is that students have to take time off from jobs and internships. Combine losing money from the time taken off with expenses to get there and back, being at a remote location without being able to go wherever whenever they please, and the fact that students have to pay to go there. So students are out money, and have to disrupt their summer. This sounds like a rip off. One student in particular stated, “I hate that I have to go. Don’t

they realize that I have bills to pay? I think this is crap!” What students are usually unaware of when they go to Cranberry Lake for three to five weeks is the incredible journey they will embark on in learning about, not only the natural world, but the journey they will take within themselves. Professors are equally en-gaged through the journey. “It is a transformative experience,” says Dr. Gregory McGee, Coordinator of EFB

202 and Undergraduate Curriculum Coordinator for EFB. As a professor and coordinator, Dr. McGee’s favorite part about the program is teaching and working with “greenhorns,” a term of endearment he uses for biologists still gaining experience. “You live and learn with the students. We see each other consistently, for better or for worse.” He is absolutely correct; “for better or for worse.” Students are in a remote location packed in cramped bunkhouses sleeping, eating, and working in the field together. The remote location allows little or no con-nection to the outside world so they rely on each other to lift spirits and celebrate achievements. A few other aspects often missed by students who are frustrated

at the thought of going to Cranberry Lake are the amount of research they will be exposed to, the invaluable hands on experience they will obtain, and the actual amount of green backs they do not dish out for attending CLBS courses. Students pay $465.00 per week for their stay. This cov-ers things like maintenance of boats and buildings and food costs. It does not cover tuition or things like staff salaries. ESF is the entity that foots

the rest of that bill. “It is costly to run, but it gives a specialist educa-tion,” says Dr. Alex Weir, Director of CLBS. Dr. Weir understands the importance of the experi-ence students will receive at CLBS. “This is not biology at Cornell. We have a remit to produce environmental biologists. Therefore, we need to provide them with the best training in environ-mental biology, and you can’t do that without some core experience.” For majors in EFB, this experience is a rite

of passage. The “transfor-mative experience” Dr. McGee referred to affords students the opportunity to answer some important questions. Do they really enjoy working in the field? Do they really know what they want to study, be it herps or birds? Do they really know who they how to handle themselves in a remote location? These questions are answered through creating transect lines in the pouring rain, getting splinters and mosquito bites, and hiking until you feel like you can’t hike anymore. Above all, they are able to get to know a part of them-selves that, had they not gone through the experience, they would have never known. It creates the cross roads nec-essary in life to figure out who we are and which path we should hike down.

Stumpy pride

The CLBS ExperienceEmily Lawson, 2012

A happy group of stumpies at CLBS. Photo credit Emily Lawson.


They explained that every first Sunday of the month they get together to celebrate and thank God for the spring water the mountain provides. Later on we were introduced to Mayan po-etry, which opened our eyes to their way of thinking. In this poetry, humans and nature are not divided but rather are completely unified. There is no word in the various Mayan dialects for ‘nature.’ The concept of it being a separate entity doesn’t exist. Arms are compared to branches, tongues to leaves and orchids to love, because they are the same. This is reflected in religion and culture; trees are asked to be cut down and thanked for their generous contribution to the family. Migrating to the jungles referenced in the poetry was an enlightening experience. We spent a week with a traditional Lacandonian Mayan, Adolfo. While adventuring through his jungle, we learned his slash and burn techniques, how to transition a milpa (corn field) to a jungle within 30 years, and how he has grown up as a part of the ambient environment around him. Our days in the jungle ended by going for swim in the river to wash off our day’s work and relaxing on the hammocks until we fell asleep. Here, in this moment, we had truly grasped the concept of “todo con calma”.

Toda, cont’d from pg. 7

Articles continuedAlaska, con’t from pg. 3 of crab.

