Student Council’s Environmental Sustainability Committee recently issued a response to the report of the President’s Commission on the Future of the University, outlining ideas they agreed with and offering suggestions of ways to create an environmentally-conscious University. The Committee’s ideas stand a chance to be heard and implemented because all suggestions were concrete and — even better — cost-effective, if not cost-reductive.

Like anyone asking for change and hoping to see it, the Committee also framed their response from the perspective of wanting to work with the University administration instead of against it.Because of this rhetorical strategy, they should and will see their goals come to fruition instead of tabled indefinitely with other overreaching yet well-intentioned projects.

Beauty lies in simplicity; it also lies in being concrete. In its response, the Committee recommends achievable goals such as curtailing the excessive amount of bottled water provided by Aramark at events catered by the University. It also suggests installing low-flow shower heads and “energy star” appliances. With water shortages chronically plaguing the Commonwealth, the University should model good stewardship of the environment. Initial investment in these appliances may cost, but the savings will be considerable in the long haul.

The Committee also acknowledges the success of some environmentally-conscious programs like University Recycling but notes that the program could be even more successful if it were not so desperately understaffed. Thanks to the Recycling Program last year, the University avoided spending over $337,000 in 2006. The University should consider this seed money for investing in a larger staff.

Some of the Committee’s recommendations may be costly, such as installing more bike lanes and walking paths, or creating a subscription car-service on Grounds. With the insufferable traffic, though, this investment makes sense in that it will not only be sustainable but make transportation less painful. The subscription car service already exists at major universities such as the University of North Carolina and the University of Michigan and takes approximately 20 cars off the road for each shared car. The Committee begs the question: If they can do it, why can’t we?

The overall tone of the Committee’s response will ensure its success. Other Student Council committees’ proposals, like that of the Committee on Curriculum Internationalization, seem to have fallen on deaf ears. The Environmental Sustainability Committee primes the pump by commending proposals already set forth in the President’s Commission’s report. Then the Committee explains more ideas on how to make the University more sustainable. Perhaps environmentalism is less politically-charged. Then again, maybe the framing of the Committee’s response makes it seem that way.

Presenting controversial proposals to the administration may be cathartic for student leaders, but they stand little chance of being successful. No matter how frustrating it is, a little tact works wonders. Point out what the powers that be are doing well and then suggest concrete, positive changes. This does not mean watering down a powerful critique of the status quo. Just as the Environmental Sustainability Committee has shown, the framing of the critique matters as much as the substance.

IN THE United States, we’re serious about our voting. Sure, on November 4, 2008, you can expect about half of eligible voters to avoid the polls, but for the rest, casting a ballot represents the culmination of a two-year battle for the highest office in the land in a process that is at once unbelievably preposterous and distinctly American. The United States, the world’s sole superpower, has muscled its way to the forefront of electoral excess.

In January, Federal Election Commission chairman Michael Toner said that 2008 would be the country’s first “$1 billion election,” and “to be taken seriously,” candidates would need to raise at least $100 million by the end of 2007. Of course, money can never be separated entirely from politics — we have the lobbying industry to thank for that — and a campaign can’t run on ideas alone. The suggestion that a platform isn’t good until $100 million has been thrown behind it, however, is ridiculous. The McCain-Feingold bill has made the world a little safer, but for every improvement in campaign finance reform there’s a Swift Boat Veterans for Truth lurking in the loopholes. The FEC must do more than make empty promises and cower as the money flows past. I have a hard time believing that limiting a candidate to spending $50 million also limits their ability to come up with proposals to make our country better.

According to the nonpartisan Project for Excellence in Journalism, the 2008 election eclipsed the Iraq War as the most newsworthy story for the second quarter of 2007, 15 months before Election Day. Do we really need that amount of time to make up our minds? Consider France. In that country, the 2007 presidential race began on April 9 and ended 11 days later. There were two rounds of voting, and a little over a month after the start of campaigning, Nicolas Sarkozy was sworn in as the sixth president of the Fifth Republic. To an American, this seems like insanity — people can actually hear the relevant issues and make up their minds in a matter of weeks? As it turns out, yes. Eighty-five percent of French voters turned out to cast ballots.

