Author Archives | Eric Schucht

Tea + math = steps for the Zero Waste program in Deady and Fenton

Not only do math teachers love numbers and fractions, apparently they enjoy tea as well.

The Department of Mathematics at the University of Oregon hosts a weekly tea and coffee party.

“Mathematicians have what’s called a ‘tea’, and it’s three or four days a week, and it’s just for them to get together and talk about research and throw around ideas and stuff,” said Jay Butler, the undergraduate coordinator for the math department.

In recent meetings, the mathematicians thought up a way to create a greener economy, too.

Butler said he “kept noticing (that) we recycle everything pretty well,” but “coffee grounds and the tea kept on going in the garbage.”

Butler reached out to Kayrin Kaplan, the manager of the Zero Waste Program on campus, to solve the issue.

The Zero Waste program on campus aims to provide waste disposal services and waste management education to the university.

The mathematicians decided to begin using a compost bin during tea parties to salvage waste. This method provoked several professors to request a personal bin for their offices, and began an implementation of the Zero Waste Program in Deady and Fenton halls. Both halls host several math courses at the university.

Fenton hall recently saw a $5.6 million remodel, completed in June 2011.

One improvement since the remodel is that Deady and Fenton halls have been retrofitted with new Zero Waste stations and desksides to replace original metal trash bins.

The desksides are miniature trash bins which can be placed on a desk and have separate compartments for different types of waste. The new bins allow for the sorting of waste, in order to prevent food from being mixed in with non-reusable materials.

The group has developed what they call the Zero Waste Campus ToolKit, which is a manual on how to convert a school to produce a limited amount of waste. The guide describes its waste disposal system in detail and the five bin system it uses for garbage.

The five bins are used for compost (food), white paper, mixed paper (newspaper, magazines, etc.), bottles made up of plastic, glass, and metal.

“We have designed a zero waste system that is part of all of the campus construction standards,” Kaplan said. “So as buildings are remodeled and are newly constructed, the zero waste system will become the standard.”

The program was founded in 1991 out of the survival center by students. Originally working to reuse and recycle paper, the group has expanded to other materials such as metal, plastic and compost.

In 2010 the group received first place in the PROP Film Festival and second place in the EPA Video competition for its video titled: Stop Global Warming.

The program plans on expanding into other buildings until the entire campus produces minimal amounts of waste. Its goal is to have a long term plan for the implementation of the program drafted by June 2015.

“I would like to make a long range plan to expand the zero waste system in to all campus waste related efforts,” said Kaplan.

 

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LiveMove to install visual bike counter at UO

Ever wonder how many bikes are on campus? Well the University of Oregon Transportation and Livability Student Group LiveMove has set out to answer just that question, with the help of a bike counting system and visual display.

The device will track the number of bikes that pass along 13th and Kincaid at the entrance to campus and show the daily total bike counts on an electronic display.

The project was approved by the University’s Campus Planning Committee in April of 2014 and is expected to be finished by winter term. It will be the second permanent bike counter in the State of Oregon, and the first on a college campus anywhere in the U.S.

“The bike counter project itself came together because LiveMove students made it happen,” said Marc Schlossberg, Professor of planning public policy and management, Associate Director for the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), Co-Director of the Sustainable Cities Intuitive (SCI) and the Faculty Adviser for LiveMove.

The device uses inductive loop technology. Involving an electromagnetic communication system that uses magnets to induce an electrical current in a wire; in this case, to detect bikes.

It is possible that smaller methods of transportation, such as skateboards or skates, could occasionally set the counter off as well.

“Essentially these are the same sensors used at traffic signals. Every time a metal object passes over the loop sensor it disrupts the field in a way that the electronics determine there is an object over the sensor.  In the case of bicycles, the sensor has to be set to a very high sensitivity as bicycles do not have a lot of metal to detect,” said Colin Gibson, Vice President of Product Development at Diamond Traffic Products.

Gibson has done the wiring for the bike counter’s cabinet and is currently working on calibrating the system over the next few weeks as more equipment is being ordered for the project.   

The total cost of the project is $40,000 with the majority of funds coming from fundraisers and donations. Campus Operations has conducted the majority of the construction work for the project, which has helped keep costs down.

A goal of the display is to encourage students and faculty to bike to campus.

