&
Spring 2013 V. 3 Issue 3
port main James Madison University’s Student Magazine
COLLEAGUE COUPLES
Find out which professors have decided to tie the knot.
Drinking with style
Junior Ben Stout prepares a few of his classy college concoctions.
SUPER DUKES
These students take their fandom to the next level.
casting
AWAY
Two alumni created one of Virginia’s largest fly-fishing schools.
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RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW for 2013-2014, spots are filling fast! 540.908.2812 NORTH38APTS.COM
1190 Meridian Circle Harrisonburg, VA
Letter from the Editor
&
Dear reader,
staff
This being my last issue, it just seems unfair that I’ll be finishing my time as editor-in-chief of both Port & Main and The Breeze at the same time. I swear I’ve got a mental breakdown coming on soon. These publications have become so much of my life, and so I find it hard to think about the idea of leaving for good. That’s not to say it hasn’t all been challenge-free — quite the opposite. But when I look back, I am so thankful for the opportunities the two have given me. Port & Main, especially, has helped me figure out a career path as I take on the magazine world upon graduation. Thanks to everyone for all the support along the way, and thanks to my very dedicated staff that has always stepped up. I couldn’t do all this without you. I hope you enjoy this last issue! Meanwhile, I’ll be reading my own tear-stained copy.
port main EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Torie Foster COPY EDITOR Anne Elsea ART EDITOR Christine Pomatto PHOTO EDITOR Griffin Harrington
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Camille Corum Margie Currier Wayne Epps Jr. Laura Weeks
TORIE FOSTER Editor-in-Chief
Anne Elsea, copy editor
Christine Pomatto, art editor
Griffin Harrington, photo editor
Anne is a junior media arts and design major and sociology minor. She enjoys reading, exploring new cities and watching Audrey Hepburn movies. She’s also the managing editor for The Breeze. Anne hopes to work at a major city newspaper, but is enjoying every second at JMU before going out into the real world.
Christine is a senior media arts and design major and art minor. She has designed for multiple campus publications, including The Bluestone, The Breeze, Curio and Madison 101. After graduation, Christine would like to land a job with a magazine publication working with either print or web design.
Griffin is a sophomore media arts and design major with a digital video and cinema concentration. Griffin can often be found following the JMU football and basketball teams around with his camera. In his spare time, he enjoys driving aimlessly around Harrisonburg while blasting music in his minivan.
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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Lauren Gordon Sean Paige Laura Weeks ADS STAFF Will Bungarden Caleb Dessalgne Rachel Ferrell Brandon Lawlor Mat Lesiv Ethan Miller Laura Russo Brianna Therkelsen Michael Wallace WANT TO GET INVOLVED? Contact Anne Elsea at ELSEAAV@DUKES.JMU.EDU. INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING? 540-568-6127 PORTADS@GMAIL.COM
P&M, Spring 2013
3
Feature
academic
(love)
affairs
These professorial couples love getting to call their colleague their spouse, too. by ANNE ELSEA photos by GRIFFIN HARRINGTON & LAUREN GORDON
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P&M, Spring 2013
VALENTINA RISO and JOHN TKAC It was her second day in America and her first day of work at JMU when she met her future husband, John Tkac. Valentina Riso, now an Italian professor at JMU, still had a boyfriend back home in Italy, but that didn’t stop Tkac from pursuing her. “She wised up,” Tkac jokingly says about her breakup with her Italian boyfriend. Riso and Tkac, who teaches Spanish, say their first meeting wasn’t exactly smooth. “It was awkward because I thought he
was older than he was, and I thought he was dating another professor,” Riso says. They became close friends after Tkac helped her get acclimated to American culture. Riso and Tkac were married in 2010 and are now juggling two careers and an 8-month-old daughter, Jocelyn. “I was dreaming out this before I came here,” Riso says while holding Jocelyn. “To have someone who I could share my same job with, it’s nice.”
APRIL ROTH and MICHAEL GULOTTA She calls his office calm and organized, while she calls her own office an explosion of pop culture. That might be the best way to explain the different personalities of these two married professors. April Roth and Michael Gulotta, both communication studies professors, met in graduate school at Auburn University. They spent a lot of time together studying, and their relationship grew from friendship to more without an elaborate first date. “I don’t think that we’ve ever really had a first date. So maybe you need to take me out on our first date,” says Roth jokingly to Gulotta.