So far, the 2008 election cycle has been dominated by Barack Obama attacking Hillary Clinton attacking Rudy Guiliani attacking Fred Thompson, with about ten other people thrown in. And we’re still a year from Election Day. Is all this negative energy supposed to excite me about the electoral process? I always imagined voting for the first time as a watershed moment where I checked off a name for progress. To think that I will vote instead for whoever did the best job criticizing someone else is disheartening. The endless cycle of politicizing destroys much of the civic spirit that propels us to the polls.

If that’s not enough, recall that while we fight over the next president, we still have one sitting in office now. I can’t believe I’m going to bat for George W., but the man deserves better. He was reelected to govern for four more years — not to be sidelined halfway through by an army of politicians clamoring to be his successor. The attention on the 2008 race has taken away from his ability to enact policy, and though it’s clear that his blunders have cost him much support, more still has evaporated into the void of anonymity. He may be president de jureuntil Inauguration Day 2009, but de facto he’s already been forgotten.

Time is valuable. Why not limit the campaign season to the six months before Election Day? The primaries would be held in May and June, with a lottery determining which states go first. In a compressed electoral calendar, candidates will have to think about what they’re saying and develop a platform that is clear, concise and genuine. Rather than endure two years of the ensemble cast, Americans will spend a few weeks considering candidates for each party’s nomination, hold the primaries, narrow the field to one on each side, and have a solid four months to make a final decision. Perhaps most importantly, a tighter system would cut down on both the excess of money raised and money spent.

The endless presidential election season is out of control. No matter how important an election might be, the longer it goes on the more it turns into an out-and-out fight. In the end, we only can handle so much of the real thing before we turn back to “Dancing With the Stars” and support our favorite B-list celebrity’s quest for the championship. And that we should — in America, we have the freedom to worry about more than one type of contest. By shortening the electoral schedule, we are not ignoring the importance of democracy. We’re simply managing it.

Alex Lane’s column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at alane@cavalierdaily.com.

JOHN F. Kennedy once said “a young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living.” For much of the twentieth century, a variation of this sentiment was applied in presidential elections. In voters’ eyes, the military service records of presidential contenders have often been as important considerations of presidential suitability as voting records and political experience. Kennedy is a prime example of this. A decorated Navy officer in World War II, his military service was a consideration in 1960 and presumably gave him superior insight and judgment during the Cuban missile crisis.

Although military service was a major yardstick of presidential fitness in the past, thus far it has been nearly irrelevant in the 2008 elections. In 2004, it was a major issue. At this point in the previous presidential election, John Kerry was frequently referencing the Mekong River during Vietnam. Rassman actively campaigned with Kerry and emotionally told crowds, “I owe this man my life.” Aided by his late caucus push, and significant support from Iowa’s veterans, Kerry won the state with 38 percent of the vote and rejuvenated his campaign. Notably, he defeated fellow veteran, and West Point-trained general, Wesley Clark. Kerry followed up this performance at the Democratic National Convention, where he began his July 29, 2004 acceptance speech by saluting and stating “I’m John Kerry, and I’m reporting for duty.”

Kerry’s focus on his military experience ultimately backfired, however, as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attacked his service record. As a result of Kerry’s loss, many strategists and consultants concluded that focusing on one’s military record was not a good campaign strategy. Despite serving with distinction as a Navy pilot and prisoner of war in Vietnam, John McCain has yet to emphasize his military service record.

Ironically, in the 2000 election, during a time of peace, McCain made his service a central campaign issue. Now, while the nation is at war in Afghanistan and Iraq, McCain rarely mentions it. As a result, few voters realize that he is the most qualified candidate in the areas of foreign policy and national security.

Instead, Rudy Giuliani, an attorney and former New York City mayor, is considered by most Americans to be the foremost security expert among 2008 candidates. His national security experience consists of reducing crime in the Big Apple and responding to the September 11 terrorist attacks. These claims to fame pale in comparison to John McCain’s wartime experience as a combat pilot and six-year resident of the “Hanoi Hilton,” where he was kept as a prisoner of war and tortured. Today, largely due to his military experience, McCain serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

Overall, the 2008 contest must put more weight on the military service, or lack thereof, of potential presidents. When discussing candidate biographies, the media focuses onmarital status more extensively than military service. This must change, as the most important campaign issue is the War on Terrorism, and specifically how it is being conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan. Candidates have labored to differentiate and distinguish themselves through their stances on troop levels in Iraq. Yet, in the face of two controversial conflicts, few voters are weighing the military experience and expertise of candidates.