“Whether you’re on a bike or driving by, or walking by, it communicates and legitimizes the use of a bicycle for normal transportation,” said Schlossberg.

Diamond Traffic Products, a manufacturer of similar counters for vehicles, has worked with LiveMove on the project and provided the group with the counter and display at a discount of $17,785. In addition, the company has provided consulting and supervision for its installation.

A lab within the UO Geography Department known as InfoGraphics has agreed to set up and host data collecting servers for the display. The group has experience with campus related projects as they were responsible for the creation of the University’s campus maps.

Ken Kato, Associate Director and Campus GIS Program Coordinator is currently drafting a proposal for the class that will use the data from this counter and analyze it. Kato hopes it will be available spring term.

“If you’re at all curious about how that data is being used to sort inform called a smart city, a smart campus, society of the future, society and sensors. If you’re at all curious about that, then I think you’d like this class,” said Kato.

The National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) has agreed to help fund the class upon its approval.

A press release from LiveMove and Diamond Traffic Products will be released to the public upon the project’s completion.

Those interested in getting involved with LiveMove or learning more about the project can look up the group on their website and Facebook page.

“(Students) should care about this project if they’re interested in suitability and reducing dependency on automobiles,“ said Emily Eng, a Planning Associate with Campus Planning and Real Estate (CPRE).

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Measure 86: A failed opportunity for college funding

As the price of a college degree has increased 50 percent, according to the 411 voters guide, for Oregon students and their families over the past eight years, one measure on the Oregon election ballet that could have helped students afford secondary education was not passed.

Measure 86, titled the “Oregon Fund for Post-Secondary Education,” would have amended the State Constitution and instituted a state fund to provide financial aide for students at universities and trade schools, if passed.

“We need funding. A lot of people are going into debt because they are getting finical aide, and even the final aide isn’t even enough to cover it,” said Taylor Steeves, a freshman at the University of Oregon.

The measure would have required the Oregon State Legislature to create a permanent Student Opportunity Fund that would provide financial aide for Oregonians seeking college education and career training. The measure would allow for the state to incur debt in order to support the fund.

Bonds would also be sold to raise capital for the fund. None of the money raised from the bonds would be given directly to students, as it would be placed in an endowment and the revenue generated from that would be handed out instead.

The Oregon Financial Estimate Committee estimated that Measure 86 would have had no financial impact on the state or local governments.

On the other hand, the state would be responsible for repaying the bonds and pledge to repay them no matter the cost, even with the risk of debt.

According to the Oregonian, “Oregon currently provides only about $250 a year of need-based financial aid per student enrolled in public universities and community colleges. That is 60 percent below the national average.”

 

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Election Day Results

As Election day ends in Oregon, here are the results so far:

Measures : 

Measure 86 – Oregon Fund for Post-Secondary Education

If passed: Would amend the state constitution and institute a state fund to provide finical aid for students at universities and trade schools.

Result – Failed

 

Measure 87 – Oregon Hiring of State Judges by National Guard and State University

If passed:  Would allow Judges in Oregon to receive employment in the National Guard and State Universities.

Result – Passed

 

Measure 88 – Oregon Alternative Driver Licenses Referendum

If passed: Allows for Driver Cards to become available to Oregon residents without proof of citizenship.

Result – Failed

 

Measure 89 – Oregon Equal Rights for Women Initiative  

If passed: Would prevent any state or political subdivision based on sex.

Result – Passed

 

Measure 90 – Oregon Open Primary

If passed: Those in Oregon registered as independents would be granted the right to vote in the primary election.

Result – Failed

 

Measure 91 – Oregon Legalized Marijuana Initiative

If passed: The sale and possession of recreational marijuana would become legal.

Result – Passed

 

Measure 92- Oregon Mandatory Labeling of GMO Initiative

If passed: Food products containing genetically modified organisms (GMO) would have to be labeled starting January 2016.

Result – Currently unknown as the result is too close to call at this time.

 

Candidates:

Governor

John Kitzhaber (Democrat) – The current Governor of Oregon since 2011 wins his fourth term.

 

Senate:

Jeff Merkly (Democrat) – Current Senator for the State and wins re-election.

 

Congress (4th District):

Peter DeFazio (Democrat) Current member of U.S House of Representatives and has remained in office for the past 27 years and wins his reelection.

