9 | Opinion
The DePauw | Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011
Liberal arts to get dirty on Campus Farm F
or the past semester, we have been working students, community outreach, and sustainability integrity of the environment? How can this be with many dedicated students, faculty and staff education. These aspects of a campus garden are done? to create a DePauw University Campus Farm. The equal or greater value to the produce that will Or perhaps a farm work-study student (that current plan is to have a 1-2 acre plot in a field come from it. happens to be an Honor Scholar), who is moticlose to The Prindle Institute for Ethics. With our experience working on this farm proj- vated by his or her experience to conduct their One of the farm’s goals is to provide a variety ect, one thing has stuck out in our minds: How senior thesis on whether with the world’s current of sustainably grown produce. Sodexo, a main closely this project aligns with the values and edu- demand for food we can afford to farm in a suspartner on this project, plans to use much of the cational methods here at DePauw. tainable way? Is it even ethical to do so? produce in DePauw’s dining services to increase This farm is the definition of the liberal As shown, this farm is a tremendous opportulocal and sustainable food available to stuarts — it is interdisciplinary, experimental, nity for DePauw to expand its curriculum, specifidents. hands-on, provokes discourse and most cally in an interdisciplinary way. To us, the liberal The Office for Spiritual Life, one of the importantly, it dares students to think arts are not just about gaining a well-rounded edu“founding” members of this idea, became about questions that normally would have cation, but rather producing students that are able interested in the farm not just for sustainable gone unnoticed. to face and solve global issues. food, but rather due to President Obama’s For example, perhaps in ProAs the world becomes ever more Food Security Initiative: a call for reducfessor Ellen Bayer’s first-year interdependent, so too do the issues ing global hunger and food insecurity. seminar, The Ethics of Food, we face, especially those related to They hope to use the farm to restudents would get the anthropogenic climate change. A Deduce hunger in the Greencastle STEPHENHESTERBERG chance to grow their own Pauw Campus Farm will help students area as well as teach the commuproduce in order to ponder larger questions about food, nity how to grow and preserve their experience the diffithe environment and related soown food. culty in making a tomato or carrot, somecioeconomic issues. It will make Another aim is to provide educational experi- thing that most of us take for granted. students more globally aware ences for DePauw students. For example, there Or maybe Professor Dina Leech in by integrating what we learn in is interest from the Biology department about her Aquatic Ecology class would the classroom to the larger incorporating this farm into labs and classroom use the farm to have students study community. This farm is ASHLEYCONARD learning. Other departments outside the sciences the effects of agriculture run-off on what the liberal arts are all have also expressed interest in using the farm as a water quality, something that has about. teaching tool, such as in English and Philosophy. drastic effects on the aquatic ecosystems on which — Hesterberg is a junior biology major and Science Additionally, this farm could be used in pro- we all depend. grams of distinction such as, but not limited to, Also, Professors Jim Benedix and Michele Vil- Research Fellow from Cincinnati. the new Environmental Fellows Program and the linski could have Environmental Fellows students Science Research Fellows. Other possible benefits explore the question of development: can humans — Conard is a sophomore biochemistry major, Science include work-study for students, volunteering for maintain their interests while also maintaining the Research Fellow and member of ITAP from Indianapolis. opinion@thedepauw.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Campus Climate Forum a success Our campus has recently been awakened to the ugly effects of prejudice and intolerance. While we regret the hurt and pain that these events have caused, we are hopeful that they have ushered in a new era of openness and compassion. On Sunday evening, students, faculty, staff, and administrators packed the student government-sponsored Campus Climate Forum to hear from and have questions answered by President Casey. The forum allowed for views to be expressed, challenged and interrogated in a respectful way. Though we felt the event was a success, more can be done. Yesterday morning, we met with President Casey to discuss the next steps to further the conversation. We discussed actions student government will take to facilitate discourse to end insensitive behavior on campus. These discussions should not end. We hope members of the DePauw community will join us in
engaging in these open and active dialogues. During the forum, President Casey promised to involve the greek community in these efforts. Sigma Chi fraternity has responded and agreed to host student leaders from DePauw Student Government, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, National PanHellenic Council and Multicultural Greek Council and President Casey as we discuss ways to heal, to inform and to lead our campus to a more inclusive tomorrow. We look forward to involving any and all willing participants in this discourse as we continue to strive toward our full potential as one campus, one community. Charles Pierre Student body president Nic Flores Student body executive vice president
Let’s talk about sex Members of the Sexual Misconduct Task Force and seniors Ellen Clayton, Nic Flores and J.C. Pankratz want to answer your questions about sex—and they mean all of them. How to, techniques, the human body or university policy ... nothing is taboo. Email your questions to sex@thedepauw.com or drop them off in the folder outside the newsroom in the PCCM Anonymous questions welcome.
PHOTOPINION Will you be voting in the municipal elections? “I will not be voting in the elections, but I probably should.”
Megan McGowan, junior “No, I will not be voting in the elections. I would rather abstain from voting than make an uninformed decision concerning someone’s livelihood” Zachary Vanes, junior “Yes, now that I know about the election I plan to vote.”
Kate Kendrick, sophomore “Yes, I’m registered to vote and it will not take too much time out of my day to voice my opinion in the style of voting.” Paul Mpistolarides, sophomore
CHIP POTTER / THE DEPAUW