QUARRY Thrill-seekers escape to South Campus’ quarry
CYCLE SYRACUSE Change gears with our tearout pocket guide to biking
SPRING 2012 ISSUE #27 Secrets from behindthe-scenes of “Survivor”
TRIAL BY FIRE
THE ADVENTURE ISSUE Landlubbers achieve nautical know-how
SEA SEMESTER
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ADVENTURE :: SPRING 2012
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Melia Robinson
THE ADVENTURE ISSUE
Editor-in-Chief
Liz Borchert Art Director
Madelyn Perez Managing Editor
Lauren Stefaniak Managing Editor
Gerilyn Manago Assistant Editor
Shayna Miller Assistant Editor
Brandi Potts Assistant Editor
Victoria Pruitt Assistant Editor
Christina Riley Assistant Editor
Hailey-Margaret Temple Social Media Director
Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Web Editor
Elizabeth Carey Jill Comoletti Christina Ferraro Nicole Gorny Danielle Hinckley Meredith Jeffers Kayla Caldwell
Jr. Art Director Zuly Beltre Designer Meghan Burns Designer Kristin Cordon Designer Brianna de Moll Designer Jennifer Gubernick Designer Rachel Heffner Designer Chloe Hutton
Designer Designer Designer Designer Designer Designer Cover
Vania Myers Laura Nepolitano Talia Roth Kristen Parker Erika Scully Kelly Stevens Ani Mercedes
I looked over the edge of the rocks and thought my heart would burst from my chest and land into the opaque water below. The swimming hole boasted three ledges to jump from: 5, 10, and 15 feet high. At the highest drop, my four friends stood behind me, contemplating the icy plunge and singing the Top 40 hit of that summer, “Shark in the Water” by V V Brown. We were paralyzed by visions of cracking our heads open on unseen rocks. I leapt. Me: anxiety-ridden, overly-cautious Melia Robinson. I’m hardly the adventurous type. But I was the first to jump (and I won’t let them forget it). When I surfaced, my friends howled and got in line to join me below. That act earned me a hand-painted plaque, a certification in high-level badassery. I look back on that afternoon fondly and am reminded of a cooler, more daring version of myself. When I’m panicking about school, internship applications, or my future in magazine journalism, I remember the sweet release that accompanies taking chances. My hope is that you will find inspiration in the Adventure issue of 360 Degrees to discover your inner thrill-seeker. We tracked down every burgeoning explorer, daredevil, and obstacle-overcoming individual on this campus and across New York to share stories of courage and determination. On page 10, follow junior Lilly Brown to Samoa and Nicaragua, where she worked as a challenge-tester for the game show “Survivor.” Explore the great indoors with the Syracuse University Outing Club as they take on one of New York’s most extreme rock climbing facilities (page 24). Venture across the ocean with SEA Semester students (page 14), into the quarries behind South Campus with some rebellious ESF-ers (page 21), and over all 46 peaks of the Adirondack Mountains with members of a climbing enthusiast society (page 16). We want you to have adventures of your own. Discover clubs and classes on page 8 to get you started, and check out our tear-out, fold-up pocket guide to biking around ’Cuse on page 17. So settle in, but don’t get too comfortable. You gotta gear up for your next escapade. No guts, no glory,
Melia Robinson
mission statement :: Since its debut at Syracuse University in 1998, 360 Degrees has always strived to achieve a balance between tradition and change. Founded by Lanre Mayen Gaba as a new lens to view culture, 360 Degrees has a different focus, format, and feel than its predecessors. Through the years, the magazine has become a general interest publication with a cultural twist, dedicated to informing students about issues on campus, in the community, and in the whole world at large. disclaimer :: The views expressed in 360 Degrees are not necessarily those of the entire staff. 360 Degrees welcomes contributions from all members of the Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF community but retains the right to publish only material 360 Degrees deems acceptable to the publication’s editorial purpose.
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THE FINISH LINE Adventure Abounds
SU students divulge their greatest endeavors on and off the Hill
An Unlikely Tail
Q&A with Ted Fox, zoo director of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo
THE KNOW-HOW
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Top 10 Tips to Roughin’ It Be There or Be Square
Foursquare tips around campus
Adventure 101
Break out of your comfort zone with these can’t-miss, alternative classes and clubs
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VIEWFINDER Reporting for Duty
Military Visual Journalism students build an arsenal of storytelling skills
The Ultimate Bike Tour of Syracuse
Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or casual commuter, pocket this all-inclusive guide to better your biking experience
A Is for Africa
Unconventional abroad experiences give three students snapshots of life in Madagascar, Morocco, and South Africa
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CULTURE All Hands on Deck
Sea Semester participants navigate close quarters, seasickness, and nautical life
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Challenge Accepted
Student outlasts the ultimate summer job as a challenge-tester for CBS “Survivor”
Living on a Prayer
From flat-line to finish line, one man completes the New York City marathon after cheating death
Such Great Heights
Society of climbers conquers all 46 peaks of the Adirondacks
An Inside Job
SU Outing Club trades outdoor thrills for indoor skills when the weather gets rough
Little Chapel, Big Faith
How a devout Christian family founded the smallest church in the U.S. and put Oneida, N.Y., back on the map
Rocking the Quarry
South Campus hot-spot offers illegal refuge for adrenaline junkies
Mud, Sweat, and Fears
Father-son duo take on icy waters, electric shocks and treacherous monkey bars in the toughest event around
ADVENTURE :: SPRING 2012
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NE | The Know-How
TOP TEN TIPS TO ROUGHIN’ IT words :: Ediva Zanker art :: Lise Germaine Sukhu
It doesn’t take a wilderness guide to make it through a camping weekend, but after a semester on the Hill, your adventuring skills may be a little rusty. 360 Degrees sits down with Linda Adams, co-owner of Adams Eden Camp in LaFayette, N.Y., to get the best tips for packing up and camping out.
1 | Tenting
4 | Fires
8 | Meals
It’s a good idea to set up the tent before embarking on your trip. Why? “If you have one missing pole, your whole trip is in jeopardy,” Adams says. “I’ve seen tenters arrive at dusk and try to pitch an unfamiliar tent in the dark. It’s a scenario for stress.”
Campfires can be tricky, especially for a new camper. “Take plenty of matches and paper and find out if there will be wood readily available or if you should bring your own,” Adams says. “Some camping spots are so overused that there isn’t a dead stick of wood to be found.”
Campers usually underestimate how much food they need to bring on a trip. “Remember when you’re outdoors, you will feel hungrier than usual, so bring plenty,” Adams says. “Hobo meals are a great, easy way to avoid meal hassle and can be prepared ahead of time for a super easy meal.”
5 | Showering
9 | Camp nearby
If you aren’t on a campground with running water, showering may be difficult. Use a tarp and a bucket of water warmed by the campfire. Scout out the land first, pick a place with as few campers as possible, and set up.
No one wants to be disturbed by surrounding campers. “That is not what you had in mind so try to find a place that offers a bit of privacy,” Adams says. If you find yourself next to someone interrupting your trip, be friendly. They can be good resources if something goes wrong.
6 | Leave behind electronics
10 | Take along your sense of humor
Camping offers serenity that you normally won’t find in day-to-day life. “Usually people want to get away from stress and the rat race, so if at all possible, leave behind cellphones, iPhones, and other gadgets,” Adams says. “You can live without them for a short time.”
2 | Have a backup plan Sometimes weather gets in the way of adventure. “Plan to bring books, games, or something to do in case the weather doesn’t cooperate with your plans,” Adams says. Or embrace the weather as it comes. “You want to experience the outdoors, right? Part of nature is dealing with the elements.”
3 | Find a campground that offers space between tent sites No one wants to be disturbed by surrounding campers. “That is not what you had in mind so try to find a place that offers a bit of privacy,” says Adams. But if you find yourself next to someone interrupting your trip, be friendly. They can be good resources if something goes wrong.
