Talking Stick - January/February 2009 - 9

ning gree Uses AmP c Gazing at the Walls In the ACUHO-I Central Office, there are a number of large wall maps. One, however, gets a lot of attention from visitors. It’s a map of the United States with the locations and names of every college and university. It’s quite fascinating to look at. We ordered this map from Hedberg Maps, where you can get maps in all forms (book, folded paper, globes, mounted or laminated like the one on our wall) and on a surprising array of topics (baseball, women’s varsity college gymnastics programs, and the “World of Romance” or “Love Map,” which points out spots of romantic interest, such as Niagara Falls, the former top honeymoon spot for U.S. newlyweds). Unfortunately, the higher education map is only available for the U.S. and Canada; we’re rooting for representation of the remainder of North America and the other six continents. For more information, visit www.hedbergmaps.com/index.html. Largest Composter Lands at Ohio University The largest in-vessel composter on any college or university campus in the nation is now up and running at Ohio University in Athens as of January 2008. Capable of processing up to 28 tons of compostable material at any time, the unit will allow OU to divert up to a quarter of its solid waste from the landfill. In-vessel composters process waste within enclosed reactors, using controlled temperature, moisture, and aeration to accelerate the natural pace of decomposition. OU will use its 10-ton stainless steel composter to convert food waste, biodegradable packaging materials, landscaping waste, and other organic materials to nutrient-rich soil in just 14 days. This soil will then be used for campus landscaping projects. This is part of OU’s move toward a zero-waste model. “Biodegradables are a significant component of our university waste stream,” says Sonia Marcus, sustainability coordinator at OU. “In order to move toward a zero-waste model, we need to find ways to both diminish and divert all our food waste and other organic materials.” A solar array will provide 50 percent of the composter’s energy usage, making even the unit’s power source renewable. The system will also include a built-in bio filter, which filters gases and significantly reduces odors. The system was designed by Wright Environmental Management Inc., the world’s largest supplier of completely enclosed continuous composting systems. To learn more, visit www.ohio.edu/outlook/07-08/ August/673.cfm. Better Socializing Through Technology Here’s a new story: A college student creates a social networking site, open only to college and university students. “But that’s an old story,” you say. “It’s Facebook. I have an account on it.” Well, that’s exactly the problem. When Jay Rodrigues, a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, found a former high school teacher requesting his friendship on Facebook, he was unnerved at having the less than G-rated aspects of his social life open to bosses, teachers, and about anyone north of 25. So he created DormNoise. com. The site officially launched in August. In some ways, it is remarkably similar to the first version of Facebook: only college or university students can become members, and students can only see their own institutions’ pages. However, DormNoise has a meet-up quality to it: Campus groups can post events, and users can add these events to their pages, coordinate real-life interactions, and then post the pictures that result. The site is strictly for undergraduates 17-24 years old, and all others are warned against fraudulently signing up. “Failure to comply,” says the site, “will result in a $10,000 fine.” January + February 2009

http://www.hedbergmaps.com/index.html http://www.ohio.edu/outlook/07-08/August/673.cfm http://www.ohio.edu/outlook/07-08/August/673.cfm

Talking Stick - January/February 2009

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