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Radio on the decline, but still viable for journalism students

The introduction of podcasting in the early 2000s has allowed for radio to reach a new audience, yet the field has not been a lucrative oasis of jobs in recent years.

The radio industry is constantly changing. With the introduction of podcast and internet radio, technology has allowed for more people to produce radio, but has not helped the industry grow commercially, according to John Stark, the General Manager for KLCC, a public radio station located in downtown Eugene.

“(There is a) decreasing opportunity in radio. More radio is automated, it is more merged and consolidated than before. There are fewer standalone radio station. So there are fewer jobs in the radio field,” said Stark

While professional radio may be better in production value and sound quality than most podcasts, research has indicated that the popularity of podcasts are on the rise.

A study in 2013 from the PEW Research Center discovered that over 27 percent of internet users listen to podcasts, and this trend has been increasing since it was first recorded back in 2006.

“I think local radio isn’t going to go away, it’s going to change. Changing, because just like every other disruptive element of technology, people can produce radio,” said Donna Davis, the Assistant Professor at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication.

While radio is becoming more popular online, the industry as a whole is contracting. Less and less people are listening to news on the radio, and many stations are shutting down their newsroom all together.

This news may sound discouraging for those seeking a living in radio, but it should not stop those from producing it. Streaming audio online is a viable way to gain experience in radio and many stations and (such as KLCC) provide opportunities for students to intern and get hands on experience.

“We work with students all the time, primarily from the university who are in the school of journalism and communication” said Tripp Sommer, the News Director at KLCC.

Production skills are valuable, but other traits are needed in order to thrive in the industry. The General Manger at KLCC (John Stark) describes how he looks for people who are “ambitious, smart and a good fit.”

Overall, the ability to learn is what is most needed for those determined to break into the radio industry.

“Learn to write. Because all of these crafts are about writing. And you’re not able to learn radio anymore. You have to learn about all the crafts,” said Don Heins, the Program Director at KLCC.

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Knight Law Center holds panel for Eugene preemption by Lane County over home rule

With the recent preemption of a Eugene ordinance by Lane County back in July of this year, a conference was held by law experts to discuss the legality of the incident.

The panel took place on Oct. 23 at Knight Library to discuss the preemption of Eugene’s earned sick leave ordinance by Lane County. The county sees the rule as a violation of the home rule charter that they have with the state. To make matters even more complicated, the city of Eugene has a home rule charter as well and also sees the preemption as a violation of their charter.

“This is turf war,” said Jim Edmondson, one of the members of the panel.

Speakers at the conference explained what was meant by ‘home rule’ and ‘preemption’ and discussed the disagreement between the city and the county. The group put it into a broader context by comparing it to other cases throughout the judiciary history of the U.S and answering questions from the audience.

The act of preemption is to tell one government that they can’t make laws about a subject as they are already responsible for it. Event moderator attorney Melissa Wischerath describes it as one governmental body telling another “Hey, you can’t regulate that, we’re already doing that.”

Paul Diller, a professor at the Willamette University School of Law, describes home rule as a “bargaining chip” for local governments in negotiations with state legislators. It’s an agreement from the state with local governments to allow for self-rule as long as their ordinances don’t interfere with state regulations.

Not all cities and counties have chartered for home rule, as only nine out of 36 counties in Oregon have done so. Even still, most counties have some sort of stipulation that defines jurisdiction between cities and the county. Lane County is not one of them.

“This is pretty rare when a charter country attempts to preempt a charter city,” said Pete Sorenson, Lane County Commissioner and panel member.

Lane County is larger than Eugene and could use that as an argument for imposing their rules on the city. On the other hand, there is no specific law which states that a home rule country’s ordinances may have presidency of a home rule cities’ law and Oregon’s city home rule law is older than its country home rule law by 15 years.

The ordinance in question would require all Eugene business to provide paid sick leave and would impact around 25,000 workers, a little over half of all private sector workers in the city.  This would make Eugene the second city in Oregon to have ordinance and 9th city in country

The event was sponsored by We The People, a democratic advocacy group located in Eugene, and hosted by the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics.

As the ordinance goes into effect, Lane County could potentially take the City of Eugene to court over the matter.

