Volume No. One Photograph
2010
Scott Bednar
Sustainable Water Management U.S. $4.99
Can. $5.99
Meandering Thoughts on the Awareness of Being
Sustainable Water
Management Bringing JAY EYE SEE Back to Life
Connecting the MIAD Community to the World
2010
letter from the editor My Journey. As children, we all have a vision of what we will become as adults, and with nothing but that innocent and uncluttered view of life that only a child possesses, I believe that vision is often what we are truly meant to be. Unfortunately, as we grow older, the stresses and distractions of everyday living can often erode the dreams and aspirations we had in our youth and cause us to lose our way. This is the hard lesson I have learned as I have made my way through adulthood, and I have finally come to realize the importance of embracing your dreams, and doing what it takes to make them reality. To me, the completion of a MIAD education is the fulfillment of a childhood dream. It’s about realizing who you really are, embracing it, and doing everything within your power to live your life as that person. For me personally, it’s also about believing it’s never too late to take on that mission, and listening to your own voice when it tells you to go forward. My goal after obtaining my degree is to practice my art at the highest level using various forms of media in the graphics industry. I want to embrace the talent I’ve been given, but have too often neglected throughout my life, and share it with the world. This degree is a chance for me to make up for missed opportunities, and allow me to teach others that it is never too late for them to make positive changes in their life. We all start out with the opportunity to do something great, but too few of us ever take advantage of our opportunities. A MIAD education can assist
editor-in-chief Scott Bednar publisher Scott Bednar creative director Anne Ghory-Goodman art director Scott Bednar associate editor Scott Bednar copy editor Scott Bednar photography Scott Bednar Juan Hernandez Anna Maund Rose Tarman Anne Jorgensen illustrations Derek Bacon copy writer Scott Bednar contributors Kristen Palzkill Warissara Muangsaen website http://www.miadbridge.com/
me in taking advantage of the new opportunities that await me, and help me complete a journey I should have begun long ago.
Scott Bednar by
Photo by: Anne Jorgensen
table of contents
2
Letter to the Editor
features
4
Sustainable Water Management How local projects can help protect our precious water resources. by Scott Bednar
10 14
Meandering Thoughts on the Awareness of Being Excerpt from Scott Bednar’s personal narrative of thoughts, ideas and opinions. by Scott Bednar
Bringing JAY EYE SEE Back to Life Scott Bednar’s neighborhood was once the facility that trained Racine’s famous racehorse, Jay Eye See. by Scott Bednar
departments
18
MIAD Speaks Kristen Palzkill interviews MIAD students about their volunteer work at Neighborhood House. by Kristen Palzkill
20 22
Inside MIAD MIAD Mentors serve the MIAD community. by Wendy Young
Getting to Know You Profile of MIAD educator Fran Balistreri. by Warissara Muangsaen
3
Connecting the MIAD Community to the World
2010
It is recognized that water problems cannot be solved by quick technical solutions
Some residents of rural Mexico have already learned the importance of sustainable water management.The man above collects rain water from the roof of his house and diverts in into two cisterns. This water is used for washing, bathing, and feeding the animals. Photo by: Juan Hernandez
My interest in sustainable water management began when a class project first introduced me to the global water crisis in the fall of 2008. Through that project I discovered that water has become a primary environmental concern for the 21st Century (Sustainable Water Management). I would argue that it goes well beyond just an environmental concern. It is a matter of sustaining all life on earth.
Parts of the globe are facing water shortages, while others suffer from extreme water pollution. Doing nothing exacts dire consequences ranging from social, economic, and political instability, to environmental damage, disease and even death. We must treat water with the same respect that we have for life, because water is the very foundation of it. Sustainability can be defined as “meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the needs of future generations” (qtd. in Sustainable Water Management). Proper management requires communication between the various users and those doing the managing. Understanding the needs of each user is key to allocating and managing the resource in a sustainable way.
Based on this statement, sustainable water management requires viewing water holistically, and it must recognize the different sectors affecting water use, such as political, economic, social, technological, and environmental factors. The International Conference on Water and the Environment, held in Dublin in 1992, devised several principles to inform the understanding of sustainable water management (Fig. 1). Armed with those principles, we must embrace the importance of water as essential to daily life, and we must facilitate proper communication, gender equity, and economic and policy incentives to properly manage this precious resource. Local projects are already underway, such as this rain collection pond at the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee. Photo by: Scott Bednar
Having defined sustainability and management, we can put the two together to discover fresh ways to use our important water resources. The International Hydrological Programme stated: “It is recognized that water problems cannot be solved by quick technical solutions, solutions to water problems require the consideration of cultural, educational, communication and scientific aspects. Given the increasing political recognition of the importance of water, it is in the area of sustainable freshwater management that a major contribution to avoid/solve waterrelated problems, including future conflicts, can be found.” (qtd. in Sustainable Water Management).
There are currently a number of ways that sustainable water management is being addressed. Efforts in conservation, privatization, technology, grassroots movements, and influencing new policies that view water as a “common trust” (Lohan) are already underway. Dolman suggests that conservation hydrology is one tool that can be used to restore our watershed and our thinking (105). It utilizes disciplines like ecology, population biology, biogeography, economics, anthropology, philosophy, and history to inform community-based watershed literature, planning and action (Dolman). He further suggests that it promotes the shift from a “dehydration model” to a “re-hydration model” when making decisions on human development. It requires a conscious attempt at recognizing water as the “ultimate resource” (Dolman), and it is based on the principles outlined in Figure 2.
