Bottlemania Selected
for 2010 Common Reading Program
With a constant supply of fresh water at their fingertips via fountains and faucets, why are so many American consumers hooked on bottled water?
In Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It, this year's selection for the Common Reading Program, environmental journalist Elizabeth Royte explores the staggering popularity of bottled water, the multi-billion-dollar industry that supports it and the building backlash against it.
In the book, one of Entertainment Weekly's 10 "Must Read" nonfiction titles of 2008, Royte travels to Fryeburg, Maine, home of Poland Spring water. In this small town and others like it across the country, she finds the people, machines, economies and cultural trends that have made bottled water a $60-billion-a-year phenomenon, even as it threatens local control of natural resources and dumps tons of plastic waste into the country's landfills.
As the featured author for the 2010 Common Reading selection, Royte will deliver the keynote address at Case Western Reserve University's fall convocation, which will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 25. Read more.
Campus News
Campus members who were unable to attend the university's 17th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation are invited to watch the entire convocation or the keynote address from Donna Brazile. She spoke on the topic of "Where Do We Go From Here? Building on the Legacy of Dr. King."
Bon Appétit at Case Western Reserve has increased its sustainable food service efforts by expanding its composting program. Bon Appétit was already sending compostable materials to the Cleveland Botanical Garden on a seasonal basis. The company will now divert more than 3,000 pounds of food waste from going to a landfill on a weekly basis.
Due to technical difficulties, the Feb. 10 edition of Case Daily was not delivered to some e-mail accounts. The campus community is invited to read the online version.
For Faculty and Staff
A Supervisory Briefing Session on the topic of "Legal Update for 2010" will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. today in Nord 310A.
For Students
The Diekhoff Award honors John S. Diekhoff, who served the university from 1956-70 as professor and chair of the Department of English, dean of Cleveland College, acting dean of the graduate school and vice provost. The Diekhoff Award is presented annually to faculty members who have made exemplary contributions to the education and mentoring of graduate students at Case Western Reserve through work in the classroom, and as an adviser or mentor. The award consists of a plaque and honorarium that will be presented at the university's annual commencement convocation by the School of Graduate Studies. The award was recently expanded to include two awards for Distinguished Graduate Teaching and two awards for Distinguished Graduate Mentoring. The Graduate Student Senate's mentoring and Diekhoff Award Committee selects the winners. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12, to diekhoffaward@gmail.com. Contact Antje Daub for information.
The Case Social Entrepreneurship Club (CSEC) is organizing the university's first campus-wide Kiva competition. Kiva is a microfinance nonprofit that connects individual lenders to entrepreneurial borrowers in developing countries. CSEC will host a Kiva Cup kick off event at 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Jolly Scholar. There will be food and drink specials, along with performances by the Case Juggling Club, Dhamakapella and more. The competition will run Feb. 18 through March.
Summer 2010 Support of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE) funding applications are due Monday, Feb. 15.
Applications are being accepted for graduate assistants through the Office of Housing, Residence Life and Greek Life for the 2010-2011 academic year. The application deadline is Friday, Feb. 12.
Events
The Cleveland Hillel Foundation will host an interactive video conference with Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 17, at the Agnar Pytte Center for Science Education and Research. Campus members are invited to listen in and ask questions. Dershowitz will speak on the topic of "Global Perspectives on Justice and Civil Liberties and Prospects for Peace in the Middle East." Go online for complete details. Call (216) 231-0040 with questions.
Share the Vision will sponsor a panel discussion on the topic of "Affirmative Action: Why Are We Still Talking about It?" at 4:30 p.m. today in the Thwing Center ballroom.
The next Friday Public Affairs discussion will be on the topic of "Long-Term Care in the United States and the Netherlands" at 12:30 p.m., Feb. 12, at the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence. M. C. "Terry" Hokenstad, Ralph S. and Dorothy P. Schmitt Professor at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, will be the guest speaker.
The Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities will present "From Stills to Motion" by photographer Linda Butler at 4:30 p.m. today in Clark Hall 309.
Renowned author and engineer Henry Petroski will give the 2010 Distinguished Lecture at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 24, in Severance Hall. He will speak on the topic of "Engineering and Civilization: Bridges, Infrastructure and Sources of Success and Failure." Among his works are The Pencil, The Toothpick and The Evolution of Useful Things and his memoir Paperboy. The talk is free and open to the public. Learn more.
The views and opinions of those invited to speak on campus do not necessarily reflect the views of the university administration or any other segment of the university community.
Et al.
Professor of Law Craig Nard's interdisciplinary proposal relating to the commercialization of complex technologies has received an Interdisciplinary Alliance Investment Grant from the Office of the Provost.
