Summer 2017

Building a Future

salibalr — Tue, 29 May 2018 16:58:33 +0000

Building a Future salibalr Tue, 05/29/2018 - 12:58

During a wood processing course last fall, Morrisville State College students Lena Hanes and Paige Biviano learned important lessons: Building furniture takes a long time, demands lots of patience and requires seemingly endless sanding.

In a masonry class, Calvin Desforges realized how much precision goes into leveling and squaring off blocks to build the foundation of a home.

The hands-on education they are receiving in the college’s wood technology and residential construction programs is giving them all of the tools they need for their future careers.

Both programs, housed in the college’s Wood Technology Building, are giving students knowledge beyond processing, designing and building, pairing hands-on learning with entrepreneurial skills to shape them as leaders in both industry and business.

Students in the wood technology program can choose one of two concentrations: finish carpentry and furniture production and business. In both, they take their project from concept to completion.

When students built dressers, they did it mass production-style. One student made all the drawers, one made the legs and another made doors.

“At the end, we put it all together,” Hanes said. “A lot of the measurements were a little off. We learned to fix things. It gives you appreciation for furniture because it takes a lot of time and effort.”

Students are developing their skills on some of the most advanced precision tools used by high-end carpenters and contractors. Their work is a reflection of that, too. The center houses a state-of-the-art sawmill and a kiln, a large chamber that dries wood.

“We cover the whole wood products industry,” said Jim Costello, chair of the wood tech program. “We take limbs and turn them into lumber. We dry it, then turn it into furniture.”

Costello said the program is near capacity at 15, since it’s designed to give each student individual attention and a workstation in the lab.

Students found building a piece of furniture very satisfying. “You made it, so there’s this feeling of accomplishment,” said Biviano, who is pursuing a four-year degree in journalism and communication for online media and an associate degree in wood products technology-finish carpentry.

“You can read how to make an end table, but you learn more when you do it with your hands,” she said. “There’s just one thing after another to learn.”

They’re also learning about the ins and outs of running a business firsthand from professors who, in addition to teaching, are entrepreneurs.

Costello came to MSC nine years ago after a career as a senior chemical engineer. He has his own sawmill and dry kiln, which gives him a firsthand understanding of the industry. He tries to pass on that knowledge to make students more marketable.

Mike Gridley owns a construction business and is an assistant professor in the residential construction program. Last semester, as a lab project, students poured the foundation and set some walls for the house he was building for his family.

“I don’t take it easy on them,” said Gridley, a 2004 MSC graduate. “They might make mistakes, but that’s how they learn. They’re not getting paid, but I treat the class like a business. Someday when they drive by, they’ll know they helped build it.”

Biviano, a Cazenovia resident, wants to combine her building skills with a photo business. “I like to take pictures and I like to make stuff,” she said. “I could write how-to books and take pictures of the project before and after.”

Hanes’ first woodworking experience came when she built stage sets. She considered a career flipping houses – buying, renovating and reselling buildings. But now the St. Marys, Pa., resident wants to run her own sawmill. She will complete the two-year wood products technology-finish carpentry program this spring before transferring into the college’s four-year entrepreneurship and small business management program in the fall.

Dennis Sherrer, of Washingtonville, NY, will graduate this year with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an associate degree in residential construction. Last summer, he interned at a commercial construction company, which offered him a full-time job after graduation.

“I grew up in a construction family,” he said. “When I was a kid, I liked these big machines and wanted to play with them. There’s something about being outside, doing something different every day, the dirt. It beats sitting at a desk all day.”

Students come to the programs with diverse backgrounds, skills and career goals. “Some people get in here and know nothing,” Costello said. “They can’t even read a tape measure. Others have vast experience.”

The programs teach basic skills and provide an overview of the industry. Students learn to use tools – “It’s the same equipment and tools they see on the outside,” Costello noted – and apply math and science concepts to realistic problems.

In one class, students turn wood chips into boards and test their strength. “They learn how thick the board needs to be when they build a bridge,” Costello said. Students also test the strength of glue under different conditions. “It makes a difference if the wood is too wet or the room is too cold,” he said.

Another class teaches students to use computer-aided design for building projects. The college community is invited to propose projects within 20 miles of MSC for students to complete. “There’s always someone who needs a garage or cabinets,” Costello said.

The construction program teaches concepts and values that will help students long after college.

“They’re learning skills they can use to build their own houses,” Gridley said. “Even if they go on to a banking career, the skills are useful. They’ll never have to rely on a contractor.”

Their broad range of expertise is preparing them for careers as qualified homebuilding professionals in a range of occupations like framing and carpentry, and estimating and sales.

“I have construction companies calling me and wanting students,” Costello said. “These kids have the potential to make good money, especially if we encourage that entrepreneurial spirit.”

Sherrer agrees. And his internship verified the value of MSC’s hands-on approach. “You ask anyone in the industry, they’ll say on-the-job training is the best,” he said. “It sets you up for real situations. Anyone can read a book. This is the real thing.”

Author

Renée K. Gadoua

Published date

June 19, 2017

News Type

Academics

Momentum

Summer 2017

Students tap into craft brewing industry

salibalr — Tue, 29 May 2018 15:58:01 +0000

Students tap into craft brewing industry salibalr Tue, 05/29/2018 - 11:58

Morrisville State College is tapping into the renaissance of the craft brewing industry in New York State, with a new curriculum and four-year degree program that includes hands-on brewing experience at the Copper Turret restaurant and a line of Morrisville-branded beers that will be available to the public.

Taps at the Copper Turret Restaurant and Brewhouse will begin pouring craft beers made on-site later this summer.

