The vagabonding blogateers of USDemocrazy beg your pardon for our absence.  You see, in addition to being providers of news, we do this thing called college.  And every once in awhile, college calls on us to slay a horrid enemy…FINALS.  Now the dreaded finals are over and summer has begun, we look forward to writing lots and lots for our impeccable readers.

Please accept these photos of some super rad coffee art as a token of our thanks for your readership and patience during our absence.  Also, we’ve been drinking a lot of coffee lately.

The Shriver Center would like to announce that Mark Shriver will read from his book A Good Man at the Enoch Pratt Library’s Wheeler Auditorium on June 7 at 6:30 p.m.

In the intimate portrait of an extraordinary father-son relationship, Shriver discovers the moral principles that guided his legendary father and applies them to his own life.

Freeman Hrabowski will introduce Shriver. Hrabowski and Shriver worked together to headquarter the Choice program at UMBC and establish The Shriver Center.

Shriver is Senior Vice President for Save the Children’s U.S. Programs, which work to ensure a fair start for all children in the United States, including the nearly one in four living in poverty.

More information about the event can be found here.

One of the submissions for this year’s ProveIT campaign involves keeping Pura Vida, the library’s coffee stand, open all night so that students in the Retriever Learning Center can take advantage of this dining facility. The first level of the library has become a hotspot for late-night studiers ever since the RLC opened its doors. Vending machines have been available for people to purchase snacks, but no other eating options were in place.

Daniel Duffin submitted his ProveIT proposal after getting huge support on his myUMBC poll earlier in the semester. He created an agreement with Chartwells for this project. If it is selected and funded, the money will be used to create a pilot program to keep Pura Vida open all night. If this model proves to be popular and profitable for Chartwells, they will continue staffing the facility and remain open all night for RLC visitors. “Convenience and variety are the goals of this dining option,” Duffin writes.

You can voice your opinion on the myUMBC discussion and be sure to check out the full description of the Noche Vida ProveIT proposal .

I’m a dual French-American citizen, and love almost everything about France. I did crew for a little bit last semester but left it to pioneer the new UMBC French Club (which several Discovery Scholars have since joined). I have a beta fish in my dorm, his name is Abyss (poor guy was so sad at first), and he is an amazing little dude. I’m really interested in world news and what goes on around the international stage. At the same time, I did a lot of theater and some photography in high school, and love the arts. 

Visit the Discovery Scholars Living Learning Community's web page for more information about the program.

Today more than ever, summer is a season of intense transition and opportunity at colleges and universities – an ideal time for advancing campus sustainability. While a new cohort of graduates prepare for what lies ahead, other students are gearing up for internships, immersive experiences, and other enrichment activities. Reduced occupancy and usage at some institutions often result in condensed work schedules and adjusted energy management strategies. At other institutions, occupancy and usage remain high as facilities are converted for hosting summer camps and service groups. Regardless of the institution type, it is important to evaluate sustainability during such periods of transition. June’s STARS blog focuses on credits within STARS that are especially relevant at this point in the academic year.

PAE Tier Two Credit 10: Graduation Pledge
Graduates from higher education are increasingly pledging to consider social and environmental responsibility in future decisions. For PAE Tier Two Credit 10: Graduation Pledge, institutions earn .25 points for administering a graduation pledge that encourages students to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions. 21% of STARS-Rated institutions have administered a graduation pledge.

ER 12: Sustainability Immersive Experience
Summer is an ideal time for institutions to offer sustainability immersive experience programs. Such programs give students the opportunity to witness and learn in-depth about sustainability challenges and solutions, while providing a memorable way for students to deepen and expand their knowledge. For ER 12: Sustainability Immersive Experience, institutions earn two points for offering a sustainability immersive experience. Through summer 2012, 87% of STARS-Rated institutions offered at least one such program.

OP Tier Two Credit 30: Condensed Work Week
Among STARS-Rated institutions, condensed work week schedules are most common during the summer months. For OP Tier Two Credit 30: Condensed Work Week, institutions earn .25 points for offering a condensed work week option for employees. Working four 10-hour days is the most common condensed work week option among STARS-Rated Institutions. 68% of STARS-Rated institutions offer a condensed work week option for employees.

OP Tier Two Credit 43: Move-out Waste Reduction
Institutions typically experience an influx of waste at the end of the academic year as a result of student move-out. For OP Tier Two Credit 43: Move-out Waste Reduction, institutions earn .25 points for having programs to reduce residence hall move-out waste. Through summer 2012, 73% of STARS-Rated institutions have implemented such programs. Institutions have cited the following initiatives for reducing waste during move-out:
- Donation drives for gently-used items
- Swap programs and sales
- Targeted recycling campaigns
- Increased communication of re-use and recycling options

The STARS team would love to hear readers’ feedback on advancing sustainability during the summer months (or any other season!) Please send your ideas to stars@aashe.org.