Brittany Thurgood Spotlight

BENNION CENTER 2013-2014 SPOTLIGHT

Brittany Thurgood: Arts For Youth

                                                          

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Do something you love and you won’t have to go to work. 

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?

A country song.

Do you have a recurring dream? If so what is it?

I don't have any recurring dreams. However, I still remember a recurring nightmare I had when I was a child. I was in a grocery store hiding in an ice freezer from a monster. I had this same nightmare because I was always alone in the freezer and I would wake up just as the shadow of the monster is about to open the freezer door.

What is your  biggest pet peeve?

People who are rude to others and themselves. I really can't stand being around that type of negativity

What are the 5 things you cannot live without?

Family, Friends, God, Food, and Books.

What has been the happiest moment of your life so far?

Seeing people I haven't seen in a long time. 1. When I moved to Utah and was able to spend holidays with my family. 2. Visiting my old friends in different states

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Still in school. Hopefully in medical school.

Isaiah Johnson Spotlight

BENNION CENTER 2013-2014 SPOTLIGHT

Isaiah Johnson: Freshman Service Corps

                                                      

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Stay happy.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?

The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Song)

What is your biggest pet peeve?

When people chew with their mouth open.

Do you have a recurring dream? If so, what is it?

Help the world and alleviate homelessness.

What has been the happiest moment of your life so far?

My mom’s wedding.

What are the 5 things you cannot live without?

Guitar, food, social life, my water bottle, my family.

What would your perfect date consist of?

Bringing them flowers, having a fancy dinner, taking a trip to the moon, and a goodnight kiss.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

With my masters in social work doing what I want to do.

A Look into the Alternative Breaks Process

Alternative Breaks

Working Alongside Communities. Building U.

The Alternative Breaks (AB) program is a unique chance for not only students but staff to become more involved at the University of Utah. For students, this program offers direct, hands on service, education, and leadership opportunities, while staff have the chance to become a mentor to a student leader.

Prospective student site leaders are interviewed when they come back from their AB trip and shortly after are matched with a social issue focus and location. From then on out until the week of the break they are planning what volunteer organizations they will be working with, where they will stay once they arrive on location, and how they will effectively lead the rest of the student participants through an unforgettable (for some, life changing) experience.

Staff partners who are interested in this mentorship are interviewed throughout early summer and selected based on their enthusiasm to support a student for six months to a whole year. Once staff partners are selected they start attending bi-monthly meetings with student site leaders by mid-summer or September. This allows them to get an idea of what the AB program is about and who they potentially want to work with for the coming year.

Student site leaders and staff partners at the fall 2013 retreat.

By mid-summer or late September, student site leaders and staff partners are required to attend an overnight retreat. At this retreat student site leaders and staff partners are presented with extensive diversity and safe zone trainings. This experience readies them for the group of undetermined student participants that will be placed on their trip in late August or early December. The retreat also serves as a crucial time for staff partners and site leaders to get to know each other and ultimately figure out who they want to collaborate with.

After the retreat is over, the administration team (comprised of a student chair and co-chair, and two full time AB staff members) deliberates to match student and staff depending on who they mentioned as having bonded with the most so far. As soon as this is achieved, the student site leader and staff partner hit the ground running! They begin contacting volunteer agencies, figuring out lodging logistics, finding educational opportunities around their social issue focus, contacting guest speakers, and planning fun get to know you events, all for the student participants to experience.

About a month or two before fall or spring break rolls around the site leader and staff partner have put in a significant amount of planning and are ready to meet their participants. Up to three pre-trip meetings are organized by the student site leader and staff partner before departing. These meetings are required for participants to attend since they are oriented to what the AB experience is all about and the social issue focus they will be working with.

On departure day you can feel everyone’s energy and excitement. The fact that AB trips drive to every location is a perfect chance for everyone to start really getting to know each other.

-Stephanie Cooper, ASB Site Leader and Student Board Member

Building doors instead of holding signs

For the past year the fossil fuels divestment campaigns started to spread across the country. Today there are over 100 cities and states, 300 colleges and 10 other institutions with campaigns that aim to freeze fossil fuels investments and divest from direct ownership that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds within 5 years.

The national organization behind the divestment campaign is 350.org. It was founded in 2008 by U.S author Bill McKibben, who wrote one of the firsts books about climate change to the general public. “350” stands for 350 parts per million (ppm) which according to scientists is the safe upper limit for CO2 in the atmosphere to keep temperature rise below 2 °C and ease the effects of global warming. With thousands of volunteer organizers in over 188 countries, 350 is building a global grassroots movement to solve climate change.