Head Brewer Micheal Coons plans to have a flagship series of beers prepared for the grand opening of the tasting room, including an IPA made entirely from hops grown locally in Madison County. Other beers will pay tribute to local landmarks and Morrisville’s signature academic programs, like the Belgian Draft Horse, a Belgian-Style Stout.

“We expect our students and graduates will produce some of the finest brew in New York State,” said Morrisville State College President David E. Rogers of the project.

“The craft brewing industry in New York State is growing at an explosive rate,” he continued. “The addition of a brewing program and an excellent brewery here at Morrisville is part of our responsibility to prepare the next generation of leaders and innovators for the agriculture industry.”

The tasting room at the Copper Turret Restaurant and Brewhouse on Route 20 in the heart of the village will be open on weekends and for special events. Visitors will be able to watch the brewing process through floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a glimpse at the gleaming copper-clad brewing kettles.

Future plans call for a tasting room at the Nelson Farms Country Store that will sell Morrisville-branded beer in growlers and feature other beers, ciders and wines from farm breweries and wineries across New York State. Homebrewing classes for the public are also in the works, and Coons hopes to expand into barrel-aged brews and sour beers, which are among the industry’s newest trends.

An industry with historical roots

The creation of the Morrisville State College Brewing Institute will be a new chapter for the hop industry's local history.

The state’s first recorded hop crop was planted just east of Morrisville in a Bouckville field in 1808 by James Coolidge, a Massachusetts native who saw economic potential in the plant used to bitter beer and flavor other products. By 1880, Madison County was one of three counties in the state producing 80 percent of the country’s hops.

Local large-scale production died in the early 1900s due to disease, competition and Prohibition.

But craft beer advocates have been seeing results from promoting the area’s hop houses, farms and breweries much like the concentration of wineries in the Finger Lakes.

The craft beer industry has seen rapid growth in the past five years and now accounts for $3.5 billion of the New York State economy.

“The growth right now is outpacing the number of experienced workers in the workplace,” said Paul Leone, executive director of the New York State Brewers Association. “With the growth of the industry, finding experienced workers - people who can start off in a new brewery and have experience behind them - is a real advantage to most breweries.”

The majority of jobs are also centered in the craft brewing sector. Of the 4,269 total breweries in the United States, only 44 are mass manufacturers. The remainder are craft breweries, brewpubs and microbreweries.

“Craft brewing is a real jobs creator,” Leone said. “Whether it is people working in the tasting room, brewing beer or packaging, there’s a lot to do in a brewery. And that means a lot of jobs.”

A laboratory for brewing

The Morrisville State College Brewing Institute will serve as a laboratory for students in the new food technology four-year degree program, which will have three concentrations - brewing science and technology, agricultural marketing and food science.

The curriculum will include 10 brewing courses, including four practicum classes and many other courses that directly relate to brewing science, and culminates with a full semester internship at a local brewery.

“It is part of our ethos here at Morrisville to give students real-world, firsthand experiences in their fields,” Rogers said. “We know that learning by doing is the most effective approach, and we have a proud tradition of this kind of hands-on, applied learning.”

Students will first focus on learning how to run and clean the brewing equipment, a massive system of valves, pipes and kettles that can churn out 106 gallons of beer per batch.

“Making beer is an art, but it is also a science,” said Coons, who came on in January 2016 to oversee the construction of the brew facility and the development of the curriculum. “Just like with a technical education in art, you need that core understanding of how all elements work together.

“If you don’t understand what you’re doing, you can still make beer,” Coons said with a laugh. “But if you really want to make the beer you intend to make, you need the more technical and scientific education.”

The coursework will range from the scientific components of brewing, such as yeast propagation and quality control, to the business side, including filing permits and paperwork with the state and federal government and developing programs for workplace safety.

“In many brewing programs, students are in a lab measuring the friability of a malt (the hardness of the grains) or the amylase activity (the power to breakdown some starches),” Coons said.

“That’s great, but those laboratory exercises aren’t the same as operating a brewery.

“We wanted a degree program that was focused on a hands-on approach—a practical education that will prepare students of the things they will be doing in the real world,” he continued.

Students will also coordinate with their restaurant counterparts at the Copper Turret, run by the Auxiliary Corporation of Morrisville State College.

“We want to make sure that the beers we are making work with the foods they are serving, that the menus align and servers can give recommendations to patrons,” Coons said.

The program is designed to set itself apart from existing certificate and master’s degree programs.

“Very few small breweries can afford to hire someone with a master’s degree to be a shift brewer,” said Coons. “And many of the great brewing programs that exist are about the technical aspect of manufacturing beer, not necessarily what you need to know to be a successful craft brewer.”

Cheers to networking

To design the curriculum, Coons met with area brewers to understand the needs of the regional industry. Students will spend time as apprentices at Good Nature Brewing in Hamilton and Empire Farm Brewery in Cazenovia.

Hops will be sourced locally from Mosher Farms in Bouckville - which also supplies produce to the Copper Turret - and the Bineyard in Cazenovia, as part of the brewery’s requirement to source at least 20 percent of its ingredients from New York farms.

Good Nature Brewing co-founder Carrie Blackmore has firsthand experience with starting a brewery from the ground up.

Blackmore and her partner, Matt Whalen, opened a small tasting room in the village of Hamilton in early 2012. They sold out of beer within their first two weeks and have now expanded to include a new tasting room and beer garden just south of Hamilton.

The couple had been homebrewing before taking the leap into entrepreneurship.

“It’s not uncommon for people like us to be self-taught,” Blackmore said. “There is just a small pool of people that have actual experience and education in the field.”

