Tag Archives: Stony Brook University

SBU Libraries races for the second time

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The first time Kristen Cinar and Kathleen Maxheimer rowed in the Roth Regatta, they did not expect the S.S. Melville to survive the brackish waters of Roth Pond.

But survive it did – dry to the touch and intact, it squats by the entrance of Melville Library’s Central Reading Room, welcoming students to “Take a book, Leave a book”.

Now, it’s a point of pride and color in an otherwise drab room. What is the first University Library boat made for the Roth Regatta in 2012 is done in brilliant blocks of oranges, blues and purples. They morph into caricatures of paperback novels on closer inspection, as the names of J.K.Rowling, James Patterson and Anne Rice line the side of the cardboard structure. Dewey decimal numbers accompany each facsimile in white.

Their real life counterparts nestle next to each other inside, with a white cardboard flag waving above them. “Get Your Read On!” it says, urging students to peruse the free offerings of the former S.S.Melville.

“We got second place in the speedster division,” Cinar says. The manager of the Central Reading Room, she is one of the brains behind the conversion of boat to bookshelf, as well as a rower in the 2012 Roth Regatta. “We were really just surprised to place at all. We were imagining just – just making it through one heat. But then we did it. We ended up doing well.”

The S.S.Melville sits at the Central Reading Room at Stony Brook University. It serves as the foci for the library's "Take a Book, Leave a Book" program. (Nina Lin / THE STATESMAN)

The S.S.Melville sits at the Central Reading Room at Stony Brook University. It serves as the foci for the library’s “Take a Book, Leave a Book” program. (Nina Lin / THE STATESMAN)

So well that a second boat already sits in the library’s break room. Its base is laid with fresh strips of duct tape; unopened cans of paint lean on a corner next to carpet tubes and empty boxes. Over the next couple hours, the skeleton of the second boat transforms into a waterproof vessel that will hopefully propel its participants across Roth Pond and into first place.

The volunteers that surround the second boat do not have the pudge of youth in their cheeks. Unlike typical Regatta participants, they are not college co-eds ekeing out time between classes and study sessions for a bit of hands-on fun. They are all full time staff for Stony Brook University, hired to keep the university’s library system running for its patrons.

They work on their boat during breaks and weekends. Most steal an hour here and there, cutting and stripping and painting as much as they can during lunch breaks.

But no one complains as they smooth red lines down the side of the boat with pencil-thin paint brushes or saw at tubes with a small Swiss army knife.

“Today’s Saturday,” Maxheimer says briskly. “We don’t normally come in on a Saturday.”

As an administrative assistant with the library’s Research and Instruction Services department, Maxheimer has as much time as any other full-time staffer at the library. That is to say, not much. “We [build the boat] on our lunch hours and a couple of people have stayed after work a couple times to do it,” she says. “But, you know, everybody pitches in and works as much as they can on it.”

According to Kenneth “Ken” Doyle, the assistant head of circulation for Credentials, Billing and Photocopy, this was only the second year library staff has participated in the regatta – despite the library having been a fixture at Stony Brook since the university’s conception.

He, along with Donna Sammis of Interlibrary Loans, replaces Cinar and Maxheimer as this year’s pilots. “We kind of have fun doing things,” he says. “It’s a great thing and a great presence for the library to be at these events.”

He gestures at the boat taking shape behind him on a table, its sides now painted white. “The theme is ‘America’, so we’re trying to incorporate a hot dog as a favorite food,” he says, laughing. “That’s what our boat’s going to look like, hopefully. Once we’re through.”

Cinar skips by the side of the boat, wearing a black tricorn hat. According to Doyle, one of the ideas before it was scrapped had been Washington crossing the Delaware River – an ironic historic representation of an American themed event.

This was not the first event that put the library staff in contact with the student body. As an unofficial library outreach coordinator, Maxheimer was particularly concerned with the library’s integration with the campus mainstream.

“In the past two years we’ve tried to figure out different ways to become more present in the student population and bring more students into the library,” she says. “There’s many resources that the library has that, until the student knows about them and understands how to access them, really, it’s not very beneficial.”

Placing second in an event meant for students had been, for Maxheimer, a huge step in that direction.

“As far as students go, they saw that the library was part of the campus community,” Cinar says. “They recognized us as more of a presence on the campus to begin because we got involved in a thing that might’ve been more of a student thing to begin with.”

Already, the library has been a large part of events thrown by student clubs and organizations. The Ultimate Frisbee club could be seen passing out their signature toy with the library’s logos stamped onto it in red as Stony Brook Compliments launches a new project, “Leave Love SBU”, in the library’s lobby.

But more than gaining campus recognition, some staffers are in it for the fun.

“My husband and I used to go [paddling] with friends on the Delaware River. We would go 15 miles a day,” said Donna Sammis, the second pilot in this year’s Roth Regatta. “I enjoyed pushing last year and watching my colleagues go down the pond. Especially in the first heat- that was amazing.”

Sammis, along with Doyle, Maxheimer and Cinar, was part of the team that worked on the S.S.Melville the year before. Now they, along with the rest of the Ketchup to Our Wiener crew, will either stand along the shores of Roth Pond or row towards the finish line as they compete against this year’s speedsters.

“Even if we don’t win, it’s still a lot of fun. You get out, there’s students, you get to enjoy the day,” Maxheimer says. “So, do I think we’ll do it again? I certainly hope so.”

 

University going green, wins Recyclemania’s e-waste category

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Newer buildings on campus, like C.N. Yang Hall in Roosevelt Quad, are constructed with new and environmentally friendly attributes and are LEED certified. (RYAN MUI/ THE STATESMAN)

Newer buildings on campus, like C.N. Yang Hall in Roosevelt Quad, are constructed with new and environmentally friendly attributes and are LEED certified. (RYAN MUI/ THE STATESMAN)

Stony Brook University recycled the most e-waste out of all the U.S. colleges and universities in RecycleMania and for a fourth consecutive year earned a spot in the Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges.

This year, Stony Brook’s focus during RecycleMania was e-waste, or discarded electronics/ electrical parts like computers, printers, toner/ink cartridges, cell phones, CDs and more.

Over the eight-week period, through pickup services and increased awareness, the university recycled 120,302 pounds of e-waste. This tripled last year’s amount and was enough to beat second place winner, Purdue University, by more than 5,000 pounds.

When it came to the “Gorilla” category, which ranks colleges and universities based on the amount of recycled bottles, cans, cardboard and paper, Stony Brook beat all of the other SUNY schools for the second consecutive year. The university also placed 22nd out of 365 in this category by recycling 526,733 pounds of material.

“We are very proud of our University community, including our Department of Recycling and Resource Management and Division of Information Technology staff, who came together and highlighted our commitment to ‘live’ sustainably,” said James O’Connor, director of Sustainability and Transportation Operations. “Through help from students, faculty and staff, we were able to continue our recycling success and minimize our environmental impact.”

