North Carolina State University ‘Bottleless’ Events Photo courtesy of TJ Willis

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orth Carolina State University went “bottleless” at two of its large welcome week events with more than 3,000 in attendance. According to Assistant Director of Campus Activities TJ Willis, the university would have purchased thousands of water bottles to keep those in attendance hydrated. Instead, 5,000 recyclable water bottles and compostable cups were used. Students were then able to refill their water bottles from water purification trucks. At Rec Fest, which had around 3,300 in attendance, the trucks dispensed about 185 gallons of water, Willis said; this replaced around 1,975 disposable 12-ounce water bottles. At the second event featuring the purification trucks, 275 gallons of water was dispensed to 5,500 people, saving around 2,930 12-ounce disposable water bottles from being tossed, Willis said.

University of Notre Dame Hydration Station

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Photo courtesy of Ryan Willerton

n August 2009, the University of Notre Dame installed a hydration station in place of an old water fountain in the LaFortune Student Center. “Our first floor water fountain was becoming a headache to maintain—the access panel wouldn’t stay on, the motor rattled, and the water flow was erratic,” said Ryan Willerton, director of student activities facilities. The union partnered with the Office of Sustainability to help pay for the new hydration station. For those looking to do the same, Willerton suggests offering access to disposable cups for those on campus, such as visitors, who do not have a water bottle.

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Western Washington University SCUBA Lessons

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he Outdoor Center at Western Washington University will start offering SCUBA lessons this year for the first time in 35 years. According to Viking Union Director Jim Schuster, students will be able to receive an open water lifetime certification and can either bring their own gear or rent it from the vendor.

University of Notre Dame Freshmen Hometowns

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Photo courtesy of Ryan Willerton

ear one of the entrances to the LaFourtune Student Center at Notre Dame, two maps were placed—one of the United States, the other of the world. Each incoming freshman’s hometown is marked on one of these maps. Additionally, a framed list of all the hometowns is hung beside the maps. No names are used to protect privacy. The hometowns are marked with pins; these pins are color coded according to the number of students from an individual town. Ryan Willerton, director of student activities facilities, said that the maps will be updated with each incoming class of freshmen.

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Fort Hays State University Helium Balloon Service

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his year, the Memorial Union at Fort Hays State University started providing a new balloon service from the Student Service Center called Union Balloonery. Students, faculty, and staff are able to order balloon bouquets or individual balloons. The Union Balloonery offers both 12-inch latex balloons for $0.75 and 18-inch Mylar balloons for $2. Director Bill Smirga said that the balloons can be solid colors or feature messages such as “Happy Birthday” or “Thank You.”

California State University–Northridge Leadership Course

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he University Student Union at California State University– Northridge made it a strategic priority in this academic year to offer programs that build a relationship between the student and the university and that enhance students’ capacity for academic and personal achievement. This was done through a leadership-based course called “Adventure Recreation.” Taught by Associate Director of Marketing and Programs Shannon Krajewski, the course focused on student development theories, taught students how to help peers build leadership skills, and urged students to think beyond themselves. According to Krajewski, the class was a success, with all 13 participants giving it high marks. The union is planning to offer this course again next year as it “offered us the opportunity to work with and within an academic department,” she said.

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Iowa State University Fresh Fotos: My First-Year Experience

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t Iowa State University, freshmen have the chance to show life from their point-of-view. The Fresh Fotos program allows freshmen to document their lives through photography. This past year, 11 students participated, and their photos were displayed at an exhibit in the Memorial Union Gallery from Sept. 11–Oct. 11. Program Coordinator Jennifer Garrett told the university News Wire that the main purpose of this activity is to provide a connection between the student and the institution right away: “The photos show common, everyday experiences of what it is really like to be a student here,” she said. The student’s that participated enjoyed their experience. “I learned that every college student’s first-year experiences have vast differences, yet are amazingly similar,” student Chelsee Rothmiller told the News Wire. This year, 12 students were selected from 133 entrants to participate.