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7 | But don’t leave behind a flashlight It gets dark in the woods at night, especially if you’re camping away from a populated area. Not only are flashlights essential for finding items nearby, but also for safe trips away from your site. “You’ll need one if you need to trek to the bath house in the middle of the night,” Adams says.
Camping involves a lot of creativity and resourcefulness in the wild. Adams suggests just going with the flow, because it will make for a better trip. “If everything is not perfect, so what? It will be part of the memory, and you’ll have a chance to overcome, bond, and problem solve along the way.”
BE THERE OR BE SQUARE words :: Laura Cohen art :: Anne Wilsey
You can say you’ve been somewhere, or you can prove it. Foursquare is a location-based social networking site that uses GPS technology via smart phones to provide users with a list of nearby venues. By checking in, users can leave helpful tips and comments for future visitors. With multiple visits, you can earn points and badges and even become the mayor of that location (which may mean free stuff!). Syracuse University students are getting in on the action. Check out where we’ve checked in, and read tips from users who have ventured there before.
Chuck’s Cafe 727 S Crouse Ave. (between Marshall St. and E. Adams St.) Ryan B. September 12, 2011: “Don’t wait in line for the bathroom. Pee outside in the alley next to Chipotle if you have the proper equipment.”
College Place Bus Stop
The Mount
Varsity Pizza
College Place Je D. November 14, 2011: “Cut in line and shove hard. You’ll fit right in.”
Mount Olympus Dr. Liz D. September 30, 2011: “Don’t worry, most of us are out of breath at this point.”
802 S. Crouse Ave. Donna T. February 16, 2011: “Gonna need a napkin.”
The Kissing Bench
The Drunk Steps
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Syracuse University (Crouse Drive) OttosPal September 17, 2010: “Nice legend, but it hasn’t worked for anyone I know!”
Mount Olympus Dr. (between Women’s Building and tennis courts) Brett A. May 14, 2011: “When I was a freshman in 1994, we called these the Drunk Steps. I love the fact that the name has stuck!”
129 Marshall St. Laura F. April 5, 2011: “Be prepared to wait if you walk in…download the iPhone ordering app to order, pay, and cut the line!”
Kimmel Food Court
Marshall Street
Starbucks
311 Waverly Ave. Jessica G. April 17, 2010: “That girl in the Taco Bell line is barefoot and her knee is bleeding. Sounds like a stellar night to me. Kimmel is the epitome of college.”
Marshall Street (Crouse Ave.) Matt L. January 23, 2012: “The guy from T-Shirt World will pressure you to come into his store. Walk on the other side of the street to avoid awkward eye contact and promises of cheap SU gear.”
177 Marshall St. Janae D. March 15, 2011: “Gertis* is diabetic so no hot cocoa, but he likes coffee with splenda when its cold :)” *Gertis is the resident homeless man who asks for change. Hey, pretty girl.
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ADVENTURE 101
Break out of your comfort zone with these can’t miss alternative classes and clubs
EAR 101: Dynamic Earth
PED 300: Outward Bound
>> Don’t let the 101 title fool you — this course is jam packed with lessons about the earth and its processes. Students learn about volcanoes, earthquakes, and stars, and discover Syracuse’s own Green Lakes State Park. Green Lake is a meromictic lake, a rare body of water in which the surface and bottom layers don’t mix, giving it a tropical, mirrorlike appearance. Sophomore Melanie Copeland says, “I’ve definitely underestimated the city of Syracuse. It’s amazing that we have such a rare lake.” The 101 class takes a day trip to the lake each semester during lab to learn how a natural phenomenon like this occurs.
>> In Costa Rica, your day begins and ends with adventure. The agenda includes hiking up a volcano and repelling down a 200-foot waterfall using a rope and harness as water pours on your head. One of the more mellow activities is a tour of the lush, green rainforest, where students encounter unfamiliar wildlife like iguanas and sloths. Each spring semester, 20 students take the class and attend the spring break trip. Sophomore Jingsui Huang, who went on the trip last year, enjoyed the escape from technology the trip provided. “Within a week, we could be so open to each other,” Huang says. “I then realized cell phones or Twitter were not necessary for communicating with friends.”
ETS 410: Mysteries of London >> Foggy London is home to many classic 19th century mystery stories, from fictional Sherlock Holmes to famed serial killer Jack the Ripper, and this class gets to roam their haunts. They learn firsthand from Professor Michael Goode, who lived in London for a semester and leads trips during spring break. The class explores the neighborhood of Whitechapel, where many of the Jack the Ripper slayings occurred — a highlight of the trip for students. “The tour was one of the best parts of the trip,” says alumna Samantha Schoenfeld. “It was fascinating to see the spots where each event happened and learn the full story.”
HST 145: Introduction to Historical Archaeology >> When you think of historical archaeology, you might not think of Virginia, but Professor Douglas Armstrong shows students otherwise on this spring break trip. In Jamestown, students learn about early interactions between English settlers and Native Americans, and in Williamsburg, they examine the archaeological record of the 18th century and the role of archaeology in studying social and class structure. “The unique thing about this class is students aren’t taking it to fulfill a requirement,” Armstrong says. “They are here because they want to be here and enjoy the act of discovery.”
words :: Melissa Bronson-Tramel photos courtesy of :: Michael Goode and Scott Catucci
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Quidditch Team
Club Sailing Team
Western Equestrian Club
SU Parkour Community
>> Fantasy books and movies don’t usually turn into real-life activities, but the Syracuse Quidditch team makes running around on a broomstick and throwing a Quaffle through a Hula-Hoop a dream come true for Harry Potter fans. A combination of basketball, rugby, soccer, dodgeball, and track and field, the Quidditch team tests members’ athleticism while building camaraderie. The team, dedicated to making the fantasy sport a reality, practices each Sunday at 1 p.m. on the Women’s Building field. This year, the team attended the Quidditch World Cup in New York City and competed against other U.S. and international teams, like Canada and New Zealand. Sophomore Joseph DiStefano, the team’s co-captain, says his favorite Quidditch memory is when he caught the Golden Snitch for the first time, at last year’s Cup. “Even though it only put us into overtime where we eventually lost, it was still one of the shining moments in my memory,” DiStefano says.
>> If you’ve been waiting for a chance to test out your sea legs, the Syracuse University Club Sailing team will give you the chance. The team competes in five to seven regattas per semester and welcomes sailors of every experience level. Freshman Marcia Gillespie joined the team during the fall semester as soon as she heard about it. “I had always wanted to learn how to sail, so when I found out SU had a sailing club, I thought that’d be a great opportunity to finally learn,” she says. Gillespie says her favorite memory is when the team practiced capsizing procedures, adding, “I didn’t think it would be so fun to tip over in a boat!”
>> Whether you’re a skilled rider or a beginner, the Syracuse University Western Equestrian Club is a place for all horse lovers. Members of this club have the opportunity to take weekly riding lessons and compete in shows. During competitions, riders get in the Western spirit by wearing black chaps and cowboy hats. Sophomore Angela Noviasky joined the team last semester as a beginner and enjoys the spontaneous nature of the sport. “The most adventurous part of Western Equestrian is knowing that you cannot always be in control,” Noviasky says. “In competitions, you are never guaranteed to ride a horse you know.”
To learn more about the SU Club Sailing team, email syracuse.sailing@gmail.com.
To learn more about the SU Western Equestrian Club, email Taylor Grayson at suequestrian@gmail.com.
>> The streets and paths you walk down every day are the Syracuse University Parkour Community’s playground. Members hurdle low walls, balance on rails, and dodge obstacles in the street as a way of engaging and playing with their environment. But the group isn’t exclusive to SU students — people of all ages come from the surrounding area to practice parkour. Senior Caitlin Pontrella, leader of the SU Parkour Community, says her favorite memories from the organization are the “big jams” held once a semester. During these events, Pontrella organizes a group to use the city as their urban obstacle course. “You meet new people, you watch them move, and you learn new ways to move yourself,” Pontrella says. “So it’s always a lot of fun.”
