With regret of the last fallen leaves, I finally penned my autumn playlist. These songs are my reliables-- what's in the background if I run out of Pandora hours or don't have time to procure a new playlist. Either way, they're some of my favorites--if you don't know them, give it a listen. Then share your faves with me..
"Colorblind" Natalie Walker
"Falling in love at a coffeeshop" Landon Pigg
"Suffocation Keep" The Slip
"Young Folks" Peter Bjorn
"John Wayne Gacy Jr" Sufjan Stevens
"Feeling Good" Muse
"Volcano" Damien Rice
"Funeral" Band of Horses
"Clubbed to Death" Rob Dougan
"I had a dream" Priscilla Ahn
"The Girl" by City and Colour
"Loud Pipes" by Ratatat
"Hello Benjamin" Melpo Mene
"Come Rain or Come Shine" Billy Holiday
"Sweet Disposition" Temper Trap
"Back to Manhattan" Norah Jones
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Engineers Without Borders mold Belize trip plans
As the weeks of the semester fall to the wayside, the service project in Belize is shaping up for the Engineers Without Borders. Officers are organizing fundraising, paperwork, room, board and plane ticket arrangements, while members continually contribute helpful ideas to keep the project rolling.
“We need face-time with people, or we can’t get money/have potential to get money,” said International Project Chair, Ben Marts.
The group is planning strategy for fundraising efforts by compiling lists of sponsors that would be helpful and making use of resources for food and coffee stands to raise money inbetween classes.
“We need to start scheduling appointments with the (various engineering) departments,” Marts said.
The official list of EWB members actively planning for the trip is at 12 people.
Other professors have taken interest in the impending trip.
“Dr.( Vasundara V.) Varadan, an EE professor, spoke to me about EWB and she seemed to want to help,” said fundraising chair, Zach Bever. “She spoke of (many things, but especially) drafting a proposal to make this a class that would make it easier to fund.”
Bever seemed to find Varadan as a great advantage because of her beneficial persistence.
“That’s a lot of money potentially from the Honors College, requested from individual students, (not as a group,)” he said.
Members discussed the process, which would include professors signing off and professor sponsorship.
The Belize trip during the summer is already a credited class, so professor and advisor Soerens contributed to the debate.
“Next year is our (the summer class’) fifth year, so our class would have to renew,” he said. “We should make a new (proposal) that’s engineer-specific. It’s hard enough to fund a course that has two weeks on campus and three weeks in Belize.”
If the idea is picked up by the group, the EWB class might be an engineering design class, since many of the Belize projects center on design.
Members are still deciding on a propaganda officer. This person would be the main photographer and write a report about the Belize activities to send to sponsors, post on the website and use for future flyers, fundraisers and other information.
In other news:
EWB will sell t-shirts in the very near future, for both members and non-members.
“I’d really like us to have a shirt to wear when we do stuff (together),” said Jenny Doyle, EWB Secretary.
The ten members attending the regional conference hope to have a common t-shirt secured before the trip on November 12.
If you have a creative and simple idea for a catchy EWB t-shirt, please email Jenny Doyle or Nikki Lorenz at jmdoyle@uark.edu and nlorenz@uark.edu.
Members continue plans for further fundraisers. Look forward to a coffee stand set up in front of Bell near finals week, set up from 8 a.m.- noon.
“We need face-time with people, or we can’t get money/have potential to get money,” said International Project Chair, Ben Marts.
The group is planning strategy for fundraising efforts by compiling lists of sponsors that would be helpful and making use of resources for food and coffee stands to raise money inbetween classes.
“We need to start scheduling appointments with the (various engineering) departments,” Marts said.
The official list of EWB members actively planning for the trip is at 12 people.
Other professors have taken interest in the impending trip.
“Dr.( Vasundara V.) Varadan, an EE professor, spoke to me about EWB and she seemed to want to help,” said fundraising chair, Zach Bever. “She spoke of (many things, but especially) drafting a proposal to make this a class that would make it easier to fund.”
Bever seemed to find Varadan as a great advantage because of her beneficial persistence.
“That’s a lot of money potentially from the Honors College, requested from individual students, (not as a group,)” he said.
Members discussed the process, which would include professors signing off and professor sponsorship.
The Belize trip during the summer is already a credited class, so professor and advisor Soerens contributed to the debate.
“Next year is our (the summer class’) fifth year, so our class would have to renew,” he said. “We should make a new (proposal) that’s engineer-specific. It’s hard enough to fund a course that has two weeks on campus and three weeks in Belize.”
If the idea is picked up by the group, the EWB class might be an engineering design class, since many of the Belize projects center on design.
