Don't Walk Across the Quad

In the warmer months, ESF students can be seen lounging, playing frisbee, and otherwise enjoying the grassy common space in the middle of campus. One thing that students do not do, out of habit and from pressure from fellow students, is walk across the quad to reach their destination.

This is one of many traditions at ESF and among the most visible. The rule is what one might call "socially enforced". Many a grad student on his or her way to the far edge of campus or on the way home has begun to walk across the grass, only to be verbally assailed by vigilant students warning them not to use the grass as a walking path. People learn quickly.

The stone monument on the corner of the quad at the entrance to campus reminds students to treat the grass with care and not walk across it. There has even been a Facebook group started in honor of this tradition.

Next time you are on campus, remember to walk the length and width, don't walk the hypotenuse. Taking the quickest route from A to B is not allowed. Use that time to stop and enjoy the grass.

Spotlight on Gradshare.com

Have questions about grants? Having issues with your major professor? Need publishing advice? Defending your thesis?

GradShare is an online community of graduate students from all over the country contributing from various subjects on hundreds of different topics. It's a place where you can get answers to any question related to graduate school, 24/7. Forums include:

• Thesis/Dissertation: from selecting your topic to writing proposals, publishing papers to advisor relationships. It's all about the thesis!

• Job Searching/Career Planning: writing your CV has never been easier; includes tips on interviewing and networking

• Teaching: techniques on lecturing, grading, and even dealing with student complaints!

• Grants and Funding: writing grant proposals and finding funding from both your university and outside sources

• Publishing: from publishing your work in peer-reviewed journals to presenting at conferences - tips on how to get your research out there

• Work-life Balance: tips on how to deal with stress, family issues, and scheduling your oh-so-precious time

This graduate school network can be accessed at http://www.gradshare.com/, and requires a school e-mail address and password. Post a question regarding various topics, or help out a fellow grad by shedding some light on experiences you have survived throughout your years at ESF.

Surviving Grad School 101: International Student Rights Panel

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RIGHTS

Wednesday, October 14th at 5:00PM

Nifkin Lounge

This panel will focus on common issues international students face when becoming a graduate student, such as:

• OPT
• H1
• Immigration issues
• Student Visas
• Other common issues

With panelists such as:

• Carolyn Salter, International Students Coordinator
• Raydora Drummer, Multi-cultural affairs
• Scott Shannon, Dean, Office of Instruction and Graduate Studies
• Jennifer Gavilondo, Slutzer Center, Syracuse University
• International graduate students

Free Indian food will be served.

Co-sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Graduate Student Association, part of the "Surviving Graduate School 101" Panel Series.

Questions? E-mail the GSA International Committee Chair, Nidhi Pasi, at npasi@syr.edu.

Outdoors: Oakwood Cemetery

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Directly to the south and adjacent to the ESF campus lies Oakwood Cemetery. Besides being home to hundreds of tombstones and burial monuments, most of which date back to the 19th century, it is another small piece of nature that happens to be easily accessible to ESF students. Squirrels, crows, and occasionally deer or other animals bound across the hilly terrain.

Local residents walking dogs, runners and hikers, and students cutting across the cemetery to get to class (not recommended after dark) are common. Since Oakwood has been adjacent to a residential neighborhood for well over a century, vandals have tipped some monuments. All in all, the cemetery is well-preserved and has given over to nature in many places, especially further from the main road.

Take a look, Oakwood begins right behind the greenhouses on the hill behind Bray Hall.

Outdoors: Barry Park

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Barry Park, only one mile from campus, offers natural beauty, open space, and outdoor recreation for students and neighborhood residents alike. Amenities include a playground, 2 tennis courts, a handful of basketball courts, and a field for soccer, frisbee, and other sports. In the evenings when the weather is nice, it is common to find people from all countries and backgrounds playing pick-up soccer.

Across the street from the fields sits a pond and drainage basin, home to ducks, geese, and the occasional muskrat or other wild animal. Deer and rabbits have been known to frequent the area as well. Think of it as an oasis from the surrounding residential neighborhood. A trail around the pond measures 1.1 miles in circumference, making it a perfect destination for joggers (or mountain bikers) looking to stay off the hard pavement but still count the miles. In winter the site is used for cross-country skiing, walking pets, and, for the daring, ice skating on the frozen pond (try at your own risk!).

It was founded in the 1950s on the site of a former dump, though no signs of its past use are visible today. However, if one looks around an upturned tree or fresh earth, it is not uncommon to find broken milk bottles and other detritus of yesteryear.

Stay tuned for more installments in the Outdoors series.

TGIF Party

Today is one of those special Fridays when us graduate students come out from our hiding places and congregate to celebrate the end of another exciting week. Approximately once per month, the Graduate Student Association sponsors a party that most students call a "TG", short for TGIF.

These events generally take place on campus in Nifkin (Alumni) Lounge, on the basement floor of Marshall Hall. However, this week's event will be at the Inn Complete, the graduate student pub and restaurant on South Campus. This week is game night, and all events include free food and drink.

Outsiders are invited as well, just bring a valid ID. This is a good way to get to know other students, whether you are considering joining a program at ESF, or are already enrolled here.

Have a good weekend!

Unravelling the confuddlement of the 2A,3B, 5B, 6B, etc. Forms

If you are like most graduate students, when you first came to ESF you were a little intimidated about all the various forms you needed to fill out. And more importantly, when you need to fill them out and who needs to sign what. Well as the GAs for the Office of Instruction and Graduate Studies (OI&GS), we are going to try and unravel the mysteries of the 2-6 lettered forms to make your life as a graduate student easier (because we all know we could use all the help we can get!).

2A: Appointment of Major Professor/Steering Committee - this form appoints your major professor (MP) and your steering committee (# of committee members depends on your degree). This needs to be signed by your Department Chair and needs to be submitted before your 3B form. The 2A is usually recommended to be completed by the end of your first semester.

3B: Graduate Program of Study - this form basically lists the classes that you will be taking as a graduate student and other necessary degree requirements. If you are transferring credits, they need to be listed too. This needs to be signed by your MP, your steering committee, and the Department Chair and/or Graduate Coordinator. The 3B form is different for MS, MPS, PhD, MF, and MLA degrees, so make sure you fill out the correct one. Form 3A contains information regarding completing your 3B form, and can usually be picked up from the OI&GS.

5B: Request to Appoint Defense of Thesis/Dissertation Examination Committee - this form appoints the committee for your defense of your thesis or dissertation. It is signed by your Department Chair and lists your MP, steering committee, and examiners (outside your committee). This needs to be in before you schedule a defense. If you are PhD candidate, you must fill out a 6B and successfully complete your candidacy exam before you can defend your dissertation. Form 5A contains information about your defense and is usually attached to the 5B form.

6B: Request to Appoint Doctoral Candidacy Examination Committee and Committee Chair - this form appoints a candidacy examination committee and committee chair, and should be signed by your Department Chair. It contains your MP and steering committee, as well as examiners. Form 6A is usually attached to the 6B form and holds information regarding your candidacy exam.

The rest of the forms out there are forms that you will receive throughout your graduate school process, usually confirming appointments, defense/candidacy dates, and the successful completion of these defense/candidacy exams.

For more information, reference your department's website or the OI&GS website on Degree Requirements and Forms: (http://www.esf.edu/graduate/graddegreq.htm)