DeSales University

 

 

While the university offered its first classes in 1965 under the name of Allentown College, the school officially declared university status and formally changed the name to DeSales University in 2000.  DeSales is a private Catholic institution for men and women, undergraduates, and graduate students as well.  DeSales is known for its strong Performing Arts and Nursing programs, as well as a wide variety of business, Science, Humanities, and Education majors. 

 

 

In Progress:

- A course taught by Dr. Kenneth Nivison, Environmental History, is doing a campus-wide sustainability audit of DeSales University.

- Establishment of "Earth to DeSales!" which will implement suggestions of audit.

- Creation of Environmental Action Committee, a group of faculty, admins, staff, and students that works to make DeSales more sustainable.

- Plan and host Earth Day 2008 event.

 

ORGANIC AND LOCAL FOODS CONFERENCE:

 

To be honest, this conference was not worth the two hours in the car and 30 dollars we paid to attend. However, since everyone keeps begging, here is what I "learned" there.

 

*CAMPUS ORGANIC GARDENS*

 

1. Organic gradens work with (not against) nature. Gardeners avoid monoculture, planting many plant species together, lessening destruction of crop plagues and pests naturally.

2. Soil is the most complex ecosystem in the world. Organic matter (compost, aged manure, leaves, grassclippings, cover crops) on top of your garden drought proofs, waterproofs, arrates, and enriches soil.

3. For best results, look into crops that are meant to grow in the climate of your school.

4. For details on your garden, best books is

 

Straight-Ahead Organic : A Step-by-Step Guide to Growing Great Vegetables in a Less Than Perfect World

by Ogden, Shepherd

 

5. Organic gardens provide a place for students to work with the land, provide vegetables for the school, and are better for the land than pesticide-covered, too-often-cut grass.

6. An organic garden takes up to a year of planning- think of everything before you plant- who will tend the garden? during the summer? who will pay? where will this be? what will be done with the crops? etc.

7. see farmadelphia.com

 

*TO BUILD A STUDENT MOVEMENT*

 

1. Know who you're working with: List active support, passiv support, neutral, passive opposition, and active opposition

2. Identify whats wrong and right (VALUES) For Sustainable Food: Appreciation of Produciton, preserving farmland, local economy, energy conservation, progressive nature of university, history, tradition, community

3. Establish GOALS. Long term, Short term tactics to acheive long term goals.

4. EXPRESSIVE vs INSTRUMENTAL tactics. Expressive: making T shirts, holding awareness events, signs, facebook groups, etc. Instrumental: policy change at university level, lobbying for government policy change

5. See beyondthechoir.org and casinofreephila.org for good campaign techniques

 

*MISCELLANEAOUS*

 

1. RX in Philly has delicious organic and local food.

 

 

 

 

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