Members are still deciding on a propaganda officer. This person would be the main photographer and write a report about the Belize activities to send to sponsors, post on the website and use for future flyers, fundraisers and other information.
In other news:
EWB will sell t-shirts in the very near future, for both members and non-members.
“I’d really like us to have a shirt to wear when we do stuff (together),” said Jenny Doyle, EWB Secretary.
The ten members attending the regional conference hope to have a common t-shirt secured before the trip on November 12.
If you have a creative and simple idea for a catchy EWB t-shirt, please email Jenny Doyle or Nikki Lorenz at jmdoyle@uark.edu and nlorenz@uark.edu.
Members continue plans for further fundraisers. Look forward to a coffee stand set up in front of Bell near finals week, set up from 8 a.m.- noon.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
EWB raises $300 for Belize project, finds more tasks
The EWB Bake Sale on Friday earned $275, giving the group hope through a successful first fundraising event and jumpstarting the funding to their service project in Belize.
This week’s Engineers Without Borders meeting was kept short and sweet, giving students a break during one of the busiest times of the semester.
EWB members attending the regional conference (in two weeks) should have paid the registration fees and filled out a form concerning student travelling. If you haven’t filled out the form, go by Dr. Soerens office today or Friday to do so.
If you are one of the three drivers for the event, please watch the driver’s safety video.
The Dallas conference will provide only one meal, a banquet on Saturday, so please prepare to provide for yourself by bringing food or money for food.
EWB Treasurer, Gavin Smith is preparing the EWB budget for the ASG (RSO) budget review on November 1. The meeting is to secure funding for the spring semester.
Other members discussed increasing publicity by reserving space on the departmental advertisement TV.
Local project chair, Sarah Beth Dalby suggested the group join the University volunteer website to effectively track volunteer hours and make use of the listserv to keep service ideas rolling.
The EWB Belize group has even more on their plate than originally planned.
Previously, the to-do list for their five day trip in January was too long to accomplish everything. But now, the area has hurricane damage. The group has much more work than they could handle in a week.
“We made contact last night about a place to stay,” said Ben Marts, International Project Chair.
EWB members going to Belize are organizing fundraising efforts by first inquiring their personal engineering departments. Marts is securing the letterheads, which are available for pickup today and Friday.
Other members will make inquiries to FEP.
The spirit of the group turned bright in the consideration that the College of Engineering is attempting to cover travel costs for the project, which takes place January 10-15, 2011.
This week’s Engineers Without Borders meeting was kept short and sweet, giving students a break during one of the busiest times of the semester.
EWB members attending the regional conference (in two weeks) should have paid the registration fees and filled out a form concerning student travelling. If you haven’t filled out the form, go by Dr. Soerens office today or Friday to do so.
If you are one of the three drivers for the event, please watch the driver’s safety video.
The Dallas conference will provide only one meal, a banquet on Saturday, so please prepare to provide for yourself by bringing food or money for food.
EWB Treasurer, Gavin Smith is preparing the EWB budget for the ASG (RSO) budget review on November 1. The meeting is to secure funding for the spring semester.
Other members discussed increasing publicity by reserving space on the departmental advertisement TV.
Local project chair, Sarah Beth Dalby suggested the group join the University volunteer website to effectively track volunteer hours and make use of the listserv to keep service ideas rolling.
The EWB Belize group has even more on their plate than originally planned.
Previously, the to-do list for their five day trip in January was too long to accomplish everything. But now, the area has hurricane damage. The group has much more work than they could handle in a week.
“We made contact last night about a place to stay,” said Ben Marts, International Project Chair.
EWB members going to Belize are organizing fundraising efforts by first inquiring their personal engineering departments. Marts is securing the letterheads, which are available for pickup today and Friday.
Other members will make inquiries to FEP.
The spirit of the group turned bright in the consideration that the College of Engineering is attempting to cover travel costs for the project, which takes place January 10-15, 2011.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
RSO Highlight: National Society of Black Engineers
October 27, 2010
The National Society of Black Engineers increases the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.
What is it?
One of the largest student-governed organizations in the country, the society offers leadership training, professional development, mentoring opportunities and career placement service, according to the NSBE website.
NSBE president of the UA Chapter, Ben Onukwube joined during his freshman year in August 2007. Even though he had little information about the RSO, he somehow knew it would be the right one.
“I joined because the name sounded really appealing. It sounded like an RSO that was designed for me,” he said.
In those few years, Onukwube reaped the academic and professional benefits of the society. But he found that his favorite thing was seeing other students do the same.
“I enjoy the opportunities given to our members, especially when (the opportunities) are taken advantage of,” he said. “Essentially NSBE has allowed me to see the world—well, at least the country.”
The UA Chapter of NSBE was established in September of 2004 and has 60 members. So far, the chapter has consistently attended regional and national conferences.
