WOMEN’S GOLF | PUTTING THE ‘TEE’ IN HISTORY | SPORTS, PAGE 8
STUDENT LIFE
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 VOLUME 128, NO. 73
WWW.STUDLIFE.COM
MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2007
Bon Appétit low-carbon diet
Peace exhibition opening in Olin BY TROY RUMANS CONTRIBUTING REPORTER
DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE
Sophomore Clint Morgan places an order at Bear’s Den. Tomatoes may not be handed out so liberally on the hamburgers in the green future. BY ELIZABETH LEWIS NEWS MANAGER Bon Appétit Management Company, the food service used by many universities and corporations including Washington University, Nordstrom, Inc. and Target, is introducing a new low-carbon diet. With this new initiative, Bon Appétit aims to reduce carbon emissions and, in turn, lessen the greenhouse effect. Maisie Greenawalt, the director of communications and strategic initiatives at Bon Appétit headquarters in California, said that this project has been in the works for a year due to a general discontent concerning climate change. “As [we] looked in, we found several studies that were dramatic,” said Greenawalt. “Agriculture accounts for one third of greenhouse gases. In many ways, food choices are more important than car choice. It was clear we had to do something.” Some changes, beginning on Earth Day (April 22), that Greenawalt says will be behind the scenes include sourcing all of their meat, poultry and vegetables from
North America. “This has an impact because [we] are reducing the transportation of food,” said Greenawalt. Noticeable changes for customers will commence on Earth Day of 2008, including comparative information about low- and high-carbon meals and the carbon impact of certain foods over that of others. According to Greenawalt, another change may not be so apparent to customers. “In St. Louis, you can’t get tomatoes year-round locally,” she said. “We might stop serving tomatoes with every hamburger in winters, which you may or may not notice unless you really love tomatoes. The overarching message is that conscious food choices reduce climate change. If you really want the tomato, you can get it. If you don’t or you don’t care, don’t take the tomato.” One more area in which students can make conscious food choices is their frequency of buying hamburgers. “Livestock production accounts for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions,
which is mostly from beef. If you currently have a hamburger four times a week, could you cut back to three and reduce carbon emissions by 25 percent? To me, that seems very doable.” Additionally, students can decrease how much they make bananas a breakfast staple. “Bananas are a very highcarbon item,” said Greenawalt. “They are grown far away and must be brought rapidly back so that they don’t spoil. In the morning with breakfast, do you have to have a banana every day, or can you eat dried cranberries? [These] aren’t major trade-offs but are small things that can have a really big impact.” This initiative is in line with Bon Appétit’s “green” mentality. According to its Web site, the food service was the fi rst to deal with issues relating to the source of its food and how its food is grown. It has won several awards for its practices, including the Ecological Society of America Corporate Award and the Humane Society of the United States Excellence in Food Service Award. And Greenawalt says this
initiative won’t greatly cost the company. “It will be cost-neutral,” she said. “Some components will cost a little more, some less. The big component in greenhouse emissions is waste. There will be a big push in reducing waste, then in helping consumers reduce their waste next year. Buying products in the U.S. that are more expensive will be offset by waste savings.” Jacob Leemaster, a junior, is a little skeptical concerning how students will react to this initiative. “There will be a small number who are pro, a larger number who will be annoyed and the majority won’t care,” said Leemaster. “It is a nice sentiment and effort, but it might be a little short-sighted in that it fails to address other greenhouse gases like water vapor and methane. Overall, though, I do think it’s a good thing because local food always tastes better than food not grown locally.” On the other hand, Greenawalt thinks that customers as a whole will be thrilled
See LOW CARB, page 2
An exhibition featuring issues of nonviolence and peace will be opening at the Olin Library today. The “Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace” exhibit honors Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Daisaku Ikeda’s contributions to humanity. “All of these people represent something very important—the whole mission of peace and reconciliation and the power of nonviolence and social engagement,” said Beata Grant, director of the religious studies program. “It’s just a reminder that these people’s lives and what they did still have relevance today. They’re not just the names of streets.” Grant hopes that the exhibit will resonate with students passing through the Olin Library, especially given the current state of global affairs. “With students and visitors coming in and out, they will be able to see pictures
and read about them and just be reminded of how important these values still are,” said Grant. “These people and their ideals—what they fought for, what they preached, what they gave their lives for in the case of Gandhi and King—they came from three different traditions, three different people, three different cultures, but they all share the values of nonviolence.” The exhibit will be accompanied by a lecture from Lawrence Carter, who has traveled the globe with this exhibition. He will also present an award to Judy Bentley, who is well-known throughout St. Louis for her work with Community Health in Partnership Services (CHIPS), an organization that seeks to provide clinical care for the uninsured and underinsured. “This exhibit is going to offer us an opportunity to review the lives and commitment of three hugely great
See GANDHI, page 2
COURTESY OF SUDHA COWSIK
Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. Carter, Sr., founder and first dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel and professor of religion at Morehouse College, will open the special traveling exhibit of photographs, inspiration and information entitled “Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace” and present the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Community Builders Prize.