“Now, we have conflict between home rule countries and home rule cities,” said Ken Tollenaar, former president of Association of Oregon Counties and panel member.IMG_0029

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Theater department will need $300,000 for new stage fly

Since the 1970′s, Robinson Theater’s stage fly has pulled curtains, moved scenery and helped actors fly. Now over forty years old, the stage fly will need to be replaced before it becomes dangerous. Robinson Theater is one of two theaters the University of Oregon operates for performances. With recent renovations to Villard Hall, the department of theater arts is looking for additional funds to update the fly system in Robinson Theater. While the stage tool is fully functional, it is estimated that it’ll need to be replaced within the next 10 years at a cost of $300,000. A fly system is a system of ropes, pulleys and counterweights that is used to maneuver curtains and scenery pieces. Lights, props and even suspended actors may be attached to it depending on the performance. Robinson Theater was built in 1949, with the current fly system being installed in the 1970s. The department is currently undergoing negotiations with the school to receive funding for this project. With recent investments into the department with the addition of Hope Theater and improvements conducted on Robinson Theater in 2008, the University is reluctant to invest in another theater project so soon. “This is a very expensive capital improvement but it’s also a safety issue,” said Janet Rose, a senior instructor in the theater department and expert in lighting design and technical direction. “Most fly systems are what control the curtains and certain parts of the scenery. Essentially, without the fly system, the curtains wouldn’t open and close to do scene changes,” said Griffin Spencer, a theater major at the UO. The fly system was last inspected in 2008 and was estimated to have a total life span of 50 years, with it needing to be replaced with in the next decade. The school could potential opt for a fully automated system which purely motors at a cost of a $1 million, but would lose out on the educational uses and the aesthetics of a manual system. The fly system is visually inspected regularly by the theater staff and is not going to collapse anytime soon. The theater department would like to replace it before it gets to a point where it is a safety hazard and could potentially hurt people. The theater only conducts 2-3 performances a year, and only heavily uses the prop during those times. Even so, it still needs to be replaced. “If the system were to completely age out and we had to abandon the system, which I don’t think would happen for a while, it would seriously hamper our scenic abilities in production in the Robinson,” said Bradley Branam, Assistant professor for the Theater Department. The addition to a new stage fly is both an expensive and necessary investment for the school. The loss of such equipment would seriously hamper productions at the theater. “It’d be like telling the chemistry department that half their labs are closed,” Rose said.

 

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Noah Paoa travelled 5,000 miles to come to University of Oregon

It’s the same story every year. Stores stock their shelves with colored pencils and spiral notebooks. Students sit behind computer screens diligently picking the courses they will take in fall. Then you board a jet plane to land in a city 5,000 miles away. Right?

At least that’s what incoming freshman Noah Paoa from the remote location of Easter Island did this year.

Easter island is one of the most isolated places on earth. The nearest populated area is located over 1,000 miles away. Famous for its giant Moai statues, the island known as Rapa Nui is a tiny stretch of land in the South Pacific that is 1/20 the size of Rhode Island.

“Tiny island,” Paoa said when asked about his home. “You can get from one side to the other one in 20 minutes by car. Or 30 minutes walking from one side of town to the other one.”

Aside from the lack of ocean, the biggest difference Paoa notices between the University of Oregon and his home is the number of people. Easter Island garnishes a population of nearly 5,000, while Oregon is filled with over 5 times as many people.

The community on the island is smaller and closely connected. As Paoa put it, “Everybody knows everybody.”

This Pacific Islander decided to attend UO after meeting with the Dean of Clark Honors College, Terry Hunt. The dean has visited Easter Island several times over the past 12 years directing archaeological field research and studying the islands colossal statues and moments.

“We had a meeting with him (Terry Hunt) and he offered us to apply for scholarships for the U of O, and it was my best option to get in then,” Paoa said.

Paoa has adjusted well to life at the dorms, and has a roommate, Aaron Smet.

Smet says Paoa “is a really nice guy,” but that that he thinks “he struggles with the amount of people he sees every day.”

Smet also said, “he’s got a little bit of an accent, but his English is good.”

Not only is he well versed in English, but Noah Paoa is fluent in Spanish and the island’s language, Rapa Nui, as well. While his langage skills may be great, he does admit to struggling with words such as “refrigerator” and “ice cream.”

It can be difficult for many international students to make the jump to a new country, but several abroad students at the university think it speaks well of their character.

“I think it shows their determination to get a great education no matter where they have to go. It’s impressive seeing them take the leap to leave their home country, a place they’re so familiar, and to take the steps to come to such a random state as Oregon.” said Lorenzo Arroda, a dorm mate of Paoa’s. “It’s really brave of them and honorable in some ways.”