Blackmore said she is excited to work with students from the brewing institute.

“Most of our staff we’ve had to train from the ground up,” she said. “It would be great to have qualified people to come in and help run the brewery. Morrisville will be preparing people for jobs that are available in a fast-growing industry.”

Author

Alaina Potrikus Beckett

Published date

June 19, 2017

News Type

Momentum

Summer 2017

Back to School: Displaced Aero workers retrain for new careers

salibalr — Tue, 29 May 2018 15:56:12 +0000

Back to School: Displaced Aero workers retrain for new careers salibalr Tue, 05/29/2018 - 11:56

The first time Christine Barta-Gallagher wrote a paper for a Morrisville State College class, she cried. “It was overwhelming,” she said. “It took me days to write that paper. For me to sit down and type 2,000 words was really difficult.”

The learning curve was difficult for Angel Towndrow, too. “Before I came here I had never sent an email,” she said. “I’ve had to learn Word and PowerPoint. I never learned to write papers. I had never heard of APA style.”

The two are among 13 former Norwich Aero workers pursuing associate degrees at MSC’s Norwich campus, about a half mile from their former employer. Norwich Aero, which made sensors and electrical subsystems for the aerospace industry, laid off about 125 people in 2015. Aero’s parent company, Esterline Corp., moved its manufacturing operations to Tijuana, Mexico.

The loss of well-paying jobs in Chenango County shocked the business community – not to mention the workers affected.

“I was going to stay there until I retired,” said Barta-Gallagher, who began working at Aero 35 years ago. “I had never been laid off before,” she said. “There’s not a lot of work around here.”

The layoffs spurred sadness over the loss of job and a community they loved, as well as panic about loss of income and future employment. As they considered their options, college emerged as a possibility for the former Aero employees. MSC participated in a job/college fair that Aero hosted for employees, and the local workforce agency provided the workers information about MSC’s Norwich campus if they were interested in college, said Lindsey Lefevre, admissions and community outreach coordinator.

The former Aero employees are attending MSC through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program, which provides training and education for workers who lose their jobs as a result of foreign trade. Rather than collect unemployment benefits while searching for new jobs, these former Aero employees go to school, preparing themselves for new careers.

Barta-Gallagher, who is 56 and has two adult children, decided to give the program a chance. “I had never been to college,” she said. “I knew I didn’t want to go back into factory work. I figured this was my chance to try something different.”

She’s now studying early childhood education and interns three hours a week at a preschool. “There’s a big need for child care around here,” she said.

Towndrow, 41, had worked at Aero for nine years and she “loved it.” Before landing a job at Aero, she had been unemployed for a year and wasn’t looking forward to repeating that stressful experience. With some trepidation, she enrolled in MSC’s computer information systems program.

The two students recently joined two more former colleagues – now classmates – in Roger W. Follett Hall’s sunny atrium to compare notes about their college experience.

Eric Lyons, an 11-year Army veteran who had worked 18 months at Aero, found starting college in his mid-40s more difficult than his earlier careers or military life. “It’s easier to have bullets fired at you than write a paper,” he said.

Lyons, who is studying computer information systems, recalls his first college writing assignment: a two-page personal narrative. “I thought, ‘What is that?’” he said. “I went from high school right to the military. I had no idea about that stuff.”

With his wife’s encouragement, Lyons completed that assignment in four hours. “Once I got going, it kind of came out,” he said. His grade? Eighty-six percent – a B+. Although Lyon is pleased with his grades, “It’s still hard.”

“I’m just now getting comfortable,” said Doreen Williams, 61, who is studying office administration. “Everything has changed so much. Everything is on computers. There’s so much to learn.”

Before starting classes, she also worried she would “be the ancient one” while the other students would be “younger and more intelligent.” The median age of the approximately 300 students at the Norwich campus is 27. Despite her fears, Williams finds the staff, faculty and students supportive. “Being with younger students turned out not to be a big deal,” she said.

Having a support group of former colleagues allows the students to commiserate and share successes. In addition to learning new material and mastering technology, they’ve had to develop time management skills. “I used to have a set schedule and knew what to expect,” Lyons said. “When you walked out the door, you were done with work. Now you’re still going for hours.”

Balancing schoolwork with family life also presents new challenges. “I’m still trying to figure it out – cleaning the house, cooking, studying,” Williams said.

“Clean house?” Barta-Gallagher said. “That’s not happening.”

Their families have been sympathetic and helpful. Barta-Gallagher’s husband brings her food while she’s studying, and Towndrow’s husband built her a desk. Lyons’ wife helps him with his schoolwork, and the whole family cheers him on.

Williams has experienced an interesting role reversal: Her son calls and asks about her homework and often talks her through how she might approach a writing assignment. The work is still challenging, but, “I learned I can do it if I put my mind to it,” she said. She’s taking pre-algebra and “it’s slowly sinking in. It feels good.”

Towndrow described college as “nerve-wracking and exciting.” She’s enjoying the challenges, and her success helps build confidence. “When I was in high school, I never made the honor roll,” she said. “Last semester I made Dean’s List.”

Taking college classes has “opened my mind up,” Lyons said. Last summer, he watched the presidential debates and discussed presidential election issues with his daughter. “I never would have done that before.” Thanks to a macroeconomics course, he “would watch CNN and know what they were talking about.”

All four are glad they took the risk. “I think you’d be surprised what you can do,” Towndrow said.

“If the opportunity comes up, go for it,” Williams said. “You’ll never have to say, What if?’”