University of Oregon Energy-Generating Elliptical Machines

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niversity of Oregon students are giving back with their exercise practices. More than a dozen fitness machines at the university’s Student Recreation Center now take the energy produced while a student is exercising and feed it back into the grid. According to The Register-Guard, a half-hour workout would result in enough energy to power a laptop for about an hour. This energy is fed back into the Recreation Center’s electrical supply, lowering its overall use. “I think this is an exciting way to get people who ordinarily aren’t interested in environmental issues to see how easy it is to incorporate sustainability into their daily lives,” student Wen Lee told the paper.

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Northern Illinois University Cell Phone Charging Station

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orthern Illinois University students no longer have to carry a cell phone charger with them on campus or go with a dead phone for an entire day. A new service at the Holmes Student Center allows students to charge their phones quickly, ensuring it will last through the day. According to NorthernStar Newspaper, this service comes at no cost to students, and the station offers the most commonly used charging devices.

Rutgers University Prescription Drug Disposal

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n November, the Graduate Lounge and Student Center at Rutgers University hosted a prescription drug drop-off. The Rutgers University Police Department collected unused, unwanted, or expired medication for safe disposal as part of New Jersey’s statewide project— the first in the nation. In all, 250 police departments took part in the program, according to the university website.

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University of Fraser Valley Emergency Grants

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n the down economy, many college students are struggling to find the funds to pay for tuition, rent, and other expenses. The University of Fraser Valley is trying to help its students. Shortly before the end of the year, the university’s Student Union Society Board voted to offer $12,500 in emergency student grants. This will be matched by the provincial government, resulting in a biannual donation of $25,000 to students in need, according to AbbyNews.com.

University of Central Florida Campus Food Bank

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new program at the University of Central Florida is helping a perhaps unexpected group keep food on their tables—college students. Knights Helping Knights is assisting college students who are finding it hard to purchase everyday items, such as food, shampoo, and beverages. The organization’s pantry is open a few days a week, and there is no limit to how much any student can take; it is run on an honor system so those students feel comfortable. Project Student Director Sarah Maton told UCF Today, “We didn’t want anyone’s education to get pushed aside due to financial concerns. We created Knights Helping Knights in order to take some of the burden off their shoulders so students could focus on paying for their tuition and succeeding in school.”

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Colorado State University Free Book Fair

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olorado State University students with children were able to find some new books for their kids, free of charge. Faculty and staff donated new and gently used books, and in December, a book fair at the Lory Student Center allowed parents to come in and choose two books per child.

Appalachian State University Solar Thermal Water Heating System

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lemmons Student Union at Appalachian State University features a brand new solar thermal water heating system thanks to the Renewable Energy Initiative, a student group. The new heating system provides water for restaurants, locker rooms, and restrooms.

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University of Maryland–College Park Pornographic Movies

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hen a screening of a controversial film was held at the University of Maryland–College Park, legislators considered denying the university funding; instead, they requested that the University System of Maryland create policy regarding the screening of such films. This policy would allow campus administrators to require films shown for entertainment purposes to provide an education program. Students at the university are joining forces against such a policy and have started a statewide coalition of students and faculty. In the coming months, the group will be meeting with the Board of Regents and state legislators.

University of Akron Ice and Vegetable Carving

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t the University of Akron, Ice Fest 2010 not only featured an ice-carving competition, but also a vegetable carving one. Outside the Student Union, several current students as well an alumnus and a professional ice carver worked on joint pieces, and three expert ice carvers competed in a speed carving challenge, according to the HudsonHubTimes.com. Inside, culinary students demonstrated a variety of vegetable carving techniques.

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Clarkson University Green Building Blocks

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he new Clarkson University Student Center features a unique product—locally produced concrete blocks that are more economical, energyefficient, and environmentally friendly than traditional ones, according to Clarkson University News. The concrete blocks are the result of a local company’s desire to find a use for an unneeded byproduct and Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering Professor Narayanan Neithalath’s interest. Working with two undergraduate students and two graduate students, Neithalath was able to create this new concrete to be used in the construction of the new union.