5
Connecting the MIAD Community to the World
2010
These principles can be followed easily through small scale, individual efforts. This, in turn, can lead to wholesale changes at the neighborhood, community, city or even national levels. It is important to note, however, that governments will only enact policy if it begins with each of us. One example of a local project in sustainable water management is already in use at the Urban Ecology Center. The principles outlined above are on full display in the form of a rainwater harvesting system. This system collects precipitation from the south roof, as indicated in the first principle above, and sends it to three 350-gallon cisterns in the garage. This water is then used to flush the toilets in their “green” building, and any overflow is sent to rain barrels placed around the building. Overflow from the barrels is then sent to a rainwater retention pond in front of the building where it can be used for water studies, and to promote aquatic life.
figure one 1. Freshwater is a finite and valuable resource that is essential to sustain life, the environment and development. 2. The development and management of our water resources should be based on a participatory approach, involving users, planners and policy makers at all levels. 3. Women play a central role in the provision, management and safeguarding of water resources. 4. Water has an economic value and should therefore be seen as an economic good. (qtd. in Sustainable Water Management).
Rain from the north-facing roof is sent to the rain garden at the
slow sand filtration may be the cheapest, simplest and most efficient method of water treatment
rear of the building. This garden is a unique feature designed to absorb storm water run-off, and it adheres to the ideals of principle two above by reducing the impact of impervious surfaces. The point of systems like this is to move further away from the “linear water system” that has been employed in this country since around 1900 (Sheaffer). Supporters of this system argued that there was enough water to serve us indefinitely, including as a water supply and to dilute municipal sewage into natural bodies of water (Sheaffer). They simply saw a linear path of water from source to users to receiving streams and eventually out so sea. The contrary argument, and the one on display at the Urban Ecology Center, is the circular system. This plan involves returning used water back to natural means of cleansing like soil, plants, air and sunshine (Sheaffer). They also believed that nature’s water cleansing ability is vastly superior to any man-made technology. It is this principle that has led me to design my own system of rain collection and filtering, and I am in discussions with the Urban
Ecology Center to implement a rain collection system that sends water through a slow sand filter to make it potable for the Urban Ecology Center’s facilities. It would be a big step in producing a local solution to a global problem, and it could contribute a wealth of information on how small scale projects can make a big impact. According to the World Health Organization, slow sand filtration may be the cheapest, simplest, and most efficient method of water treatment under the right conditions (Huismans). This statement may be why it is the method of choice for water purification in some highly industrialized cities like London. It is well suited for taking advantage of local skills and materials in developing countries, and it requires no electricity, replaceable cartridges, or expensive chemicals. It is one of only four federally approved systems
Left: A young boy collects water at the local spring. This was how residents of Tzintzingareo, Mexico got their water before the town’s water system was installed. Without proper management, they may be forced to return to this method. Photo by: Scott Bednar Below: The Urban Ecology Center’s rain collection system. Rain is collected from roof and sent to large steel tanks. Overflow goes into rain barrels then into a rain collection pond on their property. Photos by: Scott Bednar
that meet the Surface Water Treatment Rule and the Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, and it is considered to be a superior technology by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organization, and state agencies like California (Frequently Asked Questions). Slow sand filtration works through a biological process. An intense layer of microbes, called the schmutzdecke, develops naturally on the top of the sand bed. This layer is capable of removing 99.99% of all bacteria, viruses, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and parasites through predation (Frequently Asked Questions). Other processes like sedimentation, mechanical filtration, and electrical attraction continue the filtering process as the water moves through the deeper layers of sand (Frequently Asked Questions). Maintenance is minimal, and consists of periodic removal of the schmutzdecke when it becomes too clogged for water to pass properly, and the entire sand bed may need to be removed and cleaned or replaced every ten years or so. While slow sand filters are generally used for surface water treatment, such as streams, ponds, or shallow wells, they can also be used for gray water, rainwater, groundwater drawn from greater
figure two 1. Receive: Our water “income” is received via snowfall, rainfall, and fogfall. They are the only means of re-supplying our water allowance. 2. Recharge: Our watershed can only make “deposits” to the water cycle through percolation and absorption. Reducing the construction of impervious surfaces and maintaining areas of native vegetation are ways to ensure proper recharging.
3. Retain: Slowing down our use of water to provide a “savings” account will ensure that we do not use more water than we are receiving.
4. Release: Human development alters the cycle at which water is naturally expended and renewed. It has reduced the landscape’s ability to retain water, and thus reduces the amount of water available for release during the dry season (Dolman).