I even had the pleasure of

playing a round of pool with some guys from The Deadliest Catch. But what all those fishermen taught me was that they have many restrictions on the amount and size of species they are

fishing for, and the method of catching they use. Some of the local fishermen are lucky enough to sell directly to res-taurants on the island. Not every person on the island is a logger or fisherman. Many of the residents of Craig are very fond of fishing and hunting. Since there is no seafood sold in the supermarket of Craig, I was almost forced to go hunt-

ing, fishing, or find friends who were willing to share. Thanks to many differ-ent people, I was able to sample moose, deer, black bear, halibut, king salmon, coho salmon, black bass, oysters, and dungeness crab. Over three months I became more and more accustomed to eating meats that were hunted or fished for locally. Because of my summer job, I was able to find the way I one day

Yoga, con’t from pg. 6

Remain facing forward. Inhale and reach your right arm strongly in the direction that your right toes are pointing. Simultaneously reach your hips in the op-posite direction as though you are stretching your body from both ends. Now, exhale and bend to the right hinging at the hips not the waist. The key is to lengthen your spine by extending through the crown of your head while drawing your hips and tailbone toward your back heel. Lower your right hand to your right shin, ankle, or the floor on either side of the foot (depending on the flexibility of your hips, legs, and/or shoulders). Make sure to keep your legs straight, thigh muscles engaged, and front right foot pressed firmly into the ground. At this point, your arms should be relatively perpendicular to the floor. Stretch your left arm straight up toward the sky. Gaze up softly at your left hand, but avoid compressing your neck. Hold this pose for 3-6 slow, deep breaths. To come out, inhale and press your back heel strongly into the floor. Repeat on your left side for the same length of time.

Benefits of Extended Triangle Pose:•Strengthens your legs, feet and ankles•Stretches your hips, groins, hamstrings, calves and spine•Opens your chest and shoulders•Strengthens your back, neck and abdominals•Stimulates your abdominal organs, soothing digestion•Therapeutic for stress, anxiety, infertility, flat feet, neck pain, osteoporosis, sciatica and symptoms of menopause

Election, cont’d from pg. 4

He also lists the number of women speaking at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida at the end of August, including “Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte and former

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.” However important values and morals are to our lives, they do not seem to take up most of our budget. While the US government spent $700 billion this last fiscal season on the Department of Defense, only around $1 billion was allotted to Planned Parenthood, according to the White House online and Planned

Parenthood online. One billion is still a great amount, but when compared with what we spend on war, how is this the top issue in the media today? Focus needs to be placed more evenly throughout main issues for our presidency, otherwise the public will not be informed enough to make the right choice this November.


Articles continued

Syracuse University says proceeds from the event will go toward support-ing an international relief effort and help fund a new scholarship named after Bassel Al Shahade, a graduate student filmmaker who was killed in May while filming a documentary about violence in his home country of Syria.

At first I was not sure how I felt about the Dalai Lama doing an event with Dave Matthews. For whatever reason, my skeptical nature made me think, “How could the world of spiritual guidance and world peace meet on a common ground with the pop-esque music of a performer like Dave Matthews?” Now that I have read more into the event and what it stands for, I highly encourage people

to attend or at least watch the event via television. The concert is expected to be “One of the largest gatherings of international artists ever to travel to the region,” according to the press re-lease. If they are still available (which I doubt they are at this point), tickets can be bought on Ticketmaster.com by searching ‘Dalai Lama One World Concert.’

Dalia Lama, cont’d from pg. 7

The ones marked in blue tape will be the first to come down in the upcom-ing weeks, but not until the various other works are completed can the rest be removed.

Academic Research There are plans for a new building to be constructed on Stan-dart Street, the so called Academic Research building. The status of this building is in its final design and currently completing the final de-sign manual documents. At this rate, ground breaking for the new building will begin sometime in summer 2013 or early fall. This building will then serve as the venue for the research labs that currently occupy Illick.

Other: There are also plans to add more “no mow zones” specifically behind Marshall along the boundary of campus and the cemetery near the old greenhouses. Off the Syracuse

campus, there have been upgrades done to the labs at the Thousand Island Biological station and construc-tion starting at the Tully Farms and

Hieberg forest on a new barn that will replace one lost recently to a fire.