Who can join?
Members are not limited by year or experience: freshmen through seniors are all encouraged to join.
Mission
Onukwobe and his officers developed their own mission statement for the chapter: “To serve for the development of culturally aware engineers who pursue and exemplify excellence, strive for success, and continually contribute to the campus and the community.”
“It essentially represents our chapter’s reason for existence,” he said. “Essentially, we strive to provide our members with a feeling of home court advantage.”
Benefits
Partnerships and connections with Emerging Leaders, Center for Leadership and Community Engagement and Engineering Expo enables the society to provide extensive academic and professional training and development.
A current project for the group is a chapter résumé book that will be presented to company reps that speak at the regular NSBE meetings.
“Many of our members have no problems getting internships or full-time positions,” Onukwobe said. “Those who are looking for assistance with graduate school, the executive leadership is very well connected to employers, and…TC (Thomas Carter) does an incredible job of providing us with resources, research experience opportunities, and much more.”
What do I have to do?
NSBE officers expect excellence of members.
Members are expected to attend meetings regularly. The must be a part of volunteer initiatives, community service projects, must maintain a competitive GPA, help fellow members with challenging classes, and spread the word about NSBE.
Onukwobe stressed that the requirements are not only beneficial for the organization, but especially beneficial for the student.
“Members can lose out on a lot of perks of the organization by not actively participating,” he said. “Essentially you get out of this organization what you put into it, and if you participate actively, many, many advantageous doors can be opened for you.”
Events
Annual events include the Welcome Back” recruitment event, various community service events, NSBE regional conference (this year in New Orleans) and the NSBE national conference.
“This year we are making continual community service our main focus so we are working on developing a number of different initiatives: coat drive, can drive and a calculator drive,” Onukwobe said. “We are always thinking of different ways to increase our scope on campus and within the community.”
Officers
Each spring, NSBE members elect the basic officers of an RSO, as well as six additional chair positions that other RSOs might not have. The officers’ responsibilities last for a full year, instead of two semesters.
This year, Pedro Maltos assumes role as vice president; Triest Smart is Treasurer; Justin Wright is Chapter Secretary; Daisha Booth is Academic Chair; Rakiya Tasiu is Community Service Chair; Chase Truttling is Fundraising Chair; Danny Dixon is Pre-College Initiative Chair; Joshua King is Programming Chair and Pedro Maltos is also Public Relations Chair.
Advisors
The main NSBE advisor is Assistant Dean of Student Services and Student Affairs, Thomas Carter, III.
“He’s a big help to our chapter (in) getting things done, communicating with the college, providing available resources, and developing a connection with the students and much more,” Onukwube said.
Bryan Hill, Assistant Dean of the College of Engineering; Emily Williams, Assistant Director of Development Engineering; Evease Tucker, Development Assistant; and a number of other faculty members on campus are also advisors.
Why NSBE is different this year
“This is more of a transitional rebuilding year, so a lot of work is being done to improve our infrastructure, align our goals and programs in order to stably project our chapter into the future.”
The National Society of Black Engineers increases the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.
What is it?
One of the largest student-governed organizations in the country, the society offers leadership training, professional development, mentoring opportunities and career placement service, according to the NSBE website.
NSBE president of the UA Chapter, Ben Onukwube joined during his freshman year in August 2007. Even though he had little information about the RSO, he somehow knew it would be the right one.
“I joined because the name sounded really appealing. It sounded like an RSO that was designed for me,” he said.
In those few years, Onukwube reaped the academic and professional benefits of the society. But he found that his favorite thing was seeing other students do the same.
“I enjoy the opportunities given to our members, especially when (the opportunities) are taken advantage of,” he said. “Essentially NSBE has allowed me to see the world—well, at least the country.”
The UA Chapter of NSBE was established in September of 2004 and has 60 members. So far, the chapter has consistently attended regional and national conferences.
Who can join?
Members are not limited by year or experience: freshmen through seniors are all encouraged to join.
Mission
Onukwobe and his officers developed their own mission statement for the chapter: “To serve for the development of culturally aware engineers who pursue and exemplify excellence, strive for success, and continually contribute to the campus and the community.”
“It essentially represents our chapter’s reason for existence,” he said. “Essentially, we strive to provide our members with a feeling of home court advantage.”
Benefits
Partnerships and connections with Emerging Leaders, Center for Leadership and Community Engagement and Engineering Expo enables the society to provide extensive academic and professional training and development.
A current project for the group is a chapter résumé book that will be presented to company reps that speak at the regular NSBE meetings.