The popularity of the divestment movement inspired the organizers to partner up with several local organizations across the country during the summer to provide fellowships for 38 student divestment activists of over 30 different colleges and universities. The primary goals of this brand new program are to build bridges across the movement and increase the student’s organizing skills.

I got involved working on the divestment campaign at the University of Utah with several other students. When I heard about this fellowship opportunity, I applied right away. I thought it would be a great way to fill the gap between being an active student in the university and becoming a more active citizen in the community. I was so excited to be selected but also surprised to be the only student from the Northwest of the country to be in that group.

The fellowship kick-off was a week-long training early in June at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. It was over 60 hours of strategy, planning, organizing, action, media and non-violent direct action (NVDA) training. We were also taught thoroughly about the stages of social movement, SMART goals, recruitment and retention. The week was well structured and provided a good foundation for us to work during the summer. It gave us the valuable experience of meeting new people and making connections, and knowing that although we come from different places and backgrounds we have the same objectives and we’re not working by ourselves.

One of the parts that struck to me the most and was a good way to start the week was to getting to know the problems and how people reacted to them or the difference between truth and meaning. Instead of pushing the truth to people we have to meet them where they’re at and approach by what the truth means to them. I particularly appreciated the leadership training and getting to know your skills as a leader and the kinds of qualities that are essential to be successful in this role. Becoming a good leader includes being humble, a good listener and leading by example but also teaching. Let’s build doors, create opportunities, invite and empower people instead of simply holding signs and making noise.

I’m excited to work this summer as the Volunteer Coordinator for Peaceful Uprising. They do a wonderful job in Utah advocating for climate and social justice and their main campaign starting right now is to stop tar sands mining in the U.S. I’m grateful to be able to extend the experience and skills I developed working as a student leader at the Bennion Center for the past 4 and a half years and I know that I wouldn't be as involved in the community or even selected for this fellowship if it weren't for the opportunities I had here.

- Tammy Reque, Social Justice Coordinator

Edible Campus Gardens

About the Gardens

The Edible Campus Gardens are managed by the Office of Sustainability as outdoor laboratories for a variety of academic courses. They serve as demonstration gardens to showcase the beauty and diversity of edible landscaping in an urban setting. Additionally, the gardens provide service opportunities for student volunteers from the Bennion Center and others, as well as K12 youth education programs.

Dr. Fred Montague, professor of biology (now retired), founded the first campus edible garden at the Sill Center in 1996 as an outdoor laboratory for his courses. In 2002, he established a second garden site east of Pioneer Memorial Theater. The Pioneer Garden was greatly expanded in 2011 and again in 2012 when students successfully proposed more gardens instead of lawns after utilities construction work in the area dug up the existing turf.

When Dr. Montague retired in 2010 the Office of Sustainability assumed primary oversight. Sustainability Coordinator Jen Colby serves as gardens project advisor.  A handful of stalwart interns and coordinators have served throughout time as vital garden crew members.

Four-Season Gardening

The gardens have been designed to maximize diversity and growing space using raised bed techniques. Dr. Montague describes this method in an article in Catalyst Magazine

and in his beautiful, hand-lettered and illustrated book, Ecological Principles of Organic Gardening.

Although summer and fall are the height of the growing season, the gardens project is active year-round. The winter months are times for garden planning, seed starting in the Biology Department greenhouses, composting, and even some outdoor gardening. Students have been experimenting with season extenders such as row covers and low hoops to protect cold-hardy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and fava beans, as well as cover crops for soil conditioning and erosion control.

Summer brings a bounty of classic warm-weather crops such as beans, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, and basil. Most varieties are heirlooms, and students experiment with different ones to see which do best at each site.

Produce grown in the gardens is sold seasonally at a student-run market stand. From July to mid-August, the stand is open Fridays at the Pioneer Garden site. Once theUniversity of Utah Farmers Market opens, the stand moves to Thursdays at Tanner Plaza. Some items are also sold to Chartwells, the campus dining service. All proceeds directly support the gardens. Vegetables are also donated to local charities, the Social Soup Lecture Series, and enjoyed by students and volunteers.

