The Knothole: Volume 68, Issue 4

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Volume 68, Issue 4

Letter From The Editor

THE KNOTHOLE

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 esfknothole@gmail. com before 5:00PM on Fridays the week after Issue meetings.

The

Knothole meets every other Friday at 5:30 pm in the basement of Bray Hall. If you are interested in attending, please send us an email at esfknothole@ gmail.com so we can expect you!

Co-Managing Editors Gavin Cohen Meg Callaghan Layout & Design Gabrielle Alper Liane DeRosa Conn Fraser Treasurer Hui Lin Editorial Staff Emily Adams Yocasta Pichardo Jennifer Louie Corie Boolukos

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ear readers, you are all great. Seriously thanks for reading. I didn’t start this, I’m only an iteration in a very large cast of past, current and future writers, editors and designers. We are just the current manifestation of what needs to be said in print, and some things that don’t, here on campus. There are so many portals that surround us, connecting our consciousness to every news minutia you could possibly hope for. Yet you still pick this up, flip through it and oogle your eyeholes at contrasting slashes and dashes.

Our borders of content are hazy and constantly shifting; we are always somewhere between a newspaper and a creative journal. This kind of ill-defined point has given us the freedom to explore a variety of topics and expressions. The staff and I truly relish this, but I would implore you all to action if what we print doesn’t fulfill some corner of your heart. Both Meg and I, the current co-managing editors, are graduating in May and we want, beyond all wants, for this publication to continue on this way. So as you read the articles we have assembled here, consider how satisfying it might be to see your own name in print. We’re a picky bunch, but we aren’t close-minded. Without the burning drive of stumpies this publication would be nothing -- the stumpies who write, who edit, who design, and most of all who read and think. Our email is in the little box next to this, feel free to drop us a line whenever.

-Gavin Cohen, Co-managing editor

Inside Issue #4:

he 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.

Update.........................................................3 Bummer.......................................................4 #420............................................................5 Danket.........................................................6 Hobbiton.....................................................7 Around The Quad.....................................8-9 Deep..........................................................10 Troll Toll.....................................................11 Deep..........................................................12 Lunar..........................................................13 Punxsutawney............................................15 Mindspill...................................................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.

Cover Photo: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8121/8684984625_49506e59b6_o.jpg

Advisor Karen Moore

Printer Scotsman Press

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THE KNOTHOLE • Student Life & The Environment

Update

Environmental News

Dear Knothole,

Meg Callaghan, 2014

2014 Elk River Chemical Spill

On Jan. 9, an estimated 7,500 gallons of 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol, or MCHM, spilled into the Elk River in West Virginia. Near the state capital Charleston, the spill originated from storage tanks owned by Freedom Industries.

The spill resulted in the state governor, Earl Ray Tomblin, declaring that 300,000 residents in the sur-

rounding counties must stop using municipal water supplies, due to the MCHM contamination.

The cause of the spill, a 48,000-gallon storage container was not regulated by state and federal governments as it was not subject due to its contents and type. The last time it was inspected was 1991.

The chemical MCHM is used for coal refining and has unknown longterm side effects on humans. Over one hundred people visited the hospital with nausea and vomiting after ingesting the water.

On Jan. 13, the governor’s advisory from West Virginia American Water’s system was gradually lifted based upon “priority zones.”

The Elk River spill is the third chemical spill to occur in the Kanawha River valley within the last five years.

Trans-Pacific Partnership

The United States may be lightening up on environmental regulations within an international agreement, WikiLeaks has reported.

In negotiations for the TransPacific Partnership, that will be concluded this April, documents leaked have shown that the U.S. government may ease up on issues such as bans on

shark finning, regulation of overfishing and over-logging and pollution control.

A trade agreement for Pacific Rim nations, the Trans-Pacific Partnership began talks in Bangkok last March. The partnership includes a wide array of countries, including the U.S., Australia, Japan, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, Canada, and Mexico.

New Species of River Dolphin Confirmed in South America

On Jan. 22, it was confirmed that a new species of dolphin has been discovered in Brazil. The first new river species added since 1918, the Araguaia river dolphin is only one species of five known in the world.

River dolphins are one of the world’s rarest species. This species, as reported by researchers, separated

Photo Credit: Nicole Dutra, BBC & Tom Hindman/Getty Images, NY Times

from other South American species over 2 million years ago. Three out of the four other known species of river dolphin species are listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.

Polar Vortex Strikes Northeastern and Midwestern U.S.

A polar vortex caused below freezing and negative temperatures throughout a great portion of the United States this January. Polar vortexes, first described as early as the late 19th century, occur near the poles year round, sometimes moving south from the north pole into Canada and the U.S.

