THE CHICAGO MAROON — MAY 4, 2023
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“We want it to be a space where you can study, have fun, and also learn more about sustainability.” CONTINUED FROM PG. 6
men’s clothing and diverse sizes. I think it would be really ideal if we could set up a donation bin in a more public place off campus,” Bonito said. “I’m hoping that in some way we can tie this in to helping Hyde Park residents have somewhere to donate clothes.” The Campus Waste Reduction team hopes that the success of this project will translate into reSTORE becoming a permanent part of the UChicago campus. They are also planning to create a space to add educational components to teach people why thrifting matters. “I felt like doing a project like this would really help to engage the wider UChicago community in sustainability initiatives and in the work that PSI was doing. By incorporating fashion and the really kind-of enjoyable experience for everyone that is getting new clothes and
having sort of an artistic component to the project, we felt like it could really engage a lot of people in the work [with sustainability] we were doing,” Harding said. Berard also shared his thoughts on the future of reSTORE. “Our end goal is to have a student-run thrift store similar to the student-run cafes. I feel like so many students find the student-run cafes to be a great outlet to go study and have fun with friends, and we also want to get in on that same aspect,” he said. “We want it to be a space where you can study, have fun, and also learn more about sustainability. It’d be great to have a hub for thrifting but also possible events like a sewing class further down the line.” PSI will continue to have clothing drop-off locations at Cobb Cafe, Hillel Coffee Nook, Cathey Dining Commons, Woodlawn Dining Commons, and Baker Dining Commons. They are also working
Students shop at the reSTORE thrift store. courtesy of lily agnacian on installing a permanent metal donation bin in Reynolds. “I think it’ll be exciting for people to have something affordable here on campus to buy things that don’t come at an
environmental cost. Hopefully it makes people slow down and think about their consumption practices…but also just enjoy the music, art, and the shopping experience,” Bonito said.
The Wild Goose Chase to Chase Out the Canada Geese Canada geese are often found on the Midway, yet the birds aren’t as silly as they seem, posing a liability to airplanes, disturbing humans, and leaving large amounts of excrement. By EVGENIA ANASTASAKOS | Grey City Reporter On the Midway and in Jackson Park, it’s hard not to come across a flock of Canada geese, with their sharp, hissing beaks and black, white, and gray feathers. The birds are unfazed by humans, but don’t get too close—they can be harshly territorial. Now, they have more of a presence than ever, ruling over Chicago’s parks with their loud honks and hisses. In recent years, observations from scientists
suggest that these migratory geese are wintering farther north than they have historically, contributing to an increase in the overall Canada goose population in the Chicago area and impacting the human Chicagoans as well. The wild goose chase to understand the city’s geese pulls in all sorts of people, from scientists and academics to facilities managers and professional goose chasers to even student journalists.
Michael Patrick Ward, a professor of natural resources and environmental sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago, began studying Chicago’s geese after Midway International Airport encountered the problem of too many geese staying for the winter. Ward is a well-cited academic authority on geese, although he does do research on other birds. In our interview, he also told me about his work for the Cuban and Mexican governments. His goose research focuses on understanding the birds’
behavior and why their habits have changed. “There are some birds that leave Chicago in the winter, but the [number] of birds in Chicago has greatly increased to the point where there’[re] lots of concerns about air traffic and running into geese,” Ward says. Geese are capable of flying in the way of planes, which can cause damage and even be deadly to plane passengers. Ward’s team reported that geese were responsible for 1,403 reCONTINUED ON PG. 8