depths, and high turbidity water with certain modifications. The possibility of using slow sand filtration to treat rainwater led me to design a prototype catchment and filtering system for a class project last fall. A field trip to the Urban Ecology Center yielded an interesting possibility to develop a similar system to provide water to their garden program. They expressed an interest in expanding the gardens further north and south along the bike path, but they are not able to supply water beyond where they currently exist. The Urban Ecology Center indicated their desire to divert overflow from their rainwater retention pond to a storage system along the bike path. The city, however, informed them that any water used for the gardens must be potable to prevent illness in the event that someone would drink it. A slow sand filter system could provide the perfect solution. There are a few issues involved with filtering rainwater that would need to be addressed to make this system work. Slow sand filtration works best under constant flow rates. Rainwater
Connecting the MIAD Community to the World
2010
catchment systems often rely on intermittent source water that is acidic (low pH) and low in nutrients. Blue Future Filters, Inc recommends using as much storage as possible for the raw rainwater as well as the filtered water, in addition to re-circulating the filtered water through the filter to prevent “anaerobic conditions” and to protect the schmutzdecke. The Urban Ecology Center can use the rainwater retention pond already in place as ample storage for the raw rainwater. Blue Future Filters, Inc could recommend a way to store the filtered water and re-circulate it back into the filter. They also recommend adding a layer of calcite to the top of the sand to adjust the pH level and to add nutrient content to the source water (Frequently Asked Questions). They can also add granular activated carbon to the sand to help remove pesticides and industrial chemicals like petroleum byproducts and chlorinedisinfectant byproducts. The Urban Ecology Center is also planning a new facility in the Menomonee Valley of Milwaukee. This building is being designed according to guidelines established by the Living Building Challenge. They are intrigued by the possibility of using a slow sand filtration system to provide potable water for the entire building. They feel it would be a major step in developing a facility that demonstrates their commitment to, and the importance of sustainability. My experience working at the Urban Ecology Center has been a valuable lesson in making an environmental impact in an urban setting. It is very easy for each of us to forget the importance of protecting the environment when we are surrounded by the hustle and bustle of a city. Walking down into the “savannah” of Riverside Park is like transporting yourself into another part of the world. As you slowly leave the urban neighborhood behind, houses
begin to fade into oak trees, and asphalt into grasses. It is not the environment that one typically thinks of when they think of the inner city of Milwaukee. It is, in effect, an oasis. Seemingly miles away from where you actually are. The importance of protecting and preserving this environment and the species that call it home made itself evident. My interest in volunteering at the Urban Ecology Center for this class began with our field trip there the first week. Dan Graves had mentioned their desire to expand their gardening programming further along the bike path, but had no way of getting water beyond where they already were. He casually made a request for any ideas, and I was quick to oblige. I had designed a modular device capable of capturing and filtering rainwater, river water, or lake water as a means to provide potable water to communities in need. I thought this could be a perfect opportunity to test it out. I immediately contacted Dan after our tour, and he demonstrated genuine enthusiasm for the project. The following week, we set up a meeting with Ken Leinbach at the UEC to discuss the next move. Ken showed great enthusiasm as well, and offered other great suggestions and alternatives. He mentioned using this device to store overflow rainwater from the retention pond, and filtering it to provide potable water for watering the bike path gardens. He also mentioned the possibility of devising a system to use at a new facility they are planning in the Menomonee Valley. They are intending to build this facility according to the Living Building Challenge, and Ken felt that using slow sand filtration to provide potable water for the entire building would be a major achievement. I offered to do the research for the project, and this paper offers some results of that effort.
I did not, however, feel that this research alone would be sufficient to meet the requirements of my volunteer service, so I worked a full 35 hours at the Center in the Burdock Brigade, pulling weeds, watering plants, and planting new plants. I felt that this experience would provide me with a more hands-on means of advancing the Urban Ecology Center’s mission. It was a direct link to what it is they are trying to accomplish, and it reinforced the importance of maintaining a natural environment in an urban setting. It also demonstrated the enormous amount of hard work that goes into fulfilling its commitment to the community. I feel that the Urban Ecology Center does a magnificent job of adhering to its mission, and continuing to provide a very important service. I think it has helped me to see the difference we can all make just by donating a little bit of our time and energy. I am just one person, but I feel like my efforts mattered and made a difference. If everyone gave a small piece of his or her time to something worthy and positive, there is no telling the impact we can make.
Upper right: Juan Hernandez overlooks a storage tank in Tzintzingareo. Photo by: Scott Bednar Below: A pump operator stands ready at an aging pumping station outside of Tzintzingareo. Photo by: Juan Hernandez
it has helped me to see the difference we can all make just by donating a little bit of our time and energy
Connecting the MIAD Community to the World
2010
The following
Public Hea
lth Care
is an excerp t from a personal na rrative of my opinions on various rand om topics. I call the proje Meandering ct Thoughts o n the Aware and it is inten ness of Bein ded to be a g, re c o rd of how my e as a father, h xperiences usband, son , b ro th er, friend and shaped the student human I am and continue to b ecome.
I find it utterly ridiculous that this topic can even be up for debate in our country. The World Health Organization’s World Health Report in 2000 ranked the United States health system at 37th in the world (The World Health Organization’s Ranking of the World Health
The World Health Report in 2000 ranked the United States health care system at 37th in the world.