As a frequent bicycler on Euclid Avenue, here’s an easy way for safer, two-way bike lanes.

The new two-way bike lane on University Avenue — from Waverly Avenue to Genesee Street — is 8 feet wide. It has a stripe down the middle, for cyclists going both directions.

The existing bike lanes on Euclid Avenue are 7 feet (north side of street) and 7-and-a-half feet (south side).

Widen the Euclid bike lanes to 8 feet each, with a stripe down the middle, like on University Avenue.

Thus, with odd and even parking on Euclid Avenue, we cyclists can use the empty lane, now widened to 8 feet, in both directions.

Two-way bike lanes would be a lot safer than pedaling alongside parked cars half the time.

Currently, I often cycle in the empty lane, going the wrong way, when cars are parked on the other side.

I feel safer going the wrong way in the cycling lane than pedaling alongside parked cars with speeders flying by at my elbow at what seems 50 MPH. Sincerely, Austin Ted Paulnack Retired chair, JABBY!: Joggers and Bikes Belong Yes! Retired coordinator, Syracuse Moveon Retired chair, Committee for BikeRacks on Centro Buses

segamI elgooG :derC otohP

Student Life & The Environment • THE KNOTHOLE •

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Bummer

Somewhere a Bird Croaks a Tweet Conn Fraser, 2014

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he dichotomy of suffering and bliss is a scale we find ourselves evaluating the world on frequently. On one end of the spectrum an old lady is giving her great-grand child candy, both smiling ear to ear while the house is resonating with admiration and joy.

In another part of the city a molotov cocktail breaks, erupting into violent orange-red coils seeking to hurt in a scene filled with a messy mix of fear and malice. We, with sympathetic saucer-like eyes, fixate on the news and though we are unable to feel the vibrations of bombs through the earth our hearts beat a little faster for ‘those’ people. Gruesome details of yet another shooting or bombing, which rips unaware consciousnesses and casts them off into the memories of loved ones- it’s enough to make you board your windows despite the distance.

The causes of the conflicts around the world vary from political freedom to religious wars. Regardless of the spark that ignites the fire, it’s shocking to what extent countries will go to spill a liquid that isn’t oil.

In a desire to stop the government from encroaching on their right

to protest, the conflict in Ukraine has spread outside of Kiev according to BBC, and since the unrest has flared as several martyrs have been made of the demonstrators.

The Central African Republic is the scene of a number of religious conflicts ever since the first Muslim leader Michel Djotodia resigned in early January. Many people are being pushed from their homes and fleeing towards the Chadian border.

On the anniversary of Egypt’s revolution, 247 people were wounded and 50 perished during demonstrations between government related protests, according to NBC news, demonstrating the aftershock of such a monumental event and punctuating the on-going story with a bloody comma.

In an effort to kill a militant leader affiliated with Al Qaeda and AlShabaab, the U.S. Military carried out an air-strike in Somalia but hasn’t been able to confirm that the target is deceased, says CNN’s Barbara Starr.

These major international happenings represent giant looming sociopolitical change in one direction or the other. I’m confident that governments

http://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-protests-what-you-need-to-know-2013-12

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THE KNOTHOLE • Student Life & The Environment

will rise above blanketing cities in firebombs, it just depends on how long it’ll take them to develop better artillery.

On a smaller scale, lives are being extinguished by individuals caught in the throes of a nasty concoction of brain chemicals. Not too far south from here in Maryland a mall was the scene of a thus far unexplained shooting, and a Denver-area high school student set himself on fire in what was believed to be an attempted suicide as reported by the LA Times’ Matt Pearce.

Viewing all of the world’s events devoid of the antithetical positivity that the full spectrum of human emotion creates is enough to turn you into a seething misanthrope. It’s crucial to take life’s punches little by little and to acknowledge the privileged affluence we experience daily.

As we breathe, work, commute, love, and live, it’s paramount that we don’t view all of the strife through the side of a fishbowl.

Soothe the burns from the steam of a boiling human condition found in and around others, some people bathe in that stuff.

#420

The White House Policy Isn’t Necessarily “Smoke It If You’ve Got It” Cyndi Jacobson, 1970

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t’s true. In a recent interview, President Barack Obama said that marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol. It is also true that on the 24th of January, Attorney General Eric Holder made a number of remarks suggesting a changing policy on marijuana, stating that lawful marijuana businesses should have access to the US banking system with future government legislation to yield such access. With 20 states in the country that have legalized weed for medical or recreational use and a general disinterest by the federal government to pursue prosecution in said areas that refute federal law, one would think that the beginning of the end of a failed drug war may be upon us.