Granted. all soldiers turned statesmen are not perfect public servants. The 2005 bribery scandal concerning Rep. Randy Cunningham, a veteran, illustrates this point. Yet, former servicemen are for the most part some of the nation’s most passionate, committed servants. Anyone who voluntarily risks his life to serve America is devoted to doing what’s best for the nation. The election of several Iraq veterans to Congressional seats during the 2006 election shows that voters across the nation realize this. However, we as voters must now apply this military service filter to national as well as congressional elections.

When considering who to support in the 2008 election, and Virginia’s February 12 primary, voters must place more emphasis on military service.The duties of Commander-in-Chief are best executed by someone who comprehends both the political and military implications of decisions. Lifelong civilians are not in a position to understand adequately the military repercussions of their actions, and no executive should completely rely on advisors when making security-related decisions. By barely considering the military service records of presidential candidates, we are doing ourselves, and the nation, a great disservice.

James Rogers’s column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at jrogers@cavalierdaily.com.

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AFTER the peaceful respite Thanksgiving afforded from the pell-mell pace of this past semester, I returned to Grounds with renewed steely resolve. Ready to grind through a couple of weeks of course evaluations and barely-relevant in-class movies, I strode boldly to class on the first Monday back with new motivation, only to hit a snag before even making it to the building.

It was right around Garrett Hall that I began to notice some of the tell-tale warning signs: pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks leading to the Lawn was unusually thick, and the air was cluttered with the jarring combination of pop music and shouting voices. As I walked on, I realized the source of the trouble. Apparently, the promoters of social activism and campus participation had been gearing up for these last remaining days on Grounds, too. The stretch of walk between Garrett and Cabell is littered with tables and pamphlets advertising even the most obscure events and causes this University has to offer, and with the frenzy of Christmas spirit in the air, “Altruism Alley” has become a real detriment for both students and volunteers alike.

The spot is a popular one with all manner of student groups on Grounds because of the heavy traffic it receives, and though there always seems to be at least one a-cappella table at the intersection, more groups than ever before are grabbing up that prime real estate and making life just a little bit more irksome as the Christmas season gathers steam.

The Alley may offer a well-traveled route for groups to advertise on, but the tables and volunteers that work them often choke the sidewalk with an unnecessary amount of traffic. “It’s really frustrating to walk through there,” complains Kate Dibble, a second-year in the College. “It gets kind of awkward with people in your face.” The sidewalk is narrow as it is, and the addition of three or four brightly-decorated tables and ten students hawking everything from “Save Darfur” t-shirts to Shakespeare productions makes the normally-heavy pedestrian traffic impassable at times. The increase in tables since Thanksgiving break has compounded the congestion quite a bit, and the area is now a veritable obstacle for students on their way to classes.

The nuisance students are presented with by this impasse on the sidewalks is a considerable one, but others pay the consequences of overcrowding at well. As Altruism Alley becomes busier with additional pamphlet-pushers, more and more students are seeking alternate routes around what has become an overwhelming gauntlet. Says Dibble, “Sometimes I take the road near West Range, or even walk all the way around by Bryant. Totally worth it.”It is a bit of a paradox; the heavy foot traffic is what brings the cause-supporters in, but the inconvenience they present is enough to drive students away.

Groups that recognize this issue have adapted and have moved to quieter areas. Toys for Tots is one such group; they have set up a table near a bus stop on McCormick Road and have created a less stressful situation in which to ask for support from passers-by. Instead of fading into the fog of donation demands and Christmas music that currently characterize Altruism Alley, groupspositively distinguish themselves by moving away from this swarming intersection.

Furthermore, the manner in which the organization’s volunteers proclaim their philanthropic wares to the students that pass makes for negative results. To be sure, these causes and concerns benefit from the increase in exposure that tables and posters afford, but the line between diligent advertisement and obnoxious promotion is being toyed with daily at Altruism Alley. When students decline to interact with the people promoting social awareness, they are often met with flippant remarks.

I have personally experienced this on several occasions; after politely refusing an offer to register to vote the other day, I was accused of hating democracy. That particular comment was obviously made in jest, but the point here is salient: endorsement often gets abrasive in such situations, and the irritation that the Alley entails actually taints the perception of the various causes being promoted there. When these volunteers criticize students for turning them down, they evoke a defensive attitude that cripples their own effectiveness.

