V V V 'V 6B- The -Michigan Dai Weekend Magazine t:- shuday. April 2, 1998 : f a 0 .IT The Michigan Daily Weekend Magazine- Thursday, April 2, 1998 l1B U, gets down to earth with environmental semester State of the Arts ALL-WEATHER FAN By Alex Khachaturian For the Daily The theme semester, an idea meant to focus several units of the University on one issue, has been a mainstay on campus for five years. Surprised it's been here that long? You're not the only one. Most students have only been aware of the topic for winter 1998, "The Environmental Semester: Rethinking the Relationship." After a year of planning that includ- ed scheduling speakers, exhibits, films nd concerts, the faculty, headed by English Prof. John Knott, reached out to the student body for its help. For the past semester, enthusiastic students engaged in the program have generat- ed a level of environmental interest that has not gone unnonticed by their fellow classmates. "What separates this from all other theme semesters in the past is that there's a student committee and a fac- ulty committee working in parallel," said SNRE senior Mona Hanna, who chairs the student committee. With an array of student-organized groups and an entire school devoted to the study of the environment, it is clear that there is plenty of concern on envi- ronmental issues throughout campus. But as Hanna pointed out, they are all "disjointed efforts; there is nothing concise and coalescing." By bringing all of these groups together, organizers of the theme semester aimed to draw attention to environmental concerns in order to encourage the University community to reduce consumption and pollution around campus. One of the keys to accomplishing this was to reach students on an indi- vidual level. "Whether through (flashy) kick-offs or art exhibits, we've tried to touch people in many different ways," Hanna said. "Rethinking the Relationship" asks members of the community to evaluate how they are impacting their own spe- cific environments, and consider what they can do to integrate environmen- tally conscious decision-making into their daily lives. Recycling, reusing, composting, and conserving energy and water all are vital activities in helping to preserve the earth. Another key aspect of the program is its distinct lack of negativity in addressing its environmental topic. Although there is a clear concern, for what still needs to be accomplished, the committees chose not to center exhibits on some of the most serious environmental problems. Instead, they chose other ways to generate positive public energy and support. Positive programs like Earth Week, the Ecolympics and Hands on the Planet - at which hundreds of volun- teers at different environmental sites do everything from cleaning rivers to composting - make students realize that their participation is valued. The theme semester also has featured informational sessions such as the Forum on Environmental Education (to be held tomorrow and Saturday at the East Quad), which will bring to campus one of the most influential speakers on environmental education in the nation, David Orr of Oberlin College. The forum, which also includes a discussion involving a panel of speak- ers, will culminate in a field trip to the George Reserve, a 1,300-acre forest reserve used by the University for bio- logical research. The University has been extremely supportive overall, Hanna said. "Housing has been amazing this semester," she said. "They hired some- body just to work on the theme semes- ter. We've done lots of programming in the residence halls, and all of these (programs) happen because of the energy that we have started. After our kick-off, the buzzword on campus was 'The Environmental Theme Se- mester."' Hanna also said she appreciated the efforts of the University's recycling program, the provost advisory group and especially the utilities department, which is taking part in a national pro- gram that will replace fluorescent lights with incandescent ones, reduc- ing energy usage by one-third. One of the more visible campaigns of the theme semester is the "Turn Off the Lights" campaign. Stickers for light switches will be distributed across campus, reminding students, faculty and maintenance workers to shut off those lights before leaving a room. This, Hanna explained, "con- serves energy that burns fossil fuels, releasing C02 that causes global warming." The stickers will be found on light switches all over campus sometime in the near future. Hanna said she was surprised by the success of "Turn Off the Lights," as she saw that something so little could have an effect on individuals' con- sciousness and lead to a noticeable change in behavior. But that kind of change is exactly what both the student and faculty committees were looking to accomplish. "Things we never even asked to hap- pen are happening," Hanna said. "Dining services have taken steps. East Quad even had an ettire bulletin board about the Environmental Semester." Although