Author

Renée K. Gadoua

Published date

June 19, 2017

News Type

Course of history: Byron Evans blazes through Morrisville’s cross country record books

salibalr — Tue, 29 May 2018 15:09:00 +0000

Course of history: Byron Evans blazes through Morrisville’s cross country record books salibalr Tue, 05/29/2018 - 11:09

Morrisville State College senior Byron Evans hadn’t yet chosen a major when he first arrived on campus in 2013, let alone thought about joining the men’s cross country team. Four years later, his name is etched all over the college’s record books.

Evans, of Cazenovia, NY, achieved numerous feats as a four-year runner for the Mustangs, most notably becoming the program’s first-ever selection as the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Runner of the Year after winning the individual title at the 2016 conference championship meet. It is a tremendous accomplishment by any standard, but especially so considering Evans had never run competitively prior to coming to Morrisville.

In fact, had it not been for an informal meeting with retired Morrisville automotive professor Roger Powers, Evans may have taken an entirely different path entering college following his home education.

“I felt the need to have a skill that I could use regardless of where the economy and financial markets were,” Evans said. “I have no background in cars so it was totally new for me. Speaking to Roger Powers was what sealed the deal for me and made me really want to learn more about cars.”

The two met during orientation, where Powers naturally sold the freshman on the college’s automotive program. Their discussion also led to Evans’ love for triathlon competitions, which prompted Powers to recommend that Evans join the cross country program as a way to train and share his regimen with the rest of the team. Powers knew the program well; his son, Derek, serves as head coach.

“I don’t think I would have joined the team if it were not for his recommendation,” he said. “I was quite slow as a runner and did not think that I would be competitive.”

Evans’ concerns fortunately proved not to be the case.

“Once I got a taste for it, I just wanted to keep getting better, so that motivated me,” he said.

That positive attitude made an immediate impression on Morrisville’s director of athletics, Greg Carroll.

“Byron has this boundless enthusiasm and energy that just makes everyone around him rise to another level,” Carroll said. “It’s really infectious. I’ve seen him bring that energy to the cross country program since his freshman year, and he brings that same passion and commitment to every single thing he does.”

Evans praises the drive, passion and motivation tactics of coach Derek Powers as key factors in his growth as a runner. Powers shifts any credit back to Evans’ “commitment to be the best he can be” in helping him become a record setter.

“Byron has been one of the most reliable runners I have had,” said coach Powers ’95. “He would do whatever was written down for the day without complaining. His communication was excellent. If he could not make the team practice, he would let me know what he did and how long it took him.”

That reliability helped Evans become a team leader as early as his sophomore year, when he began organizing team dinners and community service projects to create bonding experiences. At meets, his leadership qualities were also constantly on display.

“He always encouraged others to get better and would cheer for everyone until the entire team was in,” coach Powers said. “Not many front runners for other teams do that.”

The team gave back to Evans as well, as he considered the squad’s perennially strong academic success as another challenge he wanted to achieve.

“I would not have been able to succeed academically without being a part of the cross country team,” said Evans, a Phi Theta Kappa honors student who will graduate this year with a bachelor’s degree in automotive management. “It motivated me that others had a high view of academics on the team, so it was a good reason to strive for academic success as well.”

That competitive fire helped Evans conquer courses, whether they involved his studies which landed him on the Dean’s List each semester, or the hills that he trekked en route to being named a NEAC All-Conference selection in each of his four seasons. It also fueled his motivation during his final conference championship race after finishing as the runner-up at the 2015 championships, where he had fallen down halfway through the race. The setback came just as Evans was closing in on the eventual winner and he was unable to recover the lost time.

Evans would quickly redeem himself during that season’s final meet two weeks later at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships, posting a team-record time of 26:04 and placing 25th out of 371 runners to become the program’s first-ever all-region honoree. His finish also helped him become the college’s first selection to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team.

As proud of those moments as he was, Evans still had his eye on the conference championship meet.

“I would not have wanted it as much if I had not experienced the loss the year before,” he admitted. “Falling down can be as important as success.”

Evans undoubtedly picked himself up, taking off from the season’s opening gun and racing to top-seven finishes at four of the six events the Mustangs competed in leading up to the 2016 NEAC Championships. Leaving no room for error this time around, he sped by the 101-runner field as he captured first place by nearly 23 seconds after crossing the eight-kilometer course’s finish line in 26:43. It was the third-fastest finish time in conference history.

“I had an overwhelming feeling of joy and pride for my team and coach,” Evans said of achieving his goal. “I knew how much it meant to the program and I was just glad that I could be a part of bringing recognition to the school.”

Evans added one more accolade to his already impressive résumé before graduating, as he was honored with the prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. Through all his success, Evans’ humility has remained in sync with his competitiveness, as he now hopes future Mustang runners set their sights on topping his accomplishments for the betterment of the program.

“Morrisville State College provided me with a good education and many experiences that will stick with me for life,” noted Evans. “That is the mark that I hope other people see was left. I want this same desire to drive the other runners on the team as well. I would be so proud if in the years to come, runners break my records.”

Author

Eugenio Mercurio

Published date

June 19, 2017

News Type

Athletics

Momentum

Summer 2017

Timber! Watch out for the evolving Morrisville State College Woods Sports Team

salibalr — Tue, 29 May 2018 15:02:27 +0000

Timber! Watch out for the evolving Morrisville State College Woods Sports Team salibalr Tue, 05/29/2018 - 11:02

Imagine if homework consisted of operating chainsaws, wielding axes and log rolling.

That’s exactly the case for members of Morrisville’s woods sports team.