They had both graduated when Roth got the call about a job opening at JMU. Soon after Roth was hired, Gulotta (who was still her boyfriend at the time) was also brought on to work in the same department. “It was fate, it was definitely fate,” Roth says about both of them ending up at JMU. Roth and Gulotta are now married and have a 3-year-old daughter named Gigi, who often comes up in class conversations. “We have chosen to have one child, and that’s our legacy as a couple,” Roth says. “But our legacy as a couple is also the mark we leave on this university.”
LEIGH NELSON and ERIC FIFE Walking through the first floor of Harrison Hall, there is a side hallway where you might hear two professors yelling to each other from their neighboring offices. These two professors aren’t always talking about papers and students; they might be talking about their kids. Leigh Nelson and Eric Fife, who have been married for 17 years, are professors in the School of Communication Studies. They met when they were both grad students at Purdue University in 1992 (“Aug. 17, 1992,” Nelson is quick to specify). Nelson chose to keep her maiden name because by the time they were married she had already published scholarly work in her name.
The couple has three young children, and they are usually busy taking care of them when not at work. “Sometimes the only time we talk is at work,” Nelson says. “Our friends think we spend too much time together [but] the fact that I can see him during the day is the best part.” The two had a bond that began early in their relationship. Nelson remembers how they took a big step pretty soon into dating. “We exchanged keys really quickly after we met,” Nelson says. “He gave me the keys to his car by that Wednesday — we met Monday — and he was like, ‘If I ever lose my keys, keep a copy.’” P&M, Spring 2013
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Entertainment
“
the
ENTIRE WORLD melts away
”
Twin brothers and alumni find peace and success in the fly-fishing school they opened
N
ot all sports are inherently competitive. Fly fishing is one. Harrisonburg is home to Mossy Creek Fly Fishing, Virginia’s largest fly-fishing school and guide service. The founders, Brian and Colby Trow, consider fly fishing a lifestyle. “For our clients, fly fishing is an escape,” Colby says. Colby and his twin brother,
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P&M, Spring 2013
by CAMILLE CORUM n photos by GRIFFIN HARRINGTON and courtesy of BRIAN & COLBY TROW Brian, opened Mossy Creek Fly Fishing in April 2003, one year after graduating from JMU. For the brothers, fly fishing means time away from phone calls, emails, social media, work, bills and drama. It’s also a rewarding activity the brothers enjoy teaching
their clients. “Once you are on the water, surrounded by nature, focused on that fish that is casually sipping insects off the surface just in range of your cast, the entire world melts away and your brain shuts down and all your cares and worries are
gone,” Colby says. Colby and Brian grew up fly fishing, but their passion grew in college, when they realized they wanted to earn a living doing what they love. “We were tending a bar in G eorgetown and wrote our business plan while sitting in traffic in Northern Virginia. It inspired us,” Brian says. Fly fishers use extremely light
lures called “flies” that can’t be cast using the typical fishing gear most people are familiar with. Flies, made with fur and feathers, imitate the food sources fish eat. Historically, people imitated flies and other aquatic insects, but now people also imitate minnows, cray fish and mice. Using the fly rod, the angler casts a weighted line, which drags the lightweight fly to its target in the water. “Casting a fly rod is more enjoyable and interactive than baitfishing or spincasting,” Colby says. Mossy Creek specializes in fly-fishing education. The staff recommends that first-timers attend a half-day class before heading out on the water, and the school offers casting classes for novice and expert anglers. “Our staff can get folks started from scratch and have them confidently casting and fishing on their own in just a matter of hours,” Colby says. Some expert anglers who have been fishing for years might only have experience catching one species of fish. Mossy Creek provides larger tackle, gear and lessons for these experts. Fly fishers can enjoy their sport year-round in Virginia, which is one reason why Colby and Brian have created such a successful business. Most of their clientele come from out of town or out of state and book multiple-day fishing trips, often staying in the Harrisonburg area for up to a week. Mossy Creek guide staff offer half-day and full-day trips, which last four hours and eight hours
TOP RIGHT Alumnus Colby Trow holds up a fish he caught. He owns the Mossy Creek Fly Fishing shop with his brother Brian (right), who is also a graduate. OTHER PHOTOS The store on 1790 E. Market St. sells all kinds of fishing gear.