“Many of our members have no problems getting internships or full-time positions,” Onukwobe said. “Those who are looking for assistance with graduate school, the executive leadership is very well connected to employers, and…TC (Thomas Carter) does an incredible job of providing us with resources, research experience opportunities, and much more.”
What do I have to do?
NSBE officers expect excellence of members.
Members are expected to attend meetings regularly. The must be a part of volunteer initiatives, community service projects, must maintain a competitive GPA, help fellow members with challenging classes, and spread the word about NSBE.
Onukwobe stressed that the requirements are not only beneficial for the organization, but especially beneficial for the student.
“Members can lose out on a lot of perks of the organization by not actively participating,” he said. “Essentially you get out of this organization what you put into it, and if you participate actively, many, many advantageous doors can be opened for you.”
Events
Annual events include the Welcome Back” recruitment event, various community service events, NSBE regional conference (this year in New Orleans) and the NSBE national conference.
“This year we are making continual community service our main focus so we are working on developing a number of different initiatives: coat drive, can drive and a calculator drive,” Onukwobe said. “We are always thinking of different ways to increase our scope on campus and within the community.”
Officers
Each spring, NSBE members elect the basic officers of an RSO, as well as six additional chair positions that other RSOs might not have. The officers’ responsibilities last for a full year, instead of two semesters.
This year, Pedro Maltos assumes role as vice president; Triest Smart is Treasurer; Justin Wright is Chapter Secretary; Daisha Booth is Academic Chair; Rakiya Tasiu is Community Service Chair; Chase Truttling is Fundraising Chair; Danny Dixon is Pre-College Initiative Chair; Joshua King is Programming Chair and Pedro Maltos is also Public Relations Chair.
Advisors
The main NSBE advisor is Assistant Dean of Student Services and Student Affairs, Thomas Carter, III.
“He’s a big help to our chapter (in) getting things done, communicating with the college, providing available resources, and developing a connection with the students and much more,” Onukwube said.
Bryan Hill, Assistant Dean of the College of Engineering; Emily Williams, Assistant Director of Development Engineering; Evease Tucker, Development Assistant; and a number of other faculty members on campus are also advisors.
Why NSBE is different this year
“This is more of a transitional rebuilding year, so a lot of work is being done to improve our infrastructure, align our goals and programs in order to stably project our chapter into the future.”
EWB: Bake Sale and Regional Conference In Order
October 20, 2010
Engineers Without Borders had a lot on their plate for this weekly meeting. Local volunteering, trips out of state, plans for future international projects were all hot topics.
Their effort at Make a Difference Day on Saturday resulted in the successful creation of a rain barrel.
Members seem to be looking forward to the group’s next event, a campus bake sale set up at the Union on Friday. Wednesday evening was filled with poster distribution and trips to the grocery store, then today the members are meeting up for a communal bake-and-study-engineering session. The bake sale begins at 8 a.m. on Friday morning. (Skip breakfast and don’t forget your cash!)
The trip to Dallas for the Regional EWB Conference is only three weeks away. Members planning to attend *must* drop by the bake sale or contact Treasurer Gavin Smith today or tomorrow, to pay the registration fee of $35.20 and leave the information listed below so that the group will be officially registered.
Put the registration fee in an envelope and the following information ON the envelope: your First Name, Last Name, name as it would appear on the badge, Company/Organization, Address, City, US State/Canadian Province, Zip (Postal Code), Work Phone, Cell Phone, tee-shirt size and dietary restrictions.
All envelopes should go into a manila envelope at the Bake Sale or into the hands of Gavin Smith.
The $35.20 is higher than the original estimates because “There was only $437.80 in the (EWB) student account,” Smith said.
EWB actively plans more events for the school year, in an attempt to put the RSO funding to good use bringing in valuable speakers, watching educational videos or having a chance for further engineering education outside of the classroom.
ASG makes it possible for each RSO to have three events or trips per year.
The first event is the regional conference, so the discussion of possibilities for the second is hosting an engineer to speak at the university.
“I’ve been in touch with Jaime from UNC about him speaking,” President Nikki Lorenz said. “We haven’t nailed down a specific date, but it looks like…we might have him here after spring break.”
Members discussed another possibility, such as a screening of a particular engineering or science-related movie: something from Modern Marvels or Extreme Engineering.
EWB Advisor, Dr. Soerens suggested probing University Housing for funding as a bright prospect.
Another event possibility is the EWB International Conference on March 24-27 in Louisville, Ky.
“We could have an Engineering Days event- three days full of events, sort of like the Hydrology Days,” Professor Soerens said.
Other members have been to the Hydrology Days and seemed to enjoy it, so the idea was tabbed for later.
The local project with the elementary science club received materials with project ideas, one of which was an Alternative Fuel Project that the group is considering for their lesson.
