Articles By/About Students or Alumni/ae
Festival With
a Mission: Review of the International Film Festival
Internship Pays
Off: A personal Experience With the Film Festival
Book Review
Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind
ENVS Interns Teach on Pease
Mountain
Some Thoughts on Chemistry
Alumni/ae News
Ravin'!
News To Rave About in the Environmental Program Community
Festival With A Mission
By Kassie Wilner '95
The Vermont International Film Festival: Images and Issues of Global
Concern hit the Burlington theaters this October 2629.
Screened this year were a collection of films focussing on the
interconnection between the environment, justice, and human rights, and
issues of war and peace.
This year's festival was a commemorative showcase entitled
Looking Back, Looking Forward: 19452000 and Beyond.
Films illustrated the link between historical events and the impact our
past has had on our current, and will have on our future, ways of
thinking. The 25th anniversary of the first Earth Day was celebrated with
a special program entitled, Visions of a Sustainable Future: Are We Ready?
There to address the many issues sparked by these films were Environmental
Program faculty
members Karel Samsom and Stephanie Kaza, Charles Scott from Population
Communication International, and John Quinney of the Simply Better Store.
Other programs focused on the consequences of war, the
liberation of the concentration camps, the bombing of Japan, and the
forming of the United Nations. All the programs in the festival were
complemented by panel discussions led by experts and film makers. With the
enhancement of these discussions, the powerful medium of film and video
promotes critical thinking, expanded awareness, and a better understanding
of the historical context of the issues at hand.
The Vermont International Film Festival is a
notforprofit organization that exists with support from
members of the community who attend screenings, a number of sponsors, and
grants. It also depends on a strong support network of volunteers and
interns. Interns become directly involved in the efforts to bring
influential films into our community, while acquiring experience,
professional skills, and an understanding of the workings of a
notforprofit organization.
If you are interested in finding out more about the festival,
or would like to help with our Earth Day 1996 film showcase or Film/Fun
Fest for Kids, please call the office at 6602600.
Internship Pays Off
A Personal Experience With the Film
Festival
By Kassie Wilner '95
As a film goer at
the 1993 Vermont International Film Festival, and the 1994 Earth Day
Showcase, I was struck by the power of the films I saw. They prompted me
to further explore the interconnectedness of many issues in the
environmental field and the films' power to affect awareness and promote
motivation. I was also inspired by the recognition that the festival is a
means to environmental action, community education and incentive for
lifestyle change.
During the summer after my junior year and then on through the
1994 festival that November, I interned with the Vermont International
Film Foundation. The projects I worked on ranged from rallying community
support for the festival to communications with
participating filmmakers. My six month internship gave me a chance to
learn a number of transferrable working skills, as well as general
handson experience with a nonprofit organization.
After the festival, I chose to work with the Foundation again,
this time in a position of increased responsibility. I developed a plan to
use this internship as a thesis project focussing on environmental
education as related to the use of media arts. Working through the spring,
I was involved with a number of different projects including coordinating
the Earth Day screenings of Baraka and Ecological Design.
Having seen a festival cycle from planning to the actual event,
and with an understanding of many aspects of the organization, I was hired
this past fall as an Assistant Festival Coordinator for the 1995 Vermont
International Film Festival. I took on an even higher degree of
responsibility that included festival planning and promotion, and the
management and guidance of volunteers who worked on various aspects of
festival coordination.
My involvement with the Foundation illustrates the impact
internships of this kind can have. Not only does an intern gain increased
professional experience, but the organization gains as well. An intern may
be rewarded for his or her commitment and specific experience if and when
a paid position becomes available. In my case the International Film
Foundation allowed me to build on my skills and history with them as I
took on the new challenges. As a result they gained an experienced
employee and I got a job doing something I enjoyed.
Book Review
by Stefanie Liebman '96
Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit, by Daniel
Quinn. Bantam Books, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036 (1992). 263 pp.,
paperback, ISBN 0553375407. $10.95.
Ishmael is like no book you've read before, and probably
like no other you'll read again. Daniel Quinn has delved into the reasons
behind human actions toward the natural environment, dating back to the
beginning of time. In a series of philosophical discussions between a man
and a gorilla, Quinn has illustrated a unique and logical explanation for
why human beings have come to be who and what they are.