on the water, respectively. They lead an average of 35-60 trips per month during the colder months and around 100-150 trips per month during the warmer seasons. Brian said the mountains in the western part of Virginia provide the cold water conditions that create trout waters. The large warmer rivers and lakes of the Piedmont in central Virginia breed largemouth and smallmouth bass. Mossy Creek guides lead trout, world-class smallmouth bass and musky fishing trips all year long. Locally, the staff fish in the freestone mountain streams of the Shenandoah Valley and George Washington National Forest, where they target spring creek brook trout. Anglers cast off on foot or by boat. Usually, fly fishers wade in creeks and rivers, but anglers can also fish from rafts, skiffs or bass
boats (small boats with swivel chairs that allow the angler to cast off in any direction). Locally, the staff uses large whitewater raft boats with custom-built hard bottom floors to target smallmouth bass, musky and carp. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing also helps keep JMU’s fly-fishing club afloat. The club was founded in 2006 by Tom Benzing, who is still the club’s adviser and an ISAT professor. His vision for the club goes beyond simply baiting, casting and reeling. “It’s not just learning how to fish,” he says. “It’s also about l e a r n i ng t o ap p re c i at e t h e habitat necessary to support fish, the natural resources, and the experience of being in nature.” Neil O’Dell, a JMU fifthyear senior, has been the club’s president since 2009. “The most enjoyable part of fly
fishing is the places that you get to do it,” Neil says. The club organizes about two local fly-fishing trips each month in the fall and spring. During the winter months, the club hosts casting clinics for less experienced anglers. Each February, the club fishes in the waters of the South Fork Holston River in Bristol, Tenn. Benzing hopes to increase the number of non-local trips the club takes each year. “It’s not just about throwing bait out to a fish,” he says. “There’s an art to [fly fishing] as well.” n P&M, Spring 2013
7
Dining
MADMEN drinks fit for
by Laura Weeks | photos by Griffin Harrington
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P&M, Spring 2013
Junior Ben Stout creates at-home cocktails perfect for your viewing parties this April His last name might be Stout, but he’s more of a liquor guy. Ben Stout, a junior economics and political science double major, doesn’t have the alcohol collection of the average college student. There’s no Smirnoff and certainly no plastic handles of Burnett’s. Instead, displayed on a tall bookshelf in a corner of his Urban Exchange living room are glass bottles of some top-shelf brands: Disaronno, Tanqueray, Wild Turkey and Svedka. In his freezer, there’s a bottle of homemade limoncello strong enough to make an Italian shudder. “Sometimes when I go into New York City, I’ll have a drink at a bar that’s really cool, and I’ll try to make it here,” says Stout, who created his “NYC Nights” drink after celebrating New Year’s Eve in the city. Though Stout doesn’t have any plans to become an official bartender, he’s happy to impress his friends. He and his roommate recently hosted a “Mad Men” party, complete with music from the 1960s and a list of 35 cocktails. “My roommate and I are really into the show,” Stout says. “We have a pretty nice apartment, and we thought it would be cool to dress up in character in clothes from that era.” Because he’s just 21, Stout says bartenders are usually surprised by his sophisticated drink requests, like a
Chocolate raspberry martini Negroni, a popular Italian drink made with Campari, a bitter before-dinner alcohol. His drinks might be a bit more complicated than a rum and coke, but he notes a few basics all college students should have in their liquor cabinets: vodka, gin and bourbon. Quality glasses are another necessity. “They make everything classier,” Stout says. “Even if it’s a s***ty drink, if it’s in a nice glass, people think that it’s better.” n
2 parts Stoli Raspberry 1 part crème de cocoa 1 part Irish crème Chocolate to garnish 1. Shake ingredients over ice until well frosted. 2. Strain into a chilled martini glass. 3. Garnish with shaved chocolate.