To learn more about the Quidditch Team, email Joseph DiStefano at jpdistef@syr.edu.
To learn more about the Parkour Community, email Caitlin Pontrella at cpontrel@syr.edu.
words :: Jill Comoletti art :: Alicia Marie Zyburt
ADVENTURE :: SPRING 2012
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SW | Action
Student outlasts the ultimate summer job as a challenge-tester for CBS “Survivor� words :: Melia Robinson art :: Carolyn Aluotto photos courtesy of :: Lilly Brown
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alf the players wait along the perimeter of the flat dirt pit, breathing heavily and lunging in ready-position. Their goal is to collect a football from the center and pass it to shooters on a platform, where they attempt to score baskets from across the court. If her team has any chance of winning, Lilly Brown will have to wrestle the ball away from the opposing players. On “go,” she springs forward, sliding into the pit on her knees. The sound of colliding bodies and sheer determination distract her from a new sensation in her left leg. She plays fiercely to make a good first impression, and host Jeff Probst takes notice. “Lilly’s getting really aggressive in there!” Brown remembers Probst narrating from above. When Brown returns to the resort later in the day to wash up, she discovers 6 inches of skin missing from her leg, revealing a patch of pink flesh that resembles raw chicken. She rushes to the medical tent, reminding herself of the bright side. “It was the first challenge and [Jeff Probst] already knew my name,” Brown says, smiling at the memory. “Then I thought, ‘Oh crap. I shouldn’t have been that aggressive.’” The summer after her senior year of high school, Lilly Brown, 21, of Bloomington, Ind., began working as a challenge-tester on the Dream Team for the CBS game show “Survivor.” The Dream Team is a crew of eager, athletic young people who travel with the show and assist in production. Over the course of two summers, Brown and her sister Lauren, 24, participated in seasons 19 through 22 set in Samoa and Nicaragua. Brown, in many ways, prepared for “Survivor” her whole life. She developed a sense of adventure as a kid, climbing trees in her neighbor’s backyard and backpacking across Europe with her family. By age 14, she had a pull-up bar in her bedroom, and at 15, she was a contestant on the Discovery Kids game show “Endurance,” a teen version of “Survivor.” After seeing a behind-the-scenes video of “Survivor,” she discovered a higher calling. While most Dream Teamers make it on the show by knowing someone, the Brown sisters cinched their selection with a nine-minute application video, demonstrating their abundance of skills. In May 2009, they landed on the microscopic island of Upolu, halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. Two short weeks and 7 pounds lighter, Brown traveled by van up the coast for her first on-location assignment, in anticipation of the show contestants’ arrival. Massive triangular structures dotted the beach, waiting to be painted by the Dream Teamers. “I just remember looking to the left, and [there were] palm trees as far as
the eye could see,” Brown says. “Then all of a sudden, there are these huge A-frames, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. I’m on ‘Survivor.’” The Dream Team quickly settled into a routine. They typically spent the early morning in the art department, building, sanding, and painting props. By 10:30 a.m., they arrived on set to test the day’s challenge, a practice run for both the producers and cameramen. They often rehearsed challenges in multiple ways, as a relay, tournament, one-on-one, etc., so producers could determine how to
people ask me: How did you get that job and do the Survivors stay in hotels at night?” Brown says, assuring fans that contestants really sleep in the shelters they build themselves. “It drives me crazy when people are like, ‘“Survivor” isn’t real.’ I’m like, ‘Yes it is, dude. Yes it is.’” Although her stint as a Dream Teamer set her back two semesters — Brown will graduate with the class of 2014 — it’s an opportunity she’d never trade. “A lot of times, you’re sitting in the art department for 10 hours a day and painting something brown,” she says. “But you can’t be like,
IT DRIVES ME CRAZY WHEN PEOPLE ARE LIKE, “SURVIVOR” ISN’T REAL. I’M LIKE, “YES IT IS, DUDE. YES IT IS.” proceed with the contestants. After the “real thing,” the Dream Team would run the challenge again while the cameras rolled. The show uses this footage when Probst explains the challenge, which airs before the contestants’ turn. More often than not, the Dream Team outlasted the crew during challenges. Long after the cameramen got the shots they needed and left, the Dream Team remained until a winner emerged. During one challenge of endurance, they braced themselves between two narrow walls, resting their feet on small pegs. As the competition progressed, they switched to smaller footholds. After 35 minutes, legs trembling and face grimacing in pain, Brown was one of the final two. The other members of the Dream Team lugged away the camera equipment and returned to the challenge set, rallying for a winner. “I was struggling so much, but I was determined,” Brown says. The remaining Dream Teamer dropped down, surrendering to Brown’s willpower. She remembers watching that episode air on TV and seeing how poorly the contestants performed in comparison. “By the end, you realize how much better fed you are than them,” Brown says, remembering the steady catering services available to the crew. Every few nights, the Dream Team finished the workday at Tribal Council, where they sat in while the crew adjusted the lighting in preparation for the contestants. Watching Tribal Council from the monitor room was typically the extent of Brown’s interaction with the contestants. Show producers ensured that contestants had minimal contact with the outside world, except for conversations with story producers and Probst. When Brown divulges about her unusual summer job, people express curiosity about the reality of a “reality show.” “That’s one of the main things
‘This sucks.’ You have to look at the bright side. … It was my dream to do [“Survivor”], and I did it. I had the time of my life — twice.”
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SW | Viewfinder
REPORTING FOR DUTY
Military Visual Journalism students build an arsenal of storytelling skills words :: Shayna Miller photos courtesy of :: Ryan Courtade
The mission: infiltrate a suspected high-value target. Without thinking twice, the troop systematically prepares to enter combat. They load their rifles, ammunition, and equipment, and make the dangerous trek through the scorching desert sand. As the team approaches the door of a building, they assume their practiced formation. In silence, they prepare for the forceful burst through the door, unaware of what waits for them on the other side. Each soldier has a weapon in position, ready to fire. But one among the squad has his rifle strapped securely to his back. In his hands, he holds an entirely different piece of military equipment, loaded and ready for action: a camera. This is a general scenario that combat cameramen in the military are trained to face, says Ryan Courtade, chief mass communication specialist for the U.S. Navy. “That’s one hundred percent our job: to document what has happened, or rather, what is happening,” Courtade says. “In that moment we don’t even think. It’s just what we are trained to do.” Courtade, along with 15 other military visual journalists, is a student in the Military Visual Journalism program at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, the program was established in 1963 to train active-duty military personnel in visual storytelling.
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Students enter the program after serving as photographers and videographers in the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Although students’ class schedules vary depending on their concentration — military photojournalism or military motion media — they take specially designed multimedia classes with each other and one communications course each semester with Newhouse students outside the program.
offer me different perspectives,” Ratcliff says. “It’s not just about the training at Syracuse; it’s about learning from the best.” The program has reaffirmed Ratcliff’s career path and passion for photography. “I’ve only been encouraged by what I’ve seen,” says Ratcliff, who hopes to return to the fleet as a combat cameraman in Courtade’s team. “Everyone is focused on the mission and that shows me that
THAT’S ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OUR JOB: TO DOCUMENT WHAT HAS HAPPENED. IN THAT MOMENT WE DON’T EVEN THINK. IT’S JUST WHAT WE ARE TRAINED TO DO. It’s about more than bolstering their abilities, according to Nancy Austin, deputy director of the program for more than 20 years. She says students gain a higher education and a leg up on their comrades, in addition to an understanding of how they can share their skills. “It allows them to go back into the military and teach other soldiers what they’ve learned,” Austin says. This train-the-trainer approach is key to making this program a successful resource for the military. Patrick Ratcliff, a military photojournalism student, has embraced the opportunity to learn from more experienced visual journalists. “I’m blessed to be in a class with people who are so talented and who can
what these people are doing really means something. That’s important to me.” The program participants will return to duty after completing the 10-month coursework at Newhouse — equipped with a new arsenal of skills and affirmation that their work is important. Courtade, who has served in the Navy for 13 years, says that as military photojournalists, their job isn’t to tell their own story, but someone else’s. “There are probably people in my photographs who are no longer alive,” he says. “I may have captured one of the last images of them representing this country, the one thing that they loved so much they were willing to lose their life for it.”