Chalmers University Beer Pipeline

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tudents of Chalmers University, located in Sweden, held a semi-serious protest at a local brewery. The students were carrying on a tradition from 1959, when the university’s union bought a share of the brewery and an agreement was made that a pipeline would be built to the union to supply beer to the students. However, only about six feet of the 62-mile pipeline was ever constructed. After the protest, a spokesmen from the brewery said that they would start construction on an additional one-meter section of the pipeline, according to Official Wire.com.

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University of Minnesota–Duluth New Games Room

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ecently, Kirby Underground, the games room at the University of Minnesota–Duluth, received a facelift—and they took the games room to the next level. Seventeen new televisions are available for students to watch movies and play consolebased gaming systems. Each screen is hooked up to at least one game console as the room boasts 17 X-Boxes, eight Wiis, and eight PlayStations, reports The Statesman, the university newspaper. Those interested in gaming just pay a small fee (around $1 for 15 minutes of play). Also, a retail store located in Kirby Underground offers a place for students to buy, sell, and trade video games and gaming equipment. Director Corbin Smyth is excited about the newly renovated space and believes the concept used at his university could be applied on other campuses as well.

University of South Florida Digital Signage

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etting the message out has always been a struggle for programs and services on college campuses. So how do you get the attention of students in a way that doesn’t hassle them or isn’t an eyesore? Many unions are turning to digital signage. At the University of South Florida, capturing students’ attention has taken on a new look with 19 screens that run four different types of information—campus events, student organization information, building calendar, and promoting school spirit. The digital signage also provides another place for communication in case of an emergency. Whether its hurricane information, fire alarm information, terror threats, or safety issues, the screens can switch to “emergency mode” by computer or from a handheld device that is carried by staff. The screens have been such a great success that the Marshall Student Center staff is already being asked to expand the system to other buildings on campus.

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Photo by Luiz Zapata; copyright NCSU Student Media

North Carolina State University Tuckered Out: Lessons Learned from Campus Controversy Submitted by Deb Luckadoo & Rick Gardner

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n August 2009, North Carolina State University’s Union Activities Board (UAB) Films Committee hosted an advance screening of Tucker Max’s film, “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.” As part of the event, Tucker Max, the writer of the book on which the movie was based (featuring Tucker Max’s drinking and sexual conquests), along with the producer and one of the actresses from the film, answered questions and signed autographs. Outside the Campus Cinema, 100 students, faculty, and staff lined the sidewalk, silently holding signs stating their disagreement with Tucker Max. When the screening was booked, Campus Activities advisors had no idea how popular or controversial Tucker Max would be. Even the Women’s Center staff members were unaware. But UAB students and their peers knew, as did community members. They purchased all available tickets for the event at $10 each a week prior to the screening. Not until several academic departments heard of the event did the controversy and community dialogue begin. Faculty and graduate students in those departments alerted Women’s Center and Campus Activities staff that Tucker Max is not just about drinking and sex, but

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also violence against women, even to the extent that, in some cases, could meet the legal definition of rape. They protested not just the film screening, but also the invitation of the author himself to speak on campus, which they believed could be interpreted as an endorsement by the university. Upon learning more about Tucker Max on his website, the Women’s Center called for Campus Activities to cancel the screening. Because there was a signed contract with the film sponsor and the departmental practice is to allow the Films Committee to make decisions about what films to screen, the director refused to cancel the event. The Films Committee met with the Women’s Center, the Women’s Studies Department, Campus Police, Campus Activities, and Student Health Promotion. There, it was determined that the event would not be cancelled, tickets would be given to faculty to view the film, counselors would be present, and the Women’s Center would hold a silent protest outside of the cinema. In addition, the film sponsor would be asked to provide refunds to any students who, upon arriving at the event, wanted to withdraw from the audience. The sponsor agreed. the centre

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The event was held on a mild August evening. Police and television cameras were present, and protesters silently lined the sidewalk. The Women’s Center later showed a rape prevention film and served pizza. Ten students asked for their money back and left before the screening, but 440 ticket-holders entered the cinema and presumably enjoyed the event. Throughout all this, staff learned some valuable lessons:

Lesson 1:

Keep up with what college and precollege students are reading. “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” was on the top of bestseller lists for almost two years.