Quad, cont’d from pg. 8

Green, cont’d from pg. 4

In accordance with policies of the Green New Deal, she seeks to address growing energy needs in a sustainable fashion by investing wholly in solar power, wind power, energy efficiency, and mass transit. Stein’s March 2012 statement regarding our energy future articulates her aim to eliminate current subsidies for nuclear power and fossil fuels, and redirect those funds “to kick off a job-producing energy program based on clean, safe and renewable energy.”

Mitt Romney is the

only candidate of the four who does not openly oppose federal subsidies to big oil companies.

President Obama strongly opposes drilling in the ANWR for both economic and environmental reasons. He supports the building of additional nuclear plants as part of his “all-of-the-above” strategy to develop every available source of American energy. In January 2012, Obama denied the application to begin production of the Keystone XL pipeline, but has not taken a formal position on the matter. That same month, in a statement by the president regarding the pipeline, he

asserts that the State Department must be given more time to assess the risks of the pipeline and that “in the months ahead, we will continue to look for new ways to partner with the oil and gas industry to increase our energy security...”

The Knothole encourages its readers to take part in independent research about the different candidates and topics that will most influence your choice for the 2012 Election.

ESF’s first “No-Mow” zone. Image credit: www.facebook.com/sunyesf


Stumpy, cont’d from pg. 10

Instead, we were encouraged to try to promote our athletic logo, the Mighty Oaks, or even simply the Oakies. Their argument was a rational one; it seems that the outdated term does not necessarily coincide with the new direction the school is headed in terms of our new identity. In response to the continued growth of the flourishing athletics department and our mascot Oakie Acorn, our identity as Stumpies seems to be getting in the way of establishing ourselves as the Mighty Oaks. As soon as everyone realized what they were asking of us, however, there were very enthusiastic opinions coming from both sides. Most of us were horrified that they would even consider erasing the term Stumpy from ESF’s vocabulary, while others argued that they were tired of being pigeonholed as lumberjacks just because they go to a school with the word forestry in the title. This is not the first time that ESF has seen a name change in order to better represent the diverse nature of the college’s academia. In 1978, the college went from being known as the State University College of Forestry at Syracuse, to the more aptly named State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Even though the name has persisted all the way towards the present, it is common knowledge that environmental science and forestry are not the only majors offered at the school. I am sure that this name option was more appealing than State University of New York at Syracuse, which would just confuse people even more about who we are. As vehement as the current students were about this issue, the first thought that popped into my mind was how the college’s alumni would feel about this. ESF has over 18,000 alumni worldwide, the majority of which have spent their years here identifying as proud Stumpies. After spending my nights working for the College Foundation’s Annual Fund for the past three years, calling up alumni and hearing them recount their college days to a fellow Stumpy is just one of the perks of the job. I am currently unsure about how ESF is planning to advertise this name change, for all we know they could plan on just making the term less and less available to

new students, until nickname is completely phased out. It breaks my heart to imagine five years from now, having a student call an alumni, and after hearing the words: “how’s being a Stumpy treating you these days?” they do not know how to respond, because nobody uses that term anymore. I am sure the decision of the administration was not aiming to emotionally cut ties with aging alumni, but I cannot see how this decision does not affect them as well. Overall, the long-term goals of this decision are clear as ESF continues to move forward to establishing ourselves as a competitive college in sports as well as academia. These changes include: the first ESF-only dorms, a mascot, an athletic identity, and the new facilities that the gateway building will contribute in the next few years (a gym space and dining areas). In my opinion, as great as change can be, pulling away from the Stumpy nickname is not the direction the administration should push the college towards. I believe it is possible for ESF students to be able to fully embrace the new Mighty Oaks spirit, Oakie and all, while still holding on to the older traditions that make this place so unique. Even though the new freshmen classes are evolving every year, anybody that knows ESF students, past, present, and future, knows that we are a special breed. It would do us well to recognize not only the promising future our college is heading towards, but where we lay our roots as well. This includes those that may still be attached to severed tree trunks, where somewhere out in the woods a Stumpy alumni is jumping around, trying to put his exceptional ESF education to good use.