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LIVING ON A PRAYER FROM FLAT-LINE TO FINISH LINE, ONE MAN COMPLETES THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON AFTER CHEATING DEATH words :: Andrew Muckell photo (R) :: Angela Poccia photo (L) courtesy of :: Ed Ilarraza On Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010, Ed Ilarraza stood in Gracepoint Gospel Fellowship church in New City, N.Y., with arms raised upward, singing praise songs fervently and thanking God for his life and family. Moments later, Ed opened his eyes to find everything closing in on him. Concerned churchgoers called 911. After he was escorted into the church lobby, Ed sprawled across a brown leather couch, waiting for an ambulance. Ed’s wife Blanca and 19-year-old son JP stood by his side as paramedics determined he needed to go to the hospital. “When the doors of the ambulance shut, that’s when I had my massive heart attack,” Ed says. After that, things only got worse. Doctors resuscitated Ed approximately 20 times that morning and inserted two artificial tubes into his heart, but his breathing and pulse stopped again. After 35 grueling minutes spent trying to revive him, the doctors announced that Ed had passed away. Nearly 250 miles north of the hospital, Priscilla, a junior at Syracuse University, received a call with news that her father had been hospitalized. She scrambled to get on the next flight home. As she was boarding her flight, she received a second call saying her father was dead. In Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, N.Y., Ed’s wife recognized a nurse named Alicia and asked her to pray for her deceased husband. Solemnly, Alicia entered his room and whispered one more diligent appeal heavenward. Her “amen” was cut short by the beeping of the heart rate monitor coming back to life. “He’s a fighter! He’s a fighter! He’s fighting through!” Alicia’s words echoed down the hallway. Doctors determined that Ed suffered a stroke. They didn’t know
the extent of his brain damage from the lack of oxygen — but he was alive.
On November 22, 2010, Ed crossed the finish line of a 13.1 mile race. The last miles were difficult, but he says it was through prayer that he made it to the end. Since then, Ed’s health and stamina have improved. His doctor tells him that there are no signs of heart or brain damage, and he finished every step of the full 26.2 mile New York City Marathon this past fall. “The miracle is that I can function,” Ed says with conviction. “After everything, I feel like it certainly has been a heck of an adventure.”
Ed worked to regain the life he once had, going through speech, occupational, and physical therapy. In cardio therapy, Ed saw elderly women walking briskly on steep inclines on the treadmills while he could not bear going a measly speed of 1.5 mph. One day, Ed broke into a sprint on the treadmill, to his therapist’s dismay. “What is it you want to do? Run a marathon?” the specialist yelled. Ed replied with a simple, “Yes.” A few months later, Ed joined a half marathon training team. On the first day of training in September, he barely finished two miles. Every week for the next two months, the group trained; through rain or shine, Ed stuck to his goal.
ADVENTURE :: SPRING 2012
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DECK SEA Semester participants navigate close quarters, seasickness, and nautical life words :: Nicole Gorny art :: Lauren Nicholas
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rianna Carrier hung over the tossing waves, suspended only by her firm grip on the sail’s rope. She pulled herself up the rigging, pausing frequently to adjust the link on her harness to a higher point on the ropes. Each nervewracking adjustment left Carrier reliant on her own strength to keep from making a splash in the ocean below. Halfway up the mast, a ladder replaced the rope. She continued her treacherous ascent, step by step, until she was aloft, perched at the top of the mast. All she could see was water. Two weeks earlier, Carrier had no idea how to sail a boat. Four weeks into her journey, she could manipulate sails to catch the wind, tie dozens of sailing knots, navigate by the stars, and scrub the ship like a seasoned deckhand. Carrier, a senior geography and policy studies major, participated in SEA Semester last spring. A unique study abroad program made possible through partnership between the Sea Education Association and Boston University, SEA Semester is a 12-week, hands-on experience during which students explore the diverse aspects of oceanography by actively sailing a 134-foot ship. Zak Balmuth-Loris, who graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in bioengineering last December, also participated in SEA Semester last spring. He said that by the end of the program, he could identify every sail and line. “It’s a little overwhelming, but you have to realize that everyone is in the same boat,” he says. “Except for a few people who knew how to sail before, everyone is learning.”
The SEA Semester adventure begins on land in Woods Hole, Mass., on the southwest corner of Cape Cod. As a global destination for oceanographic research, Woods Hole is an ideal location for the six-week preparation for sea. Soon-to-be sailors attend morning and afternoon classes for both academic enlightenment, like maritime studies and nautical science, and practical sailing instruction, like how to tie various knots and navigate by the stars. In the evenings, participants are free to explore beyond their 10-person cottages on the SEA campus, and bike to beaches or coffee shops in surrounding neighborhoods. “The area has pretty much a zero percent crime rate, so we felt safe enough to take late night walks to beaches and generally roam free,” Carrier says. After six weeks in Woods Hole,
students are ready for open water. Voyages leave from Woods Hole, Caribbean islands, and San Diego, depending on the time of year and the focus of the specific SEA Semester program. The time at sea is divided into phases. In the first phase, the crew teaches students practicalities about sailing, and by the third phase, students work independently of the crew’s assistance. Balmuth-Loris, like most participants in the program, had no prior sailing experience. “The first few weeks are like throwing spaghetti at a wall, and you’re the wall,” he says. “Some of it sticks, and some of it doesn’t.” A full day at sea is divided into five watches, and each participant is assigned about two watches per day to essentially run the ship. Additionally, students take shifts in the lab completing research experiments, in the galley preparing three meals and three snacks per day, and in the back of the boat taking classes five days a week. The 134-foot ships offer tight quarters to the passengers, who are unsurprisingly instructed to pack light. Because Balmuth-Loris’ narrow bunk was in the saloon, he often slept surrounded by up to 15 sleeping shipmates — his drowsiness
side without making a mess of themselves or the deck. Most students preferred this form of relief instead of medication, and as a result, no one judged each other for bouts of seasickness, Carrier says. “I was seasick after about a week, but it only lasted a few days,” she says. “For some it was shorter or longer, and one poor girl was sick the entire month.” Choppy water posed an additional problem for Balmuth-Loris, whose voyage north of the Caribbean was stalled by a storm. His ship remained “parked” among the huge waves for a week, leaving student sailors with little to do besides collect data and keep watch. He tried to catch up on
rest during the storm, but the boat rocked too hard to sleep. He jammed himself into his narrow bunk, trying not to fall off while his luggage was thrown all around him. Though the weather delay altered Balmuth-Loris’ course slightly, the ship
Some of the best experiences in life that you have, you can only have by putting yourself in usual and challenging circumstances. trumping his discomfort with the unusual arrangement. “The hardest thing was getting used to the sleep schedule,” Balmuth-Loris says. “You’re constantly exhausted.” An exhausted Carrier often fell asleep in the clothes she had worn all day. She slept in sauna-like conditions — sometimes matching Caribbean temperatures reaching 95 degrees — next to the engine room in an area affectionately nicknamed “squalor.” “There was one appliance that stayed on 24/7 the entire time — except the one terrible night that it was off — and that’s a rotating fan attached to the wall aimed at our bunk area even more affectionately named ‘God,’” she says. Carrier also found adjusting to the constant motion of the ship difficult at first. Imitating the crew’s agile movements around the ship was harder than it seemed, and Carrier initially found herself stumbling into walls even on the simple trip from her bunk to the bathroom. When the waves made students seasick and fresh air above deck couldn’t relieve the feeling, the crew instructed students to quickly grab their harnesses and get to the leeward side of the ship, where the wind was at their backs. This way, students could safely lean over the
still made port in Dominica for three days before reaching its final destination, St. Croix. Other SEA Semester voyages stop here and at other islands including Bermuda, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. Time on the islands provides cultural context, research opportunities, and fresh food for the galley. This unconventional learning environment is particularly appealing to marine biology or oceanography majors, but Eric Holzwarth, deputy director of the Renèe Crown University Honors Program at SU, recommends the SEA Semester for students of any majors. Holzwarth participated in a faculty version of SEA Semester in August 2009, so he could counsel students interested in the program. “Some of the best experiences in life you can only have by putting yourself in unusual and challenging circumstances,” he says. “You gain a lot in terms of understanding yourself and your capacity to work with others.” In terms of adventure, SEA Semester is an unparalleled experience. Carrier’s decision to study abroad on the ocean as opposed to one on the mainland reflects this. “You can fly to Italy any time,” she said, “but you can’t just learn to sail a tall ship in the Caribbean.”