Upon obtaining a degree for his major in geology, Paoa plans on returning to his island home.

“I miss the sea. It’s a part of me.”

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Eugene Math Circle for those who love math

Math is an unusual after school activity but one group of Second and Third graders love it so much that if they finish their homework in class, they ask for more.

The Eugene Math Circle is an after school program hosted by several University of Oregon faculty in the math department on campus that do math problems for fun.

“I have kids who say it’s their favorite activity of the week,” said Maria Nemirovskaya, an instructor at UO and group founder.

A math circle is an informal math club that began in Eastern Europe and started to migrate to the U.S in the 1990’s, according to the National Math Association’s website. Today there are over 190 math circle’s across the nation.

Students from 2nd to 12th grade meet once a week to do math problems, not in preparation for competitions or to tutor for school, but to do math for the love of solving problems. The math taught is different than what is taught in school and in most cases, is more advanced.

“I get to interact with little kids, and these kids are brilliant,“ Dong Rott, a UO undergraduate student who helps at the club, said.

The class is taught in an informal setting with the goal of letting students attempt to figure out problems in their own way. Sometimes the problems may be too hard or too easy, but the group instructors make sure to guide students towards the correct answer.

“Sometimes they swim and sometimes they sink,” Nemirovskaya said.

The group was founded several years ago after Nemirovskaya returned to UO after living in Berkley, California. There she got the chance to teach in the Berkeley and Marin Math Circles for the elementary school students and started the club here in Eugene — something she had wanted to do for a long time.

Unlike a standard school, students are taught why certain equations are used to solve certain problems and the history behind it, Arkady Vaintrob, an Associate Professor in the UO math department said.

“In the typical high school instruction, you’ve be given formulas and say you use those formulas and you don’t know why. It’s none of your business. Here it’s the exact opposite,” Vaintrob said.

The students can be quite curious at times and ask group instructors questions that they may not have anticipated or heard before.

“It happens all the time, they’d asked me something, and I don’t know,” Vaintrob said.

The group has four classes that meet once a week. Two for elementary school students and one for both middle school and high school. The elementary classes are so packed that a student cap had to be placed at 24 for the elementary classes.

“It’s learning and playing with real math. It’s for kids who love math,” Nemirovskaya said.

For more information of the Eugene Math Circle and how to get involved, check out their website here.

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New Major Combines Geography with Computing

Apps that utilize a map, such as GPS, Google maps or even geo-tracking in Facebook and Twitter posts, all have a hand in spatial science, Amy Lobben, the head of the geography department, said. The field involves mapping out data collected by phones and utilizing them in various ways, such as developing digital maps or defining where certain demographics reside.

“I’m not teaching you how to use Google maps; I’m teaching you how to make it,” Lobben said.

The major will be the first ever addition to geography department and will add four new courses on project design, location-aware systems and spatial analysis, Chris Bone, assistant professor at the geography department, said.

“We couldn’t just add more courses and accomplish what we wanted to. This is different than a traditional geography degree,“ Bones said.

SDST was designed to be flexible for students who are either coming into the major late as a sophomore or junior, or those looking to double major with computer information science or geography. The major uses courses from both of those majors, Bones said.

“If I was an incoming freshman, I’d probably be doing this instead of geography, Geoffrey Marcus, a geography major at UO, said.

The geography department decided on the development of the new major a year ago after seeing growth in the spatial science industry and popularity among spatial data classes taught at UO, Bones said. The field involves skills currently used in the UO’s infographics lab, the makers of the campus map.

“Students get great jobs learning what we’re doing in my lab,” Ken Kato from the infographics lab said.

Bones hopes that the major will not only be marketable to geography majors, but to students beyond campus.

“Our ultimate aim isn’t just to attract University of Oregon students to take this major. The ultimate aim is to attract students to the University of Oregon to take this major,” Bones said.

The major and course applications are currently under review by the School of Architecture and Allied Arts, which will send the application back to the department for revision. Once approved, the applications are sent to the state to be reviewed and revised once again before final approval. If everything runs smoothly, students may see this new major as early as fall term 2016, Lobben said.

“Why wouldn’t anybody want to do this? It’s not just the present, it’s the future,” Lobben said.

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