IN THE KITCHEN WITH: Chris Fenwick

No celebrities, just the stars; Chris Fenwick spends his days sharing his love of astronomy with students of all ages, By Rose Sgarlato Since the age of 15, Chris Fenwick was always looking up. And today he is still doing so and getting paid for it as planetarium director at County College of Morris in Randolph. Fenwick was fortunate enough to attend Newburg Free Academy in Newburg, New York which had a planetarium. “The first day of high school I knocked on the door of the planetarium and asked the science teacher Mr. Denman if he needed help. My friends and I starting running the machinery while he did the talking. Within three months, we told Mr. Denman we didn’t need him anymore.” There are only about 2,000 planetarium directors in the United States, so the odds of Fenwick becoming one were slim. After high school, he majored in math and minored in science and went on to get a masters degree in teaching with a concentration in physics. He taught middle school math for three years and then adult education at various institutes which brought him to New Jersey. “I love math and science, but I always kept on astronomical pursuits. Nine years ago, I saw an ad for planetarium director of the college,” said Fenwick. In this full-time position, he is responsible for conducting all shows for visiting groups. There are over 15,000 people that visit the planetarium each year. “It generates quite a revenue stream for the college,” he said. And because of that, the planetarium was recently updated last May to a state-of-the-art facility with an $800,000 renovation funded by private donations. It’s in the same location on campus, but the seating and walls were redone, and a gallery was added, making it a more welcoming space. “The old system was from 1971 and was archaic technology — we made a huge leap. There is now a whole bank of computers running together that feed 3D renderings to high definition projectors in the middle of the room,” he said. He operates the system off his iPod. Fenwick keeps himself abreast of all new planetary findings by being involved with various publications available on the Internet, some of which NASA distributes. Due to better magnification, more and more is being seen and discovered. “The telescopes are so much better, and we are able to zoom in. We are seeing things in a better light beyond visible spectrum,” he said. Some images are also available on the internet are received through the Hubble space shuttle. Kindergartners to senior citizens attend Fenwick’s presentations which usually last about an hour. Some groups are more attentive than others. “I recently had a third grade class that was studying astronomy, and they were so into it. I have had tons of questions that I cannot answer, but I always try and find out later,” he said. “It’s refreshing to have this whole new system. I love playing with this toy all day and talking directly to people. Some planetariums like Hayden in New York City are 99 percent movie driven — this is a live, visual presentation of the night sky.” Maybe it’s putting pieces together that Fenwick enjoys most, because in his spare time he collects board games. “I have 530 different board games from all over the world, but I don’t own monopoly. I started collecting in college — Scrabble and Quiddler are a few of my favorites.” And unlike some gamers, Fenwick prefers sitting at a table and playing with people versus participating on the internet. Officially established groups like schools and scouts are welcome to the planetarium. For more information, call the reservation desk at 973-328-5076 or go online at www.ccm.edu/planetarium.

It’s a constantly evolving science; space doesn’t end. There is always something past the horizon.” Chris Fenwick, planetarium director at County College of Morris

SLOW COOKER ITALIAN BEEF
3+ lbs of beef chuck shoulder roast
2 packages of dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1 (12 oz.) bottle/can of beer
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
Place roast in slow cooker. Sprinkle salad dressing packets and onion soup mix over meat. Pour beer over meat.. Cook on low for eight to ten hours
Remove meat from cooker, leaving liquid behind. Allow meat to cool and then pull tender meat apart with forks.
Skim fat from liquid in cooker. Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl, and stir until nearly lump-free. Add to liquid in cooker and stir to make a savory gravy. Cook liquid mixture on high for 15 minutes.
Return meat to slow cooker. Cook on high for 30 minutes, until meat and gravy are heated together.