ADVENTURE :: SPRING 2012
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SE | Action
SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS
Society of climbers conquers all 46 peaks of the Adirondacks words :: Sarah Schmalbruch art :: Fenna Engelke Brian Hoody had two choices. He could either continue to descend a 4,200-foot mountain using only one hand or he could try to set his dislocated left shoulder back into place. The decision was made for him when he reached a ladder leading up a cliff he could not possibly climb without the use of his left arm. That’s when he stepped into the woods, grabbed a tree with his left
credits Grace Hudowalski as the person responsible for founding the Forty-Sixers. She started recording the accomplishments of the Forty-Sixers of Troy, and in 1948 at the Adirondack Lodge, the present-day Forty-Sixers organization was formally established. Since 1948, the society has grown into much more than a list of achievements. Its
hand, leaned backward, and popped his shoulder back into place. “I passed out in the process and literally saw stars, but I felt a hundred times better when I came to,” Hoody recalls. He finished the descent down Upper Wolfjaw Mountain intact, and it remains a trip he will never forget. Though he started climbing when he was young, Hoody didn’t complete climbing all 46 peaks of the Adirondacks until the fall of 1998. The feat granted him membership into the Adirondack FortySixers, a society started in the late 1930s aimed at creating a sense of community for mountain climbing enthusiasts. Now an established society with 7,009 registered members, the Forty-Sixers had modest beginnings. According to the society’s website, it started as the FortySixers of Troy, a group organized by a small church class from Grace Methodist Church in Troy, N.Y., in 1937. Tony Solomon, chair of the society’s historian office and an avid climber,
purpose is to educate climbers, maintain trails, and conserve the Adirondacks, in addition to recording climbers’ accomplishments, Solomon says. Although the only way to become a Forty-Sixer is to climb all 46 peaks, the society does not promote any sort of record-setting. Yet membership is growing at an exponential rate, Solomon says. He expects around 345 new members this year, a jump from 329 last year. However, membership isn’t easy, and it took Hoody more than a decade to finish. “It was an odyssey that took me 14 years to complete and was probably my greatest accomplishment,” Hoody says. “It’s an amazing experience.” When Hoody started, he had nothing more than a compass and a map to navigate the foothills that surrounded his grandparents’ cottage near Lake Placid, N.Y. “Now it’s a lot easier to get into climbing,” Hoody says of the high-tech equipment and smartphone applications that aid climbers. “It’s not any less rewarding, but it’s something that you don’t have to spend as much time getting used to and training for.” Though technology has changed, the process of becoming a Forty-Sixer has not. Solomon explains it as a series of steps. People who wish to become members first write to the society and are assigned a correspondent, a mentor who records the climbs and gives advice as needed. After reaching all 46 peaks, the person fills out a questionnaire detailing the mountains
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they’ve climbed, the dates, and whom they were with. Once the office receives the questionnaire, the person is officially deemed a Forty-Sixer. It may seem like a daunting and stressful process to some, but for Hoody it’s just the opposite. He refers to climbing as “Zen” and says it’s a way for him to take a break from stress in his life. His dedication enabled him to become the next vice president of the society in May. “You come back from a couple of days of really intense climbing and you’re exhausted physically, but mentally you’re ready to go again,” Hoody says. “I come back completely recharged and ready for another month or two of sitting in my cube at work.” Besides providing its members with peace of mind and a strong sense of accomplishment, the Forty-Sixers society also creates a community for passionate climbers. The society holds two meetings throughout the year in New York: one in Keen Valley and the other in Lake Placid. The meeting in Lake Placid is held during Memorial Day weekend, and new Forty-Sixers are issued certificates of membership. Solomon refers to it as somewhat like a high school or college graduation, where members can mingle and swap stories with one another. These stories focus on the indescribable feelings that push climbers past what they think is their breaking point, a feeling that keeps Hoody coming back to the mountains for more. “For me, part of the allure is working through the exhaustion, getting into a new zone, and pushing yourself a little bit further,” Hoody says. “When you make it to your goal, it’s a wonderful feeling.”
INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Tear bike guide out of 360 Degrees. 2. Fold along lines to create book. 3. Use centerfold as bike map and get pedaling!
ADVENTURE :: SPRING 2012
17
words :: Mikala Stubley art :: Liz Borchert
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CAMPUS CIRCLE 1 lap = 1.3 mi., 9 min
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BEER RUN (TOPS) 1 lap = 4.8 mi., 28 min
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riding home from the labs at
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MAKES ME FEEL ALIVE. -Jillian D’Onfro
19
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Jacob Wolfgong takes a long, deep breath. White mist expels from his mouth, but despite the cold, his legs are bare. “Cody!” he yells, his voice cutting sharply through the still air as he looks down at his friend, who is perched beside his bike about 10 feet below. Wolfgong is poised at the end of a wooden ramp that juts out over a steep slope. “I’m going for it!”
South Campus hot-spot offers illegal refuge for adrenaline junkies. words :: Jillian D’Onfro photos :: Ani Mercedes
ADVENTURE :: SPRING 2012
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“I’ll be here,” Cody Wilkes calls back, waving an arm. Wolfgong takes another deep breath before his feet find the pedals and his legs begin pumping furiously. Suddenly, he soars off the edge of the wooden plank. Flying, falling, landing, riding, swerving, crashing to the ground: all in under ten seconds. At first the fall looks brutal, but it only takes a moment for Wolfgong to pop back up. He’s okay. “It wasn’t bad for me,” he says. “But for the bike…” Wolfgong’s front tire has abandoned its firmness for a sad, deflated look. Wilkes whips a pump out of his backpack while Wolfgong fishes a new inner-tire tube from his own. Inside their packs they also carry extra clothes, tools, and a first aid kit. Sometimes food. Seasoned quarry adventurers, the two always come prepared. “That’s the third time he’s blown his tire this week doing stupid things,” says Wilkes, laughing.
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Every week — sometimes twice — Wolfgong, a freshman wildlife science major at State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and Wilkes, a freshman resource management major, ride their bikes from SUNY-ESF’s Centennial Hall to one of Syracuse’s hidden gems: the quarry behind South Campus. Although the trip there involves pedaling uphill and riding on roads, Wolfgong and Wilkes consider the effort worth the reward. The ramp that Wolfgong launched off lies on the far right side of the expansive land. In the middle yawns an enormous pit, while thick woods stand to the left. In total, about 16 miles of bike trails wind through the quarry territory. “It’s nice because it’s close to the city, but it doesn’t feel like the city anymore,” Wolfgong says. Indeed, the first thing one notices about the quarry is the stillness. So near to campus and yet so far removed from the cramped hustle-and-bustle of university life, the quarry feels amplified in its openness.