Systems). 37! The countries of San Marino and Andorra are ranked three and four respectively. How many people can actually say that they’ve even heard of those countries, let alone find them on a map? Yet the performances of those countries’ health care systems rank far higher than the United States. Why? There are many factors. The World Health Organization has not produced these rankings since 2000 because of the shear complexity of the task, but it used five factors to help measure health care system performance: overall level of population health; health inequalities (or disparities) within the population; overall level of health system responsiveness (a combination of patient satisfaction and how well the system acts); distribution of responsiveness within the population (how well people of varying economic status find that they are served by the health system); and the distribution of the health system’s financial burden within the population (who pays the costs) (World Health Organization Assesses the World Health Systems). There are nearly 46 million Americans currently without health care, with another 25 million underinsured (What You Need to Know About Health Care Reform). I have to wonder how, in the most powerful, wealthiest nation on earth, can this be possible? The World Health Organization’s report not only ranked the total performance of health care systems, but it ranked them within each of the five categories as well. While the United States did well in the responsiveness of its
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Connecting the MIAD Community to the World
2010
I’m tired of the argument that public health care is Socialism. Even if it is a Socialist idea, so what? Is it really that terrible to admit that perhaps other ideologies can contribute something worthwhile to our own society? Just because we borrow something from someone else does not necessarily make us the same. The model used to form the United States government is based on governments that existed throughout history. Are we a monarchy? Are we a dictatorship? Are we an empire? We are none of those things, but we still have a system in place that borrows something from each of those. If you’re going to argue about public health care being Socialism, then health care system due to its availability of resources, it ranked only
I guess our fire and police forces are Socialist, and so is our military,
54-55 in the “fairness of financial contribution” to its health system
and so is the “Cadillac” health care plan that members of the U.S.
(World Health Organization Assesses the World Health Systems).
Congress enjoy. All of us taxpayers pay for those things, but I don’t
Universal healthcare in many industrial nations help to keep private
hear any complaints about them being Socialist.
health expenses at around 25%, yet in the United States it swells to 56% (World Health Organization Assesses the World Health Systems). That implies that a reform of the way we pay for health care in this country is necessary. A system of universal health care can be a major step in reducing the out-of-pocket burden American citizens are forced to bear. The report recommends, “countries extend health insurance to as large a percentage of the population as possible” (World Health Organization Assesses the World Health Systems). Yet the skyrocketing cost of health care has led many employers to stop offering health care to their employee’s altogether, and the poorest of our nation often have
Why would someone have a problem with paying for a public
no health insurance at all. Something has to be done. We can find
option so everyone can have health care, but they’ll continue to pay
ways to use our tax money to pay for things like education to teach
healthcare execs and pharmaceutical companies millions of dollars
our children, police and fire fighters to keep our homes and ourselves
to drive up health care costs and deny millions of Americans the right
safe, and a military to protect our nation (and too often our interests).
to health care? I believe a public option will cost you nothing more
One of my professors at MIAD, Barbara McLaughlin, reminded me that
than what you’re paying now when you factor in the reduction in
“even these so-called “rights” are up for grabs as parents assume more
overall health care costs that would occur. The journal Health Affairs
and more costs, even with public schools, and there are cuts made
estimates that the United States spent about $7900 per person in
in law enforcement and with veteran’s benefits.” Our capitalist society
2007 in health care costs, or about $2.4 trillion (qtd. in What You
is extremely efficient at taking everything it can from us, but it can be
Need to Know About Health Care Reform). We are spending about
equally inefficient at giving back some of our most basic necessities.
52% more per person on health care than the next most costly
Our most basic need of good health is left entirely to the whims and
nation of Norway, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (qtd. in
greed of enormous corporations, and wealthy entrepreneurs, whose
What You Need to Know About Health Care Reform).
only desire is to turn a profit. It’s a travesty to leave the fate of any human being in the hands of an entity that views life as nothing more than a financial investment. They will only protect you if your risk is low and your potential for a return is high. Those of us who need the most protection are left to suffer.
An article written by Paul Krugman, columnist for the New York Times and professor of Economics and International Affairs at Princeton University, cites the French health care system as an example of universal health care that works. He claims that the French system “covers everyone, offers excellent care and costs barely more than half as much per person as our system” (Krugman). Incidentally, France ranked number one on the World Health Organization’s report. Krugman goes on to suggest that there are two reasons that insuring the uninsured won’t cost that much. One is that the uninsured are disproportionately young adults (Krugman), which generally have lower medical costs. The bulk of
Top 50 HEALTH CARE
The French system covers EVERYONE, offers EXCELLENT care and costs barely HALF AS MUCH per person as our system.
Systems:
1
France
2
Italy
3
San Marino
4
Andorra
5
Malta
6
Singapore
7
Spain
8
Oman
9
Austria
10
Japan
11
Norway
12
Portugal
13
Monaco
14
Greece
15
Iceland
16
Luxembourg
17
Netherlands
18
United Kingdom
19
Ireland
20
Switzerland
21
Belgium
22
Colombia
23
Sweden
24
Cyprus
25
Germany
26
Saudi Arabia
27
United Arab Emirates
28
Israel
medical spending is on the elderly, which are already covered by
29
Morocco
Medicare. The other factor is that the uninsured already receive
30
Canada
a significant (although inadequate) amount of “uncompensated”
31
Finland
care, whose cost is already covered by the taxpayers (Krugman).
32
Australia
33
Chile
It sounds so simple, so why can’t we make it happen? I guess
34
Denmark
some people have a hard time saying no to the wads of cash that
35
Dominica
health care companies toss at them to kill such legislation. Either
36
that, or some people just think it’s more important for some jerk to
37
own a yacht than for my son and I to have access to health care.
38
Slovenia
Apparently, that’s just an unfortunate side effect of capitalism. Why
39
Cuba
don’t we all just do each other a favor: if you like your corporate
40
Brunei
insurance company, stick with it, and the rest of us will join a public
41
New Zealand
42
Bahrain
43
Croatia
44
Qatar
45
Kuwait
46
Barbados
47
Thailand
48
Czech Republic
49
Malaysia
50
Poland
option? That way, we can all get what we want.