Students working in the gardens

How You Can Get Involved

The Edible Campus Gardens survive and thrive because of a dedicated crew of student and community volunteers. Volunteers are welcome year-round for a wide variety of projects, such as:

• planning and design;
• greenhouse work - seed starting and propagation;
• gardening;
• harvesting;
• helping at the Farmers Market booth;
• outreach and education - including tours for youth from local schools;
• planning and hosting events like the Fall Harvest Soiree; and
• enjoying the vegetables and fruits we grow!

We host both one-time projects and ongoing long-term efforts. Skilled gardeners are particularly welcome for some projects. No gardening experience is necessary, though.

The Bennion Center hosts the official Edible Campus Gardens Student Group. To get involved in the gardens, please fill out the Volunteer Interest Form.  The gardens are listed under Environmental Stewardship.

For more information you may also email the program advisor Jen Colby at the Office of Sustainability, or call 801-585-9352.

Like and follow University of Utah Edible Campus Gardens on Facebook to keep up with the latest projects, opportunities, and garden news.

We also encourage people to get involved in other ways.

• Take a class (click on the academic opportunities tab on this page)
• Shop at the produce stand at the U of U Farmers Market
• Donate to the project.

  

  Bradley DeHerrera, Campus Gardens PD

Gardens as Living Laboratories and Outdoor Classrooms

Do you want to learn how to grow your own food? Are you interested in the science of gardening? Or perhaps how gardens can serve as spaces for community building, artistic expression, and health? Consider taking a course!

The Sill and Pioneer Gardens serve as outdoor classrooms for the Department of Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Continuing Education, Biology, and more. 

A sample of current academic classes includes:

ENVST 3280, Organic Gardening, Summer Semester (cross-listed as ENVST 328 through Continuing Education)

BIOL 3460, Global Environmental Issues, Spring Semester (cross-listed as ENVST 3460)

AOCE Lifelong Learning 529, Vegetable Gardening Basics

Katie Sikkema harvesting beans

-Bradley DeHerrera, Campus Gardens Program Director

Alternative Breaks

Before spring break this year, I never thought I could love the Bennion Center any more than I already did. Then, I went on my very first Alternative Spring Break (ASB). It was honestly one of the best weeks of my life! Alternative Breaks are run through the Bennion Center, in partnership with the Center for Student Wellness. In the past, the majority of the trips were over spring break. Now, the program is expanding to a few trips over fall break as well. Alternative Breaks are the perfect combination of service, education, friendships, and fun!

The ASB trip I went on was in Seattle, WA. Each trip has a different focus, and ours was hunger and homelessness. We visited 2-3 different organizations each day, most of which included homeless resource centers and food banks. We were able to provide direct service, such as cleaning rooms and serving food, but we also received a lot of education about what each organization was doing to alleviate hunger and/or homelessness. This trip served as a great reminder of why I became involved in service in the first place. If you are not currently involved in service, these trips will inspire you to start!

Top ten reasons to go on an ASB trip next year:

10. Free t-shirt! All participants get an awesome t-shirt.

9.  When people ask you what you did over your break, you’ll actually have something great to tell them! Plus, you will look like such a good person when you mentioned that you spent most of your break doing service work.

8. Photos! Lots of new friends and sightseeing= lots of picture-taking. You may even get a few entertaining dance videos out of your trip.

7. The trips are relatively cheap compared to what you would normally spend on a vacation. Plus, there is often scholarship money available that will cut the cost down even more!

6. Road trip! Bring good music and some sweet dance moves.

5. Sight-seeing: Although service is a large component of the trip, there is plenty of time for seeing the city and shopping for souvenirs.

4. Networking: If you are particularly interested in the issue that your trip focuses on, you will learn a lot more about some of the organizations you could work with in the future.

3. Meet amazing people: Your staff partner, site leader, and fellow ASB participants will all be great people who are invested in service! Also, the community members you meet at the organizations you serve at will blow your mind.

2. Friendships and bonding: I was really surprised and amazed at how close I became to my ASB Seattle group after only one week. There is something about doing service together that brings people so much closer than they would be otherwise. There was a lot of love, laughter, and life in our group, and I am sure we will be friends for a long time!

1. Service! Volunteering is always great, but being able to participate in service while being in another city and making new friends makes it even better! You will be helping others, but you will also be learning a lot about yourself. It’s a win-win situation.

-Alice Ma, ASB Seattle ‘13 participant

 

Visit our website for more information on Alternative Breaks. Fall 2013 info coming soon.