>> More recipes on page 10 P&M, Spring 2013
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continued from page 9
After 8 martini 2 parts vodka 1 part peppermint Schnapps 1 part crème de cocoa
Espresso martini 2 parts espresso 1 part vodka 1 part Kahlua Splash of milk Chocolate to garnish
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P&M, Spring 2013
1. Shake ingredients over ice until well frosted. 2. Strain into a chilled martini glass. 3. Garnish with shaved chocolate.
1. Shake ingredients over ice over ice until well frosted. 2. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
Sour Italian 2 parts Disaronno 1 limoncello 1. Shake ingredients over ice until well frosted. 2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
P&M, Spring 2013
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Feature
JMU’s most
HARDCOREfans
1
by WAYNE EPPS JR. | photos by SEAN PAIGE
The Fashion Icon
JONATHAN BLAIR
Senior Jonathan Blair has a taste for flair as a fan. The kinesiology major breaks out his purple sport coat for big games. “People love the purple sport coat,” Blair said. “When we were in Richmond [for the men’s basketball CAA final], I don’t know how many people just came up to me out of the blue like, ‘Hey man, I love that sport coat.’” Blair also isn’t shy about heckling opposing players. After a former George Mason University men’s basketball player pleaded guilty to credit card fraud in 2011, Blair made a giant credit card sign when the Patriots came to play JMU on Jan. 14, 2011. “The Convocation Center administration was not too happy with that,” Blair said. “So, I got kicked out of the Convocation Center for expressing my fandom in that way.” This year, Blair worked as an intern with
the sports marketing department. Between working games and going as a fan, he only missed one basketball game this year, including both men’s and women’s games. “If I wasn’t working a game, then I would always go just because I got to know both teams really well,” Blair said. “It’s just a lot of fun sitting in the student section.” Blair has only missed a handful of football games during his time at JMU, but football comes up as a close second to basketball as his favorite sport to attend. His best sports memory is rushing the court in Richmond on March 11 after men’s basketball beat Northeastern University for its first Colonial Athletic Association championship in 19 years. “I was in the front of the pack,” Blair said. “I just got out there and Devon [Moore] gave me a huge hug and it was amazing.”
2
The Inker
MIKE PAZIRANDEH
Sophomore marketing major Mike Pazirandeh literally wears his passion on his sleeve every day with a JMU tattoo. Pazirandeh got the tattoo in August 2012 at Rick’s Tattoo in Arlington, Va. It features the letters “JMU” with a tilted crown similar to the one on the Duke dog logo. The ink is part of a larger half-sleeve tattoo Pazirandeh has. It took about four hours to complete in one sitting. “It’s kind of like all the stuff that means things to me,” Pazirandeh said. “I’ve got an Aries ram tattoo and then I’ve got something from my high school and then I’ve also got a cross with ... part of my favorite prayer.”
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As Pazirandeh was pondering the larger tattoo, a friend suggested he include JMU in it. “I love this school,” Pazirandeh said. “I’d never transfer, definitely. I just love being here — I hate going home.” Few people make the permanent decision of putting their school in a tattoo, but other students enjoy seeing the rarity. “On the JMU part itself, I’ve gotten only positive feedback,” Pazirandeh said. “Everyone loves it.” Pazirandeh is thinking about extending his half-sleeve tattoo into a full-sleeve one. He isn’t planning on adding more JMU-themed ink, but he’s open to the idea.
3
The Purple Guy
BRIAN REESE
He may be forever known as “The Purple Guy.” Brian Reese recently got national exposure for his purple body paint at JMU’s NCAA tournament games in Dayton. Reese, an executive member of the Student Duke Club, attends just about every home football and basketball game. When men’s basketball competed in its Colonial Athletic Association semifinals game against the University of Delaware on March 10, Reese had his chest painted with the words “Electric Zoo,” harkening back to the nickname of JMU’s basketball student section in the 1980s. “It was something that I thought, if I painted that on my chest, would get some attention,”
4
Reese said, “maybe from the cameras, the announcers and see if we could bring that back.” For JMU’s CAA finals game against Northeastern University, Reese sported purple and gold face paint and a lei. Even President Jon Alger complimented him before the game. “He was really excited to see everybody really getting ready for the game,” Reese said. Reese is looking forward to continuing the trend of going all out with his costumes for big games, hoping to inspire his peers to get into the act as well. “What I really want to work on is just getting other students just as interested as I am,” Reese said.