Although Wolfgong and Wilkes venture into the quarry mainly to mountain bike, the land also attracts the attention of those who simply crave some peace. “It’s really relaxing,” says Matthew DeLuca, a sophomore environmental resource engineering major at SUNY-ESF. “Whenever you’re like, ‘I need a break,’ you can go to the quarry,” he says. “All your stress just melts away.” DeLuca lived in the Sky Halls his freshman year, so the quarry was only a short walk from his dorm. He remembers feeling like an explorer the first few times he headed out at the recommendations of his friends. The quarry, with its air of abandonment and varied, sprawling terrain, tends to have that effect. In one section, decades of graffiti illuminate decrepit buildings, left over from when the land was actively mined. A graveyard of spent spray cans in various phases of corrosion spreads haphazardly over the ground. In the biggest pit, a smashed pickup truck partially buried in rocks adds a foreboding eeriness. Here and
there, flattened beer cans peek out from the mud, especially around the charred ground and arranged rocks where past fires once burned. “Someone would say ‘quarry party,’ and you’d just get everybody to go out there,” DeLuca says of the fire remains. Last year, before it was too cold, he and his friends would occasionally get the urge to pack some drinks and head away from the stumbling masses, trekking instead out into the dark. Once they even brought tents and camped out until morning under the open sky. Even though DeLuca has visited the quarry several times at night and countless times during the afternoon, he’s never worried about getting in trouble. It’s the same for Wolfgong and Wilkes, who consider mountain biking at the quarry harmless. “We know people who know people who know people who’ve been told to leave,” Wilkes says with a sideways smile. Wolfgong and Wilkes say that they’ve seen so many people at the quarry — fellow bikers, bird-
watchers, dog-walkers, even a boy dressed up as a caveman filming with his friends — that being on the property has never felt like an issue. Turns out, it is. Drew Buske, deputy chief of Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety, remembers a string of arrests that took place in the quarry back in 2007. “The road beyond Sky Top Road, where it ends in an open parking lot — that’s ours. Beyond that, the quarry area is not our property. That is private property,” Buske says. “We have no jurisdiction there.” In 2007, the quarry owner Hanson Aggregates got fed up with trespassers, mostly students, hanging out in the quarry. Online message boards indicate the company hired private security, who began patrolling the region to arrest or ticket trespassers. Hanson Aggregates’ actions prompted DPS to intervene. “It was a concern because I’m not sure that the student population was aware that it wasn’t university property,” Buske says. “You aren’t invited guests, and you could end up
finding yourself having to appear before a town court for trespass charges.” Although Hanson Aggregates declined to officially comment on its policy, the fear of injury leading to a lawsuit stands out as a likely motivation to keep students out. Wolfgong says that if an official ever spoke to him about not going to the quarry, he’d probably think twice before returning. “I’m kind of a goody-two-shoes when it comes to things like that,” he admits. For now, however, he and Wilkes will continue to traverse the quarry every weekend. They love mountain biking, and the quarry offers the only real area in the region with the right terrain. Even after his tumble, Wolfgong still isn’t done riding for the day. “That’s what makes this fun,” he says. “Not the falling, but the potential of falling. And avoiding it.” Or, well, usually avoiding it. “It’s the adrenaline,” Wilkes says. “It’s addicting,” Wolfgong says with a shrug. “You can’t get away from it.”
ADVENTURE :: SPRING 2012
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AN INSIDE JOB
SU O indo uting C or sk lu ills w b trade s hen the outdoo wea r ther thrills f or g ets r w oug phot ords :: h C os :: Bran asey Fa b don Weig ris ht
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C
hris Janjic clings to the wall, balancing his weight on his right hand as the left blindly searches for a grip. The muscles in his back and arms flex as he tries to complete the route. His forearm grows red from scraping the textured wall. Eventually his right hand gives out, and he falls to the ground. For most, this sounds like a terrifying experience, but for Janjic, a sophomore photojournalism and international relations major, it comes with the territory. Janjic joined the Syracuse University Outing Club (SUOC) as a freshman. Since joining, he’s become interested in rock climbing and bouldering, among other outdoor activities. He appreciates that climbing is an activity he can do on the fly. “I like backpacking, but I can’t always devote a weekend to go hiking,” Janjic says. “So [climbing] is something I can do when I can’t spend a weekend out there.” On a rainy Friday afternoon in February, Janjic and two fellow SUOC-ers, as the group members call themselves, made the hour-long journey to Oswego to visit The Wall, an indoor climbing facility. Sarah Gardineer, a junior psychology major; Joe Marciano, a former member of SUOC who graduated last spring; and Janjic became friends through their mutual interest in outdoor activities. SUOC offered them an opportunity to channel their more adventurous sides, with activities like rock climbing, ice climbing, backpacking, caving, white-water kayaking, and back country skiing. “Pretty much any sport you can do outdoors, we have people in our club that are getting out there and doing it frequently,” says Nick Griffin, president of SUOC and a senior at State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Griffin says the group is active throughout the year, sending multiple groups nearly every weekend for day or overnight trips of various
sports. Students pay a fee to join — around $20 for the year and $10 for the semester — and are then able to sign up for any of the outings. The only expense beyond the membership fee is gas money, which everyone on the trip usually pitches in for, since members of the group provide transportation. Club members meet Tuesday evenings at 7:30 to discuss the previous weekend’s trips and to announce the trips for the coming weekend. At the end of the meeting, members have the opportunity to sign up for trips, Griffin says. However, groups of SUOC-ers will often get together and go on their own outings outside of the club. Griffin says that in the past, club members have gone as far as New Hampshire,
Soft padding surrounds the boulder on all four sides, and smaller mats, which climbers can move and place beneath routes they’re going to attempt, are scattered about. At The Wall, visitors climb free of harnesses, and when they dismount from the boulder, they simply fall to the ground. The climbers at the gym make it clear that bouldering and rock climbing require significant upper body strength, balance, and — unique to climbing — finger strength. While it’s certainly a workout, Marciano says he finds climbing to be more rewarding than the usual approaches to exercise. “I never really liked most traditional work-out methods because I find them kind of self-serving,” Marciano says. “You can keep lifting
MEMBERS OF SUOC TURN THE ACTIVITY INTO A GROUP EFFORT, ENCOURAGING ONE OTHER AND PROVIDING ADVICE ALONG THE WAY. where they rent cabins and go skiing and climbing. Janjic, Gardineer, and Marciano ventured a little closer to campus, electing to climb indoors for an afternoon, as this is the best option for climbers during winter. “I joined the outing club as a sophomore. The first thing I tried actually was caving because it was the most exotic. Then it was wintertime so I started climbing in gyms. People who rock climb kind of become gym rats because it’s the only way,” Marciano says. The Wall is one of the closest climbing gyms to SU. Housed in a mid-sized warehouse, it does not conform to the typical rock climbing gym. The Wall forgoes decoration, preferring to impress patrons with the enormous boulder-type formation in the warehouse’s center. The boulder contains routes outlined with colorful duct tape ranging from neon green and hot pink to leopard print — each pattern indicating a level of difficulty.
weights until you can lift heavier weights, but climbing is like — you climb because you [then get to] climb more interesting stuff.” Climbing, like many of the activities SUOC offers, appears to be an individual activity. However, members of SUOC turn the activity into a group effort, encouraging one another and providing advice along the way. After dismounting from the boulder, the group discusses the best approach to a particular route or indicates which hole to move to next. Griffin says the organization is a great opportunity to bond for students with mutual interests in the outdoors and adventure. “It’s funny, the difference between the car ride there and the car ride back,” Griffin says. “Everyone’s just meeting each other at the beginning, and it’s kind of silent. But as the day progresses, people start talking more. I think a lot of people make new friends on every SUOC trip.”