An impact that through this year’s RecycleMania alone was able to reduce greenhouse gases by the C02 equivalent of 982 metrics tons, which is the same as removing 192 cars from the road or the amount of energy consumed by 85 households.

“I think that’s pretty cool,” said Claire Morrison, a senior psychology major. “Stony Brook is a pretty green school compared to others. They definitely have minimized waste this semester. I could see that with how they just switched from cardboard boxes to plates in the dining halls.”

These results from RecycleMania and what the university does regularly are what make it a “green college.” According to Princeton Review, they look for colleges that “demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.”

At Stony Brook, green is in mind when the university constructs new buildings. Now, all new buildings are designed with new green attributes like the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center, which is located on the Stony Brook Research Park. This infrastructure has helped recognize the university as a green school due to it being the first building in New York State to have a leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) platinum rating.

Coupled with this, Stony Brook is part of a program called the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which implements energy conservation projects and funds projects through the money saved on the utility bill. NYSERDA saves the university approximately $300,000 per month.

And while most people do not know about all the technical green attributes and money saving programs, most are aware of the compact garbage cans, made by BigBelly Solar, throughout campus.

These cans compact approximately four to five garbage cans worth of waste into one and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent, according to the BigBelly Solar website.

“I think it is a good thing that the university is going green,” said Ian Donnelly, sophomore biology major. “One of the environmental friendly things that I have seen on campus was the trash compactors. I think they are great.”

Besides how environmentally friendly the campus is, students have the option to go green with their careers.

In 1967 the university signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment and created an Environmental Stewardship department, which helped to develop the environmental career choices offered today.

This is also why “The Princeton Review” says “Stony Brook University has a long history of green awareness.”

Now, Stony Brook offers bachelor’s degrees in everything from marine science to environmental humanities. These degrees, according to the public relations office, are “instrumental in equipping and training the next generation of green leaders.”

So while RecycleMania may be over until Feb. 2 of next year, Stony Brook will continue with its environmentally friendly initiatives as a green college and hope to continue its success next year in the competition.

“This year was an exciting time to compete in RecycleMania, thanks in large part to the friendly, competitive nature of many members of our University community, who not only wanted to see our great University place well in national standings, but also to make a difference for the environment,” said Michael Youdelman, Manager of Recycling and Resource Management at Stony Brook. “We truly knocked it out of the park with this year’s recycling initiatives.”

Stony Brook Compliments holds hands and leaves love

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Stony Brook Compliments has been known to spread love, happiness and acceptance throughout campus since it first launched as a well-liked Facebook page. On Wednesday, May 1 during Campus Life Time, it again went out to show the student body how important it is through “Hands Across Campus” and “Leave Love SBU.”

Stony Brook Compliments founder Daniel Ahmadizadeh, a junior business major, decided to organize “Hands Across Campus” after a student posted an old black-and-white picture of Stony Brook students holding hands and creating a chain around campus.

Ahmadizadeh was inspired by the overwhelming positive reception of the photo and decided to hold the same event on the 15th anniversary of Diversity Day.

He also wanted it to hold a special purpose to the campus, so it became a response to President Samuel Stanley’s e-mail in support of the immigration reform.

“As an immigrant,” said Ahmadizadeh, who is Iranian but was born in France, “that e-mail really resonated with me.”

Despite competition for turnouts with Stony Brook’s annual Strawberry Fest and other events happening that same day, the event started out with about 10 participants, including Stony Brook’s mascot, Wolfie, meeting at the Academic Mall. They held hands and walked across campus, encouraging the startled and curious Strawberry Fest-goers to hold hands and support diversity and the immigration reform.

The line ended with 20 people forming a large circle around the fountain in the Academic Mall, including a few passers-by. Ahmadizadeh went on to talk about the importance of diversity and acceptance, especially in a diverse campus such as Stony Brook, where many of the students are either exchange students or from first-generation immigrant families.

Freshman Adrienne Esposito, a business major, didn’t even know that “Hands Across Campus,” but joined in anyway.

“I think it’s a great message, honestly,” she said.

Freshman biomedical engineering major Abdoullah Kabbaj was one of the few who specifically came for the event. Kabbaj is an international student from Morocco and “appreciate[s] the diversity” that Stony Brook has and the message “Hands Across Campus” is promoting.

“I feel like a part of the campus,” he said.

Biochemistry and economics major Garima Yadav, also a freshman, attended “Hands Across Campus” in traditional Indian clothing. She described the event as “a good way to promote the cause of just accepting everyone and knowing the different cultures around [Stony Brook].”

“I wish a lot more people joined in,” she said. “A lot more people should be aware of how diverse this campus is.”

Despite competing with strawberries and various performances, Ahmadizadeh was satisfied with the participation in “Hands Across Campus.”

“I think that [the message] was incredibly strong,” he said.

Meanwhile, inside the Frank Melville Jr. Library, senior psychology major Claire Morrison was encouraging students to write positive and inspiring messages on pieces of paper with bright colored Sharpies.

“Leave Love SBU” was born from Morrison’s experience studying in the Humanities building, where she noticed the students looked sad and tired during most days. So when no one was around, she would write inspiring quotes and messages on the whiteboard for other students to find.

Soon enough, people began to respond with their own messages. She used to post pictures of her messages, post them on Instagram with the caption saying, “Leaving more love in the Humanities Lounge.”

When she posted some of these pictures on the Stony Brook Compliments Facebook page. Ahmadizadeh contacted her saying, “Would you believe me if I tell you that I thought of doing something like this?”

“Leave Love SBU’s” purpose is to spread love and inspiration.

“Be inspired. Be inspiring,” was one of the quotes Morrison left for other students to find.

“It’s in the spirit of SBU Compliments to kind of spread love,” she said. “To leave love.”

And that is exactly what they did.

SBU comparing harassment protocol to other campuses

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CAPS and CPO provide free and anonymous services for anyone that has been harassed or assaulted.(LOUISE BADOCHE / THE STATESMAN)

CAPS and CPO provide free and anonymous services for anyone that has been harassed or assaulted.(LOUISE BADOCHE / THE STATESMAN)

There are some vices that some college campuses may never be able to rid themselves of—underage drinking, the use of recreational drugs and rowdy parties fall under that category, just to name a few.

As of recently, however, sexual harassment is one that some college campuses across the country are struggling with the most.

Last Thursday, Swarthmore and Occidental Colleges were put on an unfortunately long list of universities and institutions that have been accused of wrongly treating students who are victims of sexual harassment and assault.

Although the reports have not been made available to the public, the complaints made against these colleges are primarily about how the institutions tried to cover up sexual harassment and assault cases.