Change may not be as swift as the past year and, specifically, the past few weeks would suggest this. According to the White House, the President’s stance on marijuana has not changed. During a recent press conference, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney reinforced that Obama is still opposed to the decriminalization of Cred: NORML.org marijuana, even in light of the recent changes in Washington and Colorado, where pot has been legalized for recreational use for those 21 years of age and older. This does

not directly refute Obama’s remarks, which simply labeled the drug as a “bad habit” and a “vice,” mentioning that legalizing it would solve some social problems. The president suggested

that the judicial system has abused its power in prosecuting youths that have been involved with marijuana, specifically minorities of low socioeconomic withstanding. Theoretically, middle

class kids could more realistically afford lawyers and going through the judicial process. Obama acknowledged the benefits to decriminalizing marijuana by making observations. The White House wrote off the drug, taking a firm stance against it.

However, just because the White House has not officially changed its mind does not mean there is no future for the decriminalization of weed. Eric Holder gave Colorado and Washington the go-ahead in the summer of 2013 to put weed on the ballot, and they have since offered a great deal of hope and incentive to legalize pot.

Real-estate agents and businesses alike are looking to rake in a great deal of money from the weed industry in both areas.

Economically speaking, legalizing pot is a grand idea. The most encouraging evidence of a post-drug war America was an October Gallup poll showing that for the first time in history a 58% majority of Americans support making the drug legal. The support is there as well as promise of some success.

Though conservatives and the White House alike feel that the President’s cavalier attitude is inappropriate, perhaps Obama’s observations are indicative of change that is coming sooner than later.

Student Life & The Environment • THE KNOTHOLE •

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Danket

College Carnivore Bacon Bowl 2014: Survival of the Fittest

Andrew “Mangus” Timmis, 2014

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here is always so much happening during the Super Bowl. There is the game itself, the commercials, the halftime show, being with your friends and family, and of course the food. That is why for this issue of the College Carnivore I am creating a classic dish for a Super Bowl party: nachos. These aren’t any ordinary nachos though. These nachos are so epic and fear-inducing that the weak of heart should stop reading now because this may stop your heart from all the meat. So eat it with friends and have them sign a waiver, too. Also I wish to apologize to all vegetarians or vegans reading this ahead of time.

Ingredients: -Nacho Chips (key ingredient) - Queso (I’d say get a large jar) - Beef steaks -Chicken thighs -Lamb stew chew chunks (found it and never cooked lamb before) -Pulled Pork Package (Dinosaur BBQ) -Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce -Two packs of thick cut bacon Cooking: -This recipe is pretty straight forward,

just in a large magnitude. Start off by preheating the oven to 400° and start assembling the “bowl”. Get a baking tray and place tin foil on it, then find a baking pan and wrap that in tin foil.

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We are going to place bacon around the pan and when baked on it, it should take its shape, however, we will make a weave of bacon to increase its strength. To do this just place several strips of bacon side by side (as tight as possible) down the length of the pan. Then place the other strips across them, following an over/under pattern (again make it as tight as possible). If the strips aren’t long enough just extend them with other strips of bacon, overlapping in certain areas.

Once this is done, place it in the oven for around 15 minutes, and just take it out from time to time to pour out the grease.

-Now comes the part where you cook the beef, lamb, and chicken. I decided to pan fry the chicken thighs (I used four) in a Chiavetta’s BBQ marinade and the lamb in seasonings of salt, pepper, dried onions, and cayenne pepper flakes on medium/high heat for 18 minutes each (may take longer if you have thicker pieces). The beef steaks (two of them) were cooked in the oven for 16 minutes with a Texas BBQ rub I got recently. You don’t have to follow the seasoning or cooking methods I

THE KNOTHOLE • Student Life & The Environment

Image Credits: Andrew Timmis

choose, but it worked well for me.

-Once everything is cooked, it is time to assemble it. I used a large stone plate that my roommate has (Thanks Val) and started with the bacon bowl.

Careful with it because it may come apart. Next comes a nice, thick layer of nacho chips which will most likely over power the baconbowl. This is because what is about to be made cannot be contained! Next shred up the beef, chicken and lamb (I used my fingers) and take out the pulled pork.

Spread about a half of each meat over the nachos, keeping everything as even as you can. Now comes the queso and BBQ sauce, which you can be as generous as you want with this (I was very generous). Now repeat to make a second layer of chips, meat and sauce and then put it all in the oven for a couple minutes (6 or 7) in order to heat up the cheese and the pulled pork.

-When it’s done, take it out and begin the feast.

I had a crack team of about nine people to help me eat this. Their responses began with shock and horror, but ended with praise and the inability to stop eating it.