Now wrapping up its second year, the woods sports team is an academic special project where students participate in a traditional woods skills course that teaches the operation, safety and preventative maintenance of traditional tools used by lumberjacks and lumberjills. Their studies involve instruction via hands-on operation of equipment such as chainsaws, crosscut saws, bucksaws, axes and Peavey tools.

Members also participate in intercollegiate lumberjacking competitions across the northeast, traveling to approximately three events each semester and competing under the name “MSC woodsmen.” One men’s team and one women’s team with six members each and a “Jack and Jill” co-ed team consisting of three men and three women all compete as a unit at events, which are held in singles, doubles and triples format.

Students on Morrisville’s team hail from a variety of majors and backgrounds, with some having little to no experience with traditional woods skills. Most, however, find a common theme as soon as they join the team.

“One practice and I was hooked,” said Zach Davis, a natural resources and conservation student and three-year veteran of the team.

“I went to one practice and the next thing you know, I fell in love with it and made it a priority,” echoed two-year team member Emily French, a senior majoring in human performance and health promotion.

Some practice sessions, which are held in the open field behind the college’s aquaculture center, last for hours as members work to perfect their timing and technique in preparation for a variety of events ranging from cross-cut sawing and wood chopping to axe throwing and fire building.

During the winter months, a day’s practice may consist solely of clearing the field of snow or processing wood just to be able to get in a session the following day.

“We’ll spend an hour trying to clean up wood just so we can chop for the next day because it’s frozen,” French said. “That’s just what being a lumberjack is all about.”

That gritty mentality stems from the team’s volunteer head coach Seth Carsten, an MSC instructional support assistant whose lumberjacking days date back to the 1970s. A former professional woodsmen’s competitor, Carsten remains an avid fan of the sport. As he notices the growth of woods sports at the collegiate level around the region, he sees the value of having the program at Morrisville.

“We’re using it as a recruiting tool,” he said. “It’s a special interest and extracurricular draw for students.”

The growth of Morrisville’s team has been rapid, nearly doubling in roster size since its inception thanks to its welcoming environment that encourages students of all skill levels to join.

“People on the team are absolutely awesome,” exclaimed Mason Muoio, a freshman majoring in natural resources and conservation. “It was so easy to come here and not feel judged. Everybody wants to work with you.”

Muoio and fellow classmate Andrew O’Connell have joined the rest of the team in spreading the word around campus to help the program prosper.

“We’re always looking for more people to join,” said O’Connell, whose swinging abilities as a lifelong baseball player have helped him become a top chopper for the team. “You come out, we see what you can do, and we see where you can best help the team.”

This continued enthusiasm from team members, both old and new, played a significant role in Teresa Link’s decision to return to Morrisville following a year away while attending ranger school.

“I came back because of the faculty and the wood sports team,” explained Link, an inaugural team member who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in renewable resources technology. “I couldn't leave a team I put so much work into.”

Along with bestowing his immense knowledge of woods sports to the team, Carsten has supplied his personal equipment, finances and countless hours of time to the program. He’s been glad to do it, though, knowing the team shares his same passion for the program and seeing it succeed.

“There was a lot of student interest so I knew there was enough kindling on the fire,” Carsten recalled of the team’s beginnings. “Success always fuels the fire. After our first event, I saw their enthusiasm and the drive and desire that they had.”

The team’s beginnings trace back to 2011, when Brendan Kelly, MSC assistant professor of forestry and renewable resources, began receiving inquiries from students interested in starting a program. Kelly had interest himself after previously dabbling in the sport and felt Carsten would be the perfect addition based on his background.

“I needed somebody who could coach and really knew how to do it, plus Seth had competed in the past,” said Kelly ’93, who serves as team manager.

Following that initial interest, Kelly’s students and members of the college’s Conservation Tri-Society began gathering research on budgets, funding and equipment needs through other northeast wood sports schools. Carsten, meanwhile, used his many contacts in the sport to help MSC observe various competitions to get a feel for what an event entailed.

The project grew legs in the fall of 2014, when Kelly, Carsten and a group of students attended an athletics board meeting to make their pitch. The effort landed a donation the following spring, which allowed Carsten and a group of nine students to participate in their first official competition.

“Getting everyone together, encouragement and communication were the keys in the beginning,” said Link, who helped with research, recruitment and coordinating practices as the team got started.

Faculty and campus departments have since pitched in to help the team overcome its tight budget. Wood is provided from felling trees through the college’s natural resources conservation program, with the residential construction program helping cut practice logs using the college’s sawmill. The mechanical engineering department has helped construct tools, with Carsten and Kelly gathering other equipment from around campus as well.

The group raises funds by splitting firewood that can then be purchased through the college. They also hope to increase their capital through raffles, auctions and selling custom-made T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts, which feature the team logo originally designed by Link and Nicole Duchene ’14.

Monetary donations that also help defray costs of equipment, travel and registration fees have come through employee voluntary payroll deductions and small gifts from around campus. Outside sources have recently contributed as well, including a $500 donation from a local branch of the national Davey Tree Expert Company.

As the team evolves, Carsten and Kelly would like to host a competition on campus someday and ultimately elevate the squad to a club or varsity sport. For now, the team is just enjoying the opportunity.

“I didn’t know anything about the sport until (coach) talked my ear off about it,” French said with a laugh. “Now I love it; it’s such a great time. I think everyone should swing an axe once in their lives.”

Author

Eugenio Mercurio

Published date

June 19, 2017

News Type

Momentum

Summer 2017

Student Activities

Stronger than Ever

salibalr — Tue, 29 May 2018 14:56:36 +0000

Stronger than Ever salibalr Tue, 05/29/2018 - 10:56

“I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.” John D. Rockefeller

In the midst of adversity, four Morrisville State College colleagues found a silver lining.