What is perhaps worst of all is the harsh treatment that victims have faced from officials, who students from these listed colleges claim are not caring or trying enough to help the cause.

Prominent institutions such as Amherst, Yale and the University of North Carolina have even landed themselves spots on this blacklist.

According to National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s national data, it’s estimated that 25 percent of women and 15 percent of men are victims of sexual harassment and assault on college campuses.

Christine Szaraz, a counselor at the Center for Prevention and Outreach located at the Student Union,  explained Title IX, a public law enforced at universities including Stony Brook, that is used to address and subsequently deal with sexual harassment and assault on campus.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities.

Therefore, sexual harassment of students, including acts of sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination that is protected under Title IX.

“In plainer terms, Title IX means that universities are required to take steps to prevent sexual violence, and to address it when and if it does occur,” Szaraz said.

So what is Stony Brook University’s strongest defense for dealing with these sexually based crimes?

The Center for Prevention and Outreach, also known as CPO, was created on campus in 2008, specifically for sexual harassment and assault victims.

Counselors such as Szaraz noted that the services offered at CPO have greatly impacted the safety and success of students on campus.

“Stony Brook University follows the best practices for sexual violence prevention on college and university campuses as recommended by organizations like the American College Health Association, which include identifying social norms that support sexual violence, strengthening sense of community, targeting entire community, and the use peer educators in prevention efforts,” Szaraz explained.

Szaraz, who graduated from Stony Brook with a BA in anthropology in 2003, started working for CPO in 2008 and said that the institution is at the forefront of sexual harassment prevention and education efforts on campus.

“CPO also works very closely with peer educators and student groups on campus to educate and raise awareness, including the student organization SEASA (Students Empowered Against Sexual Assault),” she said.

Although there is no concrete method to ever eliminate sexual harassment and assault on college campuses, education is perhaps the most powerful weapon that leads to preventative measures, and Szaraz emphasizes this concept through her own experiences throughout her academic career.

“When I was a student, I don’t recall the topic of sexual violence ever coming up in an orientation session or wellness workshop,” she said.

“Now, we discuss facts, statistics and resources with new students right away during their orientation weekend, and subsequently during their 101 intro courses, as well as providing ongoing workshops open to the entire campus community, with clubs, organizations and classes looking to explore the issue of rape, sexual assault, and other forms of sexual violence.”

Students living on the Stony Brook campus generally feel that sexual harassment and assault do not a possess a significant presence in the dorms, but agree that for any college, it’s impossible to be virtually free of such a thing.

23-year-old senior Jana Larsen, who majors in biology, acknowledges this concept.

“For the most part, campus is a safe place,” Larsen said. “But you can’t always control the actions of other people.”

While many prominent universities across the nation are gaining negative attention for their lack of action towards sexual harassment and assault, Stony Brook University remains well-prepared for such incidents, with on-campus services including CPO and Counseling and Psychological Services, while University Police and the Stony Brook Hospital are always on standby.

Brookhaven laboratories up for grabs in management contract

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The U.S. Department of Energy announced on April 18 that it would begin accepting bids for the management contract for the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), currently co-operated by the Research Foundation for The State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University.

Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA), a limited liability corporation formed to operate the lab as a 50-50 partnership between the Research Foundation for SUNY and the non-profit research foundation Battelle Memorial Institute, has held the contract since 1998.

“Brookhaven Science Associates will enthusiastically and aggressively compete for the Brookhaven Lab contract,” Ronald D. Townsend, chair of the BSA board, said in a press release following the announcement.

BSA’s current contract will expire on Jan. 4, 2015. It is not clear if any other organizations will bid on the new contract.

Stony Brook is the largest academic user of BNL, with more than 600 faculty and students carrying out research there.

The university runs a shuttle service to the lab, and Brookhaven, in addition to providing critical research facilities to the university, offers almost $50,000 in scholarships to Stony Brook students.

Before Brookhaven Science Associates, the lab was operated by Associated Universities Incorporated, sponsored by nine northeastern universities including MIT, Harvard and Yale.

It lost the contract in 1998, however, after a tritium leak that contaminated groundwater.

In a press release, the Department of Energy said, “Competition allows DOE to elicit new and innovative approaches for planning BNL’s future.”

BNL is one of 10 laboratories funded by the Department of Energy Office of Science.

It employs more than 3,000 and has an annual budget of more than $700 million.

Campus construction: improvements slow and steady

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Stony Brook is in the middle of undergoing a major facelift. There are a number of projects and infrastructure improvements happening on campus.

The new building next to the library will be named Frey Hall and will open for classes in the fall. (FRANCES YU/THE STATESMAN)

The new building next to the library will be named Frey Hall and will open for classes in the fall. (FRANCES YU/THE STATESMAN)

Some setbacks have delayed the completion of certain construction projects on campus, such as Kelly Dining, which between its delayed opening and a major leak in the roof, seems to be a point of contention among students.

Kelly Dining was forced to shut down while a temporary membrane was installed after winter storm Nemo dumped more than 30 inches of snow on Stony Brook, causing “extensive ceiling leaks in customer areas.” Kelly Dining reopened on March 11 and took three weeks to repair.

Media Relations Manager James Montalto offered an explanation for the delays.

“West Side Dining, formerly Kelly Dining, is scheduled to open for the upcoming fall semester,” said Montalto. “At the time the construction contract was awarded, the contractor provided an ambitious timeline that was not fulfilled.”

“It’s definitely an inconvenience,” said junior Kacy Schounott, a math major at Stony Brook University. “They’ve been working on it for a while now and shouldn’t keep pushing it back.”

According to the FSA website, the new West Side facilities will offer an “eclectic coffee house in the center of residential activity” that also boasts Wi-Fi service and a barbeque station, named “Bob’s BBQ” in honor of retired Chemistry Professor Bob Kerber’s advocacy in advancing FSA facilities, services and programs including the renovation of the building.

There will also be stations offering rotisserie chicken and homestyle ethnic entrees, deli sandwiches, Eastern cuisine, salad, pizza and paninis.

The Hilton Garden Inn located by the main entrance of campus had its grand opening in February, and shot up in comparison to other projects that were started before.

“What I want to know is why the Hilton was opened before Kelly Dining or the pool,” said Matthew Roberts, 21, a political science major at Stony Brook University, “They should take priority on the projects that will affect students the most.”

In addition to Kelly Dining, the Old Chemistry building, which will be known as “Frey Hall,” is undergoing renovations and should be completed by the summer, and a new state-of-the-art Marine Science center is set to open on the Southampton campus during the fall 2013.

Construction of the new Computer Science building is well underway with a projected completion of fall 2014, and the Stony Brook Arena is scheduled to be completed during that same semester.

The high temperature hot water lines project, which involves the replacement of all direct buried high temperature hot water piping, will be completed by summer 2013 according to Montalto.