Costa Rica
united states
Connecting the MIAD Community to the World
2010
[Jay Eye See] established several harness racing records in the 1880’s and 1890’s.
1878
illustrations by
Derek Bacon
ee Jay Eye S cky tu n e K foaled in
BRINGING
JAY EYE SEE
Back to Life
Foaled in 1878, Jay Eye See was considered the “freak” of a string of horses purchased by Racine industrialist, Jerome Increase Case. Despite this reputation, the horse became a legend in the world of horse racing, and the facility where he trained would later become my neighborhood.
1883 1884
Featured on Currier & Ives Print
Sets trotting world record of 2:10
J.I. Case dies.
1891 1892
In the summer of 2009, a service learning class required me to write a paper analyzing my neighborhood. This research uncovered a wealth of interesting information that inspired me to take a larger interest in
Jay Eye See sets pacing world record of 2:06 1/2 Jay Eye See dies at 31
1909
the history of the city I had lived in all my life. In order to adequately analyze my neighborhood, I felt it was important to understand a bit of the history of Racine, Wisconsin. Little did I know that the neighborhood I spent the last 21 years living in played such an important role in some of Racine’s most famous residents, including a famous racehorse by the name of Jay Eye See. To understand the history behind the horse, and my neighborhood, one should be familiar with the history of Jerome Increase Case.
Case purchased 200 acres of farmland just south of the city of Racine to create the Hickory Grove Horse Farm. This facility would train some of the finest horses in the Midwest, including the world famous racehorse, Jay Eye See (named after Case’s initials, J.I.C.). This horse established several harness-racing records in the 1880’s and 1890’s. As of 1997, when his remains were discovered in a field
Case arrived in Racine County from New York State in 1842 with his
as developers were making way for a new shopping center, Jay Eye
plans to invent a combination thresher-separator machine. It was here
See was still the only horse to set world records in two different gaits
that he spent time making improvements to a crude grain thresher.
(qtd. in Karwowski “Diggers Uncover Remains of Case’s Famous
In 1847, he put up a 3-story brick building in Racine to begin his
Racehorse”). The horse was a subject of interest on trading cards,
farm implement manufacturing business. Over the next few decades,
Currier and Ives lithographs, and was used to sell cigars, a harness
the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company found great success
bit and farm implements (Karwowski “Diggers Uncover Remains of
building steam powered farm equipment, and even dabbled in early
Case’s Famous Racehorse”). He was enshrined in Wisconsin Harness
automobile manufacture. This widespread success provided Case
Racing Hall of Fame in 1997, and was inducted into the Trotting Horse
with the ability to indulge in other interests, and in the 1870’s he
Museum Hall of Fame in 1990. Local historian, John Van Thiel, was
entered the world of horse racing.
quoted in a Racine Journal Times article documenting the discovery
Connecting the MIAD Community to the World
2010
that the bones would be kept until a fitting burial site could be found, possibly in a city park. A recent phone call to archaeologist Dan Joyce indicated that proper funding for such a project had still not been secured, so Jay Eye See’s final resting place continues to be on hold. In the aftermath of World War II, the very horse farm where Jay Eye See lived and trained became my neighborhood. It was aptly named Jerome Park, after one of the industrial pioneers of Racine, and the facility that trained one of the legends of horse racing. One glance of my neighborhood from an aerial or map view, and one immediately notices the peculiar oval shape that some of the streets create. I have lived in this neighborhood for twenty-one years, and I have a often wondered why a developer would place such an odd grouping of streets in the middle of an otherwise grid-like structure. My research uncovered the reason, and it harkens back to this area’s equine past. The oval streets generally follow the path of the horse track that once existed here at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Clues to my neighborhood’s past are abundantly clear when one knows what to look for. For example, Case Avenue lies only a few blocks north of my house. Just one block to the east is Jay Eye See Avenue, named after the very same racehorse that was once trained in what is now my neighborhood. One block to the west of Case Avenue sits Hickory Grove Avenue—the name of the facility that trained the famous black gelding. Jerome Boulevard forms the eastern edge of the old track, while my own street, James Boulevard, completes the oval on the west.
1950’s
Hickory Grove Horse Farm becomes Jerome Park Neighborhood.
The site sits on a triangular piece of land, formed by the convergence of Memorial Drive and Hamilton Avenue. When the gas station was operating, it was a rather hazardous location to pull into and out of If one leaves my house and travels two blocks to the southeast,
traffic. It has sat vacant for several years now, and I have to believe
one is led to the intersection of Hamilton and Durand Avenue. This
that its poor orientation, limited space, and proximity to newer and
intersection essentially terminates the southern edge of the old horse
larger gas stations makes it a very unattractive option for any new
farm, and it is marked on the northwest corner by the Seeker Motel,
business. It is my opinion, however, that it would make a perfect,
and on the northeast corner by an abandoned gas station. I believe
and highly logical location for Jay Eye See’s final resting place. Its
that the location of that gas station would be a remarkable spot to
size would be quite appropriate, its visibility would be ideal, and its
build the memorial for Racine’s most famous equine resident.
proximity to the land where the horse lived and trained is not only fitting, but also the most important reason to choose this location. Jay Eye See could essentially “return home” since he was led out to pasture for the last time in 1909 at the age of 31.