According to Quinn, human beings are being held captive to a
system of civilization that compels them to go on destroying the world in
order to live. What he calls Mother Culture, refers to the present
thinking and mindset of most of the cultures of this world, with the
exception of the few native, or indigenous peoples who still remain today.
He divides these peoples from all the rest by constructing two separate
categories: the Leavers, the cultures of the past and the
Takers, the cultures of today. Both have their own stories which
were once enacted, or which are being enacted now.
We are brought along an educational journey with a gorilla named
Ishmael, the inspirational teacher who takes us back through the story of
Genesis. Quinn pinpoints where the human species went wrong, the point at
which they became the earth's enemy. He highlights elements of the Bible
in terms of how they have influenced human thinking over the past ten to
twelve thousand years.
Jim Britell, of Whole Earth Review, said, From now on I
will divide the books I have read into two categories: the ones I read
before Ishmael and those read after. I don't think he could have
said it any better. Ishmael gave me rich
insights on human nature. This book was written to be read over and over
again, paying careful attention to each individual concept. It is clear
that the world needs a new approach to saving the earth, and it is quite
likely that Quinn has the answer.
ENVS Interns Teach on Pease Mountain
By Mary Boucher
'98 and Sarah Fairchild '98
In 1989 Cher Feitelberg, an elementary school teacher in
Charlotte, Vermont, began an environmental education program for fourth
and fifth graders at Charlotte Central School, south of Burlington. Her
students are part of a stewardship program which promotes the protection
of the natural environment of Pease Mountain.
Over the years, interns from the Environmental Program at UVM
have worked with the children and developed community environmental
education workshops. Small groups of children focus on activities that
teach skills in animal tracking, tree identification,
boundary marking and other ecological processes on Pease Mountain. They
learn about the various ways to care for the land. With the help of the
interns, Cher's students have developed a strong sense of responsibility
as caretakers of Pease Mountain.
This fall there were six Environmental Studies interns working
with Cher and the Charlotte students. With us were Jean Amar '98, Kip
Kruckel '96, Demian McKinley '97 and Amy Thomas '97. On our first trip
to Pease Mountain, we did not anticipate the
degree to which we would learn and become involved with the students and
the land. We never imagined the influence we would have on them. Now that
we have worked with them and seen their growth, we realize that we not
only have teacherstudent relationships, but also very personal
relationships with the children. We are friends, and together we have seen
the importance of respect not only for each other, but also for the
mountain.
Although we know that we were only exposed to a small aspect of
environmental education, in the short time we worked with Cher and her
class we each developed a strong interest pursuing it further. Many of us
are interested in returning and continuing our
work within the Charlotte community. We encourage others to intern on
Pease Mountain next year. You will be richly rewarded.
Demian McKinley and two Charlotte students examine a deer skull.
Some Thoughts on Chemistry
by Heather
Kaplan '97
Many environmental studies students are drawn towards
experiential and progressive approaches to academia. We would rather
transcend the traditional model of learning and participate in a more open
curriculum. Although this ideal may be a positive characteristic for us as
a group, at times it becomes an obstacle.
Because of our rebellious attitudes we may disregard some basic
fundamental academic subjects. The very image associated with certain
areas can cause us to cringe. A perfect example of this is the subject of
chemistry. Many of us picture ourselves in a gray, cinder block lecture
hall, listening to an aged white male in a lab coat lecturing about, say,
the chemical makeup of gaseous matter. We are repelled by the thought of
such an oppressive or confining atmosphere, and avoid contact with such a
course.
Fortunately, this semester I decided to overcome my inhibitions
and enrolled in a basic chemistry course to strengthen my personal
environmental understanding. In order to be truly interdisciplinary, I
forced myself to surrender to the conventional learning environment that I
usually condemn.
To my surprise, the result was not what I had anticipated. Yes,
the cinder blocks were present, but I gained a better understanding of how
environmental degradation technically occurs. It will definitely help me
to achieve my long term goals more effectively. So, for all of you
skeptical environmental students, my advice is to keep an open mind.
Individually, if we each broaden our foundation of understanding about our
environment, we will ultimately make a stronger impact as a whole.
