The next generation will highlight the future of UCCS and the world Thursday as part of local participation in a national Focus the Nation “teach in” event.
A performance of the Dr. Seuss story, “The Lorax,” by second-grade students from Da Vinci Academy, will be the centerpiece of a series of events organized by UCCS Students for Environmental Awareness and Sustainability. Children represent the future and seeing them perform the once-controversial Seuss work will emphasize Focus the Nation goals of action to slow global warming and development of clean technologies, event organizers believe.
“I got my copy of ‘The Lorax’ used; a truly sustainable act” Carole Huber, instructor, Geography, and club advisor said recently at a planning meeting with SEAS and Student Government leaders.
Via e-mail and in person, Huber has encouraged faculty to participate in Focus the Nation events and for them to encourage their students to participate by offering extra credit.
Written in 1971, “The Lorax” describes the plight of the environment using deceptively simple rhyme to rail against the timber industry and rampant industrialization. The Lorax character is a mossy creature who speaks for the trees.
With sponsorship from the Office of the Chancellor, the youngsters will perform at 10:15 a.m. in Dwire Hall 121, the midpoint of a day of Dwire Hall-based events that begin with a 7:30 a.m. panel discussion by local clergy about stewardship of the Earth. A faculty discussion featuring Julie Albertson, lecturer, Engineering, David Havlick, assistant professor, Geography, Tom Huber, professor, Geography, Laura Quinn, assistant professor, Communication, Radha Pyati, associate professor, Chemistry, and John Milliman, professor, Business, and, is scheduled for 9 a.m. At 11 a.m., Nicholas Theisen, a sustainability specialist, New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, will speak. The final event is a roundtable discussion of global warming solutions.
For more information about the national Focus the Nation organization, visit www.focusthenation.org. For local events, visit http://calendar.uccs.edu.
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 25 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,700 students.