The first phase of the high voltage feeders project will be completed by fall 2015.

University home to giant Reality Deck

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A $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation funds the Reality Deck. (FRANK POSILLICO/ THE STATESMAN)

A $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation funds the Reality Deck. (FRANK POSILLICO/ THE STATESMAN)

Stony Brook is home to a new reality: the Reality Deck, a room about half the size of a basketball court whose walls are plastered with 416 Samsung LCD monitors. When they’re all turned on and showing one image, the monitors surround the viewer in a near realistic experience.

Charilaos Papadopoulos is a PhD candidate who works with the Reality Deck and was one of the few who helped build it. Papadopoulos, along with Kal Petkov, is one of only two graduate students who work with Arie Kaufman, the head of the project and chair of the computer science department.

“The fact that this is an immersive display is something that doesn’t exist in the word at this resolution,” Papadopoulos said.

This reality deck is the only one of its kind—at least for the next few years.

The room, which measures 33-by-19-by-10 feet, holds a 1.5 billion-pixel display that matches the resolution of the human eye. The 416 screens each measure 27 inches with a resolution of 2560 by 1440, a resolution better than that of a home theater display.

Each screen is customized and connected to a computer in the back room. The 24 displays—more than other facilities of the same purpose have—are connected to a single computer.

There was no system to get as many pixels of resolution that the one at Stony Brook did.

Most of these have been long walls, so the idea here to make it immersive.

The project has been funded by a $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation and matching funds from the university.

“We developed a number of applications for this; the idea is that this is a visualization facility. We look at applications for scientific purposes.”

For an idea of the scale of the Reality Deck, imagine the Glimpse Map Scale Survey, a 180-foot long picture taken of the inner Milky Way Galaxy—something Papadopoulos said would be near impossible for a scientist to study on a single screen. In the Reality Deck, however, the image can be shown in its full scale around the room.

“The really great thing about this facility is you have a really wide field of view,” Papadopoulos said. “You could be sitting back, you can look at the overall context of things and then you can walk up to an individual display and see the very small and minute details.”

Instead of having to pan an image vertically on a smaller screen, the Reality Deck’s display allows a viewer to simply turn around to view an image.

“We’ve never had a way to analyze and display tremendous amounts of data at one time before,” Kaufman said in a statement. “This is revolutionary for visual analytics, which is the most powerful and critically important analyses.”

But for the average person who doesn’t have tremendous data sets to dissect, the Reality Deck can and will still be something commonplace in the future.

As the technology gets cheaper and when the bevels between the screens disappear to make the room a fully seamless experience, a Reality Deck could be something found in every home—something along the line of the movie theater of the future.

But for now, videos do not work as well on the display. Take the highest quality video from a movie and it will still not scale properly on the Reality Deck.

“Right now the industry is going towards 4k, but it is still not good enough for a display of this size.” Papadopoulos said. “We need to get video that can be mapped to a full cylinder and at full scale.”

The applications for the technology are endless: from a home theater for the common man with a million dollars, to a study and analysis tool for scientists to look at massive amounts of data at the same time.

In the Reality Deck, Papadopoulos brought up gigapixel images of Dubai that were so clear one could walk straight up to the image and read the signs on the highway. A picture of Obama’s inauguration where each face in the crowd could be seen, there was even a picture of a Stony Brook lacrosse game and the 2010 Commencement.

When video is more viable, this technology can even be used as surveillance. Imagine standing in the middle of a crisis like the Boston bombings and following the suspects through the streets. It may be scary to some, but the Reality Deck housed in the CEWIT building at Stony Brook is only the beginning of the future.

Examining campus dining locations for health violations

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By Dipti Kumar and Avesta Khursand

Take a walk into one of the 12 eateries on the Stony Brook Campus and you are met by a variety of culinary picks.

From steaming Indian curries and soft breads at Café Spice—the Jasmine Food Court in the Charles B. Wang Center—to the buffet-style service at the Student Activities Center, there is something for everyone.

The university requests periodical manager reports to reduce unsafe dining conditions. (EFAL SAYED/THE STATESMAN)

The university requests periodical manager reports to reduce unsafe dining conditions. (EFAL SAYED/THE STATESMAN)

However, the establishments serving some of those favorite sushi rolls, burgers and salads became targets of concern for county health inspectors on a recent visit, who recently cited several of these eateries for violating temperature requirements that help protect food from contamination and not adhering to certain safety rules guidelines.

At the Asian-themed Café-Spice Jasmine Food Court, boxes of sushi were stored beneath raw beef, risking cross-contamination.

The Taiwanese bubble tea station had a pound of tapioca balls sitting without appropriate heat treatment or refrigeration according to the health inspection report.

Another eatery, the Union Commons, was written up for a “live adult German cockroach observed walking on the floor” between two serving lines.

Packaged products from Kelly Dining are safe during the inspections. (EFAL SAYED/ THE STATESMAN)

Packaged products from Kelly Dining are safe during the inspections. (EFAL SAYED/ THE STATESMAN)

Inspectors visiting the 12 eateries found dented, bulging and leaking cans, and even hand-wash gloves stored beneath a waste line.

At the Jasmine Food Court, it was found that cooking utensils were being kept in containers of “stagnant water.”

From faulty or missing thermometers to improper hygiene practices, the inspectors noted many unsavory details, including “grime” in a raw splintering wooden cutting board with an “uncleanable crevice” at the Jasmine Food Court and “an accumulation of grime/filth” on the basement walk-in-freezer floor at the Student Activities Center.

The  inspections on campus, which took place between November and December, found a total of  56 violations categorized as red, or “critical” items, at the 12 eateries, with 22 of them at Jasmine Grill and the SAC.

Critical violations are related to foodborne illness and are “violations that call for immediate attention,” said Grace Kelly-McGovern, spokeswoman for the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, responding to questions by email.

In many cases, the problem was solved simply by moving food into a refrigerator or by reheating it.

Thus, at the SAC, six pounds of cooked chicken breasts with tomatoes were reheated to 165 degrees after they were found at 131 degrees for less than two hours, while the taco-bar fridge was emptied after being found at 56 degrees for approximately four hours.

The beef discarded at the Jasmine Food Court had been sitting on ice at the front counter service line at 53.2 degrees for more than two hours, according to inspectors.

Similarly, the high-end Simons Center Café had to toss entire pans of beef short ribs, trout, portobello-and-mozzarella sandwiches and ricotta cheese spread on toast points after inspectors found they had been held at unsafe temperatures.

The lack of temperature control was the most prevalent issue noted among all campus restaurants.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 3,000 people die annually from foodborne illness that stem from poor temperature controls.

