Published since 1915 by the students
of Xavier University
Rumpke doesn’t waste
Colleen Bott
Cotributing Writer
Last week, several students from Earthbread, the environmental club on campus, took a trip to the Rumpke Recycling plant to see where Xavier’s recycled products go.
Junior Julia Alexander, an Earthbread leader, arranged the trip.
“Rumpke is the waste collection provider for Xavier. We were interested in seeing where all of our on-campus recycling goes and what kind of impact it is making,” Alexander said.
Junior Liz Spitznagel was surprised by the visit.
“I was interested in what happened to the stuff I put in my green bin at the curb each week. I had heard reports that Rumpke did not recycle everything, but that proved to be untrue. In fact, 93 percent of what they receive, they are able to package and ship to be recycled,” she said.
Biology professor Dr. George Farnsworth also wanted to learn more.
“I was curious to see what technologies are being used and developed to better make use of some of our waste. This will save on landfill space by reducing trash volume and also reduce our need to extract resources directly through mining and logging,” Farnsworth said.
When the recycling arrives at the facility, it is loaded on to a conveyor belt which shifts and sorts the products. Glass, plastics and aluminum falls into bins as it moves through the plant, and paper falls at the end into a huge heap. All paper, including writing and computer paper, newspaper, cardboard and paperboard is recyclable.
“I found out that plastic bottles need to have their caps removed. They are made of a different type of plastic and ‘contaminate’ the rest. Different plastics have different chemical qualities and it is hard to combine different ones. Plastic buyers allow a certain amount of contaminants but Rumpke competes with other places so the smaller amount the better. I now know that the facility does not actually recycle any of the materials but sells them to other places which break them down and reuse them,” said Spitznagel.
Rumpke has developed an efficient recycling operation that can sort a mixture of glass, paper, cardboard, aluminum and steel cans and numbers one and two plastic bottles. It then sells these separated materials to companies that can use each as a raw material. Students had the opportunity to see the entire process in action. The plant is able to re-sell 93 percent of the material that comes in.
Alexander commented on what students can do to make recycling easier and more efficient.
“There are very specific guidelines that, if practiced, will make Rumpke’s recycling that much less contaminated and more beneficial to the environment. And remember, no pizza boxes! The grease from the pizza makes the cardboard contaminated, and thus unable to be recycled,” she said.
Spitznagel was eager to share some of the guidelines she learned.
“I would like to share everything that I have learned, especially what is recyclable--paper and plastic. You can find the number on the bottom and you should also rinse containers before putting them in the bin,” she said.
“Earthbread is teaming up with Physical Plant to improve Xavier’s recycling habits, which are already very good. However, there’s always room for improvement. We hope that students will continue to be conscious of the different containers for waste and recyclables, and be confident that as long as the recycling containers are not contaminated, those contents will be recycled. Rumors of thrown away recyclables are only true when the bag containing the recyclables has been severely contaminated with non-recyclables, including food and liquid,” Alexander said.
Farnsworth would like to urge all members of the campus to be aware of what materials can be recycled and resolve themselves to recycle as much of these products as possible. “Too often, I see recyclable items thrown in trash cans even when a recycling receptacle is very close by,” he said.
Farnsworth is interested in taking more trips to the plant through classes.
“I will probably schedule visits with groups of students to take the tour in the future. The plant is very close by and a tour can probably be incorporated into a course like Ecology and People. I will also try to organize trips for students in Biology Club and students in the environmental studies minor.”
Spitznagel hopes what she has learned will help her spread the word about recycling on campus.
“Rumpke does a wonderful job of putting our recycling goods further on the path to being recycled. I hope that more people will make a conscious effort to recycle whenever possible because it reduces space needed for landfill and the amount of natural resources that we must use to make new products,” she said. I am now more aware of correct recyling proceedures and more confident that my recycling is being recycled.”
“Personally, I came away feeling pretty good about the current state of recycling in Cincinnati and hopeful that the program will continue to improve. The easiest way to increase the impact such a program can have is to increase participation by the public,” Farnsworth said.
Students interested in attending an Earthbread meeting can stop by the Dorothy Day House at 7:30 p.m. on Mondays. The group is also planning events surrounding Earth Day on April 22.