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little chapel
BIG FAITH
How a devout Christian family founded the smallest church in the U.S. and put Oneida, N.Y., back on the map words :: Brandi Potts photo :: Liz Reyes
K
ay Mason stands at the doorway in light blue jeans and a bejeweled gray sweatshirt adorned with snowmen. An enormous tapestry of the Last Supper hangs in the stairwell of her home, and religious magnets cover the refrigerator. Family photos, taken by her late husband, and souvenirs from his travels crowd the walls. Kay walks into the kitchen, where beside the aging stove is a window with a view of a pond. In the middle of the pond is a tiny white chapel: the smallest church in the country. Built in 1989, the Cross Island Chapel sits on a dock in Mason Pond in Oneida, N.Y., surrounded by ice in the winter and peagreen algae in the summer. With a floor area of 51 inches by 81 inches, the chapel can hold three people. In 1991, the “Guinness Book of Records” named it the smallest church in the U.S. But for the Mason’s, the chapel’s fame isn’t the biggest perk.
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“The best thing about having the church is when people want to hear about how it was made and hear about God,” Kay says. The family’s personal background and relationship with God are paramount to the history of the little chapel. Kay met Chandler “Chan” Mason during her first week at Roberts Wesleyan College when he was her tour guide. They fell in love, she says, and married at the end of her sophomore year. They moved into the Mason family home in 1985. Although Kay worked at a local elementary school and Chan worked as a baby photographer, their passion was their faith. She kept up the local church’s library and taught music; he directed and travelled with a teen gospel group and played the organ at church services. “He was always doing something different,” Kay says. “I mean, he just didn’t do regular stuff.” Chan decided to construct the world’s smallest church and dedicate it to God.
Kay remembers him thumbing through the “Guinness Book of Records,” looking for the dimensions of the world’s smallest church, and drawing up blueprints to make sure theirs was smaller. Local businesses donated materials: aluminum siding, handmade stained glass windows, and a custom-crafted steeple. For months, Chan spent most of his free time building. Chan constructed most of the chapel, but the Masons’ daughter, Beth, helped with finishing touches in the workshop. She installed flooring and light Berber carpeting while on winter break from Roberts Wesleyan College, her parents’ alma mater. She recalls her father’s persistence. “He already had plans and ideas of what he wanted to do and how he wanted to build it,” Beth says. “He had specifically been thinking about building a church and cross out there for a while.” In the winter of 1989, Beth watched as family and friends placed the chapel
onto the dock. The pond was frozen solid. A team heaved the structure onto a sled and connected it with cables to two snowmobiles. The snowmobile drivers carefully dragged the chapel through the snow to the center of the pond, where they lifted it onto the dock. Beth watched Chan grin with satisfaction. After months of planning and construction, the Cross Island Chapel was complete. “That was definitely a proud day,” Beth says. “He was very pleased to be able to get that done.” The family held a grand opening of the church, complete with a red ribbon. The small chapel quickly attracted attention from the local media, and eventually the family’s fame spanned the country. Cross Island Chapel was featured in books, including “New York 24/7” and “Weird New York,” and gained fame on the Internet. At the Mason home, a manila folder holds dozens of newspaper clippings,
photos from weddings at the chapel, and the certificate from Guinness World Records. Chan and Guinness World Records corresponded by mail for months before the organization decided the church was, in fact, the smallest in the world. He received a letter of certification that congratulated him on
Demotion from world-class to national treasure hasn’t stopped traffic to the church site. Chan passed away in 2003, leaving Kay as the primary caretaker of the chapel in the backyard. She and Beth can look out their kitchen window any weekend and see tourists stopping along the road, snapping
THE BEST THING ABOUT HAVING THE CHURCH IS WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT HOW IT WAS MADE AND HEAR ABOUT GOD. owning the world’s smallest church, but the title was short-lived. Before the 1991 edition of “The Guinness Book of Records,” a churchinside-a-church in Switzerland snatched the title away. Since then, Cross Island Chapel has been named “The Smallest Church in the U.S.,” although Guinness World Records no longer includes the category in its annual printed edition.
photos in cold weather or rowing out to the church in the summer. “Even though there’s a smaller church now, people still go here, which I know my dad would love,” Beth says. “It’s a pretty amazing and proud thing to be able to know that was us, putting Oneida on the map.”
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SW | Viewfinder
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A
is for
FRICA
Unconventional abroad experiences give three students snapshots of life in Madagascar, Morocco, and South Africa photos :: Chris MacGregor, Talia Roth, and Cheline Schroeder
Chris MacGregor :: Madagascar Junior, anthropology major Returning from a semester abroad, it can be difficult to answer, “What was it like?” After spending just a few weeks in Madagascar, I could describe any number of absurd experiences. I didn’t expect to be eating vary (rice) sy loka (the stuff that goes with rice)
three times a day, or taking a taxi-be (think minivan) with 20 other people and a few chickens. “The Great Red Island” never felt mundane, but what initially seemed strange proved to just be life.
ADVENTURE :: SPRING 2012
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Cheline Schroeder :: Morocco Junior, political science and Middle Eastern studies major What I miss most about Morocco is the stress-free environment and appreciation for the small things in life. There, I found myself paying more attention to the beauty of the country and the people rather than the everyday anxieties that overwhelm us in America. The Moroccans I met would rather sit down to have a cup of tea with friends and family for four hours than sweat the small things.
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Talia Roth :: South Africa Junior, policy studies and graphic design major During my fall semester, I lived with three families of different races in townships and rural areas. In one of my homestays, I went to sleep at 8 p.m. every night and woke up to South African house music at 5 a.m. every morning. Getting the chance to see how other people live and being able to take a step back from my own fast-paced life was an unforgettable experience.
ADVENTURE :: SPRING 2012
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hese aren’t your average monkey bars. They are greased-up and increase in height as the climber progresses. Sam Morrison stares them down, knowing that if he falls, he will take a quick and shocking plunge into the icy water below. That, he thinks, would throw him off for the rest of the event. With this fear hanging over him, Sam musters his remaining strength and begins the ascent. He makes it safely across, then faces the last and most daunting obstacle: electroshock therapy. Sam has struggled with this one before. He must pass under a wooden frame with dangling wires, each delivering up to a 10,000-bolt shock. “I just ran through it with my arms up and got zapped a bunch of times,” Sam says. “I fell in the middle because it just freezes up your muscles.” Sam and his father, Mitch, are two-time participants in Tough Mudder, self-promoted as “Probably the Toughest Event on the Planet.” Inspired by the role of teamwork and camaraderie in physical challenges, Will Dean and Guy Livingstone founded Tough Mudder in 2010. The 10- to 12-mile obstacle courses, designed by British Special Forces, test strength, stamina, and mental willpower. “They wanted to give people a way to get physically fit in a way that’s fun,” says Jane Di Leo, public relations manager of Tough Mudder. “The challenge is so tough, but you work with your friends through it, so you really feel a sense of accomplishment.” In 2010, Tough Mudder started with 50,000 participants. In 2011, participation tripled, says Di Leo. This year, she estimates that 400,000 people will register.