Restaurants, whether on campus or off, are required to follow the guidelines set forward by the Suffolk County Sanitary Code which categorizes “potentially hazardous foods” as those that include animal foods either raw or cooked, vegetables or food that consists of raw seed sprouts, cut melons and garlic-in-oil mixtures.

Also included in the list of potentially hazardous foods are broths, gravies, high-protein salads, sauces and cream-type dressings.

“The responsibility for correcting violations lies with the operators of the establishments, who are required to operate in compliance with the Sanitary Code at all times,” said Kelly-McGovern.

Kelly-McGovern added that the problems found at the campus restaurants are fairly typical of what inspectors find elsewhere in the county.

Indeed, no campus dining facility has problems deemed serious enough to warrant a listing on the county’s searchable inspection website, at http://apps.suffolkcountyny.gov/health/Restaurant/intro.html. Consumers can check the records of their favorite local eatery.

Kelly-McGovern said restaurants listed there are ones where the same problems are repeatedly found uncorrected by inspectors.

Of the 10 different eateries on the Stony Brook University campus, Jasmine Food Court, inspected in December 2012, recorded the highest number of violations overall.

Some students would rather stay ignorant of the health code violations at the dining halls. (DAVID O'CONNOR/THE STATESMAN)

Some students would rather stay ignorant of the health code violations at the dining halls. (DAVID O’CONNOR/THE STATESMAN)

Vineet Kapoor, manager of the Jasmine Food Court, referred questions about the inspection reports to the Faculty Student Association. FSA spokeswoman Angela M. Agnello said all campus establishments have regular meetings before service hours to remind employees about the rules to maintain hygienic practices.

“Additionally, student managers stay on the floor to observe any violations,” added Agnello.

Between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit lies what food sanitarians call the “Danger Zone,” a temperature range in which pathogens can thrive in the nutrient-rich environment.

“If you take the food and hold it for too long, that period can cause bacteria to multiply fast,” said Sarah A Klein, senior attorney for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy organization for health and nutrition related issues.

More issues were found behind the food service areas that patrons never get to see.

Jasmine Food Court had several other issues like “wet-nesting,” which is when clean pans and containers are stacked one over the other, preventing the utensils from drying completely.

Broken handheld metal strainers, and employees merely rinsing bubble-tea blender pitchers without “washing and sanitizing the utensils,” were criticized in the report. And at the SAC, “Liquid was noted to be leaking from the basin drain line and the faucet.” inspectors noted.

Cockroaches, unappetizing as they may be, are usually not an immediate threat to human health.

Evidence of roach infestation was noted at the Union Commons, and those findings were classed among the blue, or “maintenance” issues that must be addressed within a certain time frame, reports show.

Agnello said the university works to reduce unsafe conditions at its eateries by requesting periodical reports from managers on any issues or needs.

Also, Agnello said, the county has made its Food Service Manager safety course available online, and the university already has enrolled the first 30 student staff members training for the Roth Regatta Café.

The trainees will need to take a final examination to be awarded a certificate.

“We expect our dining facilities to adhere to established health regulations every day,” Agnello said.

According to the health department, inspections are always unannounced.

After every inspection, an eatery is given time to correct the violations.

By law, the most recent inspection reports are required to be displayed or produced upon request for any patron who requests to see them.

Shown the inspection reports, students, faculty and staff were divided in their opinion.

Some students said they have limited choices on campus, so the reports wouldn’t affect where they ate.

“I am not too surprised,” Chris Samuel, a senior computer science major who frequents the SAC, said. “But I don’t know if it’s different from McDonalds.”

Other students, like Amit Bapat and Mable Chu, who prefer the Jasmine Food Court, said they would rather stay ignorant of the inspection reports.

“I feel like sometimes it’s better left unsaid,” Chu said.

Steve Suh, a junior majoring in economics, said the inspection report does not impact his decision to eat at the SAC.

“If I see a mouse, maybe it will change my mind, but I am a guy and I really don’t mind,” he said.

Music hall of fame tied to Stony Brook University history

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Norm Prusslin has been involved with the Music Hall of Fame since the beginning. (Rebecca Anzel)

Norm Prusslin has been involved with the Music Hall of Fame since the beginning. (Rebecca Anzel)

It was late summer in 2003. An opinion piece in a Long Island publication no longer in print by a man named Richard L’Hommedieu caught the eye of Stony Brook professor Norman Prusslin.

L’Hommedieu had just come from a trip to Georgia and visited the state’s music hall of fame while there. In his article, he pondered about the possibility of one on Long Island, and said he thought it was time the region had a music hall of fame of its own to recognize its great many talented performers.

Prusslin agreed. After emailing L’Hommedieu and introducing himself, the two organized a meeting in the Dean’s suite in the Student Activities Center at Stony Brook University. The two men invited people who they thought would be able to contribute to this organization—concert promoters, musicians, an attorney, a producer, a writer. And the group of 15 or so sat to discuss what this idea could become.

Ten years later, the Long Island Music Hall of Fame has become a nonprofit organization that has inducted such musicians as Louis Armstrong, Cyndi Lauper, LL Cool J, Mariah Carey and Billy Joel; it gives music students scholarships to help with their continuing education; and is working to establish a museum of Long Island music history.

Prusslin says Stony Brook University was the only place the Hall of Fame could have begun due to its geographic location and the history of the late 1960s.

Back then, not only was Suffolk County not as developed as it now is, but Long Island was not as developed either; in fact, Nicolls Road did not go further south than Route 347, the Long Island Expressway did not go past exit 56 (Route 111) and the large number of students at the university did not have nearly as much to do as they do now.

Because Stony Brook University is more than 50 miles from New York City, one of the largest concert venues in the world, it proved to be the perfect place for acts who were playing in the city to squeeze in one more show. Prusslin explained how one of the music industry’s  theories, casually referred to as the 50 mile rule, was the reason.

“If you’re playing a concert in some location, you really can’t play another one within 50 miles of it in the immediate time frame. Because then you have the two locations competing with one another,” he said.

So based on the distance from the city and the size and sheer number of venues the university had at the time, famous acts would come to play three to five times per month—the Allman Brothers used to practice in Tabler Quad; Bruce Springsteen played the Union Ballroom; Jackson Brown played in the Union Auditorium; U2 played in the Pritchard Gym; the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blue Oyster Cult, Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan also all played at the university.

All this music history and influence, Prusslin said, is the reason Stony Brook University was the ideal venue for the Long Island Music Hall of Fame’s founding. It now has grown to occupy a building in Port Jefferson and hosts its semi-annual induction galas at grand locations.

Strawberry Fest fruits hail from outside Long Island

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The peak season for strawberries on Long Island is in June after school is out. (PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS)

The peak season for strawberries on Long Island is in June after school is out. (PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS)

A typical spring at Stony Brook University celebrates local talent and businesses with Earthstock, the Roth Regatta and Strawberry Fest.