As exams approach, the environment around Grounds is becoming increasingly stressful. Coupled with Altruism Alley’s newfound holiday intensity, things could get out of hand. A change in the way organizations promote activity and holiday selflessness around Grounds would alleviate both this mounting annoyance and actually serve to augment the success and reach of the causes themselves. Tables should be set up throughout Grounds, not just in areas with acute traffic pressure. If none of the groups want to move away from the Alley, perhaps the school could institute a schedule of time slots, giving groups different times for promotion in the area to which they must adhere. Altruism Alley is an great place to promote a cause, but a reevaluation of its impact upon students and organizations alike would do wonders to assuage the stress if not the traffic.

David Infante’s column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at dinfante@cavalierdaily.com.

ON THE Friday before Thanksgiving break, hundreds of high school students from around the country arrived on Grounds. They did not swarm the admissions office, or line up for a University Guides tour. They were not just on another college visit. Instead, they came as delegates — not for their respective schools, but for the countries they would represent in the Virginia Model United Nations (VAMUN) conference.

Each year, the International Relations Organization hosts VAMUN and organizes mock UN conferences in Charlottesville. The event requires immense effort and planning on the part of IRO members, but the hard work pays off: This year, IRO raised over $30,000 from the event. However, in addition to providing funds for IRO and a stimulating experience for participants, VAMUN greatly benefits the entire University. By allowing high school students to see Grounds and interact with University students, VAMUN familiarizes them with Jefferson’s prized institution and encourages them to return for college.

This year, in its post-conference survey, IRO asked participants how VAMUN affected their perceptions of the University. The responses were overwhelmingly positive. Many students expressed interest in coming to the University after spending time on Grounds and in classrooms. “I had a really great time coming to Grounds as a high school student,” said Aman George, President of IRO. “VAMUN gives delegates a great opportunity to interact with University students.”

Unfortunately, too few University organizations offer similar opportunities for high school students. Over six hundred student organizations currently operate on Grounds. These groups work with University students, the Charlottesville community, and even disadvantaged peoples abroad. Madison House coordinates efforts to help the Charlottesville youth. Alternative Spring Break sends students to Africa, Europe and South America. The pursuits of our student groups are certainly diverse and numerous. But too few organizations target high school students in their activities. Too few groups aim to attract potential applicants to come to our University.

Obviously, most University organizations have objectives that do not necessarily relate to recruiting future students. They do not strive to be the support teams of the admissions office. As such, it might seem unreasonable to ask these organizations to consider high school students as an important audience. However, IRO offers a noteworthy example of how student groups can incorporate a particular focus into an event that attracts high school students. Other organizations should follow its lead.

“The committees this year were really interesting, and I think everybody had a great time,” said Charlotte Slaiman, Secretary General of VAMUN. “The kids seemed to enjoy it a lot. They also loved eating on the Corner and at the Dining Hall, and we had a dance for them in O-Hill Forum which was fun for them too.” Through conferences in classrooms, meals on the Corner, and perhaps a few clandestine trips to Rugby, VAMUN delegates got a genuine taste of the University experience.

As part of their annual activities, more groups should attempt to target high school students from Virginia and around the country. We all can serve as diplomats for the University. We can play an important role in shaping the classes that follow us. The University Guides give stimulating tours, and, in many ways, the University setting speaks for itself. But tours cannot substitute for a weekend experience in Charlottesville. They cannot provide visitors with ongoing interactions with University students. And perhaps most importantly, events like VAMUN attract students who would nototherwise visit.

Nothing will shape the future of our University as much as the forthcoming classes of students. In four years, the student body will be entirely new, but we can help shape it now. Six hundred groups with thousands of student members can hold events and organize activities that the admissions staff cannot. IRO has already demonstrated this. A total of 762 high school students from 35 different schools attended this year’s VAMUN. Many of them could be great assets to our University in the coming years. And thanks to IRO, many of them will undoubtedly return — not as delegates of England, Iran or India — but as members of the class of 2012 or 2013.

John Nelson’s column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at jnelson@cavalierdaily.com.

Virginia is for happy people, according to a national ranking by Mental Health America. This analysis places the state in the top 20 of the nation, ranking the state as 18th for good mental health and 16th for low suicide rates.

