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Campus labs give packaging waste a second life

Angelina Weir — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:19:01 +0000

Syracuse University laboratories are keeping one of the most “eco-unfriendly” materials out of the waste stream. The labs recently stopped trashing polystyrene foam, better known as Styrofoam, and instead are now giving the non-biodegradable packaging material a second life through recycling.

The new recycling program collects cold-shipping polystyrene boxes from campus labs in Link Hall, Bowne Hall, the Life Sciences Complex, the Center for Science and Technology and the Physics Building. Since the start of this year, 141 polystyrene boxes have been recycled. The

Boost Your Job Prospects: Email a Celebrity

Joel Ramsbotham — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:26:43 +0000

When I was a young reporter at the Los Angeles Times, I made the mistake of mentioning to my editor, while were standing in line in the newspaper’s cafeteria, that the person cutting the roast beef was carving it wrong.

Bob was curious how I would know this so I explained that one of my college jobs was cutting roast beef at the student union. From then on, my editor referred to me as a former food service professional.

Most of the jobs that I had in college were equally dull. I

Perry unveils education incentive in Abilene

Laura Lawley — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:21:57 +0000

Gov. Rick Perry unveiled in Abilene today an incentive proposal meant to save school districts money, but it is unclear if Abilene Independent School District would immediately benefit.

The program would reward districts for partnering with other schools, counties, cities, or even private sector businesses to provide administrative services, such as accounting, human resources, transportation, and facilities use.

Districts that participate would receive a one-time grant that’s worth 10 percent of the amount saved by partnering with another entity.

“It’s a voluntary program, but I suspect it’ll be tough for local districts to pass that up — an opportunity to save some money and to get a reward,” Perry said. “I firmly b

In Short Supply: School Items

Gabrielle Batchelor — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:00:22 +0000

HOUSTON – Parents are still totaling the cost of school supplies and uniforms. And for some, it’s a struggle to make everything add up.

How’s this for a math problem: divide four kids, their mom and grandmother among three bedrooms. Now factor in the broken air conditioning.

Lashawnda Sims can’t seem to solve it.

The single mother feels like “almost, I would say, the old woman in the shoe,” she says. “Except I’m not that old. And I don’t have that many children.”

After losing her job, Sims had to move back in with her mom. Now, while lo

Dr. Jack Meek publishes “Governance Networks”

Joel Ramsbotham — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:07:56 +0000

Dr. Jack W. Meek, Professor of Public Administration, has co-authored a book with Christopher Koliba and Asim Zia of the University of Vermont. “Governance Networks in Public Administration and Public Policy,” published by CRC Press, offers a conceptual framework for describing governance networks and outlines the skills and functions of public administrators operating in the context of networked relationships.

CoJo Summer Tips #8

Angelina Weir — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:21:32 +0000

Spurn relatives:

Not relatives as in great uncle Albie and his stern second wife. But relatives like ‘better’, ‘worse’, ‘faster’, ’slower’. They’re words we use entirely innocently in most sentences we speak in everyday life. But for journalists – and especially journalists aspiring to impartiality and independence – they’re pernicious little words that can do two things.

First, they can indicate that the journalist accepts, probably unquestioningly, one set of assumptions around an event. Second, accepting that set of assumptions closes off large areas of enquiry that are both legitimate and likely to yield a more interesting perspective.

Fortunately, most relatives – ‘There’s better news on interest rates …’ – are so obvious and prominent that any journalist would question the premise; ‘better’ for who?

But not all.

High-tech help for high school students popular

Laura Lawley — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:10:23 +0000

“It’s not necessarily what you have, but how you use it,” Rob McClellan, technology director for Region 14 Educational Service Center, says in reference to technology in the classroom.

McClellan said the service center will facilitate workshops for teachers so they will be as proficient with new technology as their students. This week, the Texas Education Agency, or TEA, announced it is providing free multimedia educational content for students, teachers and parents on Apple iTunes.

Anyone who has iTunes on a computer, phone or other mobile device can download the content for free. The T

D&E, Gibbons on WV Public Broadcasting

Joel Ramsbotham — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:51:58 +0000

WV Public Broadcasting features D&E Artist in Residence on blog, interview.

http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=16343

California loses competition for Race to the Top education funding

Gabrielle Batchelor — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:49:37 +0000

For the second year in a row, California’s been left behind in a national competition for nearly three-and-a-half billion dollars in supplemental federal funding.

New York, Ohio, North Carolina and six other states led the race for Race to the Top money. The winning states proposed the most sweeping reforms to improve student learning, teacher and principal preparation, and turning around low-performing schools, federal education secretary Arne Duncan said in a conference call.

If more money were available, he said, California would have won some of it. But Duncan didn’t say what part of California’s proposal pushed it out of the winner’s circle.

Thirty-six states applied for Race to the Top grants. Duncan

West Region pre-season poll tags Tigers women’s cross country number three

Jade Nowland — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:33:00 +0000

August 27, 2010 West Region pre-season poll tags Tigers womens cross country number three In the 2010 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll released last week, the Occidental College women’s cross country team landed as the third ranked team in the West Region entering the season.

The Tigers return to the course with just one senior and look to repeat as Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions in 2010. The ultimate goal is to qualify for National Championships as a team.

Occidental enters the season ranked third behind Whitworth (Wash.) University and SCIAC foe Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Th

Dr. Jeffrey Kahan publishes “Bettymania and the Birth of Celibrity Culture”

Joel Ramsbotham — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:05:11 +0000

Dr. Jeffrey Kahan, Professor of English, recently published “Bettymania and the Birth of Celebrity Culture“ (Lehigh University Press, 2010). In 1804, a kind of madness descended upon Britain. A thirteen-year-old boy, William-Henry West Betty, arrived and took Ireland, Scotland, and England by storm. Women were fixated on his beauty; men referred to him as the “personification of Hamlet.” Crowds were so intent upon securing tickets for Betty’s performances that officers were called out to stop rioters in the streets. What attract

CC marks $3.5 million residence hall renovation

Laura Lawley — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:22:40 +0000

Student’s can’t move into their campus homes until Saturday, but students and others attending a celebration today got a sneak peak at the $3.5 million renovation of Mathias Hall — the college’s largest residence hall.The project, paid entirely through student housing fees, was completed over the summer.Improvements included work on the building’s common spaces; “green” improvements including low-flow water fixtures, recycled-content materials, Energy Star appliances and energy efficient lighting; and technology upgrades.The renovation also increases CC’s Living Learning Communities from one to four. The LLC program

Tennis (W): Women’s Tennis Inks Three During Signing Period

Angelina Weir — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 06:41:07 +0000

Lions Have Eight Players Heading into 2010-11.

SAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo head women’s tennis coach James Bryce has announced the addition of three signees for the 2010-11 season, as the trio of Laura Kemkes, Bethania Laan, and Phoebe Di Leo join the eight-person squad. The Lions are looking to reload this with the departure of seniors Shaena Keefe and Gina Schifano.

The 2009-10 version of the women’s tennis team went 8-14, including a 2-6 mark in a difficult Sunshine State Conference. Despi

AISD to approve budget tonight

Laura Lawley — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 19:18:12 +0000

The Abilene Independent School District will meet tonight to hold a public forum on the proposed tax rate and to approve the 2010-2011 budget. The public is invited to comment.

In addition, the board will hold a separate agenda review meeting today covering a new plan for the Woodson Center for Excellence and other matters.

The public forum will be at 5:30 p.m. and the agenda review meeting will be at 5:40 p.m.