Interfaith retreat brings awareness
Colleen Bott
Contributing Writer
Twenty three Xavier students joined several faculty members and a team of dedicated peers for the first ever Xavier Interfaith Retreat at the Grailville Retreat Center on Feb. 23-24.
“The student body of Xavier is a very spiritual one. They are open and intelligent, and in recent years have truly celebrated the ethnic and cultural diversity on this campus,” said sophomore Brad Seligmann, who founded the Xavier Interfaith Organization last year.
“However, there has been little done to explore the spiritual diversity on campus.
The Interfaith Organization is a student club designed to immerse students in the faith life of others by visiting different centers of worship around Cincinnati. “We also meet to discuss our interfaith experiences,” said Seligmann. “[Senior] Jess Fullenkamp was forming a committee to create a retreat and invited me to be a member,” said Seligmann.
Steve Plachinski was inspired and motivated by Father Hans Kolvenbach, Superior General of the Society of Jesus.
“I specifically remember when [Father Kolvenbach] came to Xavier and spoke about interreligious dialogue. He said that while Xavier has a special mission to educate the whole person in light of its Jesuit, Catholic heritage, it must also effectively minister to non-Catholic or non-Christian students. He told me, ‘That is us [Xavier Interfaith]; we are a part of that ministry!’” Plachinski said.
Seligmann describes the process of planning this unique retreat.
“We met in committee weekly to brainstorm what activities and speakers we would like to have at the event. It was a long process, especially when we ran into problems and needed to move the retreat up to almost two months early,” he said.
Seligmann and the rest of the Interfaith Organization started with their mission statement to plan the retreat. They wanted it to combine education, experience and dialogue, creating an environment where everyone could feel comfortable and respected. Xavier faculty as well as several Cincinnati religious communities helped with the retreat.
Participants heard a brief overview of world religions and discussed religion, faith and spirituality. They also practiced laughter yoga, participated in Islamic morning prayer and Zen Buddhist meditation and heard from guest speakers from the area.
Participants met in small groups throughout the weekend to share their personal faith experiences and also spoke one-on-one with someone from a different background.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to experience religions, faiths or spiritualities different from my own, as well as a chance to interact with and learn from Xavier students who practice them. This retreat was also significant for my own spirituality. It helped me grow in my own faith; I firmly believe that through learning about others, one learns about him/herself,” said Plachinski.
“I found the early morning Islamic prayer to be the most meaningful. The act of prostration (deeply bowing with head on floor) is so powerful regardless of spiritual background. It was a unique new way to experience the Divine,” Seligmann said.
“The most meaningful part of the weekend was the small group discussions. It was during this dialogue that understanding of the other occurred. Despite different religious practices, we are all connected through a common goal: to find purpose and our own niche in this life.
Hearing about the path that others take to reach this goal or realize their niche was the highlight of this retreat for me,” said sophomore Jules Byrne.
Seligmann hopes to see more dialogue grow out of the retreat.
“The retreat is very important to me, as the culmination of a dream. Personally, I am very committed to interfaith dialogue, and this retreat is something I am so very excited about. Thankfully that excitement is not limited to the retreat alone and carries over into the monthly group meetings and events,” he said.
“There is a prevailing notion that everyone is Catholic or Christian [on Xavier’s campus]. This retreat and the actions of the Xavier Interfaith Organization will increase awareness of the religious minorities on campus and bring greater understanding of their religious backgrounds. As Supreme General Klovenbach, S.J. stated in his address last semester, ‘To be religious, one must be interreligious.’ It is the Jesuit belief that we can ‘find God in all things.’”
Plachinski shares that desire.
“I hope this retreat brings a greater sense of belonging for students of minority faith traditions. Also, I hope that this retreat is just the first step in a larger interfaith movement on our campus, where all are understood and respected,” he said.
Students looking to explore other faiths on campus can attend “Bellarmine Chapel Presents: Dialogues on Spirituality--An Interfaith Journey for Lent” taking place at 7:30 p.m. on Monday in the Conaton Board Room, located in Schmidt Hall. Xavier students are encouraged to attend these popular sessions.
