‘Bucks for Ducks’ sparks bright idea for EMU
■ EMU officials support the
idea for solar panels on the
EMU, even though their effect
on the building is uncertain
By Hank Hager
Oregon Daily Emerald
The proposed addition of solar
panels onto the EMU building has
garnered excitement for those in
volved, but not everyone expects a
smooth process for implementa
tion. A lack of communication
among those involved with the
planning of the panels and the pos
sible insignificant amount of ener
gy produced by the panels may
complicate matters.
ASUO officials announced May
21 that solar panels for the EMU
were the winning idea for the
“Bucks for Ducks” campaign,
which released money from the
overrealized fund. The fund holds
extra student incidental fee money
that accumulates when enrollment
is higher than expected.EMU direc
tors have not been able to meet with
Ben Gates or Jocelyn Eisenberg, the
students who came up with the
idea; therefore, no one really knows
how the panels will affect the build
ing. In addition, the EMU Board
must still vote on the panels before
anything can be done.
Brian Hawley, an energy manage
ment engineer for the Eugene Water
and Electric Board, said the panels
are a statement by the ASUO that it
cares about the environment.
“They’re making a commitment to
a vision for a different future,” he said.
Although Hawley has not met
with Gates or Eisenberg, he said the
school will not be able to get a sys
tem that produces a high amount of
energy with the $100,000 that will
be allotted for the project.
“Right now, you’re looking at about
a 10 kilowatt per hour system for
$100,000,” he said. “This is going to
be a fairly insignificant portion. ”
Hawley said the EMU used ap
proximately two million kilowatt
hours last year. He estimated that a 1
kWh system would produce rough
ly 1,400 kilowatt hours for the en
tire year. On a 10 kWh system, the
EMU would receive roughly 14,000
kilowatt hours from the system next
year. Based on last year’s estimate,
that would not even represent 1 per
cent of the total output needed for
the EMU. But, he said, the future for
solar panels may be improving.
“Solar is the cleanest source of
power we have, but also the most ex
pensive,” he said. “[But] they’re pret
ty nice and getting cost effective.”
Hawley said those involved need
to meet to discuss how to use the
panels in the most efficient manner.
“We need to coordinate how we
get the biggest bang for our buck,”
he said.
Despite the lack of considerable
change the solar panels will bring,
Hawley they are absolutely necessary
for the future, and their use in the
EMU is the right step toward creating
an environmentally safe campus.
“We can’t keep burning fossil fu
els and ignoring the environmental
impacts of that,” he said. “I’m really
glad students here have the vision
and the foresight.”
Ben Buzbee, vice chairman for
the EMU Board of Directors, said he
would have liked to have met with
the planning committee before the
announcement was made concern
ing the panels.
“It didn’t upset me, but there may
be some problems that can arise
with our budgeting,” he said.
He said the budget for next year
has already been set, and because of
this, problems that could arise from
maintenance and upkeep of the
panels may push the budget even
higher than expected.
But despite the lack of communi
cation between the board and the
ASUO, Buzbee said he is in favor of
the solar panels.
“It has a lot of potential and we’ll
see where it goes from here,” he said.
Susan Racette, associate director
and business manager for the EMU,
said $80,000 has been budgeted for the
building’s electrical needs next year.
She said although she has not met
with Gates or Eisenberg to discuss
what the panels may mean for the
future of the EMU, she is in favor of
installing them.
“Most of us in the EMU are in favor
of doing what we can to save energy,”
she said. “This fits right in with what
we’re trying to do to conserve energy.”
Dusty Miller, director of the EMU,
said he is working to bring all groups
involved together so that a plan for the
panels can be set. He is in favor of
placing the panels and said he be
lieves everyone will agree.
“I can’t imagine it not being some
thing the board doesn’t want to do,”
he said.
Volunteer opportunities plentiful this weekend
■TheASUOand the
Community Internship
Program team up to sponsor
a ‘community service day’
By Kara Cogswell
Oregon Daily Emerald
This weekend, University students
will have the chance to offer their
services to some of the most “needed”
organizations in Eugene, ASUO Out
reach Director Gabe Sitowski said.
All day Saturday, the ASUO and
the Community Internship Program
are sponsoring a “community serv
ice day,” during which student vol
unteers can lend their hands to
Womenspace, Food for Lane Coun
ty, St. Vincent de Paul, the YMCA
and the First Place Family Center.
ASUO and CIP leaders are encour
aging students to sign up for one of
the several volunteer time slots
throughout the day. Most shifts begin
at 9 a.m. and last two to three hours.
“Volunteering is definitely some
thing everyone should do,” said Alex
Dietrich, events coordinator for the
CEP. “It helps complete the person.”
And, Sitowski added, volunteer
experience can also give students an
advantage when applying for a job
or an internship.
Depending on the organization,
students will be involved with a vari
ety of service projects, Sitowski said.
Those who sign up at Food for
Lane County will work in the orga
nization’s community garden. At
Womenspace, an organization offer
ing services to women who are vic
tims of domestic violence, volun
teers will help the group move into
a new office.
Jacqui Lomont, director of devel
opment for Womenspace, said the
group is fortunate the service day
coincided with its moving date.
“We’re very pleased to have this
kind of assistance,” she said.
Volunteers with St. Vincent de
Paul will do gardening work at one
of the organization’s housing proj
ects, and at the YMCA, students
will assist with the organization’s
150th anniversary celebration.
At the First Place Family Center,
which offers services to homeless or
low-income families with children,
students will give the center a fresh
look with an all-day spring cleaning
project.
Tim Rockwell, assistant director
for the center, said volunteers offer
valuable assistance to the organiza
tion. He added that because the cen
ter has limited funding, there are
not enough staff members to do all
the cleaning and maintenance work
that is needed.
“Without the volunteers, there’s a
lot of things that wouldn’t get done
around here,” he said.
While the ASUO has sponsored
community service projects in the
Interested
in volunteering?
Students can sign up at the ASUO or
Community Internship Program of
fices. Transportation will be provid
ed if needed. For more information,
contact the ASUO office at 346
3724.
Source: ASUO Executive
past, Sitowski said Saturday’s event,
combining the ASUO’s efforts with
those of CIP, is a first for the University
—and it is one he wo uld like to see ex
panded in the future.
“Hopefully, this event will grow
and grow, and get bigger every
year,” he said.
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2001
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