After a fair amount of confusion about the official status of the UA Chapter—whether it was officially part of the national EWB or not—the group found their name listed as an official chapter.
The dues for official membership are high for a student non-profit, about $500, so the group discussed the advantages of using the official EWB name, which were basically having more accountability (going through processes checking activity or papers) and a resume builder because the official name carries a lot of weight.
EWB members also began contemplating teaming up with other engineering organizations.
Professor Soerens had a Baylor engineering student contact him about collaboration with Engineers with a Mission. “Typically EWB stays away from religious organizations, but they end up working with them anyway because they are all the same people (working on these projects),” he said.
The thoughts on joining up with that particular organization are very tentative, but EWB hopes to find some sort of sister organization.
Engineers Without Borders had a lot on their plate for this weekly meeting. Local volunteering, trips out of state, plans for future international projects were all hot topics.
Their effort at Make a Difference Day on Saturday resulted in the successful creation of a rain barrel.
Members seem to be looking forward to the group’s next event, a campus bake sale set up at the Union on Friday. Wednesday evening was filled with poster distribution and trips to the grocery store, then today the members are meeting up for a communal bake-and-study-engineering session. The bake sale begins at 8 a.m. on Friday morning. (Skip breakfast and don’t forget your cash!)
The trip to Dallas for the Regional EWB Conference is only three weeks away. Members planning to attend *must* drop by the bake sale or contact Treasurer Gavin Smith today or tomorrow, to pay the registration fee of $35.20 and leave the information listed below so that the group will be officially registered.
Put the registration fee in an envelope and the following information ON the envelope: your First Name, Last Name, name as it would appear on the badge, Company/Organization, Address, City, US State/Canadian Province, Zip (Postal Code), Work Phone, Cell Phone, tee-shirt size and dietary restrictions.
All envelopes should go into a manila envelope at the Bake Sale or into the hands of Gavin Smith.
The $35.20 is higher than the original estimates because “There was only $437.80 in the (EWB) student account,” Smith said.
EWB actively plans more events for the school year, in an attempt to put the RSO funding to good use bringing in valuable speakers, watching educational videos or having a chance for further engineering education outside of the classroom.
ASG makes it possible for each RSO to have three events or trips per year.
The first event is the regional conference, so the discussion of possibilities for the second is hosting an engineer to speak at the university.
“I’ve been in touch with Jaime from UNC about him speaking,” President Nikki Lorenz said. “We haven’t nailed down a specific date, but it looks like…we might have him here after spring break.”
Members discussed another possibility, such as a screening of a particular engineering or science-related movie: something from Modern Marvels or Extreme Engineering.
EWB Advisor, Dr. Soerens suggested probing University Housing for funding as a bright prospect.
Another event possibility is the EWB International Conference on March 24-27 in Louisville, Ky.
“We could have an Engineering Days event- three days full of events, sort of like the Hydrology Days,” Professor Soerens said.
Other members have been to the Hydrology Days and seemed to enjoy it, so the idea was tabbed for later.
The local project with the elementary science club received materials with project ideas, one of which was an Alternative Fuel Project that the group is considering for their lesson.
After a fair amount of confusion about the official status of the UA Chapter—whether it was officially part of the national EWB or not—the group found their name listed as an official chapter.
The dues for official membership are high for a student non-profit, about $500, so the group discussed the advantages of using the official EWB name, which were basically having more accountability (going through processes checking activity or papers) and a resume builder because the official name carries a lot of weight.
EWB members also began contemplating teaming up with other engineering organizations.
Professor Soerens had a Baylor engineering student contact him about collaboration with Engineers with a Mission. “Typically EWB stays away from religious organizations, but they end up working with them anyway because they are all the same people (working on these projects),” he said.
The thoughts on joining up with that particular organization are very tentative, but EWB hopes to find some sort of sister organization.
Engineers Without Borders develops service project plans
October 14, 2010
Details are coming into place for fundraising, trips and Make a Difference Day in the Engineers Without Borders meetings.
The EWB Make a Difference Day group has been solidified for Saturday and will be working at Lake Wedington. There are still a few possible projects they will be assigned to: Illinois Watershed on Lake Wedington; giving canoeing lessons; water quality monitoring or geo-caching.
Water quality “is not as glamorous (as giving canoeing lessons), but is still fun,” said Nikki Lorenz, EWB president.
A casual social gathering is planned for 5:30 p.m. this Monday, October 25, at Gusano’s on Wedington. Those attending are welcome to meet in the Bell parking lot at 5 p.m. to carpool.
The Engineers Without Borders benefit Bake Sale is 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on October 22 in front of the Arkansas Union.