A project like this could instill a sense of pride in Racine’s residents, educate the public on Racine’s history, and provide a fitting end to Jay Eye See’s journey. I have recently contacted John Van Thiel, whom I was told might still possess the horse’s remains, about this project. Upon writing this article, I have not received a reply, but I hope to be in contact soon. Perhaps this could lead to a thesis project for me, or at the very least, generate more public interest in what I feel is an important endeavor.
Jay Eye See’s remains discovered during excavation for a new shopping center.
1997
2009
Razing the abandoned gas station could provide the perfect location for a Jay Eye See monument
2010? A project like this could . . . provide a fitting end to Jay Eye See’s journey.
JAY
E E S YE E
Connecting the MIAD Community to the World
2010
“SPEAKS
“
MIAD
by
Kristen Palzkill
During [spring] semester, I interviewed Jackie Berndt and Juan Hernandez, both filling their hours [for Service Learning Class] on Milwaukee’s 27th Street, at Neighborhood House. I thought that it would be interesting to get two different points of view from students doing their work at the same place.
K: Where are you doing your service? JB: Neighborhood House on 27th and State Street. Not a good area AT all. K: Why did you choose this place? JB: I had this place chosen for me [by the instructor]
The facility is nicely equipped, including a full kitchen for the kids to use, a full gym, and roller skate rink.
because I wanted to work with kids and be able to do
K: Are the services necessary? Who is
fun activities with them, and she hooked me right up.
benefited by the services provided?
JH: Slim pickings. I felt like it was the only choice. Now, I actually
JB: The services are absolutely necessary. Absolutely. It keeps
feel like it was a good fit for me because I have done previous
kids from ages 2-18, sometimes 20+, off the streets and
volunteer work at other institutions, like Neighborhood in Chicago,
doing activities that involve one another and their community.
and I can share those experiences with the people at NH.
It builds discipline and respect, they learn to respect the
K: How many hours have you done? JB: So far, I’ve done twenty-one hours. JH: Ten hours so far. K: How do you feel about the location that you chose? JB: The location is awful, it’s scary when the sun goes down
people who are putting in time to SPEND time with them if they aren’t getting time with role models somewhere else, like at home. Sometimes parents can’t be around and sometimes parent’s just aren’t around, and NH fills that void for kids. It is important for them to know that there are people out there that care enough about them to keep them out of trouble, and yell at them when needed. (haha)
and the streets show it. Also, everyone at the NH talks
JH: Definitely. The place provides kids in the
about how the kids shouldn’t be taking the busses in this
neighborhood with a nice place to socialize and
area because walking to the NH from the busses is iffy.
a positive environment to grow and learn.
K: How do you feel about the services provided
K: What are the people like that utilize the services there
at the location that you chose?
(who are they: race, age, location, income, etc...)?
JB: Awesome. The services that these people offer
JB: Mostly, all the kids that attend the program are African
the kids that come here is priceless and worth every
American. There are the same amounts usually for every age
cent of the grants that they are given to keep the
group from 2-18. I’m not sure what their income is, or where
place running (almost 100 years so far, I think).
they live, but I do know that most of the kids only have to walk
JH: I was surprised to learn about all of the different
within six blocks to get the the NH form their houses, typically.
services provided. They do the basic after school programs,
JH: I noticed that most of the kids that utilize the services are
but go above and beyond that, offering art and cooking
minorities; African American, Latinos, and South East Asian. Most
programs, wellness fairs, and an environmental program.
kids range in age from 7-12 and come from low-income families.
K: Have you met any other volunteers? Who are they? Why do they volunteer? JB: I haven’t met many volunteers, mostly just three or four. I work mainly with the same teens and grasshoppers (I think that’s 4th and 5th graders). So it’s the same people running those programs every Wednesday. They are paid
These things will benefit the community because a website will give
through grants given to the NH and I know it’s not a lot.
NH more exposure which will lead to more funding. Working with
I haven’t felt comfortable enough to ask more questions
the kids to design newsletters will hopefully motivate them to see
than the ones I have so far, but I’m getting there.
beyond a high school education and make them aware that there
K: Have you done community service before? If yes, where?
are careers out there that can be fun and exciting and not just a job.
JB: Yes, I used to run a fundraiser for the Golden House
K: Do you feel like doing service benefits you personally?
in Green Bay. It’s a battered women’s shelter.
JB: Hell yeah. I love that place. Every night I work there, on
JH: Yes. LISC Chicago, Bickerdike, CDC
the way home my mind just spins with ideas. I never knew
Chicago, YMCA, and Yollocalli.
these places existed when I was in middle school, or even
K: Did you find your past experience to be a positive or negative one? Why? JB: Positive. How is community service negative...? It’s a great feeling to give someone else goods you don’t need, and they desperately do. K: Do you see how your service benefits the community? JB: Hell yeah. I started to really understand the importance of the NH to the kids that come here maybe the third week of working there. It hit me that these kids need someone to be with, other kids to be with, other mentors and leaders, rather than having
high school, I was working and studying and blah. I wish I had been a part of one of these programs my whole life, it’s so much fun and taken seriously. It’s a great place. JH: I find working for NH beneficial and rewarding, as [community service] is something that I have been doing on my own, for quite some time. For me, it is a reality check. People are always complaining about how bad they have it, but never make an effort to look at their less fortunate neighbors and really see what is out there. Doing community service gives me a chance to connect with my community, and it brings me up to speed on what is needed in a specific neighborhood, and I help in any way that I can.
to be put into a dangerous situation that determines their future.