Hobbiton

Dead or Alive Tom Hartman, 2016

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range tipped darts peer cautiously from out their hiding holes.

Watching as students stomp nonchalantly through their battlefield, as if oblivious to the attacks that consumed the night. Long shadows extend from dancing rays of light, reminding us that this brightness only makes the darkness seem stronger. And that night isn’t far away…

And the memories begin to seep back.

To how it all began. The mission seemed simple; we had started confident, without fear. They were easy to hold off at first.

Only a few: picked off one by one. But then the tides changed; they became smarter. Every corner laid an ambush.

Cartridges lightened; bullets became rare. Every one soldier we lost was

another they gained. Then I was fired.

The last one, the last shot before they all fell.

themselves from zombies. Instead, zombies start out in small numbers, and instead of range, we’ll have to use patience, quick-thinking and teamwork to our advantage. When zombies are shot, they have the ability to be active again in a short period of time.

However, humans that are tagged permanently become zombies. Each semester one or two new games are started that last about a week. The goal for the humans is to survive the week.

Missions placed sporadically throughout the week make this harder and give Photo Cred: Sana Ghias the zombies a chance to tag

humans. If you’re looking

Humans vs. Zombies, or HvZ for something fun, fast-paced and outfor short, is a game played all across the doors to do this semester, then check Syracuse School campus. Humans use out the Syracuse Humans vs. Zombies Nerf guns or socks in order to defend Facebook page.

Dog Breed Spotlight: Czechoslovakian Vlcak / Czechoslovakian Wolfdog Ashley Huehn, 2017

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he Czechoslovakian Vlcak is a rare breed of dog, especially in America, with only 91 of these dogs in 24 states of America in 2012. The breed is the result of an experiment in 1955 in the CSSR, stemming from the crossing of 40 working-line German Shepherds and 4 Carpathian wolves.

The hope was to create an ap- Photo Cred: Google Images prehension (police) dog that had the desirable traits of a dog, those being the trainable, domesticated traits, while

also having the health and endurance of a wolf. In 1982, the breed was recognized as a national one to the CSSR. In 2001, it was recognized as a Foundation Stock dog in the American K e n n e l Club. While the dog was originally bred for border patrol in the CSSR, it is now used for a variety of things throughout Europe and the US, such as search and rescue, tracking, agility, drafting, herd-

ing, and Schutzhund.

As a pet, the Vlcak is very highstrung and needs a lot of exercise. They are deeply loyal to their family once they have been established in their pack but require constant socialization in even the earliest weeks of their lives.

They are one of few breeds of dogs that should be adopted at the six week mark or even earlier than that. They do okay with children if kept under supervision.

They are definitely not recommended for first time dog owners and may not even be sold by a breeder to someone inexperienced. In appearance, Vlcaks look very much like the Carpathian wolves and they require a lot of grooming. Their eye colors are yellow to amber; any other color is highly discouraged and shows that the dog has had other breeding in it, such as Husky or Australian Shepherd.

Student Life & The Environment • THE KNOTHOLE •

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Music Listeners: Crawl Out of the Woodworks & Get Dancin Liane DeRosa, 2014

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oodworks, ESF’s homegrown swing folk/bluegrass/Americana student band, exhibits a unique sound and creative source of expression on campus. “The Red Tent,” home to three of the four band members, is where we spoke about their past, present, and future outlook of how their status has escalated over the course of their progress, and where it will go.

Band members include: Sam Beck-Andersen (drums, percussion), Dan Dohman (vocals, violin), Zak Masoud (vocals, bass), and Joe Sullivan (vocals, acoustic guitar). Recently voted #1 on Reverbnation.com for folk

Beck-Andersen (left), Sullivan (middle) & Masoud (right) hugging it out after a long jam session in Nifkin. Photo credit: Kristen Carey

bands in Syracuse, an exciting new step in the band’s career would cause

some to allow fame to get to their head, but these guys are as humble as always, showing a casual attitude about their achievement and stating, “The best part about it is to see that people are listening.”

As the boys all spoke The band’s all here! Beck-Andersen (left), Masoud (second to left), about how Sullivan (second to right), and they met Dohman (right). Photo credit: freshmen year facebook.com/woodworks111 in Skyhalls on Syracuse’s South Campus, the nonchalant conversation complimented the picturesque image of what it means to interview an up-and-coming band at the prime of their career. The drums, percussion instruments, and guitars were sprawled out across the living room, adding to the atmosphere of beSullivan(left) & Beck-Andersen (right) playing with som ing interviewed by a notorious newstures, Nifkin Lounge. Photo credit: Kristen Carey

Mighty Oaks Athletic Round-Up: Fall 2013 Nick Hlat, 2014 & Shweta Karikehalli, 2015

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s the Fall Athletic season has come to a close, we at the Knothole find it important to recognize the teams that competed while highlighting specific records and exceptional achievements.