before they begin: “I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge. I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time. I do not whine — kids whine. I help my fellow Mudders complete the course. I overcome all fears.” Cue path of fire. The Morrison men embraced the philosophy of the event as a challenge of endurance and completed the courses at their own pace. “They want everybody to finish,” Sam says. “So they shoot a gun, but it wasn’t like everybody just runs. I was with my dad, so it’s not like we sprinted the whole way.” The event presented challenges for both father and son. They struggled with the 100yard walk through ice water — one of the first obstacles of the race. “For an old guy, I’m in decent shape. It was the hypothermia that really nailed my body,” Mitch says. His son adds, “By the end of it you can’t feel your body and you’re kind of just working on the motions and you don’t really know how your muscles are working.” The Morrisons plan to continue participating in Tough Mudders, although the event’s coordinators are constantly reshaping the challenge. “We are always unveiling new obstacles,” Di Leo says. “If you did one in northern California, you could do one in Georgia and have a completely new taste of what Tough Mudder is.” Over the years, Di Leo has seen a variety of personalities take part in Tough Mudder, including men in their 80s and members of the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that supports injured service members between active duty and transition to civilian
I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge. I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time. I do not whine, kids whine. I help my fellow Mudders complete the course. I overcome all fears. Before Mitch, an alumnus of the Syracuse University class of 1980, signed the pair up for an event in 2011, Sam had never heard of Tough Mudder. “His friend sent him an email about it and he just loved the idea,” says Sam, a junior information management and technology major. “He kind of conned me into going.” Mitch trained all year in anticipation. “A friend challenged me that I could never do it,” he says. “That’s all you have to do with me, is say that I can’t do something. Then all heck breaks loose.” The events may be focused on friendly collaboration, but it takes real determination to make it to the end. On average, 78 percent of participants finish the event, which includes mud tunnels, fire, ice water, 12-foot climbing walls, and 10,000 volts of electricity. As a testament to their commitment to the challenge, participants are asked to recite the Tough Mudder Pledge
- Tough Mudder Pledge life. The Wounded Warrior Project is the official charity partner of Tough Mudder, and event participants may raise funds for the project. “We’ve had guys who are double amputees do it on prosthesis, and they’re amazing,” Di Leo says. “They use this in their rehab program often and use Tough Mudder to really motivate themselves to keep going and keep moving.” Tough Mudder offers learning experiences for all involved. “You never know what you can and can’t do until you try your hardest and you push yourself,” Mitch says. “When you’re 54, you don’t get to play in the mud too often to splash around and be goofy.” The experience also bonded father and son. “When you’ve been through mini-hell together, trying your best at a militaryorientated obstacle course,” Mitch says, “you definitely have a closer bond.”
It’s nice to get down and dirty once in a while, but it becomes more difficult with each passing year. Treasured mud puddles and leaf piles turn into hazard zones as we grow up and let go of our childish fun. Fortunately, not all adventure is lost as organizations across the nation are hosting events comparable to marathonsgone-wild — complete with barbed wire, army crawling, and eternal glory. = Level of difficulty = Registration fee
TOUGH MUDDER
6/16-6/17 Indiana/Illinois 7/7-7/8 California 7/14-7/15 New England SPARTAN DEATH RACE
6/2-6/3 New York 6/16 Washington 7/14-7/15 Pennsylvania 8/11-8/12 Massachusetts 8/25-8/26 Virginia WARRIOR DASH
6/2-6/3 Ohio 6/9 New England 6/16 Pennsylvania 7/28-7/29 Michigan 8/11-8/12 New York
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NW | The Finish Line
ADVENTURE ABOUNDS
SU students divulge their greatest endeavors on and off the Hill words :: Meredith Jeffers art :: Alicia Marie Zyburt DONOVAN SMOLENYAK Senior, psychology and television, radio, and film major My greatest adventure was going letterboxing, which is like a scavenger hunt. We went on the official letterboxing website and followed online directions, like: “Find the tree that looks like a Y and take a left.” As we continued, the sky got really dark, so it was even more creepy as we went through the forest to find all the little trinkets at the end. KYLE FUSSNER Freshman, marketing and finance major My greatest adventure was camping outside the Dome before the Georgetown game. We set up the tent around 8 p.m. the night before and as the night went on, it became a lot colder. The lowest temperature was 18 degrees. My toes and hands were purple in the morning. Being an SU fan, I have to say it was cool camping out to get third row seats, but I’m definitely done — at least until next year.
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CYAN GRANDISON Sophomore, information management and technology major Being on “The Price is Right” in Los Angeles has to be one of my most extraordinary experiences. I was one of the first four in the audience called up to the podium to make a bid for the filmed show. While I was onstage and looking into the crowd, my blood started to rush because I didn’t want to let anyone down, especially my mother and sister who were in the audience. In the end, I was a big winner. My first time on stage, I won a Sony HD camera. After spinning the wheel, I ended up in the showcase and won a Jeep Patriot, a Teppanyaki cooking table, and a desktop computer. It was definitely one of the craziest vacations I’ve ever had.
VICTORIA SEAGER Sophomore, policy studies major My greatest adventure was my trip to Alaska. My brother is in the military, so I went to visit him before he left for the Middle East. We drove around a lot, saw the scenery, and even went fishing. It was amazing being in Alaska, but it was especially nice spending time with my brother. STACEY RICHMAN Senior, television, radio, and film major My greatest adventure was trying to get from Ischia back to Florence while I was studying abroad in Italy. My friends and I had little money on us, and all of the boats and trains to get off the island were booked for hours. We had to take Italian transportation, which is basically a cattle car of people. It was so gross and cramped — people were even peeing in it. Eventually, we met up with another group of students on a train back to Florence. It was such a crazy adventure.
AN UNLIKELY TAIL Lions, tigers, and bears — oh my. That’s all in a typical day’s work for the animal staff at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, N.Y. With a diverse clientele of over 700 animals, Zoo Director Ted Fox has gathered tons of stories over the years. 360 Degrees sits down with Fox to talk about day-to-day operations, petting lions, and an ape that likes milkshakes. words :: Kayla Caldwell photos :: Sasha Douglas
What is a typical day like for a member of the animal staff? Ted Fox: They usually arrive around 7 or 8 a.m. and read the log about their animal. Most animal staff members have a particular area they’re used to working in and the animals are used to them being there. Establishing a rapport with the individual animals is a really important part of the animal staffer’s job. So do you get to pet the lions? TF: There are certain animals we just don’t ever go in with. For example, with the lions, there’s a mesh or glass panel between the visitors or staff and the lions at all times. However, through the mesh, the keeper can give verbal commands that the lion responds to, like “stand up,” and the lions will put their feet up on top of the mesh so the keepers can make sure they’re not limping. Is everything by verbal command, then? TF: No. One of the most stressful things for an animal living at the zoo is being
physically checked by the veterinary staff. We’ve trained the lions to lay down parallel to the mesh panels and stick their tail out from underneath them. Then we can get a blood sample from them safely. We also have primates that have been taught to stick their whole arm through a hole in the mesh so that they can get injected or have blood samples taken. So how did you start working at the zoo? TF: I’ve always had an interest in birds, and as a young boy, I owned pigeons and chickens. However, my interests are not limited to birds. There is always something to be learned about every animal. I went to Cornell University, where I earned my degree in animal science with concentrations in ornithology and poultry biology. I began volunteering at the zoo in the bird department in 1990. Later that same year, I was hired as a seasonal bird keeper. Eventually, I was promoted to collection manager and then curator. I became director in June 2011. It’s kind of an odd story, because most people move around a lot to different zoos. I didn’t do that.
What is your favorite memory on the job? TF: We had a white-handed gibbon [a lesser ape named Beau] that everybody loved, but he was an incredibly aggressive animal. One day, he was limping on one of his legs pretty badly, and two days later he couldn’t walk. Our veterinary team could not figure out what was wrong with him. The hard decision was that we might have to put Beau to sleep. St. Joseph’s Hospital offered to let us bring him to the hospital before hours and get an MRI. They found something in his spinal cord, but our veterinarians weren’t comfortable doing the surgery. A neurosurgeon team offered to come to the zoo and do the surgery here. On the second day after surgery, Beau came to the front of the cage and made a begging sound because he wanted my milkshake. He took it and drank a whole bunch of it right through the straw. For the rest of his life here — another seven years — he was never aggressive with me again. With anybody else, that’s a different story. Good old Beau.
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