Shortly following next Wednesday’s meeting (October 20) members should expect to make a group supply run for baking ingredients. The actual bake-off will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, October 21, at EWB Secretary Jenny Doyle’s house.
Members attending the EWB Regional Conference on November 12-14 in Dallas should be expected to pay 14 dollars and an additional sum for gas; an approximate total of 35 dollars. So far, the final count for the trip is 10 members, but if you’re going and haven’t contacted officers, do so as soon as possible.
A few EWB members are actively researching various approaches to fundraising.
Lorenz called a few members to meet with a professor, who advised delaying the requests for company donations and instead focus on Honors College and other department funding.
Other members are working on creating a promotion letter. One member spoke to Chik-fil-A employees about the Thursday donations. Essentially, the group can post a flyer and if the customer decides to donate, then 10 percent of the order total goes to EWB. Since the offer is available only once a week, Chik-fil-A is booked until January, so EWB officers are reserving a donation Thursday for January 2011.
In the future, there will be a coordination meeting for EWB members that are most interested in being fundraising representatives for the team.
The dates and trip cost for the first Belize trip (during winter break) have been solidified.
The expected travel dates are January 10-15, with a cost of $1400 per person. Below is the approximate break down of that cost: $50/person for gas (the group will have a bus to use in Belize), $100 trip to island; $600-800 plane ticket; $150 travel insurance; $200ish for supplies.
For more information, there is a Belize Trip Meeting at 5 p.m. today (October 14) in the Civil Engineering Lounge. If you’re planning to make this trip, you must either attend the meeting or email the International Project Chair, Ben Marts at bmarts@uark.edu.
Other service project ideas were brought to the table:
President Lorenz has a list of engineering projects (mostly concerning sustainability and water quality) to teach and engage elementary students in. The science club at Leverett Elementary School meets on Thursdays from 3-4:30 p.m. and is very enthusiastic about EWB involvement.
For starters, Lorenz said, “We could go and build a water filter to explain how it works and what it does.” Basically, the students could observe the making of the filter and the water at different quality levels.
The Stream Team has a stream cleanup session starting near Wilson Park on Scull Creek set for this Saturday, October 23.
Members are also considering bringing a speaker to the University this semester. Ken Breckinridge , Jimmy Bantchren, and the founder of the UA chapter of EWB, Julie Jones were all suggested. The final choices is yet to be decided.
Secretary Doyle raised a question of participation in the Alternative Holiday Gift Fair in the Union this winter. Professor Soerens suggested having people donate money in someone’s name, to enable EWB to buy supplies, such as pipes, for the Belize projects.
If you have other alternative gift ideas that would be relevant to EWB, bring them to the next meeting on October 20 or email an officer (nlorenz@uark.edu).
Details are coming into place for fundraising, trips and Make a Difference Day in the Engineers Without Borders meetings.
The EWB Make a Difference Day group has been solidified for Saturday and will be working at Lake Wedington. There are still a few possible projects they will be assigned to: Illinois Watershed on Lake Wedington; giving canoeing lessons; water quality monitoring or geo-caching.
Water quality “is not as glamorous (as giving canoeing lessons), but is still fun,” said Nikki Lorenz, EWB president.
A casual social gathering is planned for 5:30 p.m. this Monday, October 25, at Gusano’s on Wedington. Those attending are welcome to meet in the Bell parking lot at 5 p.m. to carpool.
The Engineers Without Borders benefit Bake Sale is 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on October 22 in front of the Arkansas Union.
Shortly following next Wednesday’s meeting (October 20) members should expect to make a group supply run for baking ingredients. The actual bake-off will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, October 21, at EWB Secretary Jenny Doyle’s house.
Members attending the EWB Regional Conference on November 12-14 in Dallas should be expected to pay 14 dollars and an additional sum for gas; an approximate total of 35 dollars. So far, the final count for the trip is 10 members, but if you’re going and haven’t contacted officers, do so as soon as possible.
A few EWB members are actively researching various approaches to fundraising.
Lorenz called a few members to meet with a professor, who advised delaying the requests for company donations and instead focus on Honors College and other department funding.
Other members are working on creating a promotion letter. One member spoke to Chik-fil-A employees about the Thursday donations. Essentially, the group can post a flyer and if the customer decides to donate, then 10 percent of the order total goes to EWB. Since the offer is available only once a week, Chik-fil-A is booked until January, so EWB officers are reserving a donation Thursday for January 2011.
In the future, there will be a coordination meeting for EWB members that are most interested in being fundraising representatives for the team.
The dates and trip cost for the first Belize trip (during winter break) have been solidified.
The expected travel dates are January 10-15, with a cost of $1400 per person. Below is the approximate break down of that cost: $50/person for gas (the group will have a bus to use in Belize), $100 trip to island; $600-800 plane ticket; $150 travel insurance; $200ish for supplies.