University plans AC renovations Professor Bauer BY LAURA GEGGEL CONTRIBUTING REPORTER
For the past 22 years, cheering and sweating students have strained the utilities at the Athletic Complex. With current plans for rebuilding and renovation, Washington University is working hand-in-hand with a local architecture fi rm to design a complex that would better accommodate the University’s needs. “For a couple years now we have...known that we wanted to make some improvements,” said Dean of Students Justin Carroll. “What we need to do is get some consensus on what our plans and goals are and work toward fi nding the resources to make these improvements.” The University has hired Hastings and Chivetta, a Clayton architecture fi rm with experience designing recreational complexes across the country. They may be more commonly known on campus as the designers of the Park and Mudd dormitories on the South 40. Some of the new additions
could include better fitness areas, an Olympic-sized swimming pool with room both for swimming teams and recreational swimmers, and an indoor track circling a multipurpose room that could be used for indoor tennis and other sports. Roger Follmer, head coach for men’s tennis, said indoor tennis courts would not only help his team but would also increase class size for students enrolling in tennis classes. “Every year we have a waitlist for PE [physical education] tennis,” said Follmer, adding that indoor tennis courts would “without a doubt” increase spots available for tennis classes. Cold and wet weather often forces University tennis players to travel to other facilities where indoor tennis is available. “We’ve had to go off-campus, which is a liability. I think indoor tennis would be great,” he said. Jeff Stiles, track and field coach, would also welcome a few improvements.
To market, to market Get fresh fruits, vegetables and other delights at St. Louis’ farmers’ markets. Especially great for students staying in the STL for the summer. Scene, Page 4
“I would like to see an indoor track,” said Stiles. “A 200-meter track would benefit a lot of people.” Carroll agreed, noting that the current indoor track leaves runners vulnerable to collisions with awry balls from the court below. While no concrete plans or timeline exist, Carroll said the changes would not interfere with the University’s chances of hosting one of the 2008 presidential debates. Depending on funds, construction will not begin for at least one to two years. If the resources are readily available, the University will try to “do it all at once,” but adjustments to the Athletic Complex will most likely be completed in increments. The new complex would be expanded to a bigger footprint than the one it currently occupies. Architects hope to take advantage of the space from the parking lot north of the Athletic Complex. The difference in elevation will also help architects save space by layering various
gyms and rooms. “I think it should be renovated fi rst and foremost because it doesn’t fit the needs of our students right now. A lot of the facilities and equipment are old. Our peer institutions, like Emory or NYU, have a lot of cool things in their athletic facilities that we don’t have that attract students,” said Neil Patel, newly elected Student Union president. The improvements may still be uncertain, but Carroll said that he hopes the new Athletic Complex will be able to cater to both athletics and major events. “It’s the largest venue on campus for any kind of event,” he said, estimating that around 80 special events use the Athletic Complex every year. “One of the challenges is that any time there is a special event, it disrupts the regular users. Hopefully, one of the things that will be improved is not only gaining space, but gaining space that’s dedicated to athletics and recreation.”
Holocaust remembrance The official Holocaust memorial day was Sunday, but students will be remembering victims of the Holocaust this Tuesday. Find out what you can do. News, Page 3
to teach CFU/LC BY MANDY SILVER AND BEN SALES NEWS STAFF This summer, formal coursework will begin for Professor Jerome Bauer’s Cervantes Free University and Learning Cooperative (CFU/CLC). According to Bauer, CFU, like the Wash. U. Co-op, promotes practical idealism and is named after the Cervantes Co-op House of UCSB’s Rochdale Housing Cooperative, following the principles of the British reformer Robert Owen. “As a faculty member, I have a special role to arrange co-curricular discussion groups. This is a network we are starting,” said Bauer. “People who have spent years of their lives devoted to college teaching can continue to do so without a lot of bureaucracy and university poli-
INSIDE: Forum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sudoku . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
tics.” CFU will offer college courses from qualified faculty who happen to live in the neighborhood. CLC, an extension of the Wash. U. Co-op’s informal learning exchange, does not require any special qualifications. Bauer sees his university’s primary goals as two-fold: he hopes that it will provide a collaborative educational experience to the local community and that it will help Washington University students break out of the “bubble” by studying topics not necessarily covered in their curriculum with local residents. The University, a joint faculty and student initiative, is an extension of the free and informal reading groups
See BAUER, page 3
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