Each turned a life-altering circumstance into a life-enriching experience—one that gave them a chance to rediscover themselves.

Embarking on their new journeys as survivors, they share their stories about the setbacks that empowered new direction and purpose in their lives.

Fred Bach, professor, agricultural engineering and diesel technology—MRSA survivor

Hanging on the walls of Fred Bach’s office is a collection of memories. There’s a plaque signed by students in appreciation of advising their club and dozens of others recognizing his devout service.

“This was a big one,” he said of his John Deere Teaching Award from the National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture. Next to it is his Morrisville State College Distinguished Faculty Award from 2007.

They mean more than ever to Bach, whose devotion in the classroom has been helping students plant their roots in their careers for more than 35 years. “It’s by the grace of God that I am still here today to share them,” he said, pausing to gather himself before he went on.

The words don’t come easy as he tries to make sense of the unexpected turn his life took. Last year, Bach triumphed over a battle with MRSA, a form of bacterial infection resistant to numerous antibiotics.

It came on quickly. Suffering persistent cold-like symptoms, he was hospitalized with pneumonia. That’s when doctors discovered an abscess on his spine, and later, that Bach had MRSA. As his condition deteriorated, doctors placed him in a medically induced coma.

There was little hope that he would pull through, and if he did, that he would ever fully recover.

But they didn’t know Bach. When he awakened, he had other plans.

Paralyzed and unable to talk or swallow, he started the difficult road to recovery. Strength came from many places as he pushed himself beyond what he thought was possible.

Cementing his resolve more than anything was his students. “They have played such a role in my life,” the 64-year-old Morrisville native said. “I focused on getting back to them and my life in the classroom.”

Through intensive rehabilitation, he learned how to talk, eat and walk, while regaining most of his cognitive function. An accomplished pianist, he’s even gone back to the keyboard.

With all that he has been through, Bach considers himself a blessed man. Changed, yes, but for the better in some ways.

“You learn to appreciate everything in your life so much more,” he said. “I’m thankful for every day I get to spend with my students and colleagues, and I thank God every day for putting the right people in my path,” Bach said of the doctors, colleagues and students who have helped him.

While things are pretty much back to normal since Bach returned to the classroom, the countless hours he spends in labs with students have more meaning. So does his role as a teacher.

“Leading by example is so important,” he said. “My lessons include teaching them to be good people. I am there to guide them to be the best they can be.”

A cane that steadies his every move is the only visible reminder of the infection that nearly ended Bach’s life. And it’s a daily reminder to cherish every minute of every day.

“This is my life,” he said of the college and his students. “I love teaching. There isn’t anything else I would ever consider doing. This place—it’s what keeps me going.”

Dr. Joseph Bularzik, Dean of the School of Science, Technology and Health Studies—“widowmaker” heart attack survivor

Not everyone gets a second chance at life. Joseph Bularzik is making the most of his.

A brush with mortality has given him a deeper appreciation for life and everything in it. “You can never lose sight of the little things,” Bularzik said.

Their importance is more significant than ever to him.

Without warning, on July 14, 2016, Bularzik suffered a type of heart attack known as “the widowmaker,” so named because it results in death in most cases.

In his second year as dean of the School of Science, Technology and Health Studies he was home packing for an out-of-town trip when he felt sudden fatigue and dropped to the floor.

Wasting no time, his daughter, Kirstin, performed CPR until paramedics arrived, an action that played a vital role in saving his life. In the ambulance, a team of medics took over, shocking his heart back to life.

The next few weeks of Bularzik’s life are a recollection from a seamless line of family members, colleagues and friends who visited his bedside and rallied behind his recovery.

Doctors played a critical role in his survival as well, placing him in an ice treatment called therapeutic hypothermia. The process quickly cools the body, protecting the brain from damage caused by the lack of oxygen when the heart was not beating.

When he stabilized, doctors put a stent in Bularzik’s artery.

“I felt like I woke up from a dream,” he said of the first time he opened his eyes. “Doctors were telling me I couldn’t do the things I had done yesterday.” Among them were daily activities like walking, talking, eating and holding a spoon.

At age 57, Bularzik could have settled for an early retirement, but something would have been missing in his life. He vowed to return.

“I told everyone I would be back (to work) and back to what I was before,” he said.

He followed through on his promise. After months of rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, Bularzik made progress that exceeded doctors’ expectations.

As he slowly started to rebuild his life, Bularzik realized the importance of celebrating its triumphs. Moving his legs for the first time after the event and eventually walking again topped his list. “Every day I did those little things was a colossal feat,” he said.

While he is still dealing with challenges with speech and memory, Bularzik is adapting to a way that works for him by breaking things down into smaller, more manageable pieces.

Humor has become a coping mechanism. “You have to be able to laugh at yourself. My handwriting and memory certainly aren’t what they were before,” he joked.

With all that’s happened, Bularzik has emerged emotionally stronger than ever with a focus on the time he has gained in life, not what he has lost.

“I don’t waste time asking why this happened to me,” he said. “Anything I do now in life is extra, so I am going to make the most of it.”

His positive outlook has carried him far, generating his quick return to work just four months after his heart attack.

Returning to MSC has played a vital role in his continued recovery process. “There is a lot that needs to be done here and I want to be a part of it,” he said.

While recovery remains an uphill climb, Bularzik is happy to still be in the fight.

“I can’t do what I used to do,” he admits. “Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I just get physically and mentally exhausted. But that’s okay. I got a second chance to do everything I want to do in life and I am going to do great things with it.”

