Thursday, April 22, 2010
The Kids
While serving with America Reads, I've learned a lot about myself and how my community works. But the best part of my experience is the kids. They want you to help them. They want you to be their friend. They wonder what you've been up to since they've seen you last. They can be as invested in you as you are with them. I really want everyone to know what a wonderful feeling it is to help. Kids may not be your thing but if you can serve do it and do it now. You'll never regret your service!
Civically Surprised
I was surprised to learn today that for the past 5 months I have been civically engaged. I am currently employed as a research assistant at the Great Salt Lake Institute. I have been paid to learn how to conduct scientific research on the Great Salt Lake. My job has taught me a lot about the Great Salt Lake and about collaborating with others. Civic engagement isn’t such a bad thing at all.
- Jo Tietze, Westminster Senior
- Jo Tietze, Westminster Senior
Big Brother Big Sister
Alexx Goeller
I have been a part of the Big Brother/Big Sister program for two years now and it has been such a rewarding experience!! I spend a couple of hours a week with my "little sister," Jayda. She is incredible. She has such an infectious zest for life. I feel that she teaches me more than I teach her. I would recommend this program to anyone looking to really make a difference in a young chlid's life.
I have been a part of the Big Brother/Big Sister program for two years now and it has been such a rewarding experience!! I spend a couple of hours a week with my "little sister," Jayda. She is incredible. She has such an infectious zest for life. I feel that she teaches me more than I teach her. I would recommend this program to anyone looking to really make a difference in a young chlid's life.
Recycle Bottle Caps
Eric Nielsen & Nichole Rose
Project Proposal: Recycling Bottle Caps with Aveda Salon
Our Plan of Action
Receptacle Placement:
We will be placing receptacles in front of the library with the cluster of bins. Another placement will be with the recycling bins by the north east door of the Shaw building. Lastly, we will place a receptacle in HWAC by the recycling bins there. These receptacles will be collected weekly and taken to Aveda Salon which is at 1298 East 900 South Salt Lake City by a member of our group. Eric Nielsen will maintain a constant campus presence through the summer because of his work on campus and summer semester classes.
Hundred Dollar Challenge:
For the hundred dollar challenge fund, we plan to use the money to either construct or purchase receptacle bins for the three buildings with appropriate signage and advertisement for this campus supported drive. We will also be participating in the Earth day celebration on Campus with a table with information about the program.
The Environmental Concern
Aveda found that a majority of plastic bottle caps do not get recycled today.
Often these caps end up as litter or trash and migrate into our rivers and oceans. Birds and other marine creatures mistake them for food with tragic results. The magnitude of this pollution problem is devastating to our oceans and wildlife. An example of this is the Plastic Garbage Patches that are gyrating in our oceans and photo-degrading the plastic into polymers that outnumber the plankton 6 to 1.
What type of caps do we collect?
The program accepts caps that are rigid polypropylene plastic, sometimes noted with a 5 in the chasing arrows recycling symbol. This includes caps that twist on with a threaded neck such as caps on shampoo, water, soda, milk and other beverage bottles, flip top caps on tubes and food product bottles (such as ketchup and mayonnaise), laundry detergents and some jar lids such as peanut butter.
Why can’t bottle caps be recycled with the bottles?
Plastic bottle caps are made from a type of plastic called polypropylene. Plastic bottles, on the other hand, are usually made from a different kind of plastic called polyethylene terepthalate, or number one and PET. Polypropylene, the number-five plastic bottle caps can be made into things like garden rakes, brooms, and ice scrapers, usually sturdy things.
Project reflection
The programs debut at Westminster’s Earth Day Celebration was received well. A majority of those I spoke to were unaware that bottle caps have to be processed separately. They were surprised to learn that the recycling program in Salt Lake City separates the bottle cap from the bottle and throws them away. The ultimate resting place is in the land fill. We handed out almost 100 paper bags for people to take home and fill with bottle caps, once full they can deposit the bag in one of the recycling bins. I, along with another student have pledged to send the bottle caps to Aveda until our graduation in June 2011. It is our hope that we can pass the project on to the next generation Westminster students.
Project Proposal: Recycling Bottle Caps with Aveda Salon
Our Plan of Action
Receptacle Placement:
We will be placing receptacles in front of the library with the cluster of bins. Another placement will be with the recycling bins by the north east door of the Shaw building. Lastly, we will place a receptacle in HWAC by the recycling bins there. These receptacles will be collected weekly and taken to Aveda Salon which is at 1298 East 900 South Salt Lake City by a member of our group. Eric Nielsen will maintain a constant campus presence through the summer because of his work on campus and summer semester classes.