organizers are excited to EPA administrator Michelle Jordan spoke at a kickoff event for the Environmental Theme Semester in January. see these changes around campus and to hear stories of how certain people have had their mindset positively affected, they want the changes to con- tinue. They expect long-term changes in the basic fundamentals of the University's operation. Aside from increased awareness from individuals, the committees are looking for more environmental fund- ing and programming. They even talk of an environmental living-learning program, similar to the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program or the Residential College. Hanna has spent four years at the University and cited this year's theme semester as the biggest change, envi- ronmentally, that she has witnessed. She said all of the enthusiasm gener- ated, and the realization that the pro- grams she and others helped coordi- nate were successful, has been highly rewarding for all involved. Although this semester may be com- ing to a close rather suddenly, don't expect the environmental buzz around campus to end when students hand in their last papers or finish off those last final exams. On Monday, visiting artist Patrick Dougherty held an on-site kickoff for his campus installation. Dougherty, a sculptor, will work on campus during most of April. Volunteers are helping him build his sapling sculptures on the northwest corner of the Diag with locally available materials. Next week is Earth Week, and the themes semester committees have given each weekday a theme. At the end of this week, on April 18, "M- FEST: A Party for the Planet" will be held on Palmer Field from 1-7 p.m. Local and national environmentally friendly bands are scheduled to appear, along with speakers. Everything used at the site will be powered by solar or alternative energy. This event will not only celebrate the University's environmental accom- plishments this past semester, but also look at what we have left to do. "The Environmental Semester wasn't just winter 1998. It was seen as a spring- board to future change," Hanna said. The variability of Michigan weather I has left me somewhat bewildered. nat One week it's a snowstorm like one eff that occurs in the middle of a terrible ver winter. The next week, it's a beautiful cbh summer-like day where almost every- she one is outside in shorts and a T-shirt. I I am beginning to think that the state qui of Michigan lost a bet with Mother net Nature at some point in time. Never in rel my life have I lived in an environment where the weather was so inconsistent that its inconsistency was the only pre- dictable thing about it. But amid my despair and despite my angst, I have found a friend. It's the light in my meterological darkness, the water in a water-forsaken desert, the sugar in my bitter tea. I've conic to depend on it. Its name is The Weather Channel. So you're probably thinking to your- self: This woman must be cuckoo. Well, maybe, but that's another issue. Ki I'm talking about the best and most D comprehensive source of weather on earth. Its advertisements even claim, su "The Weather Channel: No place on ren earth has better weather."5 And how right they are. Every morn- cut ing, I tune in to see what weather to det expect from this strange place called the Michigan, and usually, reality is close ly, to The Weather Channel's meterolo- get gists' predictions. It's such a relief. de Maybe it's a little pathetic on my part I to be such a weather fan. But I know wi there are others out there. Another we advertisement assures us, "Weather ma fans, you're not alone." So I know there me are others of you out there - some- ab where ... maybe? I have become quite dependent on on this most up-to-the-minute medium for pa national and local weather. I am embar- kn rassed to say - it's almost an obses- res sion. Each day, without fail, I turn on the No TV between 7:30 and 9 a.m. to see the da' local forecast, every 10 minutes on the th- eights (sometimes they're late, so it fat runs on the nines and 10s, but no big deal). W Read the Daily online at http :11 www.pub. umich. edu Idailyl really don't care too much about the tional details, but when the El Nino ects were hardcore in Florida, it was y convenient to know when I should eck up on my grandma to make sure was not washed away by the rain. The "Local Forecast" segment is te possibly the greatest asset of the work. I never realized how much I ied on it until last December when something went afoul. During one of those sometimes- cold-sometimes- warm spells that for some reason are always hap- pening around here, I was watching to see whether I should ristin Long wear a heavy wily Arts Editor sweater or a light one, when all of a dden, the screen was stuck on the cur- t conditions. See, the "Local Forecast" begins with rent conditions, then it gives a ailed description of the morning, n precipitation in the area and final- a forecast for the day. Sometimes, we