Dr. Clare Armstrong-Seward, associate professor of criminal justice—suffers from concussion syndrome

All eyes focus intently on Clare Armstrong-Seward in the classroom. Students seem transfixed by how she commands the room, rather than being distracted by the walker she slides slowly across the floor in front of her.

Engaging her students is what the assistant professor in the college’s criminal justice program does best.

These days it’s a bit harder for Armstrong-Seward, though. In September 2013, she suffered a concussion following an accidental fall and a subsequent condition known as post-concussion syndrome. Dizziness, fatigue, balance issues, memory problems and vertigo are among the symptoms she faces on a daily basis.

While Armstrong-Seward doesn’t remember the blackout which led to the fall and multiple injuries—a broken nose, broken ribs and facial lacerations—she does recall how her love for teaching helped her champion through it all.

Four years later, as Armstrong-Seward still copes with memory and balance struggles which force her to utilize a walker, she reflects on how the traumatic experience made her a stronger person and a better teacher.

“It’s not what happens to you in life that defines you. It is how you grow from it,” she said.

They are lessons she shares with her students. “We all have obstacles in life. When you get knocked down, you get back up,” she said with a tenacious voice that captures the attention of those around her.

Armstrong-Seward, 58, started earning her badge of courage long before the accident. During the two decades she spent in the New York State Department of Correctional Services, prior to teaching at MSC, she was honored twice for her bravery handling a hostage situation.

Instead of resting on retirement benefits after her accident, Armstrong-Seward returned to the classroom to pursue something more rewarding.

“Teaching is ingrained in me. Morrisville has become my family,” she said.

In addition to teaching students about criminal justice, Armstrong-Seward instills valuable life lessons in them, too.

“You can’t stop life from happening, but I want you to know that you can handle what it throws at you as best as you can,” she tells them.

While the accident has placed some limits on Armstrong-Seward’s life, it hasn’t stopped her from living it to the fullest. She remains active in the community as a certified instructor with the Municipal Police Training Council and is also a member and certified scuba diver for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and Scuba Schools International (SSI), two of the largest scuba diving certification organizations in the world.

“I don’t have time to dwell on the past. I have a new life to live,” she said.

Dr. Lenno Mbaga, associate professor of wood products technology—heart attack survivor

He didn’t believe it when it was happening. Lenno Mbaga was a model of health and had no family history of heart disease.

In January of 2012, he had just finished eating dinner at home when he started to experience indigestion and tightness in his chest. Recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack, his wife, Cecilia, rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors determined that his aorta was 100-percent blocked.

The former star soccer player in high school and at Kean University in NJ who didn’t drink or smoke was in disbelief when doctors told him the outcome of his tests.

In addition to suffering a heart attack, they found a mass around Mbaga’s heart which had to be removed before they could repair his artery with a stent.

During the five weeks he spent in the hospital, doctors cast doubt that Mbaga would ever return to the classroom, a place that has become his second home.

“I told them I would be back to teach,” Mbaga said.

Originally from Kenya, Mbaga has been helping MSC students transform ordinary pieces of wood into works of art for the past 20 years as an associate professor in the wood products technology department.

In a sawdust-filled room, spilling over with pieces of wood and the roar of saws, Mbaga unleashes creativity in his students as they build furniture from scratch for one of his course projects. There have been many throughout the years—a dresser, grandfather clock and guitar are among his favorites.

They are memories that kept him focused on returning to the classroom.

“The whole time I was in the hospital, I thought about my students,” he said. “Teaching is my life. I couldn’t let my students down.”

Determination and hope have been the building blocks to his recovery. So has support from family, friends, alumni and students.

“I couldn’t have done it without the encouragement from so many people,” he said.

Mbaga returned to the classroom three years after his heart attack more committed than ever. His students play an even greater role in his life now.

“I have a greater appreciation for them,” he said. “They are the reason I was able to overcome everything. “Watching them graduate and achieve their career goals and dreams is everything to me.”

Mbaga leads a normal life now which involves routine check-ups, eating healthy and exercising.

“I have learned so much through this experience,” he said. “I developed a new mindset where I take life one day at a time. Life is definitely more precious now.”

Author

Franci Valenzano

Published date

June 19, 2017

News Type

Academics

Momentum

Summer 2017

Gentle Giants

salibalr — Tue, 29 May 2018 14:52:15 +0000

Gentle Giants salibalr Tue, 05/29/2018 - 10:52

Every summer growing up, Hayley Cosgrove looked forward to attending The Great New York State Fair so she could admire Morrisville’s elegant stable of Belgians. Cosgrove fondly admired the graceful draft horses as they competed in the show ring, wishing she could be right alongside them.

Thanks to a one-of-kind internship at Morrisville, Cosgrove’s dream came true last summer.

“That was just absolutely incredible to know that I’ve gone from that little kid watching in awe to actually being the one that not only was in it, but won,” said Cosgrove, who placed first in the ladies team class and second in the cart class at the fair while representing the college.

The students and their mentor

Cosgrove is one of many success stories deriving from the college’s draft horse program summer internship. Led by MSC equine manager Scott Seymour, the program readies students to show the college’s alluring draft horses competitively against the general public using a single horse and cart, four-, six- and eight-horse hitches.

Morrisville is the only college in North America that competes with a six-horse hitch. The unique hitch, which involves a team of horses harnessed to a wagon and led through a series of maneuvers by a driver and assistant, is one of the many ways that allow Seymour to continuously relive his passion.

“I love the challenge every year of how good we can be,” said Seymour ’92, who has worked with draft horses for 35 years. “I gauge my success on how my students do, how they perform and how they’re received by the public.”

