The Sholesonian!

Hey everyone! For those who don't know me, I'm Steven Sholes and I've been working as a Collections Intern since September now. I currently am a junior at Cornell University majoring in astronomy, but as you will see my interests are quite diverse. Over the years I've been collecting a ton of things - coins, minerals, fossils, antiques. But working at the PRI has shown me the ins and outs of collecting and how to properly build up a collection. Everyone loved checking out the various displays in my room, but it was obviously inaccessible to many people; and thus the Sholesonian online museum was born.

I've been using the blog to not only allow other people enjoy in the fascinating specimens I have but also as a tool to educate others on various subjects. The Sholesonian currently has six collections, the Natural History which houses the various bugs, spiders, and shells I've been catching; the Fossil Collection, Geology for my rocks and minerals (and some other goodies), along with the Coin/Stamp, Publications, and History/Culture Collections.

But the fun doesn't stop there. Currently I have been periodically been going back to my old Elementary School to give a Q&A session every year on Astronomy, answering all the third graders' questions. There are also some loose plans going around about setting up some presentations and a small travelling exhibit to teach the kids about the cool stuff around. And as always the blog itself will constantly be updated and improved.

Seeing as you all enjoy the PRI/MotE/CNC I figured I would reblog or post special things up here from the appropriate collections. I also have a lot of experience with the Collections Department here at the PRI so ask any questions you may have about either. You can comment right here on this blog or anywhere on the Sholesonian page, also hit up the Sholesonian Facebook site. If you're really interested you can sign up for the Summer Symposium where I should be giving a short talk on my little online museum.

So let me know! I'll answer you're questions, perhaps delve into the mysterious realm of collections, and if you have any ideas on what I should do don't hesitate to ask.

Drawing Through Time

Every Monday in July, Maija (our amazingly artistic volunteer) has been leading drawing workshops. As you can see, we started with the whale. Yesterday we moved into the Cambrian Theater and drew sea scorpions. I never knew there were different kinds of sea scorpions until yesterday. Sadly, we haven't had a great turn-out for these workshops but I don't think that's going to stop us. I can't even express how much I'm enjoying being a part of this drawing series. Maija has been giving me tips on how to improve my drawing (which seem to be working) and we are learning and discovering interesting things. For example, when we were drawing the whale, we discovered--by looking at several photos and anatomical drawings--that our whale 2030 was assembled a little bit differently than what is anatomically correct. That was probably for ease of assembly and such but it's still an interesting discovery. For example, look at the placement of 2030's shoulder and compare it to the drawings in the book we have in the store. Her shoulder would naturally be much, much lower. And have you ever wondered where her eye and eye socket would be? I never wondered before until I began drawing her. So there's a lot to learn and I encourage you to come draw with us!

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

We live in an unprecedented time of plenty and choice. Most Americans are more worried about overeating than starving. Humans are naturally omnivores- we can eat both plant and animal based foods. Now that we don’t have to worry so much about how we’re going to acquire our food, we have more time to worry about what precisely we are going to eat. Pollan terms this the “omnivore’s dilemma”- if we can eat pretty much anything, what should we eat? He structures his book by tracing the “natural history of four meals” in three chapters, describing the corn industry, conventional and organic farming (two meals in one chapter) and the final meal which he hunts and forages for himself. He doesn’t really seem to have a solution for the omnivore’s dilemma, which upon reflection makes sense. He’s not trying to sell a diet- he’s a journalist. He is legitimately investigating different styles of sustenance and attempting to synthesize a coherent and plausible way of eating. Ultimately he concludes that we should eat with awareness of both the monetary, temporal and ecological costs of our meals.

The text is extremely well-written and engaging. Pollan is aware that his concept is a little hokey and he pokes a bit of fun at himself on several occasions, making his narrative very easy to relate to. He comes at all four of his meal sources with both a healthy amount of skepticism, an open mind and a journalists eye for the details and story behind the different foods he researches. He approaches the task with a sense of adventure, driving a tractor, purchasing his own beef steer, hunts feral pigs and mushrooms and weaves a great story around each episode. His sympathies do seem to lie with the “beyond organic” farmer Joel Salatin, and the pig-hunting, mushroom-gathering Angelo Garro who teaches him the basics of both trades. The corn chapter is downright unsettling, especially its culmination in a McDonald’s meal that can largely trace its origins to corn in both animal feed and food additives.

Now, I’m inclined to agree with the virtues of sustainable farming and responsible hunting and gathering. This book did a lot to confirm my biases. However, I freely admit that I am by no means a farmer and that my practical knowledge of agriculture is limited to my family’s small garden and grape vine. There’s a great review on Amazon that examines the very real problems with this book from a fifth-generation farmer who knows much more about both conventional and organic agriculture than I could ever aspire to learn.

Meet Our New Marketing Manager

Cassie Mundt is excited to be joining the Paleontological Research Institute and its Museum of the Earth.

Her museum marketing experience began in high school at the Johnson County Historical Museum in Shawnee, Kansas and extended to coordinating appearances by David McCullough and President Bill Clinton at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri. She most recently worked in the marketing department at the New York State Historical Association.  Cassie’s interest in museums is wide-spread.  Her professional background, from exhibition consultation to visitor evaluation, reflects her desire to improve the visitor experience in all aspects of the museum, from marketing and education, to exhibitions and programming.

She received an M.A. in History Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program, State University of New York, College at Oneonta in May. She received a Bachelor’s degree in History and Business Administration, Marketing concentration, with a Spanish minor from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. Cassie has biked across the state of Kansas three times and, after spending last summer working with the Adirondack Museum, she aspires to hike the 46 High Peaks. Born and raised in Overland Park, Kansas, Cassie is looking forward to relocating to New York and joining the PRI team.