The Jet-Setter
JAMES HEMPHILL
You can probably find senior James Hemphill on any given game day on the court, regardless of the sport. “My favorite sport to watch would probably be women’s lacrosse,” Hemphill said. “It’s really fun to watch. It’s very different and they really appreciate me coming to their games because they have just [so] few fans at most games.” From football and basketball to soccer, lacrosse and more, Hemphill estimates that he goes to about 70 games each school year.
And when Hemphill goes to games, he doesn’t just show up; he puts effort into it. Hemphill says he’s painted his chest for about 20 or 25 games during his time at JMU. Through all of the games he’s gone to, the one that stands out the most to Hemphill is men’s soccer’s 1-0 upset of the then top-ranked University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2012. “It was really fun to be at,” Hemphill said. “I’ll probably remember it for the rest of my life.”
5
The Vocalist
ALEX BURDEN
Standing outside on a cold night, Alex Burden found himself dressed in yellow shorts, a cape, face paint and a Burger King crown. He and three friends had made the costumes for the football game against Old Dominion University on Nov. 17. “Being out there in freezing cold with them ... was the most ridiculous thing I’ve done,” Burden said. Burden didn’t start out as a big JMU fan, but that game, a 48-7 win over Morehead State University on Sept. 4, 2010, made him hungry for more. “It just blew me out of the water how much fun it was,” Burden said. “Being loud and being there with all the people.” The main sports Burden goes to are
football, basketball and baseball, averaging about 35 games a year. Burden isn’t shy about being outspoken at games. He enjoys being a leader in chants and cheers and getting the rest of the crowd involved. “Sometimes all it takes is one person to start it and then everyone else joins,” Burden said. The sense of belonging that being a fan offers is really what makes Burden so passionate. “I’m not good enough to play Division I basketball,” Burden said. “But I can yell and cheer for Devon Moore and Rayshawn Goins and Andre Nation when they’re out there playing. So it definitely makes me feel really a part of JMU.” P&M, Spring 2013
15
Health
the perfect spots for your
CAMPUS CATNAPS
by Margie Currier | photo by Griffin Harrington
1. FESTIVAL: Tucked away behind Java City on Festival’s first floor, there are several enormous bean bag chairs. This is the perfect spot to flop after eating too much Chinese food from upstairs or relaxing before a class in ISAT. The location boasts student murals on ceiling tiles and walls around the bean bags, and this spot is pretty low-key in terms of noise. Sometimes students will play “Dance-Dance-Revolution” around the corner, but this can make for great entertainment during an afternoon siesta. 2. KEEZELL HALL: Enjoy a side of foreign language with your campus nap? Keezell Hall’s language lab in room 103 is a brilliant secret nap spot. The room has computers set up on one side, and the other houses a lounge area, equipped with comfy couches and chairs for your relaxing pleasure. The biggest bonus of this nap space is the calm atmosphere. Students use the lab as a study lounge, so the room is quiet and very conducive
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P&M, Spring 2013
to sleep. Also, if you like to fall asleep reading, there’s an array of magazines in languages you won’t understand for your convenience. 3. THE QUAD: The Quad is a place to do homework, a meeting area to catch up with friends and, last but not least, the perfect spot for a nap on a warm sunny day. Mind you, to enjoy the tranquility of the Quad, it’s best to separate yourself from the hustle and bustle of the Quad-maniacs positioned closer to Wilson Hall. Drift to the edges of the Quad by the Music Building and you’ll find two shady trees that are perfect to nap under. If you’re lucky, you can faintly hear musicians practicing, the perfect lullaby for your outdoor doze. 4. WARREN HALL: Warren Hall’s third floor is an excellent place to take a mental break. It’s a slim hallway with a balcony that opens up to the second floor’s Card Services. This nap spot has a nice hum of white
noise from passers-by, the typing of staff members and hushed chatter. The hallway is lined with several couches and ample plush armchairs to rest easy on. Sawhill Gallery also hosts its new home on the same floor, where you can look at the latest exhibit and gain some post-nap inspiration. 5. YOUR CAR: Some feel uncomfortable napping in a public place. That’s why Carley Oser, a senior psychology major, chooses to sleep in her car in between classes. She reclines the backseats of her Jeep Patriot and sprawls out in the comfort of her own car. Carley is partial to getting some shut-eye in the gravel lot on Grace Street. “I like to nap in my car because it’s safe and confined — like a womb,” Oser says, chuckling. Although her snoozing spot is usually cozy and undisturbed, she has sometimes had a friend knock on her window, startling her during her bi-weekly nap. n
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Profile
trees teaching through
by LAURA WEEKS
Professor Wayne Teel traveled to Africa to work with its land and people. Now, he uses this experience to subtly improve sustainability at JMU.