K: Did you find your current placement to be a
They can be kids here, and learn to grow to be responsible
positive or negative experience? Why?
adults here. Those of us who are serving are helping to build
JB: Positive. It rocks my socks off. I learn about
our community into respectable loving people by helping these kids make the right decisions, and just being there for them. JH: I have been assisting in two departments that will definitely benefit the community. I have been helping them to expand their website, and co-teaching a class on how to design newsletters. Photo by: Juan Hernandez
myself and everyone else every time I go there.
Connecting the MIAD Community to the World
2010
It’s the first day of school. You are excited and nervous with
to talk to and just havesomeone listen. Things seemed to
anticipation of your first class, maybe more on the nervous side.
be working out well with the tutors and the students coming
There are too many thoughts in your head to even concentrate:
in for extra help, but they wanted to make it better.
what should I to bring to class; what classroom am I in; what will
To extend the progress made in the LRC, they thought of
the teacher be like; are people going to like me; will the upper
creating a mentor program for the new foundation students.
class students going to shove me in a locker? It’s a wonder you even survived the elevator. First days can be intimidating but maybe it would have been a little less scary going into it with knowing a few things a head of time.
Doing a little research on
INSIDE
MIAD
my own, I found out that mentoring is a matter of trust. A trusting relationship can bring young people together
by
with caring individuals who
Wendy Young
offer guidance, support and encouragement aimed at
How could we let incoming
developing the competence
freshman and new students
and character of the mentee. Mentors are good listeners,
feel more welcomed and have a sense of belonging right when they come into school? The Associate Dean of Students, Jennifer Crandall, has had a great deal of experience working with young students and knows how scared they are in the first month of school. Jennifer has seen a lot of students within the first month of school come into her office feeling lost, not fitting in with other students, homesick and concerned with getting a job. There needed to be a group of students that would talk to these incoming freshmen,
MIAD MENTORS are the people you want to know. Not just
because they know their way around school, have strong academic skills and are really good at problem solving but because they are caring role models. They can listen to you; they are patient; compassionate; responsible and dedicated to help you grow and succeed at
M
I
make them feel at home and get them excited for school.
A
D
people who care, people who want to help young people bring out strengths that are already there. Having a mentor has proven to be effective for students by improving their attitudes towards others, encouraging them to be motivated for school, helping them face daily challenges and offering them the opportunity for new careers and economic skills (mentoring.org). The next step for MIAD was to find people that could qualify as mentors. During the second semester of last year, a letter went
out to anyone interested in becoming a MIAD mentor. Those interested were to write a letter stating why they should be
To get things going, last year Jennifer did a little research to
considered as a mentor. Jennifer and Ricky Heldt went through
start a pilot program with a group of students who work in
numerous letters and chose students based on their GPA,
the Learning Resource Center (LRC). The LRC, located in the
their personality, how well they communicated in writing, how
library, is a place where students come to get tutoring services.
much they showed interest working with students, and showed
They mostly help on papers, how to get ideas flowing, making
great leadership ability. Most of the mentors were also chosen
better connections with their audience, and how to have
based on personality and how well Jennifer and Ricky knew
better time management. In this pilot mentor program, they
each of the applicants. After going through so many letters
were also there to help those who just needed someone
and interviews, the MIAD mentors were finally chosen.
This was a new program for MIAD, so they conducted more research across other campuses developing a process for the mentor training and how they could work this into the MIAD community. A MIAD mentor is a knowledgeable and experienced
Another new addition to this year is the First Year Experience (FYE), which also happened during orientation week. Throughout the years, freshman would attend majors seminar once a weekfor about an hour during lunch to learn about all
guide, a student advocate, and a caring role model. Many of
of the different majors offered here at MIAD. Although it was
their responsibilities include ways to help new students make
informative for the students, it was not working out as well as it did in the past. It took some
the transition from high school
time to think of something
to college life while giving
new but FYE became another
them a sense of belonging to
new program for this year.
the MIAD community. They are also well informed in
FYE main goal for the first five
the college and community
weeks of school is to give the
resources to refer any
freshman an understanding of the foundation academics for
student looking for further information. Mentors need
what to expect and where
to be on top of all events
they will be going throughout
going on in the River Rat
the school year. These five
Review, such as the Activity
sessions act as a way for
Fair or new galleries that are
them to engage themselves
installed. They also show
into conversation about art
them that there are many
and design as well as finding
students at school that get
connections with one another.
involved in the art community
It can lessen the gap between
outside of MIAD. The goal
fine art and design and realize
is to expose them to it.
that we all are interconnected and compliment each other.
Another aspect of being a mentor this year was helping
With the initiation of new
out with the freshman
programs for the foundation
orientation. It first kicked off
students, MIAD hopes that
on Move In day, which can
it changes the way students
be overwhelming for anyone.
look at school. Hoping
The mentors were there in
that they will have a better
their bright red shirts willing
understanding of art and how
to give a hand to the new students moving into the
to engage themselves into Mentor photos by: Anna Maund and Rose Tarman
dorms. They also were a big part of Parent Orientation Day, setting up the mural painting and serving on a panel in front of the new students’ families. They lead discussions and met with their mentees to establish that mentor relationship while giving them a first-hand experience of student life at MIAD. There were many other events that week including a trip to Discovery World, movie night, Logistics Day, the Sand Sculpture competition and bowling in Bayview, all being a great turnout.
the art community around
MIAD. Jennifer Crandall has expressed that she has already seen drastic differences in the new students. “I have seen less students come into my office feeling upset or worried about the change from high school to college, or having an urge to go back home. This mentorship program has proven to be successful and it’s only been the first few weeks of school. I’m excited to see what else the mentors can do this semester.”