Alumni/ae News
Laura Scott '94 is finishing
her first year as the Parks Coordinator for the Vermont Youth Conservation
Corps. In September she wrote, This has been the most amazing six months
of my life. The Parks Program hires youth (1821) and adult leaders
to live at and manage the operations of Vermont State Parks and a National
Forest Recreation Area. This year I had seven crews out in the field,
striving toward the Youth Corps mission of learning to take personal
responsibility for all of their actions. I have been on the road touring,
training, counseling and troubleshooting since April.
It has been an incredible learning opportunity at every turn,
from managing the hiring and placement of 75 employees to handling tough
situations, including conflict resolution and group problemsolving.
At the same time I have had a great time working with Corps members and
staff, doing guest presentations at Park campfires, and maintaining
healthy and fulfilling relationships with dear freinds. Laura can be
reached at P.O. Box 482, 92 South Main St., Waterbury, VT 05676.
Brian Rod '94 wrote early this semester that he was just hired for
a shortterm project with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I will
be doing GIS work on salmon and other fish in the Connecticut River
Watershed. This is right on the heels
of finishing a great internship with the Massachusetts Dept. of
Environmental Management, where I was helping write management plans for
the State Parks and Forests, including the new innovative Connecticut
River Greenway State Forest. In addition, I participated in the
Commonwealth's Wildlands Program. Brian hopes to soon wade through and
choose from the wide variety of reasearch directions and graduate programs
in the conservation field. His address is: 100 Brookside Dr., Pittsfield,
MA 01201.
Stephanie Wills '94, writes from a rural
agricultural communtiy in the mountains in the northwestern region of the
Dominican Republic, not far from Haiti. I'm a Peace Corps volunteer in
the sector of Environmental Awareness Education. I'm really enjoying life
as a volunteer. At times it is tough, but already very rewarding. I'm
working with teachers to help incorporate environmental studies into
existing curriculum. The primary problem is slash and burn agriculture and
deforestation.
This fall I hope to begin a community tree nursery at the local
school for an education and reforestation program, working in conjunction
with an international development agency, as well as a local community
group. I'm also busy working on the Peace Corps Dominican Republic
magazine, and spending a lot of time getting to know my community of about
1,000 people. Stephanie welcomes contact from any students interested in
development issues, the Peace Corps, or anyone who might want to do thesis
or project
work in the D.R. To contact her, write: PCV S. Wills, Cherpo de Paz, APDO
1412, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, or fax: (809) 5802000.
In the summer of 1993 Kimberly Larson '95 worked with Green
Corps for rainforest protection. This past summer Kimberly was hired for
the one year training program for recent college graduates interested in a
career in environmental organizing. She trained in Boston for a month,
then drove across the country to work in San Fancisco for the year. I am
working on the 'Restore the Bay' project which focusses on preserving the
natural resources of the San Francisco Bay, and works on the quality of
water and wetlands for the protection of endangered species. I have been
organizing the South Bay community primarily students at Stanford
University to work on the campaign. The highlight so far has been
the successful community event 'All Species Day' held in November. Says
Kimberly, I am really excited to have this job, because working for a
nonprofit environmental group on grassroots campaigns is exactly
what I want to do with my degree. Kimberly can be reached by phone at
work: (415) 5580574.
John Mason '93 has had quite a
journey since graduation. Beginning January of '94 he had a six month
internship with the National Wildlife Federation in D.C. that led to seven
more months of work, all involving advocacy, direct lobbying and
participation in strategy sessions with national policy experts. Having
had enough of the big city, John took another internship at the Four
Corners School of Outdoor Education (FCS) in Monticello, UT during the
spring of '95. There he helped lead backpacking and
riverrafting trips and taught environmental education in a Navajo
elementary school. That summer John interned at the Cascade Science School
as a field naturalist instructing students of various ages.
From a contact he made at FCS, John landed fulltime work
teaching Biology to ninth and tenth graders at Colorado Academy outside
Denver. He's also advising students, coaching soccer and lacrosse and
helping direct their outing club. Wrote John last
fall, It has been a great year and a half, filled with a wide range of
opportunities for personal and professional development, travel, outdoor
adventure, and fun!