Despite common perception among Stony Brook students, the small delectable red fruits for Strawberry Fest are not obtained through local channels.

According to Angela Agnello, a spokeswoman for the Faculty Student Association, Campus Dining receives the strawberries for Stony Brook’s annual Strawberry Fest from Naturipe Farms.

“The peak season for Long Island strawberries occurs in June after the semester has ended,” Agnello said. “In order to hold the Strawberry Fest during the semester while students are still here, strawberries have to be transported in from a warmer climate.”

Naturipe Farm grows strawberries in Florida, California, Mexico and northern Chile, with their closest strawberry field to Stony Brook being in Florida.

According to Mary Catherine Heidenreich, a berry extension support specialist at Cornell University’s Department of Horticultural Sciences, in 2011,  The National Agricultural Statistics Service found that New York was number eight in strawberry production with 3.6 million pounds of fruit and 1,400 planted acres.

California ranked first and Florida ranked second.

Heidenreich said that strawberries do not really need a lot to grow—just a lot of rainfall and temperatures that are not too hot.

“Strawberries actually aren’t very fussy when it comes to growing,” Heidenreich said. “It’s really pretty forgiving in terms of climate.”

Long Island strawberries tend to blossom in mid-June.

According to Heidenreich, as a whole, the climate of the state of New York is mostly suited to grow strawberries, including the Finger Lake region upstate, the Albany area.

The only place Heidenreich could think of that might have problems was the northern bit of the Adirondack Mountains.

To plant commercial strawberries, growers purchase colonial propagated material, not seeds.

Early in the spring, the grower places an inactive plant and let the “runners” touch down on the soil.

The runners bloom and strawberries are cut out of flower beds. This is all part of what strawberry experts call a ‘matted row production system.’

Day neutral strawberries require more stringent growing conditions.

“I think they’re going for whatever is cheaper,” Ashley Torres, a senior business management major, said. “So if it’s cheaper far away, they go cheaper.”

Upon learning that the strawberries are not locally grown, Torres was surprised. She figured that it would be cheaper, in regard to shipping and handling, to have local strawberries.

Heidenreich thinks that if there is any problem with purchasing California strawberries, it has to do with a preference for taste. She noticed that California strawberries tend to be firmer and more robust.

“I like the New York strawberries because I grew up with them and I’m accustomed to them,” she said. “Is it because I grew up in the region? I’m not sure.”

In regard to the use of pesticides, Heidenreich does not think that New York strawberry growers use fewer pest management chemicals than California growers. (This also includes organic strawberry growers.)

Heidenreich also noted that growers feed their families the same fruit that they sell to distributors.

“I think it would be better if they got it from local farms but I don’t have a problem with that,” Stephanie DeFranco, a freshman biology major, said.

Fernando Galvan picks strawberries near his home in Rosario de Covarrubias, Mexico. (PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS)

Fernando Galvan picks strawberries near his home in Rosario de Covarrubias, Mexico. (PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS)

College Republicans host lecture to discuss government

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John Stossel, Fox Business Network personality and author of “The New York Times” bestseller “No They Can’t: Why Government Fails-But Individuals Succeed,” spoke to a crowded lecture hall of more than 100 people at Stony Brook University’s Javits Center on Wednesday, April 24. The event was held by the Stony Brook College Republicans as a part of their Harold Simmons Lecture Series.

Stossel says he believes allowing the public to have more control over the economy. (MANJU SHIVACHARAN / THE STATESMAN)

Stossel says he believes allowing the public to have more control over the economy. (MANJU SHIVACHARAN / THE STATESMAN)

Stossel is an American consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author, and libertarian columnist. He has written three other books: “Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity,” “Give Me A Break” and “Shopping Smart” and is currently the host of “Stossel” on Fox Business News.

“I wrote this book in response to Obama’s ‘Yes We Can,’” said Stossel. “And we can, but they can’t.”

Stossel, like most libertarians, believes that government should take a back seat and put trust back in American citizens to stimulate the economy, stating that “There is nothing the private sector does that the government can do better.”

“After 9/11, we all wanted something done,” said Stossel. “The government took over and we got the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which costs 10 times what previous screeners cost.”

The TSA has come under fire since the agency’s introduction of intensive full-body pat-downs in 2004 and more recently for allowing passengers to bring small knives and sporting goods on flights.

According to Stossel, incentives make a difference. He insisted that the private companies responsible for airport security prior to the TSA were “faster, nicer and better at their jobs.”

“Privatization is better because if you aren’t good, you get fired,” said Stossel. He argues that the problem with the current system is that “the government can’t get fired. It’s spontaneous order that people don’t instinctively get.”

As a libertarian, Stossel also advocates the idea of a free market, which focuses on the distribution of the costs of goods and services coordinated by supply and demand, which are unaffected by government control.

“You don’t need to be an expert to have the market do better,” said Stossel. “A free market would take care of all the complicated stuff, too. Things just get better on their own in a free society.”

“Capitalism is vilified,” said Stossel. “Even on this campus, there’s a socialist club. Being a conservative in Manhattan is like being a child molester. But I’m a libertarian.”

The reason for said vilification, according to Stossel, is what he calls “wealth envy.” However, he argues that business is voluntary and that there are no wins and loses. The only way business owners will succeed is by serving customers well.

According to Stossel, good capitalism means no privileges, no subsidies and no bailouts. “Let them do well if they’re good, and fail if they’re bad.”

“We resent rich people and these so-called ‘greedy enterprises,’” said Stossel, but he argues that these are the people who are bringing us advanced technologies in computers and medicine. “Their innovations are bringing us computers, robotic arms, and fresh fruit in the winter, but we take it all for granted.”

“I was a Republican for 41 years,” said Michael McDermott, who represented the Libertarian Party on New York’s 3rd Congressional District ballot in 2012. “Most people are libertarian—more socially liberal and economically conservative—they just don’t know it yet.”

Louisa Borriello, member of the Rockville Center Tea Party, agreed with Stossel that government is beginning to encroach too heavily on people’s private lives. “Our rights come from God”, said Borriello, “not government.”

“Please,” said Stossel, “fight for the liberty that made America possible.”

Students showcase hard work in research

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SAC Ballroom A was turned into a maze of posters and people this past Wednesday as students were brought together to celebrate their research for Stony Brook University’s annual URECA event.

URECA’s, or Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities,’ Celebration of Undergraduate Research & Creativity is an event that is an opportunity for students to showcase their undergraduate research.

URECA was started in 1987.  The office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs works with the staff of the Center for Science and Mathematics Education to administer the URECA program.

“This is a great way for students to come and support each other and learn about topics they are interested in,” said Daphne Menza, a graduate student who attended to support a friend.

Students work on posters, abstracts and exhibits in order to be able to present their research. Upon entering the event, viewers were provided with a comprehensive booklet to navigate the 268 posters and a CD that holds every student’s abstract.

