PINE PRESS July 2020 Brought to you by the education cmte
Letter from the editor Hey everyone! VP Education Emily here! I hope the month of July has treated everyone kindly. We’re nearing the end of the 2019/2020 contract period, which means interim week is coming up and many of our current members will be moving out. It’s a bittersweet feeling as we think of our memories from the past year in the co-ops with the housemates who have become family and the houses which have become home, but all good things come to an end. As sad as it is to see folks moving out, we’re excited to welcome new members into our community! With the way 2020 has been going, there’s a lot of uncertainty in the near future, but we can be sure of the fact that we have each other and we have our community, and as long as we keep nurturing it, it will nurture us. Yours truly in cooperation, Emily Tyler
Sustainability SPotlight: What even is it??? By Casey Paskus, Climate Resiliency VISTA, Bower Hello everyone! We may not have been formally introduced, but I am the new SHC AmeriCorps VISTA. I will be working with you all till June 2021 on climate resiliency, sustainability, and new development opportunities within the co-op! I plan to contribute regularly to the Pine Press to highlight sustainability practices within the co-ops, but first I wanted to write a short blurb about what sustainability means to me. Sometimes the term “sustainability” seems like a buzzword used by corporations (and universities) to appeal to the conscious consumer. It can describe anything from recycling yogurt containers to divesting from fossil fuels or organizing against fracking and the exploitation of
natural resources - but it's not just the earth’s resources that capitalism exploits! Capitalism also exploits our time, our bodies, our emotional labor, and our relationships. So how do we combat all types of exploitation in our cooperative system to build a more sustainable community? In her article Communizing Care, ME O’Brien describes future collectives and communes that may form after the fall of capitalism: These communes could consolidate within them collective reproductive services, including childcare and education; collective laundry, apartment cleaning, canteen food cooking and serving; repair and maintenance of household goods; mental health and regular medical care; and group entertainment activities. Collectivising many forms of consumption would reduce the social resources and carbon consumption necessary for providing abundance to all. As O’Brien’s encapsulates in her visualization of the future, sustainability is about more than taking care of the earth - it's about taking care of ourselves and each other. Creating mutual aid networks in our homes and our communities beyond the confines of the nuclear family, that can share resources with those who need them well into the future. Sustainability within the co-ops means increasing our individual capacity as well as decreasing our use of the earth’s resources by communalizing aspects of life that are usually private, gendered, and isolating, such as cooking or cleaning. Cooperative houses already cut down on waste by sharing food, cleaning supplies, and physical space. Co-ops encourage more efficient use of space and resources because of the volume of people living together in a shared house. Co-ops also provide social interactions in common spaces (whether they are intentional like an Edward 40-hands night, or you happen across a housemate in the kitchen and have a deep conversation about the importance of bees), to combat isolation and increase support systems beyond familial ties. What does a more sustainable cooperative community look like? Here is a brief list of ideas - lots of these actions are already happening in houses across the SHC: ● community gardens shared between houses, so that SHC members can work alongside people from different houses and everyone can benefit from the produce grown (shoutout to the shared greenhouse at Toad Land and New Comm!!) ● gathering a group of members who are interested in sustainable living to work on projects together! (If you want to join the new SHC Green Team to work together on sustainable living in the co-ops, email me at paskusca@msu.coop!)
● skillshares and workshops by and for SHC members, so that knowledgeable members can share their talents and resources with others to build a stronger cooperative system! ● expanding our community to those outside of the co-ops, and sharing resources with those who need them (for example, getting involved in local civic groups, or making food to hand out to people who need a hot meal) ● member-led initiatives to make the co-ops more sustainable. The SHC is what we make of it - what is your vision for the SHC, and how will you create it? Well, that’s it for my introduction! I am so excited to begin learning from you all. If you have any ideas about how to incorporate sustainable practices into co-op life, or if your house is already practicing sustainability, shoot me an email at paskusca@msu.coop and I’ll highlight your sustainability practices in the Pine Press! You can also email me with any comments, questions, or complaints about what I write!
Haus Love Compiled by Kiran Lantrip from Raft Hill Orion: Dylan - your energy is so vibrant and you make home feel so good! Thank you for being such a light in Ohaus, bringing bopin' vibes all over and keeping smiles high!!! Annika! You're seriously such a queen. You have such a heart of gold, positive attitude, and loving touch! Your presence is amazing and you're so loved! Howland: Julian - u were a great ex boyfriend. Thanks for such a fun year! Vesta: Jarek - You’re truly an asset to our Vesta community. Thanks for being you!
Sounds of the SHc Compiled by Kiran Lantrip from Raft Hill Here is y’alls favorite music for the month of July! Thank you to everyone who submitted - You can find a link to the Spotify playlist here or on the SHC Facebook page. The song Auntie Earth - from the Well Soon album - by Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra (Ferency) Artist - New Order (Orion) Artist - DJ Garnt (Orion) Avantasia - a man had a vision to create an album but he didn't have a band. So he contacted the best of the best and asked if they wanted to be part of his vision. Avantasia, with its ever-evolving cast, has been the result! (Raft Hill) goin' thru it- Teamonade (Miles Davis) M.E.A.N.D.J.B. by Moodymann (Raft Hill)
House Quirks Compiled by Soli Bennett from Ferency Submitted by Annika from Orion: One day a huge traffic cone showed up in our living room and no one knows how it got there. Someone either A) broke into our house and placed the cone there as a prank or B) someone blacked out, stole it and has 0 memory of it or C) someone’s really good at keeping a secret. Whatever it is, it’s a true o haus mystery. I love my house for that.
Submitted by Emily from Vesta: In our front staircase, Vesta has a modest memorial for early-2000s pop star Aaron Carter, who according to our wall passed away in 2013.
Thanks for reading!<3