The Men’s soccer team ended the season with a 7-6-1 record, placing 12th in the USCAA National league.

They also claimed 1st place at the New Hampshire Tech Invitational Tournament. Captain Kyle Siegel, a senior, was selected second team All-American.

The Women’s soccer team roared to a spectacular 10-4-1 season

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ending record. This was the highest amount of single season wins by the women’s soccer team in ESF history! The Lady Oaks also made their first appearance in the USCAA National Championship tournament. The team’s three trophy wins this season were the New Hampshire Tech Invita-

tional tournament, the Barkeater Cup, and the Queen of the Hill Cup. Moving on to Cross Country, the

Image credit: ESF Basketball Facebook

Women’s Soccer. ESF Athletics Facebook

THE KNOTHOLE • Student Life & The Environment

Men’s team claimed victory in four out of the six meets they competed in, and defended their throne as USCAA National Champions for the third year

ng to this Stumpie Beat paper service, almost as if everything was set up characteristic of the music scene for visual effect, but the boys keep their home like this all year.

The group couldn’t be more grateful for the support they receive from ESF and their fans. Eager to play whenever they can, Woodworks absorbs audiences at many ESF events, in local bars, and house parties, even Beck- Andersen as far looking mighty conas templative with his drums. Photo Credit: Kristen Carey

me intense lighting fea-

Oneonta and Rochester.

But these boys have a lot on their plates; balancing musical progress with higher education challenges them to choose one or the other. Lucky

for us, it’s usually the former. Masoud before,” Masoud says, crediting ESF and Sullivan agree, “Music comes for supporting their musical efforts on first,” but as they will tell you, they campus. spend late hours The band says they up at night and hope to release their altime management bum this coming spring, becomes a large as they have already concern. Howfinished their album ever, comparable artwork and scheduled to their cool and recording time. Woodcollective attiworks is waiting for tudes, they don’t their ‘big apple drop’ allow the stress of and to figure out when balancing a taxing the best time or event lifestyle stunt their presents itself. January musical growth, 31st, they’ll be opening and certainly don’t for Hot Day at the Zoo complain about it. at the Westcott Theater,

So let’s and encourage everycrawl out of the one to vote for them to woodwork and win a local competition onto a new vision at syracuseareamusic. of creativity at com/peopleschoice/.

ESF, Woodworks Sullivan belting it out in Nifkin.

Now, what we have all Photo Credit: Kristen Carey setting the stage been waiting for, what is to come for future successful musical groups to of Woodworks after this semester? The supplement their academic strengths band agrees, “There will definitely be with creative intuition. “Our favorite something going on. I didn’t know we crowd to play for is a mixed one; to were dying!” watch people stand still and then start dancing, it’s about turning people on to something they’ve never heard

in a row!

Finger Lakes The Women’s Community Cross CounCollege. The try team longest runplaced 1st in ning organitwo meets zation on the this season, ESF campus and placed is continuing 2nd out of their season 30 teams in Image Credit: ESF Athletics Facebook and looks Nationals, for forward to many meets into the the third year in a row as well! spring.

In our timber sports, the Woodsmen

Looking ahead, the Men’s Basteam competed at Paul Smiths, as ketball team will continue throughout well as placed 2nd in both the Men the winter. They are looking forward and Women’s events taking place at to another successful season and are

always on the lookout for new inspired members.

Lastly, the ESF Track and Field team is commencing their second season as a club team this spring.

http://www.esf.edu/athletics/

Student Life & The Environment • THE KNOTHOLE •

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DEEP

The Benefits of Meditation Emily Adams, 2014

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ow that it’s February, New Year’s resolutions tend to fall to the wayside, mostly due to time and effort constraints. How did you think you were going to exercise three times a week, get a 4.0 GPA and plan that trip this summer? Now, in the midst of the semester, your resolutions may seem unattainable.

But what if they aren’t? What if you aren’t lacking time, but focus?

Stress can make us believe that we don’t have enough time for the things we want to do, but if you can stay planted firmly in the present, and meditate often, you may be able to achieve all of your goals.

Research published in the Journal of Health Psychology has shown that meditation not only leaves you feeling less stressed and more focused, it actually decreases the stress hormone cortisol.

That 4.0? Meditation can help with that. According to research from the University of California in Santa Barbara, students that regularly meditate do better on the verbal reasoning section of the GRE, and have shown an improvement in working memory. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Health found that people who engage in regular meditation practices miss fewer days of work or class due to acute respiratory infections, colds, and other illnesses. Less sick days means more time to focus on whatever it is you’re passionate about.