For more information, there is a Belize Trip Meeting at 5 p.m. today (October 14) in the Civil Engineering Lounge. If you’re planning to make this trip, you must either attend the meeting or email the International Project Chair, Ben Marts at bmarts@uark.edu.
Other service project ideas were brought to the table:
President Lorenz has a list of engineering projects (mostly concerning sustainability and water quality) to teach and engage elementary students in. The science club at Leverett Elementary School meets on Thursdays from 3-4:30 p.m. and is very enthusiastic about EWB involvement.
For starters, Lorenz said, “We could go and build a water filter to explain how it works and what it does.” Basically, the students could observe the making of the filter and the water at different quality levels.
The Stream Team has a stream cleanup session starting near Wilson Park on Scull Creek set for this Saturday, October 23.
Members are also considering bringing a speaker to the University this semester. Ken Breckinridge , Jimmy Bantchren, and the founder of the UA chapter of EWB, Julie Jones were all suggested. The final choices is yet to be decided.
Secretary Doyle raised a question of participation in the Alternative Holiday Gift Fair in the Union this winter. Professor Soerens suggested having people donate money in someone’s name, to enable EWB to buy supplies, such as pipes, for the Belize projects.
If you have other alternative gift ideas that would be relevant to EWB, bring them to the next meeting on October 20 or email an officer (nlorenz@uark.edu).
American Ecological Engineering Society
October 13, 2010
The American Ecological Engineering Society is a team made mostly of biological engineering students that aims to educate the community about minimizing impact on the local environment.
The society promotes environmental stewardship and prepares ecological engineering student body for life after the undergraduate degree, according to the RSO website.
"My favorite thing about the organization is that it's fun. It's fun just to get together informally and be active for the community," said American Ecological Engineering Society president, Katy Rutledge. "Most of the time, we're in huge auditoriums with no opportunities to get to know the people around us. It's a good excuse to hang out with people in a different environment."
Who can join?You don't have to be an engineering student, or even a biological engineering student to join the AEES.
“Anyone can join our organization,” Rutledge said. “We have a sophomore interior design major and a nursing student that are in the society.”
The society coordinates closely with the Biological Engineering Group, so most AEES members are biological engineers. Even still, Rutledge is not an ecological engineer and the Carnival of Clubs attracted the attention of a variety of majors to the society. “That got more people interested (in us),” she said.
What do I have to do? There are no membership requirements and no membership fee. Members are encouraged to attend meetings and volunteer for the community.
American Ecological Engineering Society meets and volunteers actively. Unlike other student organizations, members are not required to participate in a certain amount of events; there are no penalties for not being involved, but participation is encouraged.
Rutledge said the main focus is simple: to leave minimal impact on the environment and educate the community.
Events and projectsThe local chapter of the society has two big service projects each year and this time the society is planning a trail cleanup at 2 p.m. on October 24, as one event.
“We want to see more people conserving natural resources,” Rutledge said.
AEES plans a watershed education day in partnership with IRWP because, Rutledge said, cleaning up local lakes is a good way for public to realize their own impact on the environment. Last year’s watershed day was mostly canoeing the lake and taking water samples.
“A lot of people don’t realize the impact of even just building a parking lot,” she said. “That affects the way the water runs off.”
So far, the organization hasn’t teamed up with ASG Vice President Billy Fleming’s Paperless Campus Initiative campaign, but Rutledge seemed interested in moving the society that direction.
AEES also plans more active recycling on campus, especially during (home) football games.
OfficersNathan Holeman is Vice President of the society; Evan Childress is secretary and Clark Trapp is the AEES Program Chair.
Rutledge explained that these officers are mostly juniors and seniors, because freshmen and sophomores are typically more hesitant to get involved.
Among the more unique officer positions is AEES treasurer, Jacob Taylor.
“He handles the RSO funding that we receive from ASG and coordinates the funds from the department, which we use for food during the meetings and for travel expenses,” Rutledge said.
Rutledge said the unique thing about leadership in the American Ecological Engineering Society is that the responsibility is not set, not completely based on which chair you hold because the officers are friends.
“We do have a service outreach chair. He is supposed to organize our events, but…me and (Nathan) the VP do it, too,” she said. “We’re all friends, so it’s kind of hard to make each other do what we’re supposed to do.”
Advisers“We have a few professors help us out,” Rutledge said. “Dr. Osborne is there (at meetings), Dr. Griffis likes to stand in, and sometimes Dr. Verma, the department head.”
Also, 2009 AEES president, Zak Johnson continues to lend a hand to the officers of the society.
Later this year, AEES hopes to bring a lecture weighing the benefits of grad school comparitively with entering the workforce.