21
Connecting the MIAD Community to the World
2010
getting to
KNOW you
As a former student of Visual Resources, I have known Francis Balistreri for almost a year now. Fran is an experienced designer and creative professional, capable of developing strategically correct solutions for the clients. Also a skillful artist, Fran has his sculptures scatter over the states. Over many years, he has worked as a staff designer, art director, creative director and illustrator for various firms. He was also an executive director of the Eisner Museum of of Advertising & Design. His clients included Coca Cola/ McDonald’s Restaurants/ 7-Eleven Stores/RJR-Nabisco and many others. As of today, Fran is no longer working as a professional designer, but a part-time educator at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design(MIAD). He is a Visual Resources’s instructor, accepting
FACULTY
FRAN BALISTRERI
Photo by: Adam Widener
briefs from various non-profit organization. Visual Resources one of the less unique class MIAD has to offer. Visual Resources is a design class operate by an instructor(former Rebecca Ballisteri, and now Francis Ballisteri) and a selected group of students from various majors. Fran always told me, he sees Visual Resources as a small design firm rather than a class. In this class, students would have an opportunity to meet with real clients, come up with a right design solution and carry it through the production process. There are a total of eight students in Visual Resouces, each would come up with a creative solution for the brief, and the client would then pick on of the solutions and produce it. Clients in Visual Resources class included many organizations in Wisconsin, and some from overseas.
by
Warissara Muangsaen
Gaining so much from Fran, I really see him as someone who has contributed great deal of service to the community. As Visual Resources is the only classes in all of MIAD that has the opportunity that the design would be used and produced. Thus, the student’s design would be a service to various firms and non-profit organization, both local and international. As a student I am honored to have a successful designer as my mentor to help guide me through my last year in my design study.
bibliography Karwowski, Gerald L. “The Company of Jerome Increase Case.” www.racinehistory.com. 29 August, 2008. Oak Clearing Farm and Museum. 22 June 2009. <http://www.racinehistory.com/jicase.html>. “History.” www.racine.org. 1996-2008. Racine County Convention and Visitors Bureau. 22 June 2009. <http:// www.racine.org/about_racine/racine_history.html>. Block, Dustin. “From Track to Tracts.” The Journal Times. [Racine, WI] 09 Oct. 1999: 1D. Urban Ecology Center. 2008. Urban Ecology Center. 05 July 2009. <http://urbanecologycenter.org/>. Sheaffer, John R., and Leonard A. Stevens. Future Water. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1983. Lohan, Tara, ed. Water Consciousness: How We All Have To Change To Protect Our Most Critical Resource. San Francisco: AlterNet Books, 2008. “Sustainable Water Management.” WWW.DAINET.ORG. 2002. Development Alternatives Information Network (DAINET). 09 June 2009. <http://www.dainet.org/water/index.htm>. Dolman, Brock. “Watershed Literacy: Restoring Community and Nature.” Water Consciousness. Ed. Tara Lohan. San Francisco: AlterNet Books, 2008. Huismans, L., and W.E. Woods. “Slow Sand Filtration.” World Health Organization. 1974. 09 June 2009 <http://www.who. int/water_sanitation_health/publications/ssf/en/index.html>. “Frequently Asked Questions.” www.bluefuturefilters. com. 2005. Blue Future Filters, Inc. 05 July 2009. <http://www.bluefuturefilters.com/faqs.html>. “The World Health Organization’s Ranking of the World Health Systems.” www.photius.com. Feb. 29, 2007. World Health Organization. Aug. 5, 2009. [http:// www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html]. “What You Need to Know About Health Care Reform.” www. cnn.com. June 18, 2009. CNN. Aug. 5, 2009. [http://www. cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/18/ep.health.reform.basics/. Cline, Harry. “Galen Hiett’s Dash for All to Follow.” Western Farm Press. November 3, 2007. Penton Business Media, Inc. August 5, 2009. http://westernfarmpress. com/mag/farming_galen_hietts_dash/ “World Health Organization Assesses the World Health Systems.” www.photius.com. June 21, 2000. World Health Organization. Aug. 5, 2009. [http://www.photius. com/rankings/who_world_health_ranks.html]. Krugman, Paul. “Help is on the Way.” New York Times. July 5, 2009. August 5, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/ opinion/06krugman.html?_r=3&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
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The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) is an accredited college providing Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in the fields of Communication Design, Drawing, Illustration, Industrial Design, Integrated Fine Arts Studio, Interior Architecture + Design, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture and Time-Based Media. We prepare students with interest and ability in the visual arts for passage into professional careers. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not a trade school. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a college that launches professional artists and designers on their personal journeys toward artistic growth and successful, creative lives. We were founded as MIAD in 1974, but formed from the Layton School of Art & Design, which began instruction in 1920. There are, on average, about 600 full-time MIAD students and about 200 staff/faculty. The student/faculty ratio is 16:1. All faculty are working artists, designers, writers and researchers; there are also instructors who are working professionals.