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P&M, Spring 2013
photos by LAURA WEEKS and courtesy of JENNIFER COFFMAN & WAYNE TEEL P&M, Spring 2013
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W
ayne Teel is trying to make his mark without leaving a footprint. Teel, a 58-year-old ISAT professor, strives to live the most sustainable life he can. He rides a scooter to work and designed his own house. He’s also responsible for building a garden on the ISAT patio and transforming the field in front of ISAT into a prairie. “We need to use less energy,” says Teel, whose scooter gets 120 miles to the gallon. “If you’re driving to campus by yourself, that’s something that has to change. You should take the bus or carpool.” Getting around without a car is nothing new for Teel. From 1981 to 1985, he lived in Kenya and worked with the Mennonite Central Committee. There, he traveled around on a small Honda motorcycle. “I discovered early on that the car was actually a negative symbol,” Teel says. “It established a kind of mentality [among
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P&M, Spring 2013
locals] that the rich white person was coming with a car to give them material goods.” First assigned to teach at a southern Sudan school in 1979, Teel has spent a total of nine years in Africa, including three
motorcycle or a bicycle, people didn’t assume you had anything to give them, because you couldn’t carry anything,” says Teel, who has a Ph.D. in agroforestry, soil science and international agriculture
“
When I pulled up to somebody’s place, they didn’t expect a handout. They expected a conversation. WAYNE TEEL years of dissertation research in Mozambique. During his first year in Kenya, Teel taught farmers how to plant trees on their land and how to improve their productivity using nearby resources. “When you went on a
from Cornell University. “So the relationship was different. I’d go on a 300-mile trip on a motorcycle. When I pulled up to somebody’s place, they didn’t expect a handout. They expected a conversation.” These conversations usually
centered on soil and local tree species, an important aspect of the country’s ecology that unites communities and people. “If I knew the name of one native tree in Swahili, it would lead to a very informative gesture conversation,” Teel says. “They would tell me all about it using their hands. It worked out almost as well as knowing the language.” After his first year in Kenya, Teel immediately committed to three more. He spent this time writing a book, “A Pocket Dictionary of Trees and Seeds in Kenya,” which was distributed to farmers throughout the country. The book is now a JMU web resource, thanks to some of Teel’s ISAT students. Teel stays in touch with his Kenyan friends, visiting them whenever he helps lead the study abroad field school there, which he’s done in 2009, 2011 and this summer. Jennifer Coffman, an associate executive director of the Office
LEFT Wayne Teel speaks in an elementary school classroom in Western Kenya. MIDDLE Teel climbs a rock face with the 2009 Kenya Field School students in Hell’s Gate National Park in the Rift Valley of Kenya. TOP RIGHT In Kakamega County, Teel sits with a group of students from a local high school as well as two Kenya staff members, Lerali and Patrick, after a discussion about indigenous trees. BOTTOM RIGHT Teel is responsible for building the garden on the ISAT patio.