Lesson 2:

Lesson 4:

Follow up with more programs. Campus Activities staff hosted two staff development programs to talk about the lessons learned and to solicit ideas for countering the Tucker Max-influenced part of the campus culture. The Films Committee is cosponsoring with the Women’s Center a lecture/film program featuring noted women’s activist Jackson Katz.

Lesson 5:

Controversy can be a good thing. Tom Stafford, vice chancellor for student affairs, summarized: “This whole event is a good example of something that looks terribly bad in the beginning, when, in fact, it turned out to be a really good thing. ... Even though [it] was offensive and controversial, it still provided a great opportunity … to discuss why the message was so offensive.”

Photo by Erica Heller; copyright NCSU Student Media

Follow usual procedures for booking films. In this case, the Campus Activities advisor was contacted between semesters about the opportunity. Ordinarily, the Films Committee would discuss the offer and vote. Since students were not on campus, the advisor called the chair, who enthusiastically agreed based on both the popularity and entertainment value of having an advance screening with the author, director, and an actress present. Controversy resulted from the decision having been made by one student; however, it should be noted that the remaining members of the Films Committee and UAB leadership later endorsed the decision.

Lesson 3:

Timing matters. This screening occurred during the first full week of fall semester. After a hectic welcome week with six major events sponsored by the UAB and Campus Activities, it didn’t make sense to host another one so soon, even without the controversy. When the controversy did arise, campus administrators said they did not have sufficient time to prepare a response.

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University of Utah African Gala and Haitian Relief Benefit

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niversity of Utah’s Black Student Union and African American Programs kicked off Black History Month with a relief effort for Haiti. The African Gala was a time to celebrate African and African-American history and culture; the event featured African drumming, dance, fashions, and food, according to the Deseret News. Additionally, a silent auction was held and all proceeds benefitted Haitian relief efforts. Black Student Union Adviser Betty Sawyer told the Deseret News: “After hearing about the earthquake in Haiti, our students were compelled to come together and try to make a difference.”

University of Vermont and Eastern Michigan University Candlelight Vigils

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n Jan. 21, members of the University of Vermont campus community joined together for a candlelight vigil to honor those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. “It included speeches from those with close ties to the country,” said Frank Michael Munoz, event coordinator. Additionally, the Haitian flag was raised on the flag pole outside the union. Eastern Michigan University also held a candlelight vigil at its union on Jan. 26. Those gathered used light from their cell phones as opposed to actual candles and marched across campus. At the end of the walk, participants gathered to watch a presentation about the aftermath in Haiti, according to the Eastern Echo.

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University of New England Love for Haiti

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he week prior to Valentine’s Day, students at the University of New England held several fundraisers for Haiti relief efforts, which together were called “Love for Haiti.” According to Coordinator of Student Involvement and Orientation Tim St. John, events included: donated carnations sold as “flower-grams,” small ad space for love messages in the student newspaper, and a “Drag Ball” cosponsored by the Activities Program Board, Gay-Straight Alliance, and hockey team. Also, on Feb. 10, students were able to donate their “flex dollars” from meal plans. The dining services menu featured Haitian food that day and the Multicultural Affairs Office provided music and information about Haitian culture and the earthquake.

Missouri State University Bears Backing Haiti: 50 in 50

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he week following the earthquake in Haiti, student leaders at Missouri State University decided to plan a 50-hour event to raise $50,000 for relief efforts. “Bears Backing Haiti: 50 in 50” ran from 6 p.m. on Jan. 19 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 21. During this time, volunteers manned a donation center outside of the Plaster Student Union. According to Director of Student Engagement Jeremy Schenk, more than 200 students volunteered to man the tables, and more and 20 were there for the overnight shifts, even in the cold and rainy weather. When the event closed, $34,000 had been raised. This was presented to the Convoy of Hope, along with an IOU for the remaining $16,000, which students soon had the opportunity to try and raise. A local McDonald’s approached the university about students canning the drive-thru window. So, an additional 100 students spent three days at the drive-thru to bring in $5,100.

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