Professor Profile: Dr. Brent Blair
Tyler Burgei
Contributing Writer
This week’s Professor Profile is about Dr. Brent Blair, assistant professor in the biology department. He began teaching at Xavier in the fall of 2005, and his teaching focuses primarily on his area of expertise: plant ecology.
Q. What classes, biology major and non-major courses, have you taught since you started at XU?
A. For biology majors, I have taught (and am also currently teaching) ecology; for the non-majors, I teach ecology and people and life lab I.
Q. I understand you take part in a lot of service learning trips. Where have these trips been located and what do they involve?
A. I’ve traveled to a few different places. I’ve studied on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua, and I am going to be involved with a service learning trip to Costa Rica in January of 2008. This 10-day tropical biodiversity course will focus on the diversity of organisms within the environment, citing the vast differences between plants in Ohio and those in the tropics.
Q. What kinds of benefits do these service learning trips provide for students?
A. The traveling is a great way for students to see the completely different environments and ecosystems and types of plants and animals in the tropics. Also, the trips are not only biologically interesting, but are culturally intriguing as well.
Q. What about the students who don’t engage in these trips? How does the average person in the Midwest incorporate ecology into his or her daily life?
A. Well, one of the nice aspects of Cincinnati, in regards to it being in an urban setting, is the availability of natural parks. Simply observing nature and appreciating it can make people aware of the environmental issues at hand, most notably conservation issues. Something as simple as that can lead someone to be inspired to help save the environment.
Q. What are some of your other hobbies and interests?
A. In addition to bioethics, I give a lot of talks about global warming. I also enjoy photography. I’m originally from Chicago and I’ve spent time out East (at Princeton) and at the University of Michigan. I’m married and have a 10-month-old son, so helping my wife take care of him takes up a lot of time.
Q. On a closing note, what is the main thing you would encourage students, biology majors and non-majors alike, to do?
A. I definitely encourage any student to pick a major and career that he or she is interested in and enjoys and to realize that you can always change, even after graduate school.
Police Notes
Feb. 23, 2:30 p.m.—Campus Police investigated an auto accident that occurred in the C-2 lot. Police detected only minor damage to the two vehicles.
Feb. 23, 2:30 p.m.—A student was cited for discharging the contents of a fire extinguisher on the Dana connector road.
Feb. 23, 4:50 p.m.—A student reported a theft by deception on Cleneay Avenue. The suspect has been linked to several thefts earlier in the year.
Feb. 23, 9:20 p.m.—A student was cited for the possession of a fake ID while picking up a wallet that had been found by Campus Police.
Police Note of the Week
Feb. 26, 11:16 a.m.—A student reported that a bumper sticker had been stolen from a vehicle parked in the R-1 lot.
Kelly Shaw 
Campus News Editor
Athenaeum submissions
Would you like to be published? Please submit your original prose, poetry or artwork to the Athenaeum by March 15, 2007. Articles can be submitted to the SGA Office, Hinkle Faculty Services Desk or to groenta@xavier.edu. For more information, contact Tiffany Groen at groenta@xavier.edu
Club budgets 2007-08
The Financial Affairs Committee of the Student Government Association is still collecting club budgets for the 2007-08 academic school year. If your club or organization has yet to submit a budget, please do so as soon as possible in order to avoid further penalties. Submissions are due in the Financial Affairs Committee mailbox in the Student Government Office. Electronic forms are attached to this reminder. Email Corey Burton at Burtonck@xavier.edu for more information.
Student business opportunity
Space and resources are currently available to all students looking to run a business. The new Student Business Development Center (SBDC) is located in the space formerly occupied by Kinko’s. The mission of the SBDC is to provide the resources for all Xavier students to plan, start and operate a business, while providing a venue for current student businesses to serve the Xavier community.
If you are interested in starting your own business, please submit the application that can be found on the MyXU Portal page, to the SBDC, located in GSC. For additional questions, email Steve Bentley at bentleysp@xavier.edu.
Women’s Chorus
Join the XU Women’s Chorus for a Music at Midday concert at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 1 in Bellarmine Chapel (right after Mass). The chorus will sing songs from America, England and Africa. The concert will be finished by 1:00 p.m.