Not convinced yet? A University of Utah study found that, “People who reported higher levels of mindfulness described better control over their emotions and behaviors during the day. In addition, higher mindfulness was associated with lower activation at

bedtime, which could have benefits for sleep quality and future ability to manage stress.”

Meditation benefits to human health can be boiled down into four major elements, according to a study by the Perspectives on Psychological Science. These elements are: body awareness, self-awareness, regulation of emotion and regulation of attention.

So could it be that the secret tool to achieving your New Year’s resolutions is meditation? It’s definitely worth a try! Meditation is held in Hendricks Chapel in the small, lower level chapel on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from 12-1pm, Wednesday from 5:30-6:30pm, and Thursday from 11:15am-12:15pm.

Horoscopes by Sarin Sarin Rakhsha, 1970

Aries – Pork roast is the best kind of leftover for Mondays at about 3:30 pm.

Watch out for acid-reflux though – this month your aura is sensitive to acidic things. Salt-water tanks with coral will bring you good fortune.

Taurus – Don’t worry about inconsistencies in your ability to count. This month Saturn is regressing toward Mars and amplifies qualitative experiences. This writer’s suggestion is to get an abacus, not really because of Saturn, but because they are pretty useful.

Gemini – Yeah, all Gemini out there, sorry, but I’m drawing a blank. This could be nothing or it could spell disaster for you all. Be on your toes: Anything could happen this month. Also last month I should’ve told you about that one thing.

Cancer – It will be a good month for cutting off other people’s sentences.

Most of the time people really dislike this feature in you, but for a while you

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will have insightful things to say.

Try to be sensitive to harmonica enthusiasts; their egos are delicate enough as it is.

Leo – I’ve sat down with a bunch of other certified astrologists, and we all pretty much agree that this month is going to be totally great for you. Like we all feel bad for every other sign – all the good luck went to you this month. With that being said try not to waste it. Magicians and IT workers can sense this shift and are a little bit peeved.

Virgo – Normally this kind of venue isn’t used for political discussion, but it is going to be an integral aspect of this month. Your alignment with a particular party’s message is going to come into existential question. How you deal with this really doesn’t matter for the political body; as a whole it is a lie.

ment. Don’t have children, don’t buy stocks, don’t take money out of the bank, and don’t even try and maintain that pathetic work out regiment you have been slacking on since the New Year. None of your investments will have any positive return this month so why even bother, right?

Libra – The stars are showing that it will be a horrible month for invest-

Scorpio – As far as your love life is concerned, well, it’s not. It’s not even

THE KNOTHOLE • Student Life & The Environment

Troll toll

Bridgegate Basics Cyndi Jacobson, 1970

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ew Jersey Governor Chris Christie was sworn in at his second inaugural ceremony on Tuesday, the 21st of January. Amidst swirling accusations, the politician finds himself between a rock and a hard place: polls suggest that his bid for the 2016 presidential race is a lost cause. How did the SuperstormSandy-wonder-boy turn into the fodder of the national media in a matter of a few weeks? Despite his insistence of zero involvement or knowledge of the

event, Christie has been ensnared by the ever-enigmatic “Bridgegate.”

It all started out simply enough. Two access lanes from Fort Lee onto the George Washington Bridge experienced severe traffic problems over the course of four days in September.

While the Republican governor insisted that it was no big deal, tensions rose in the riverside town where vehicles remained blocked on the New Jersey strip into Manhattan. This peculiar

See Bridge, Cont’d pg. 15

Above Image Credit: Donkey Hotey, www.flickr.com

that your aura won’t be open for engagement or anything. It appears as if your love life, well, just isn’t really concerned this month, it could care less. I mean go ahead and try but it told me, and I quote ‘meh…’ Avoid standing under foreign flags this will yield disaster.

Sagittarius - You may find that you have an increased interest in mysteries this month. I’d be wary of these impulses.

They won’t lead you to happiness. Even if you do manage to get to the bottom of something, it will be a short-lived thrill. Your success will leave you with an even larger void where the thought of the mystery was before. Seek counsel with an Ouija board if you must.

crowding has since proved to be no accident. Story tells of a rebellious Fort Lee Mayor who withheld support for Christie’s reelection campaign. In retaliation, a top aide to the governor got in touch with an ally at the New York and New Jersey Port Authority, suggesting that it was “time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.”