Kristin Coates '95 is now the program
associate for Global Green USA, the American affiliate to the Green Cross
International established by President Mikhail Gorbachev. GG USA aims to
foster a global value shift in regard to the environment through several
different programs. Kristin's responsibilities include: The Habitat for
Humanity/GG USA Environmental Initiative which aims to incorporate
resourceefficient guidelines, materials, and designs into low
income housing; and the Environmental Media Association/GG USA
Internaltional Media Award that promotes international feature films,
music videos, and T.V. programs that incorporate environmental themes into
their productions. Feel free to email Kristin at
KCoates@globalgreen.
org, or write via GG USA to 1600 S. Main St., Venice, CA
902913600.
Ravin'!
In an article
in The New York Times Magazine (October 29, 1995), author Jay
Parini cited Stephanie Kaza's class, Radical
Environmentalism, as among the country's top six environmental studies
courses. According to Parini, Environmental Studies is the academic field
of the 90's.
In the 1995 book, Faces of Environmental Racism:
Confronting Issues of Global Justice, edited by Laura Westra and Peter
S. Wenz, Elizabeth Bell '93 co authored an article,
Environmental Justice: A National Priority, with Clarice E. Gaylord. Liz
received honors for her ENVS thesis, An Examination of the History of
the Environmental Justice Movement and a Proposal for Policy
Options.
Paul Lachapelle '96 presented a talk,
Composting Options: A New England Perspective in a session on Energy,
Water and Waste Management in the Backcountry at the Univ. of Calgary's
Environmental Ethics and Practices in Backcountry Recreation
Conference last November. Check out Paul's Backcountry Toilet World Wide
Web page located at: http://www. uvm.edu/~plachape/toilets.html. He
was offered a summer job with the U.S. Forest Service Technology and
Development Center in San Dimas, CA,
working in Yosemite on their new Hot Box Project, using solar energy to
sterilize waste from composting toilets.
Linda Gionti '83
is now operating her own successful stone masonry business in
Chittendon County, VT. Also a graduate of the Women's Small Business
Project, Linda has been featured in news articles and on several panels as
a role model of a successful tradeswoman.
Phase II has begun on
the Colchester Bog Natural Area boardwalk project. Steve Smith, a
local carpenter, has been framing the rest of the boardwalk and the
observation platform. Workstudy students, Erin O'Daniel '99 and
Chris Regnier '96 have been assisting Steve in this effort. Plans are
to complete the framing of the boardwalk this winter while the ground is
still frozen and apply the decking material later this spring. Anyone
wishing to contribute funding or volunteer labor to this
project should contact Rick Paradis at The Bittersweet.
As the
major part of his ENVS senior 202 project, Chris Hicks '96, working
for the State of Vermont Wetlands office, organized a very successful
daylong wetlands workshop for property owners and town officials in
Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties in early February. After
listening to a variety of speakers, including Rick Paradis and
Carl Reidel, over 75 attendees left the conference well advised on
a wide variety of critical, and often politically controversial wetlands
issues.
Sue Bean, Secretary for the Environmental Program
was the lucky winner of a $10,000 shopping spree in a radio contest from
WEZF93 FM. On December 9, 1995 Sue and her family were picked up in
a white limousine and driven to Burlington's Church Street Marketplace,
where, escorted by three of Santa's elves, Sue proceeded to spend her
earnings. It was a great Christmas for all!
UVM captured the
national title at the Novice National Debate Tournament in Maryland in
early March. ENVS major, Shane Egizi '98 and Erica Albin, both from
Vermont, captured the title, taking twelve ninety minute debates to do it.
Their topic was:
Resolved: that the U.S. should substantially change its foreign policy
towards Mexico. They argued the merits of sustainable agriculture. The
UVM team of Jethro Hayman '96 and Annalei McGreevy '97, both ENVS
majors, finished third in the national tournament. Way to Go!
Five ENVS seniors have been
chosen to share their reseach at the Undergraduate Research Symposium this
spring. Presenting posters will be Frank DuRoss, Jr., Shauna Gasunas,
Sarah Lansdale and Tricia Martin. Paul Lachapelle will give an oral
presentation.