Undergraduates have the opportunity to dive into research from research-oriented introductory classes. Students are encouraged to take part in supervised research projects independent from class and are offered support when it comes to writing abstracts, giving presentations and finding mentors for their research.

URECA offers the opportunity for students to present research conducted from other departments such as humanities, social sciences and even fine arts.

Jessica Rybak, a senior women’s and gender studies major did research about the history of feminism in Stony Brook.

“I wanted to see how the merging of women’s studies with another department affected the campus,” she said.

Renee Elizabeth Hartig, a senior biology major with a concentration in neuroscience, was there not only presenting her research on the brain, but also was promoting the Neuroscience Axis club, which was revived in 2010.

“It’s a great way to network with people,” Hartig explained. “Sometimes professors will come to look at projects but it’s mainly students. URECA is a great way to get your five minutes of glory and recognition for all of your hard work.”

In addition to research presentations performed by Stony Brook undergraduate students, there were also presentations from high school students who had done the Intel Science competition in connection with the university.

“I’m so excited to be here and be able to see all of the other presentations but also take part in this,” said Mayuri Sridhar, a high school senior who had taken part in the Intel science competition with her project on proteins in the body.

Students also had the opportunity to listen to oral presentations given by the College of Arts and Sciences as well as the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Presentations at the celebration were not judged, but students were still drawn in by the presentations, interactive displays and live performances and talks.

The URECA Celebration was supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Center for Science & Mathematics Education.

Doctor freezing nerves to ease pain

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Dr. William Moore is treating patients with chronic nerve pain by using a freezing process. (PHOTO CREDIT: STONY BROOK MEDICINE)

Dr. William Moore is treating patients with chronic nerve pain by using a freezing process. (PHOTO CREDIT: STONY BROOK MEDICINE)

The pain resulting from neuralgia is often debilitating, but Dr. William Moore, a thoracic interventional radiologist at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, is implementing a new way to freeze parts of nerves to ease the pain.

Chronic nerve pain, or neuralgia, stems from damaged or destroyed nerves caused by surgery, trauma or disease. Patients experience extreme pain over an extended time period, reporting an average of eight out of ten on the pain scale, yet medicines and narcotics are often ineffective due to the differing pathophysiology of neuralgia.

Moore is implementing a new method, cryoneurolysis, to treat this pain. Using a probe inserted under the skin near the area of pain, Moore is able to access the nerves causing discomfort.

The probe contains two parts: a thin tiny tube with Argon gas and a large chamber surrounding the tube. Once the probe is in position, the tube is opened and the very rapid change in volume of Argon gas causes the temperature of the probe to drop to -180°C. Since tissue is composed mainly of water, the rapid temperature drop creates an ice ball that temporarily damages the outer covering and axon of the nerve. To optimize effectiveness, the probe is usually on for about three minutes.

According to Moore, after treatment, most patients report a drastic decrease in their pain from a level of nine out of 10 to zero out of 10.

While astounding, the effects of the treatment are not permanent. Due to regeneration of the outer layer of the nerve, pain usually returns within six months and the treatment procedure is then repeated.

While other treatment options such as radiofrequency oblation and the use of absolute alcohol are available, their variable effects and high risk factors make cryoneurolysis a highly sought-after option.

The side effects of cryoneurolysis are typically limited to numbness and pain during procedure, but bleeding and infection are possible, as with any invasive measure. Moore emphasized that cryoneurolysis is only for patients who have tried all other options and medications. He said, “The key is careful selection of patients who actually need it.”

For those who do need it, the pain relief offered by cryoneurolysis is life-changing. Moore recalled a patient who had damage to nerves in her head and could not put her head on a pillow for two years due to the pain.

After treatment, she was able to normally move her head and exclaimed “Oh my gosh, this is amazing!”

Moore also spoke about a patient who slept through the night for the first time in three years due to the pain relief caused by the treatment.

While Moore did not invent cryoneurolysis, according to him, he has the largest cohort of patients from across the U.S.

As of now, Moore said, “the generalizability of cryoneurolysis is limited, but it has potentially huge implications for millions as we learn more.”

Alumni remember Earthstock, Regatta and spring concerts

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Students sail a Viking themed vessel in the Roth Regatta in 1988. (T. YING/THE STATESMAN)

Students sail a Viking themed vessel in the Roth Regatta in 1988. (T. YING/THE STATESMAN)

Spring in Stony Brook is a time when students flock to the Staller Steps and professors hold classes outside. It is also the time of many campus traditions such as Roth Regatta, Strawberry Fest and Brookfest.

Many students find these events to be memorable, and even after graduating remember the spring season fondly. Joanne Cameron, a graduate of the class of 1987, is one of those alumni.

“What I do remember is the feeling of the first gorgeous day when I just wanted to sit outside,” Cameron said. “I would sit on concrete steps, that I believe are no longer there, by the Air Space Science [Earth and Space Sciences] building.”

Alumnus and political reporter for Bloomberg News Jonathan D. Salant, a graduate of the class of 1976, shared a similar sentiment: “Two things I remember most—it was not as cold anymore so it was a more pleasant walk, and the mud would come out.”

Salant is referring to the massive amounts of mud caused both by construction and the spring season during the late 1960s and ‘70s. Mudville, as it was then called, was a popular name for the campus during this time. According to the latest edition of “Seawolves Country: Hallmarks, Landmarks and Traditions,” there were “makeshift plank bridges” erected to help get people across campus.

Cameron recalled a man who would walk and sing on campus in the mornings during her sophomore year. At that time, she lived in Ammann in Mendelsohn Quad, in a dorm overlooking the rear lawn.

“When the weather was absolutely gorgeous in the morning, I would wake to the beautiful voice of this man who would walk on campus singing, ‘Oh what a beautiful morning…Oh what a beautiful day…’” Cameron said. “The singing man was walking a dog—I guess he used to come from off campus.”

There were a multitude of campus events held years ago, some of which could not be held today. One was the Stony Brook Marijuana Festival, held in April 1975. According to the April 21, 1975 issue of The Statesman, around 400 students packed into Roth Quad and spent the spring afternoon smoking free pot, drinking beer, playing catch with dogs in the pond and dancing.

Several musical acts performed, including David Peel, a singer known for his lyrics about marijuana. Campus police made no arrests, according to The Statesman, because they felt no crimes were being committed. The National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) was also on hand with petitions to decriminalize the smoking of pot.

The Statesman reported in 1976 of a second annual Marijuana Fest in upcoming events; however, after that mention, there was no further coverage or mention of the event.