The Administrative Response In order to gain some more perspective for this article, I reached out to several ESF faculty members for their input on this topic. Unfortunately, I received a response from Dr. Robert French, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing too late to incorporate into my own article, but I did not want his voice to go unheard. I have included some direct excerpts from an email I received from Dr. French after explaining my intention to write this article: “I think it would be more accurate to say that our administration is trying to

promote the nickname Mighty Oaks rather than to say that we have made a decision to discontinue the nickname Stumpy. We fully recognize that the nickname Stumpy is a tradition at ESF, and that many ESF students have used that term proudly for generations. We also recognize that Stumpy is a term that some people view as outdated and less than positive. It originated at a time when ESF culture was dominated by Forestry majors, who at that time made up the great majority of our students Our administration is interested in promoting new traditions as well as maintaining older ones, and we are interested in broadening the image of ESF and promoting the world-class environmental college that we are today. We believe that the nickname Mighty Oaks helps us do that, and it seems that student pride in ESF is as strong as it has ever been. ESF’s Undergraduate Student Association actually suggested the nickname Mighty Oaks several years ago, and that name was selected when our Office of Communications conducted an online poll of ESF students to help choose a name and mascot for ESF’s new athletics teams. More than 800 students participated in that online poll, and only a small number of respondents suggested that we continue to use the name Stumpies. We recognize that change is not easy and traditions take time to change. We expect that many ESF students will continue to call themselves Stumpies for years to come, but we hope that the nickname Mighty Oaks will be used more often.” -Robert C. French, Ph D. Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing

Articles continued


Mighty Oaks


In Memory of Dr. Guy BaldassarreDr. Guy Baldassarre joined the Department of Environmental Forest Biology, here at ESF, in 1987. He was coordina-

tor of the Wildlife Science major in EFB and advisor to the student chapter of The Wildlife Society for many years. He was a passionate ornithologist, spreading his knowledge and enthusiasm for birds wherever he went. He was awarded the rank of Distinguished Teaching Professor in 2004, and received numerous other awards including the Ducks Unlim-ited Wetlands Conservation Achievement Award; Fellow in the American Ornithologists Union; Outstanding Alumnus, Department of Wildlife Ecology, University of Maine; Outstanding Alumnus, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point; and “Outdoor 25” given annually by Outdoor Life Magazine to 25 people influencing hunting and fishing. Among these many accomplishments, perhaps how the ESF community will remember him most is by his dedication to his students and his tremendous wealth of knowledge he imparted on us all. Guy passed away in his Tully home on August 20th, after a difficult battle with leukemia. His wife Eileen Baldas-sarre, a fellow ESF community member, shared a memory of his last days, “The weather was beautiful with the windows and doors open so he could hear the birds and feel the breeze. Our son, Dan, had a compilation of bird songs playing at his bedside.” Guy passed away surrounded by his family and the sounds he loved. His tremendous impact on the ESF community will never be forgotten. His memory will be held with high regard and the gift of his incredible spirit will be cherished always.

Eileen is back on campus and would love for anyone who would like to talk about their memories of Guy to stop by her office in Bray 24. In her office she also has a book containing many of the thoughts and memories of Guy sent to the family for you to view. In memory of Guy, a few students are working on the rebirth of the birding club. The club is to be named The Guy A. Baldassarre Birding Club. They should become a recognized ESF student organization within the next two weeks.

Dr. Baldasarre with former students Kayla Miloy and Jen Ma.

Memorial written by Emily Lawson, 2012. Image courtesy of Kayla Miloy. Sketches by Kasia Szczurek.

the knothole, volume 67 issue 1

Documents

quad state

knothole student life

knothole office

sunyesf students

new members

current environmental

editorinside issue

summer travels