The ranking reflected statistical associations between states’ access-to-care facilities and their mental health outcomes, such as suicide rates, according to the report.

Paula Price, executive director of Mental Health America of Virginia, attributed the ranking to the fact that Virginians have a good deal of access to psychological treatments from both governmental and private providers. She added that another positive factor contributing to a state’s ranking in this case is the emphasis the state places on mental health recovery.

“Fortunately in Virginia, the previous and current governors have focused their mental health departments on the importance of recovery,” Price said. “That is so that people aren’t trapped in their diagnosis; instead, programs are set up that help people move toward recovery and shift their focus on the rest of their life.”

Price added that although Virginia ranked well in terms of overall mental health and suicide rates, it ranked poorly in “parity,” the way in which mental health problems are treated in comparison to physical health problems. According to Price, Virginia laws do not require insurance companies to cover several mental health issues, including long-term medical treatment.

According to Leonard Carter, assistant director of Counseling and Psychological Services, University mental health rates are on par with national averages for college students.

“The national rates are about 44 percent of students who were so depressed they could not function, while U.Va.’s [students] are at about 39 percent,” Carter said.

He a

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dded that suicide rates also parallel national averages.

According to Carter, depression symptoms to look out for include a depressed mood lasting longer than a few days, changes in sleeping or eating patterns, thoughts of suicide and increased agitation.

– compiled by Franny

Corneliussen

Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell appointed Steven Rosenberg, attorney for Augusta County, to the position of associate university counsel and special counsel to the University.

According to David Johnson, Virginia’s deputy attorney general for health, education and social services, McDonnell is the official attorney for all Virginia colleges and universities. For each college and university, he also has assistant attorneys general “who do the day to day work with him,” Johnson said.

Rosenberg was one of 20 attorneys interviewed for the job and will now be one of six associates under University General Counsel Paul Forch, Johnson said, noting that “his background brought a unique set of experiences to the job.”

– compiled by Shea Connelly

Black enrollment at historically black colleges and universities continues to fall as black enrollment in so-called “black-serving” institutions is on the rise, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Education.

According to the Department of Education, a “black-serving” college or university is one in which 25 to 50 percent of the undergraduate institution is black. Xiaojie Li, who authored the report, noted that the 25-percent threshold was an arbitrary number used to define non-HBCUs where there is a critical mass of black students. Old Dominion University, in Norfolk, Va., is an example of a borderline black-serving institution with about 22 percent black enrollment. The Commonwealth is also the home to a number of HBCUs, including Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Virginia State University and Virginia Union University.

From 1984 to 2004, overall black undergraduate enrollment increased nationally by 92.8 percent from just under one million to 1.9 million, according to the report. Of college-going U.S. students in 1984, 1.9 percent were black students attending HBCUs. By 2004, that was down to 1.8 percent. Black student enrollment at non-HBCU black-serving colleges or universities, however, increased. In 1984, slightly more than four percent of college-going students were black students enrolled at a black-serving institution. That number increased to 10.1 percent by 2004.

Some scholars see this shift as a positive step for race relations in higher education.

“The move away from HBCUs to non-minority serving universities like U.Va. is a good thing,” said Asst. Politics Prof. Vesla Mae Weaver, who specializes in issues of race and ethnicity. “I think that black students opting to choose a U.Va. over a Hampton reveals something important about the changing nature of race for this generation that’s coming through college.”

Other experts, however, noted that HBCUs are not entirely on the decline. William Harvey, chief officer for diversity and equity at the University, compared these schools to other niche institutions. He argued that the HBCUs serve black students in much the same way that the University of Notre Dame serves Catholic students and Brigham Young University serves Mormon students. Schools such as these provide black students with a strong sense of security and solidarity, according to Harvey. Incidents of intolerance, he said, have the potential to make non-minority serving schools intimidating for black students.

The University would qualify as an example of a non-minority serving school, with 9.3 percent black enrollment.

During the fall 2005 semester, a number of high-profile racial incidents occurred on Grounds, making news locally and nationally. Some members of the University community alleged that these racially charged incidents resulted in the decreased black student enrollment the University saw the following school year.

“Being the flagship institution, the Washington Post and The New York Times and similar publications are going to take a hold of those things and continue to publicize them,” Asst. Dean of Admissions Valerie Gregory said. “A student who is living in New York read something like this about the University and wonders ‘Wow. Why would I go there? And is this a place I’m going to feel comfortable?’”