Hundred Dollar Challenge:
For the hundred dollar challenge fund, we plan to use the money to either construct or purchase receptacle bins for the three buildings with appropriate signage and advertisement for this campus supported drive. We will also be participating in the Earth day celebration on Campus with a table with information about the program.
The Environmental Concern
Aveda found that a majority of plastic bottle caps do not get recycled today.
Often these caps end up as litter or trash and migrate into our rivers and oceans. Birds and other marine creatures mistake them for food with tragic results. The magnitude of this pollution problem is devastating to our oceans and wildlife. An example of this is the Plastic Garbage Patches that are gyrating in our oceans and photo-degrading the plastic into polymers that outnumber the plankton 6 to 1.
What type of caps do we collect?
The program accepts caps that are rigid polypropylene plastic, sometimes noted with a 5 in the chasing arrows recycling symbol. This includes caps that twist on with a threaded neck such as caps on shampoo, water, soda, milk and other beverage bottles, flip top caps on tubes and food product bottles (such as ketchup and mayonnaise), laundry detergents and some jar lids such as peanut butter.
Why can’t bottle caps be recycled with the bottles?
Plastic bottle caps are made from a type of plastic called polypropylene. Plastic bottles, on the other hand, are usually made from a different kind of plastic called polyethylene terepthalate, or number one and PET. Polypropylene, the number-five plastic bottle caps can be made into things like garden rakes, brooms, and ice scrapers, usually sturdy things.
Project reflection
The programs debut at Westminster’s Earth Day Celebration was received well. A majority of those I spoke to were unaware that bottle caps have to be processed separately. They were surprised to learn that the recycling program in Salt Lake City separates the bottle cap from the bottle and throws them away. The ultimate resting place is in the land fill. We handed out almost 100 paper bags for people to take home and fill with bottle caps, once full they can deposit the bag in one of the recycling bins. I, along with another student have pledged to send the bottle caps to Aveda until our graduation in June 2011. It is our hope that we can pass the project on to the next generation Westminster students.
Working for the Great Salt Lake Institute
Hey! I'm Hatley and for the past year I've been working for the Great Salt Lake Institute, a small nonprofit that shares an office with the Center for Civic Engagement. I've loved the opportunity to teach people about the lake and the connections their community has to it. I've helped to connect people with internships, study experiences, and volunteer opportunities. And I've had fun playing on paddle boards and taking water samples, too! I couldn't think of a better way to give back.
Hatley Laughridge
Hatley Laughridge
Earth Day and Westminster Students on the News!
Check out Fox 13's story on Earth Day, featuring Westminster's environmental activists:
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-westminster-earth-day-day-early,0,2809295.story
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-westminster-earth-day-day-early,0,2809295.story
Mr. Teeth's Homeless Dental Relief
Our first primary goal of our SLICE Project was to improve the homeless community’s oral health. This might seem like an ambitious goal for Westminster Pre-Dentistry students, but with the team that we have, anything is possible! To accomplish this, we fundraised 550 dental kits from local doctors. After fundraising, we partnered up with the Social Science Club and held a service project at Pioneer Park. We distributed 47 dental kits and 46 sandwiches to the local homeless community.
Our second goal was to increase the homelessness awareness amongst the Westminster College community. To accomplish this, we set up a table in Shaw Center and taught the campus about homelessness in Utah. This was a great event and allowed us to fundraise $140 for our cause. After this, we partnered up with Habitat for Humanity to fundraise money for both our causes at their on campus Flee Market. At this event, we fundraised another $20 from the Westminster community. All fundraised money went towards more dental supplies for the homeless.
Left over Dental Kits: 250 of the Dental Kits will be going to Thailand with a Westminster Service Group to help improve Thailand’s oral health. The remaining 250 will be distributed throughout our local homeless community by Mr. Teeth and his team of Pre-Dentistry volunteers!
Future Plans!: Our SLICE Project was only the beginning. Mr. Teeth’s Homeless Dental Relief will be a fully operating NPO or NGO by the end of 2010! WE cannot stop after the amazing response we received from the local community. Without the SLICE Program, we would never have been able to get this idea off the ground. Now, after only one semester, we’re ready to improve our community’s oral health is a very big way!
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