His latest group of students proved how good they could be this past year, recording one of the college’s finest overall performances in the show ring. Along with Cosgrove, Nicole Chiappetta and Stephanie Zajac also became champions, even though none had ever driven before the internship. It’s an accomplishment in which Seymour takes much pride.

“It’s fun to win, but it’s also rewarding to watch the students develop and act as professionals,” said Seymour, president of the Belgian Draft Horse Youth and Education Fund, Inc.’s board of directors.

Chiappetta especially stood tall amongst professionals, being named the Amateur Four Champion at the prestigious North American Belgian Championship (NABC) 8 held at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Mass., this past October.

“It was insane; I’ve never really felt something like that,” recalled Chiappetta after being announced as the winner at the NABC, an event held every four years at host sites alternating between the United States and Canada. “It was so rewarding to know that my hard work had paid off.”

Her accomplishments grew from countless hours she put in the past two years, as her successful stint in the internship in 2015 helped her become a student-assistant trainer with Seymour last summer. She remains in charge of the barn this summer, working with the latest cohort of interns entering the hands-on, 12-week internship.

The internship

In May, Seymour begins internships with three freshmen selected from his introductory equine courses. The interns, most of whom have never been involved with the driving horse world, are then each assigned a team of Belgians before learning how to train and condition them for the show ring. Driving skills and show-ring etiquette are also part of the lessons they learn from Seymour, an award-winning driver who still competes with the six-horse hitch and judges numerous draft shows.

The work-filled days begin at 7 a.m. and consist of cleaning stalls, feeding, walking, driving and washing the towering horses at the college’s draft horse barn, which houses about a dozen Belgians. It also includes learning how to harness the Belgians to the college’s wagon, which is made of ash and cherry lumber cut from MSC land and built by students, staff and faculty.

During show competitions, of which MSC competes at several throughout the summer, the workday grows even longer to accommodate the travel and preparation of the hitch using the college’s 30-year-old patent leather harness, six show horses and two spares. Although participants may only be in the show ring for 15 minutes, preparation could take as much as six hours, with the six competing Belgians being bathed, groomed and harnessed while having their foretops braided and hooves polished. The crew also robes in fancy attire, as events are judged on showmanship in addition to driving.

“You’re putting on a show for the public,” said Seymour, who was instrumental in bringing back the hitch to MSC in 1999 following a four-year absence.

Zajac already had experience showing, but was especially grateful that the internship allowed her to conquer a fear. Terrified of driving, she initially had no interest in the internship. Following a few weeks in the equine lab, though, she slowly fell in love with the program and decided to apply. By summer’s end, Zajac was the Champion Youth Driver at the National Belgian Show held at the Indiana State Fair last August. It capped her “perfect summer” working with Seymour.

“He’s always working right alongside you,” Zajac said, adding that Seymour’s confidence level in his students assures them “that we know what we’re doing.”

The horses

Just as new interns rotate through the internship each year, most of the Belgians do as well. This allows the new students and new draft horses to get to know one another while learning side-by-side, a key aspect to how the group will fare.

“You’re learning while they’re learning too,” Chiappetta said. “We had an amazing group of horses that were so athletic. They were just like us. They wanted to win.”

Finding the right draft horses is another challenge Seymour embarks on each year. Using the vast industry network he has built, he travels across the country to search for Belgians with the right conformation, attitude and ability to be “a 2,000-pound athlete.”

He found all those traits in Lor-Rob Pilot. Known as a showoff, the one-ton docile giant took home numerous awards last season with Seymour’s guidance, including Grand Champion at The Great New York State Fair and Reserve Grand Champion Gelding at the NABC 8, the National Belgian Show and the Ohio State Fair Draft Horse Show.

The alumni

Pilot comes from a long line of horses made available through Mark Barie ’96, who regularly supplies Seymour with Belgians he breeds at Lor-Rob Dairy Farms. “I like to put our horses in good hands where they can become successful,” said Barie, president of the Belgian Draft Horse Corporation of America’s board of directors.

“The program at Morrisville is unique,” added Barie, who also assists Seymour and his students at various shows. “It builds a lot of character through teamwork, travel and working with the public. Those are traits you can’t learn every day, so it’s a great opportunity for the students.”

Other alumni still help with the program as well. Dusty Bezek ’08 still likes to chat with Seymour about the industry while now competing against him and MSC students, including at the NABC 8 where he took home Reserve Champion as a six-horse hitch driver. Bezek, who worked with the college’s hitch for two years while at MSC, credits Seymour’s ability to stay current in the field as a big reason for the program’s success.

“He has stayed up with the times and keeps an open mind,” said Bezek, of Rockbottom Farms. “You have to be relevant with the students to have them want to put the work in.”

Former draft horse barn intern Marc Wirasnik also attended the NABC 8, serving as a calming presence while assisting Chiappetta during her championship drive. It was one of the many occasions Wirasnik used personal time to help Seymour and his interns, as he knows the rigors of a show day after three years working with the hitch as a student while still competing today.

“You’re showing against the best in the draft industry and Scott can help get you to the top,” said Wirasnik, who hopes to have his own six-horse hitch someday. “That’s the reason Scott works you so hard. If you put time into the hitch, you’ll get the reward out of it.”

That passion Seymour and his former students share is now instilled in Chiappetta, Cosgrove and Zajac, as all three want to remain involved with the program through the rest of their college days and beyond as they pursue various MSC equine degrees.

“I finally found a place where I felt really comfortable,” Cosgrove said. “When I walk into the draft barn now, I am home.”

Author

Eugenio Mercurio

Published date

June 19, 2017

News Type

Academics

Momentum

Summer 2017