t a three-day outlook, but it all spends on the timing. Unfortunately, nothing was wrong th my TV. No, no. It was worse. They re having some sort of computer lfunction, and the remaining ele- ents of the "Local Forecast" were andoned. So you can see how disturbing it was ly to know what the conditions of that rticular moment were, as opposed to owing what I was to expect for the t of the day. I found myself somewhat annoyed. o only because I didn't know the y's weather, but becuase I realized at I, me, moi, had become a "weather n." Pathetic, yet again. You may think, who cares about The eather Channel anyway? Why not just turn on the local news and see what those weather people have to say? Or read the newspaper to check its fore- casts? That wouldn't be good enough. Local news broadcasts have to focus on other things, like who is killing who, sports news, entertainment news and the like. The Weather Channel is all weather, all the time - unless, of course, there is a computer malfunction. Then it's only some weather all the time. Nothing beats the writing of The Weather Channel's forecasts either. Sometimes it's the standard partly- sunny or partly-cloudy business, but every once in a while, some wave of creative genius strolls along and informs us that clouds will be "invad- ing" the skies this afternoon. The "Local Forecast" incident made me really notice my bizarre habit. It's the way I start my mornings - every morning. While I am getting ready, I have the television tuned to channel 34, sometimes muted (the musical back- ground leaves something to be desired), but nonetheless on my screen. I consid- er no alternatives. I am not only enthralled by the weather, but by the advertisements and some of the on-camera meterologists. There must be some aspiring comics in the marketing department who create their ad lines, butI have to give the net- work a bonus point for original adver- tisments. The main promo is, "Weather fans, you're not alone" in which different sit- uations dealing with weather occur at a bar called The Front. Catchy, isn't it? While some of the commercials bor- der on the cheesy and somewhat lame, each is creative and a lot better than most network pronotions. After all, from a channel that is all weather, all the time, what can we expect? At The Front, The Weather Channel is on all of the televisions throughout the establishment all of the time. One installment features two men with their faces painted like a warm front and a cold front, with blue and white or red and orange isotope lines detailing the pattern of the condition. They are called "big Weekend Outlook" fans. The two wait in anticipation of the forecast, and then they cheer as if it were a touchdown or something. And one yells, "Who looks stupid now?" or some variation of it, even though they both look rather ridiculous. I guess you have to see it for yourself. But still, it's a rather decent satire of sweather fans. The entire commericial series is quite inventive. In a way, it mocks all us weather fans out there, but in a light- hearted manner that at least makes me feel not quite as silly. My boyfriend makes fun of me because every time he turns on the TV it's always set to channel 34. It's the first and last thing I watch in the morning, so come evening, what other channel is going to be on my TV? We all have our "nerdy" yet intellec- tual tendencies. Some like to read a sophisticated newspaper every morn- ing. Others like to read academic books about history and mathematics in their free time. Others need to watch their local or network news three, four or five times a day. You won't hear me giving you a hard time. For me, it's just The Weather Channel. The meterologists are decent. Granted, I only see the morning crew, but as for Vivian, Marshall and Cleveland-is-the-greatest-place-on- earth-man Bruce, I have no complaints. Weather fans, I know you're out there; don't be ashamed, you're not alone. Be embarrassed if you must, but at least you'll know when to carry an umbrella when all those others are caught in the rain. And then we'll see, who looks silly now? - Kristin Long can be reached at klong(umich.edi. YLIMITS Inside the Clarion Hotel 2900 Jackson Rd.. Ann Arbor, MI I I1 Al April 3,4 and 5 Slim en thle 3"' IaIn The Timing. Six One-Act Comedies by David Ives Attbe Michigal Tick Avail ht _ .. ;; . . .:,, . ;M,, . ii j I .. U-Club in the n union ketS $6 able at MUTO Trapped between MODERNITY and TRADITION, a princess' CHOICE affects a NATION GREAT JOBS! JOIN OFFICETEAM OfficeTeam is recruiting for experienced administrative professionals in their Ann Arbor office. Work both short and long-term assignments at area companies and gain valuable career experience. Receptionist, word processing, data entry, executive assistant and administrative support positions available immediately. Great Pay Great Jobs Call today toset up an appointment. OFFEE Administrative Staffing 777 E. 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