Said top aide, Bridget Anne Kelly, was fired on January 9th by Chris Christie. She was the most essential and closest connection between the governor and the closures, and she is one of about 20 key players that have been subpoenaed to testify by lawmakers about their communications with the Port Authority and Christie. It is this inner circle that is at the heart of the scandal, and whether Christie had any knowledge of the events that transpired is in question. Another component of the Bridgegate scandal involves statements from the mayor of Hoboken, Dawn Zimmer. Claims were made publicly on January 19th during an interview on MSNBC, wherein Zimmer suggested that Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno threatened to withhold federal Sandy recovery funds and money from the city of Hoboken if support

Capricorn – It will be a strong month for “ghost vibes.” You know that sensation that happens in your leg when you leave your phone on vibrate, and you think you feel it but no one called or messaged you. This is just your leg beginning to become sentient and calling out into the dark void that is consciousness. Feel free to splurge and use elevators or escalators instead of stairs.

Aquarius – Try to not be in the spotlight too much this month. You have had it for a while now, and everyone else is just a little tired of your act. Let the people get up there and do their thing. We’re not going to forget about you just because you aren’t the center of attention. It would be wise not to

look to hard for yourself in the mirror.

Even reflections need a vacation.

Pisces – Sex will be phenomenal for you this month. As far as your partner(s) are concerned, that’s beyond me. Try hooking up with a Leo this month, shit’s going great for them. Don’t be shy about getting out there and making most of this. It will be so satisfying.

Hell, even if you stay in by yourself, you’ll have a good time. Avoid pastas, specifically macaroni; this will really kill the vibe.

Student Life & The Environment • THE KNOTHOLE •

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DIY

DIY: Door Draft Snake Gabrielle Alper, 2014

S

yracuse’s average temperature is 26° in February, according to Weather.com. Massive amounts of energy can go into heating our homes during the winter. Energy bills seem to double or triple when autumn ends. That’s why we should take it upon ourselves to keep our energy consumption, and bills, down this year.

A door snake, also known as a draft stopper, is a tube that can be put at the bottom of drafty doors or windows. This may seem minimal, but it can make a huge difference in the amount of heat that is retained in your house. Most houses available for off campus living are old and drafty, making this DIY tip perfect for anyone looking to conserve a little more while saving money on their heating bill.

Step 1: Find a thin article of cloth-

ing you do not use anymore, preferably one with tube-like structure. A good example is an old pair of tights, or anything that is a nylon/polyester blend (mostly nylon). The sleeves of an Under Armour undershirt would be the most desirable choice, as that material is designed to retain heat.

Step 2: Cut the fabric in a way that will leave you with two individual tubes of fabric.

Step 3: Take one tube and sew one

end closed with a simple whip stitch.

If you are unsure of how to do a whip stitch, there are plenty of video tutorials on YouTube. I recommend cyberseam’s channel: youtube.com/user/ cyberseams.

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Step 4: Sew the other end of the tube, leaving about one-fifth of the tube open.

piece of durable fabric (denim, duck cloth, etc.) that measures the length of the door, by the width of the door with an additional 2 inches. Once you sew the durable fabric to the seam of each tube, it can now be slid under the door when it is open. This will allow for the door snakes to move with the door, and protect it from drafts on both the inside and out.

Get some cute fabric to brighten up your room in the cold weather! Image (left) Credit: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/ (below) Image Credit: colonialmedical.com

Step

5

Step

6

: Fill the tube with rice. : Sew the remainder of the tube closed.

N o w you have one door snake! If you have a seriously drafty door or window, one door snake might not be enough to prevent heat loss.

Therefore, you can use that second tube of fabric to make another door snake.

F o r added convenience, you can sew the two tubes together with a

THE KNOTHOLE • Student Life & The Environment

Lunar

“We Have What You Want, Though You May Not Know You Want It.” Jo Anne Ellis, Associate Librarian, Moon Library he motto of Christopher Morley’s Haunted Bookshop could describe Moon Library as well. For example, did you know…

While the first floor is a natural space for group study, there are quiet spaces abound too. Room 103 is a designated quiet study space, remodeled with a generous donation from Robert (’84 NRM) and Lisa Unsworth. Our new study carrels (individual study desks with adjacent outlets for laptops) at the rear of the library are popular, and students have told me that the downstairs cluster (14 Moon) has become an unofficial quiet zone. Print jobs from main floor computers can also be sent to 14 Moon if there’s a crowd at the upstairs printer.

What did you forget to bring? Items you can check out for two hours at the desk with your ESF ID card include: • Calculators • Headphones • Flash (USB) drives • Colored pencils • Rulers Need index cards for vocabulary selfquizzing? Check the baskets near the computers on the first floor or look in the drawers of the recycled card catalogs serving as tables. Ask if you need more!

Bus schedules and route maps? South side of the front doors, across from 110 Moon. A place to pick up free books and drop off your own recycled reading? Along the back of the main desk.

