NEWS
Kelsey Erickson’13 Takes On Climate Action Beyond C.U.
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Monday, September 30, 2013 3
By SLOANE GRINSPOON
Dennis ’13. Dennis worked alongside Erickson on KyotoNOW! and other environmental initiatives on campus, according A couple of years ago, Kelsey Erickson to Erickson. He died last semester at the age ’13 was arrested for civil disobedience and of 22. escorted away in front of the White House “What I think the Great March will in handcuffs while protesting the Keystone accomplish is a symbolic platform for XL, an oil pipeline. She has continued to change that begins with people [of ] all diffight the pipeline ever since. ferent ages, races and backgrounds banding Although Erickson graduated from together under a common cause,” she said. Cornell in May, she is staying on campus “I’m sure if Chris were still alive, he would this year to work in the Department of be overjoyed to see it happen and would be Natural Resources. While a student at marching by my side with his video camera Cornell, Erickson was president of C.U. in hand.” Compost and heavily involved in According to those who were close with KyotoNOW!, a climate action club on cam- Dennis, he was a phenomenal videographer, pus that is working on a fossil fuel divest- humanitarian and activist. He used his film ment campaign. skills to produce countless docuJust last year, Erickson said she mentaries to educate the public helped organize several buses to on the perils of hydraulic fracturtransport Cornell and Ithaca ing and the Keystone XL College students to Washington pipeline, Erickson said. She D.C. for the Forward on Climate added that he also spent time volRally, where approximately unteering in Haiti, reforesting the 40,000 individuals surrounded land and working with local peothe White House to protest ple on cultivating bamboo for Keystone XL Pipeline. sustainable building materials. ERICKSON ’13 Though Erickson said she has Erickson said that she will be been an avid proponent of environmental documenting the march through film and action for some years now, she said she has dedicating the documentary in Dennis’ plans to partake in an even bigger move- memory. ment. “I feel that by doing this march, I will be Erickson said she will soon take part in carrying on his legacy while also taking necthe Great March for Climate Action, a essary action to convince Americans that climarch in which participants will leave Los mate change is here and needs to be curAngeles on March 1, 2014 and arrive in tailed immediately,” she said. Washington, D.C. on November 1, travelThe primary platform of the Great ing approximately 3,000 miles on foot. March for Climate Action is opposition to So far, 60 people have signed up — rang- the Keystone XL Pipeline, according to the ing in age from nine to 74. The march aims march’s website. TransCanada, an oil comto recruit 1,000 participants, according to pany based in Canada, has proposed the its website. construction of the Keystone XL, a new Erickson said she will be embarking on pipeline that, according to the TransCanada the journey without knowing any of the website, is a “1,179 mile, 36-inch-diameter other participants, but said she is not ner- crude oil pipeline beginning in Hardisty, vous. Alberta, and extending south to Steele City, “I feel like it’s exactly what I should be Nebraska.” doing now,” she said. Erickson said she hopes the Great March Ever since she was young, Erickson said on Climate Change will convince political she has loved nature and the environment. A leaders to oppose the Keystone XL and take native of Carlisle, Mass., Erickson spent a necessary action against the fossil fuel induslot of time exploring the outdoors as she try. grew up. “This march is an urgently needed callShe credited her father with helping her to-action,” Erickson said. “If 1,000 people develop her devotion to the environment. are willing to march across America to “Ever since I was young, [my dad] took protest lack of political action against the me to global warming symposiums and real- fossil fuel industry, then I am hopeful that ly got me interested in environmental the rest of our nation’s citizens will feel action,” she said. inspired to demand climate action for the Erickson said that although she is pas- sake of our future.” sionate about climate change, the march is emotionally significant to her because she is Sloane Grinspoon can be reached at participating in honor of her friend Chris sig32@cornell.edu. Sun Contributor
Drumming away
BOYCE EVANS / SUN CONTRIBUTOR
Yamatai, a student group dedicated to “spreading the art and joy of taiko,” performs at Appel Commons as part of Japan-U.S. Association’s Ennichi celebration Saturday evening.
APRIL RYLES / SUN FILE PHOTO
A new look | Mann Library is relocating stacks to make space for the communication department, which will eventually move to the fourth floor.
Mann Library Makes Space For Communication Dept. By KATE MONSON
Although print materials are added to Mann Library's collection every year, many of which still expeChanges are coming to Mann rience high circulation, Ochs said she has noticed an overall decline in the Library. The Department of Commun- use of print material in favor of the ication is moving into the library’s libraries’ e-resources. fourth floor, and to make space for “Faculty, students and staff can the department, Mann Library con- access online journal articles from solidated its stacks onto its second anywhere, anytime, using their net and third floors this summer. IDs. Whether they are in a The library based its plans to Collegetown apartment, an office on move around stacks on a study that the Ag Quad or in London on study assessed factors like the reduced need abroad, this ease of access is a huge for stacks space and the need for convenience for Cornell researchers,” more functional office space, accord- Ochs said in an e-mail. ing to Peter Schrempf, program manHowever, she said she does not ager of Capital Projects and Facilities foresee any plans to further reduce Services. The study was conducted in the stacks collection in the near conjunction with Mann Library, the future. College of Agriculture and Life The space reallocation effort will Sciences and the College of Human also open up the entire fourth floor Ecology and the Central Library of Mann Library to the Department Administration in order to make sure of Communication, which is now the spatial needs of the colleges were located in Kennedy Hall. The fourth being met, he floor is currentsaid. ly closed to the “The plan will address the public and conAc c o rd i n g to Ezra Destruction is needs of both Mann Library scheduled laney, assistant to dean of Capital begin in sumand the communication Projects and mer 2014, idedepartment.” Facilities ally reaching Services, the completion in Ezra Delaney plan will fall 2015, address the according to needs of both Schrempf. Mann Library and the communicaDelaney said the plan addresses tion department. the department’s lack of appropriate “This [project] is done in con- space. “The offices are a hundred square junction with the plan to consolidate the library onto three floors and real- foot offices, [faculty] can’t meet with ly provide them with what they need students in their offices. The configuto make improvements there on col- ration of [Kennedy] is very difficult,” laborative space and student study he said. “So as we did analysis of their space. And so this project is going needs, it became clear that this buildhand in hand with the needs of ing would need to be fully renovated and then that's when we started lookMann Library,” Delaney said. This summer marked the first ing at other possible options.” Schrempf echoed Delaney, adding phase of this plan, and more changes will occur on the second floor this that there were ways to utilize the fall. For example, the modular offices library’s space more effectively. “We’re actually able to build in a currently located on the east side of the second floor will be removed to lot more flexible space, a lot more make room for more book stacks and collaborative space for the faculty to for the expansion of the floor’s study interact with the students and for students to interact among themand collaborative work area. One third of Mann Library’s print selves,” Schrempf said. Additionally, because construccollection was also relocated to the Library Annex to accommodate the tion will be confined to one floor and space constraints this summer. Mann can be scheduled during breaks and librarians chose the books and jour- off-hours, disruption caused by the nals that were not browsed or construction will be minimal, checked out in the past 10 years for Delaney said. “I think we’re getting a better relocation. space and a more efficient use of According to Mary Ochs, director of Mann Library, students may space, and at a reasonable cost,” he request to have any of the annex added. items delivered to a campus library, with an average wait time of 24 Kate Monson can be reached at hours or less. kgm54@cornell.edu.
Sun Contributor