The Marijuana Fest was a part of Tabler Springfest, another annual event. This event took place over a two-day period and included massive amounts of alcohol consumption. In its April 23, 1975 issue, The Statesman headlined the event as “Annual Tabler Springfest an Inebriated Success.” On April 18, 1980, The Statesman printed an ad for the event, which boasted that 125 kegs of beer had been consumed at Tabler Oktoberfest and that the current goal was “to go through 150 kegs of: Molson, Heineken, and Michelob Light.”

The 1960s and ‘70s also saw many concerts on the Stony Brook campus. Rockin’ the Brook, as “Seawolves Country: Hallmarks, Landmarks and Traditions” calls it, was a time period when some of the biggest names in rock and roll—such as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead—performed at SBU.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Jefferson Airplane was one of the many groups that performed at Stony Brook. Not only did they perform at SBU in 1970, they had performed at a major end of year event. “In 1970, the big end of year event was Carnival,” Prof. Norman Prusslin, the director of the media minor in the Department of Theatre Arts, said.

“Carnival was so unique and singular at the time,” Prusslin, a member of the Stony Brook faculty for more than 40 years, said. “[There was] a large outdoor concert around 1970 featuring a big band at the time—Jefferson Airplane. 10 or 15,000 people came to that.” The concert was free and outdoors.

The April 29, 1970 issue of The Statesman ran an advertisement for the SAB Carnival. The carnival lasted from Friday, May 1 until Sunday, May 3, and included games, food and alcohol in addition to the Jefferson Airplane concert.

In recent years, end-of-year concerts have started to once again grow popularity. “The spring concert concept is something trying to build tradition,” Prusslin said. “The intent over the last couple of years was to plan for a big end of year concert.” The three most recent end of the year concerts featured Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae; Wiz Khalifa; and Ludacris and Grouplove, respectively.

The end-of-year spring concert is not the only event that is building tradition. “Dancing with the SBU Stars—that was a fun event,” John Leddy, Director of Athletic Bands, said. Prusslin also agreed that Dancing with the SBU Stars, a program put on by the Stony Brook University Ballroom Dance Team along with faculty and staff, and SB Idol are events that have become spring traditions on campus.

“Earthstock and Roth Regatta are the two fun things that happen in spring,” Leddy said.

The Roth Pond Regatta, held this year on April 26, began in 1988 and was inspired by a Mountain Dew commercial, according to “Seawolves Country: Hallmarks, Landmarks and Traditions.”

The event was very small at its beginning, with only 10 boats. It has grown since then; in 2004, there were 57 boats registered in the competition, as reported by The Statesman in its June 7, 2004 edition.

Leddy summed up spring at Stony Brook in a single phrase. “Hanging on the Staller Steps—what gets better than that?”

Student Activity Fee cap to be raised

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USG Treasurer Abraham says the increase to the fee will aid the growing amount of clubs. (JESUS PICHARDO/THE STATESMAN)

USG Treasurer Abraham says the increase to the fee will aid the growing amount of clubs. (JESUS PICHARDO/THE STATESMAN)

Upon enrollment, all Stony Brook students are required to pay the Student Activity Fee. The money students collectively pay are used to fund most on-campus clubs, organizations and events; any club meetings, events or concerts held on campus; any food that may be served at these events; and any newspapers students may read.

After remaining the same since 2002, the student activities cap was raised to $250 from $200, a change was voted in by the Student Assembly and approved by SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher. This increase will go into effect during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Some students, like junior sociology major Muhammed Krubally, are against the $50 increase.

“I feel like I already pay too much,” he said. “I don’t want to pay the extra $50 because I don’t feel any of this benefits me.”

The Undergraduate Student Government, on the other hand, believes the increase is justifiable.

“We had an increase in the number of clubs and also some of our expenses are increasing,” USG Treasurer Allen Abraham said.  “To accommodate for that, we needed more money.”

USG believes that if students pay more, they will get more.

“We hope to fund more clubs and increase the funding of clubs and also increase the funding of our program departments and put on more programs and improve student life on campus,” Abraham said.

It has come to USG’s attention that many students do not fully accept the increase, but the members believe students are not fully aware of what the fees are responsible for.

“I just hope that the students know that this is what pays for the clubs, the concerts, and all the events that basically happen on this campus is paid for by the student activity fee,”  Abraham said.

Campus tap water versus pond water

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Water tests performed by Stony Brook’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and The Statesman came back this week with new information about Roth Pond and ordinary tap water.

Tests on the pond water show no biological pollutants. (MIKE PEDERSEN/THE STATESMAN)

Tests on the pond water show no biological pollutants. (MIKE PEDERSEN/THE STATESMAN)

The tests on the Roth Pond water were negative for nitrites, nitrates and phosphates—biological pollutants regulated by government at all levels, including the Suffolk County Water Authority. Campus tap water, however, came back with a positive result for nitrates.

The tap water nitrate levels registered under the EPA’s acceptable limit of 10 parts per million. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, consuming too many nitrates or nitrites can lead to methaemoglobinaemia. Sufferers of this condition do not carry enough oxygen in their blood cells. This is especially dangerous in infants, where it is known as ‘blue baby syndrome.’

Students around campus already expressed concern about nitrate levels before they heard the test results.

“I would guess a lot of fertilizer runoff gets in there,” said senior biology major Jenifer Holden, such as  “a lot of nitrates and phosphates.”

While Professor J. Kirk Cochran of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences tested oxygen and pH levels on site, laborers nearby dumped truckloads of fertilizer on the surrounding gardens.

“Last year it looked disgusting, it smelled disgusting and there was stuff floating in it.” said senior biology major Meredith Smith, who was decorating a boat for the Science Fiction Forum. “They always say they’re going to clean the pond and they never do.”

Down the hallway in the Stony Brook Union Basement, sophomore history major Caroline Propersi said she feared finding “all manner of dark things” in the pond.

But the brown pond hasn’t sent everyone ashore.

“It doesn’t look pretty, but I’ve seen fish in it,” said junior business major Christie Rendino. “There are turtles in there, it isn’t that bad.”

Not bad at all, according to Professor Cochran. The water

in Roth Pond, he concluded, is “perfectly safe” for students to splash through in the annual Roth Regatta.

Additionally, he said, acidity levels are “about what you’d expect” from Long Island groundwater, and an air pump at the pond ensures that oxygen levels remain at a healthy high.

“I still wouldn’t drink it,” Cochran said.

The pond’s brown color could come from a number of sources: stirred up sediment, algae, or fish and fowl excrement.

And even though the water does not contain a few common biological pollutants, additional testing for bacteria or heavy metals could turn up entirely different results.

“It’s pretty dirty,” junior psychology major Mairi Cardone said of the water. “I’ve seen trash floating in it, and I know kids who’ve puked in there.”

As repulsed as she was by the pond water, she was more comfortable with the campus tap water, nitrates and all.

“I’ve been drinking tap water for 21 years,” she said. “And I’m fine.”