Also at the back of the desk is a cabinet of games and puzzles for in-library use.

If you see a jigsaw started on a table, feel free to work on it when you have time—crowd-solving is encouraged.

Along the north side of the main desk are 400+ DVD’s for free loan, two at a time, for a week. This collection is made up of donated movies, so re-

http://www.esf.edu/moonlib/about/

T

member to recycle yours to us when you’re looking for a good home for them. The DVD’s can be searched in the catalog using “DVD” and any other keyword (actor, director, genre). Find some new favorites, from “All that Jazz” (Bob Fosse’s semi-autobiographical musical that won the Palme d’Or at Cannes) to “Zulu” (“introducing” a young actor named Michael Caine!).

Have you discovered the two recliners at the south end of the first floor?

What about the microwave in the basement at the bottom of the stairs and the free campus/public phone next to it?

(Remember to dial “7” for off-campus calls.) The free fax (outgoing only) near the main desk? It takes a dime to start, but you get it back when you’re done. The same machine will scan to a USB drive or just make plain old photocopies for a dime each. Need change?

There’s a change machine in the middle of the vending machines downstairs. (If you’re breaking anything from $5 to $20, be aware you may get some change back in presidential dollar coins!)

Shortcuts on our Web page: go to http://www.esf.edu/moonlib/ for extra help and answers. A “How do I…” (FAQ) section allows you to look up common questions, and if you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can ask your own question. Type a question in at the “Need help?” prompt, or call, email, or tweet us. And of course, stop by the main desk to ask for help.

You’re not bothering the staff—we’re the extra pair of hands for everyone on campus!

Student Life & The Environment • THE KNOTHOLE •

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ADVERT

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THE KNOTHOLE • Student Life & The Environment

Punxsutawney Bridge, Cont’d from pg. 11 was not given for Christie’s development project. What’s more, allegations have arisen linking the lane closures to Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich’s lack of support for that same development project.

This simplification of the scandal might not do it for you, and it’s only natural if you’re asking yourself, “Why do I care?” Well, if you are at all invested in the 2016 presidential election, it is safe to say that Christie’s bid is in jeopardy. While he may have been the Republican frontrunner raised to rival post-Benghazi scandal Hillary Clinton, recent polls have shown a drastic tumble in support for the formerly no-nonsense governor. No longer does Christie strike the general public as the man who could “transcend partisan rancor and petty politics in the service of the public” as the New York Times once foretold. He has handled the scan-

dal with little grace and great sarcasm, continually denying his involvement but struggling to endear himself to a doubtful public and media.

Being that Bridgegate is an everchanging controversy with new information coming into the picture, the long-term political future of the newly-inaugurated governor still hangs in balance. But

Image Credit: www.reuters.com

it is for certain that we haven’t heard the last about Bridgegate for a long while.

Comic: Joey O’Rielly, 2016

Student Life & The Environment • THE KNOTHOLE •

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MINDSPILL SNAP Mike Francis Smith Darkness.

Vivid auditory hallucinations, Confusion. A strictly primeval existence.

This goes on for months, ThenAn unexpected journey down the birth canal.

Those first few seconds felt like an eternity, Alone, afraid, shivering, Comatose, yes, but striving, dying, suffering to express.

La

Suddenly, BLISS! Merging in eyes that shine with the totality of awareness.

(Eyes that reveal thousands of years of struggle in collecting, capturing, toiling, harvesting) The light of consciousness.

Pure ecstasy.

The joy that that moment held!

To at once SNAP: Into the future of love Into the beauty of knowledge Into the prophesied Zion.

ve n

rF de

Bursting open, the gates with flood, the levee is broken, and there is no where to run.

The hero rises, I will take you onward, He says to the people.

We march on toward the Church’s steeple.

An

d iel

Back door mushroom man, guides us through the endless fields of lavender, The world is bending on forever after.

ton

M io

s

i on t

Over the horizon floats a ship, flags flown high of the led, it twas but a zeppelin.

Elephants walk a straight path, puffs of smoke rise with a laugh.

Pines surrounding, pillow of gold, the world is everlasting and bold.

Spinning ball of energy lies, in the depths of our souls, to help us carry life’s tolls.

Back door mushroom man, guides us through the endless fields of lavender, The world is bending on forever after.

Lace Up

Radka Yang, 2016

Negotiating rocks, exposed roots, entangled twigs, a pipeline of scales.

Finding abandoned fire pits, couches by the creek, and shopping carts in trees.

Following the canal, the train tracks for as long as they lead.

Boundless, infinite.

Forgetting how that feels is a sadness I will always remember.

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