of International Programs who started the Kenya study abroad trip, says trees are like Teel’s “old friends.” “He’s constantly renewed by being in Kenya and seeing how things have changed,” says Coffman, who co-teaches a class on the geography of Africa with Teel. “He really enjoys the world around him and tries to share that with other people.” Back at home and on campus, Teel is using local resources to make his life and JMU more sustainable. Fourteen-inch thick straw bales insulate his home, reducing heating costs to about $150 a year. He also had solar and thermal panels installed to heat water. Instead of a front yard plush with grass, he’s grown a meadow, much like the one he developed on the ISAT hill. Hidden in the meadow is his garden, a mélange of herbs, strawberries, beans, corn and sweet potatoes. Despite valiant efforts to
conserve energy, though, Teel points out that real change can’t come from just a handful of people like himself. “We’ve been trained to be individuals, and the solution to our global problems are often corporate,” Teel says. “Unless you have institutional leadership, from the top as well as energy from the bottom, like students, things don’t change very fast.” To help, Teel encourages his students to make sustainability a lifestyle. “He’s really shown me the importance of sustainability,” says Collin Sumpter, an ISAT major in Teel’s senior thesis class. “Even if it looks like it’s an impossible task, sustainability is an option and we should be headed toward it.” His students notice even the small, day-to-day ways Teel practices sustainable living. “If he has an apple core, he makes sure he saves it for the whole day so that when he goes
up to the third floor of ISAT, he can put it in the compost bin,” says Cara DiFiore, a senior ISAT major. “It’s easy to incorporate [sustainability] into your life, as long as you make it your lifestyle.” Sumpter and DiFiore are two of 13 students working with Teel in designing and building small stoves that produce biochar, a type of charcoal added to soil to improve water quality and increase cropland diversity in areas with severely depleted soils. Teel plans on taking the stove to Kenya this summer. Because the stoves produce little smoke, they can be used in Kenyan homes to safely cook and provide heat. “Our project has had turns and twists this whole year-anda-half we’ve been working on it, but [Teel] doesn’t make you feel pressured to always be perfect, even if there are glitches,” says DiFiore, who studied with Teel in Kenya in the summer of 2011. “It’s part of the learning experience.”
Teel notes that while JMU has made strides in becoming more sustainable, particularly with the renovation of Wayland Hall under President Linwood Rose, progress has become “stale.” “We need some leadership again from the top,” says Teel, who points to President Jon Alger or even the state. With a determination to live sustainably, Teel wishes he could do more. “I would love not to use the car so much, but we make ourselves dependent, and it’s really hard to break that cycle of dependence,” Teel says. For Teel, turning off lights and carpooling is a start, but it isn’t enough. “Often, we talk about change, and we’re not as good at it as we ought to be,” Teel says. “I always think that of myself, too. There are a lot of simple ways, but the more complex thing is: How do we change not only individually, but as a group?” n
P&M, Spring 2013
21
Career
major
EMPLOYMENT Some job markets are on the rise, while others are plunging. Where do you fit? Growing career fields Shrinking career fields
by CHRISTINE POMATTO
Management, scientific and technical consulting services 82.8 percent
Postal Service -13.0 percent
Department stores
Services for the elderly and persons with disabilities 73.8 percent
-10.2 percent
Gasoline stations
-8.9 percent
Home health care services 46.1 percent
Nursing care facilities
24.4 percent
Computer systems, design and related services 45.3 percent
Other general merchandise stores 40.7 percent
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P&M, Spring 2013
Offices of physicians 34.1 percent
Support activities for mining
-23.2 percent Printing and related support activities
-16 percent
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing -33.7 percent
Motor vehicle parts manufacturing -18.6 percent
Newspaper publishers
-11 percent
Wired telecommunications carriers
7.5 percent
8.4 percent
Employment services 19.1 percent
Cut and sew apparel manufacturing -57 percent
-24.8 percent
Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
Full-service restaurants
Local government, excluding education and hospitals
Breakdown by major: Communication studies Health services administration Integrated science and technology Management Communication sciences and disorders Dietetics Health sciences Nursing Computer information systems Computer science Media arts and design
Health Services administration Management
Art / studio art Media arts and design Theater and dance
Accounting Economics Finance International business Management Marketing Statistics
Intelligence analysis International affairs Justice studies Political science Public policy and administration Hospitality management Management
Not applicable to JMU majors
* According to the U.S. Bureau Labor of Statistics P&M, Spring 2013
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