What can I do?
Rutledge encourages Fayetteville residents to do as much as you can to reduce environmental impact, no matter how small the task seems.
She suggested composting and making rain barrels as beneficial activities.
“Walk, bike or carpool. Those are some of the easiest things you can do, with our trails around here,” she said.
One thing you can easily do but might not know about:
“There are a lot of chemicals in drinking water, which are hard to filter out,” Rutledge said. “What doesn’t help this is (what is harmful is) people flushing old or unwanted prescriptions down the toilet or drain.”
Instead, she suggests either sending or dropping off your unwanted prescriptions at Walgreens. There, a service, which costs only two dollars, will dispose of these prescriptions in a more environmentally safe manner.
The American Ecological Engineering Society is a team made mostly of biological engineering students that aims to educate the community about minimizing impact on the local environment.
The society promotes environmental stewardship and prepares ecological engineering student body for life after the undergraduate degree, according to the RSO website.
"My favorite thing about the organization is that it's fun. It's fun just to get together informally and be active for the community," said American Ecological Engineering Society president, Katy Rutledge. "Most of the time, we're in huge auditoriums with no opportunities to get to know the people around us. It's a good excuse to hang out with people in a different environment."
Who can join?You don't have to be an engineering student, or even a biological engineering student to join the AEES.
“Anyone can join our organization,” Rutledge said. “We have a sophomore interior design major and a nursing student that are in the society.”
The society coordinates closely with the Biological Engineering Group, so most AEES members are biological engineers. Even still, Rutledge is not an ecological engineer and the Carnival of Clubs attracted the attention of a variety of majors to the society. “That got more people interested (in us),” she said.
What do I have to do? There are no membership requirements and no membership fee. Members are encouraged to attend meetings and volunteer for the community.
American Ecological Engineering Society meets and volunteers actively. Unlike other student organizations, members are not required to participate in a certain amount of events; there are no penalties for not being involved, but participation is encouraged.
Rutledge said the main focus is simple: to leave minimal impact on the environment and educate the community.
Events and projectsThe local chapter of the society has two big service projects each year and this time the society is planning a trail cleanup at 2 p.m. on October 24, as one event.
“We want to see more people conserving natural resources,” Rutledge said.
AEES plans a watershed education day in partnership with IRWP because, Rutledge said, cleaning up local lakes is a good way for public to realize their own impact on the environment. Last year’s watershed day was mostly canoeing the lake and taking water samples.
“A lot of people don’t realize the impact of even just building a parking lot,” she said. “That affects the way the water runs off.”
So far, the organization hasn’t teamed up with ASG Vice President Billy Fleming’s Paperless Campus Initiative campaign, but Rutledge seemed interested in moving the society that direction.
AEES also plans more active recycling on campus, especially during (home) football games.
OfficersNathan Holeman is Vice President of the society; Evan Childress is secretary and Clark Trapp is the AEES Program Chair.
Rutledge explained that these officers are mostly juniors and seniors, because freshmen and sophomores are typically more hesitant to get involved.
Among the more unique officer positions is AEES treasurer, Jacob Taylor.
“He handles the RSO funding that we receive from ASG and coordinates the funds from the department, which we use for food during the meetings and for travel expenses,” Rutledge said.
Rutledge said the unique thing about leadership in the American Ecological Engineering Society is that the responsibility is not set, not completely based on which chair you hold because the officers are friends.
“We do have a service outreach chair. He is supposed to organize our events, but…me and (Nathan) the VP do it, too,” she said. “We’re all friends, so it’s kind of hard to make each other do what we’re supposed to do.”
Advisers“We have a few professors help us out,” Rutledge said. “Dr. Osborne is there (at meetings), Dr. Griffis likes to stand in, and sometimes Dr. Verma, the department head.”
Also, 2009 AEES president, Zak Johnson continues to lend a hand to the officers of the society.
Later this year, AEES hopes to bring a lecture weighing the benefits of grad school comparitively with entering the workforce.
What can I do?
Rutledge encourages Fayetteville residents to do as much as you can to reduce environmental impact, no matter how small the task seems.
She suggested composting and making rain barrels as beneficial activities.
“Walk, bike or carpool. Those are some of the easiest things you can do, with our trails around here,” she said.
One thing you can easily do but might not know about:
“There are a lot of chemicals in drinking water, which are hard to filter out,” Rutledge said. “What doesn’t help this is (what is harmful is) people flushing old or unwanted prescriptions down the toilet or drain.”
Instead, she suggests either sending or dropping off your unwanted prescriptions at Walgreens. There, a service, which costs only two dollars, will dispose of these prescriptions in a more environmentally safe manner.
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