The 2005 drop in black enrollment during a significant period of University minority growth discouraged some University administrators. Yet though the University does not qualify as a “black-serving” institution by the Department of Education’s definition, it does not need to set a goal for 25 percent black enrollment, according to Gregory.

“We don’t, per se, set goals that say we have to be this to be successful,” Gregory said. “If we increase from one year to the next, we call that success because that means more students are having access to this education.”

The racial makeup of the University does not mirror the racial makeup of the Commonwealth, whose black population is around 19 percent. While this is not a strike against the University, Harvey said it should be noted as a benchmark for future growth.

“Ten or 15 years ago, going to a place like U.Va. was going to be an isolating experience,” Weaver said. “Now, not to say that hostilities don’t exist and that racial isolation doesn’t exist, but you can come here and comfortably go through your four years here and not be the only black person in every class.”

While the University’s black enrollment will likely continue to rise, Weaver said the impact of this growth on HBCUs in the Commonwealth is unclear.

The University Health System recently selected Claraview, a strategy and technology consulting firm, to develop a “data warehouse” that will be used to improve the quality of patient care and to maximize efficiency.

“The health system has lots of different computer systems to help it provide care,” Health System Computing Administrator Kevin Burbules said. “Very typically, in health systems like this one, there’s a need to aggregate information from all of the various systems so that decisions can be made effectively.”

According to Burbules, the data warehouse will augment speed and efficiency, making hospital beds more readily available and easily accessible.

“Basically this data warehouse will allow us to make decisions, make better decisions and make them more quickly,” Burbules said.

Claraview Partner Eric Driscoll said the ability to track patient care is a high priority, adding that the better the health system’s understanding of medications, tests and when and how people get sick or well, the better care patients will receive.

“At the end of the day it will save lives and lower the cost of medical care,” he said.

The data warehouse is also designed to improve the University’s understanding of resource use, which could lead to more efficient spending.

“Those savings could be applied to hire more of the very best caregivers, which would in turn allow us to provide even better care to our patients,” Burbules said.

After putting out a request for proposals, Burbules said the University chose Claraview based on the company’s experience, reasonable cost and response to the proposal.

Driscoll explained that his company won the competitive bid, among other reasons, because Claraview “give[s] them our tools and our experience,” he said. “At some point when we get the system off the ground, they can maintain it without us.”

The Public Education Fund of Charlottesville-Albemarle recently launched a new program, “Odyssey: 2025,” aimed at helping local students better understand the critical areas of math and science.

The program is a collaboration between city and county schools and one in which several University professors will be lending a helping hand.

“Regionally, we want to promote an educated workforce, and that certainly makes for a better community, educationally and economically,” said Cass Cannon, Charlottesville City Schools community relations specialist.

The program will involve a summer academy that allows teachers and students from both school systems to test different types of math and science learning strategies, according to John Gersuk, executive vice president of The JASON Project, an educational initiative aimed at motivating students and working in conjunction with Odyssey: 2025. The best elements that result from this summer academy will be implemented in both school systems, Gersuk said.

To achieve the best results, the program is geared toward fifth-graders in an effort to ensure students’ maintain an interest in the math and science fields.

“National research has found that if children aren’t excited about opportunities in math and science by that age, we lose them,” Gersuk said.

University professors will also be involved with Odyssey: 2025 and are already collaborating on training teachers to work with kids in math and science, Curry School Dean Robert Pianta said.

“We have a number of relationships with the local schools that involve various activities,” Pianta said. “We are hoping this will be one of the activities we can help facilitate,” he added, noting that many faculty members are looking forward to helping with the program.

In addition to Odyssey: 2025, local schools are currently in the process of implementing The JASON Project. Founded by Dr. Robert D. Ballard, who discovered the RMS Titanic in 1985, the project aims “to get the kids and the whole community excited about discovery,” Cannon explained.

Cannon cited “Monster Storms” as an example of a JASON Project program, where students analyze weather patterns with some of the world’s leading meteorologists.

The JASON Project “exemplifies the kind of things that Odyssey: 2025 will not only profit from, but also can even duplicate: the excitement of great discoveries and great learning,” Cannon said.

– Max Hall contributed to this article