Videotect, Skyways, “Don’t Be a Hampster, Be Be a Man” and Target Free Thursdays = A Great Thursday and a Fresh Perspective on Minneapolis

March 31, 2011 | Art, Environment, Life is Good, Minneapolis | 1 Comment

Tonight I went to The Walker Art Center to view MN Architecture’s Videotect Awards. Last week, a friend of mine sent me a link to the Videotect awards and said “you in?” and of course my initial reaction (as it is to most things in life): “definitely.” I had very little background on what Videotect was other than the fact that it was related to architecture, art, videos, Minneapolis skyways and was playing fo free at The Walker. Doesn’t take much to convince me right?

The Walker Art Center

Anyway, thanks to Target, every Thursday, admission is FREE at The Walker (Hence the “Target Free Thursdays”). Good job Target, you really hit that one on the bulls-eye ;)

So tonight (for zero $$), I went to The Walker (conveniently only 4 blocks away from my new apartment!), met some cool people, and was introduced to the concept of Videotect: the first annual “Video Competition Exploring the Built Environment.” This year’s topic was “The Skyway and its Impact on Urban Life.”

Hosted by MN Architecture (a magazine for design/architecture junkies that now suddenly appeals to me), the Videotect contest inspired 24 individuals/groups to produce video commentaries on the Minneapolis (and St. Paul) skyway system. The result was awesomeness!

Up until recently (before I started my job at Campbell Mithun and became a member of the downtown workforce), I had no idea how extensive, convenient, crowded and exciting, yet sometimes confusing, mindless and suffocating the skyway system was. Within the first few days of my job (which I’m loving by the way), I learned a lot about how to navigate the downtown Minneapolis grid without stepping foot outside into the frigid tundra that is Minnesota, avoided traffic, saw friends and co-workers, and learned about a lot of yummy lunch options – all via “the magical skyway.” I definitely got lost a lot in the beginning. There are 8 miles of Minneapolis skyway (that’s more than twice around Lake Calhoun! that’s 80 blocks. 80!), so you can see how it might get a little confusing if you aren’t familiar with the buildings. Eventually though, I got my bearings and perfected several routes to frequent locations (echem, Len) and befriended the skyways as a blissful escape from the harsh elements (ie: MN sleet, ice, snow, and temperatures so cold that I would tear up – and then, said tears would freeze to my face).

Well, now almost April (only a couple hours away!), the temperatures have risen, the snow is alllllmost gone, and I still resort to the skyways out of instinct. It is terrible. I have to be told, asked or reminded to walk outside which is often a much faster, more direct route anyway. Even if it is a bit nippy out, it is refreshing to breathe real air. It is healthy to see the sunlight during the day. It is necessary to step outside. I am an outdoorsy girl. I love the environment around me and I can’t wait (CAN’T WAIT – that’s me shouting in case you didn’t know) for spring/summer.

The spring and summer months are when Minnesotans exit hibernation. It’s a wonderful (yet short) period of time that produces a vibrant, run-around-the-lakes, go to your cabin and ride boooooooats, have bonfires, and enjoy rooftop bars type of culture.

Do our skyways/winter lifestyles kill vibrancy? Or do they provide convenience and allow people the option to venture beyond their downtown tower to converse with others and spend $$$? That, along with some other questions I had’t considered, were addressed in the videos of Videotect.

After a warm, energizing and thought-provoking introduction from Mayor R.T. Rybak, the audience enjoyed some funny, 3-D, heartwarming, weird, interesting, and just down right cool videos. (All 24 video submissions were posted online for a month prior to tonight’s event. The top 5 rated videos were presented at The Walker as well as other “jury selected” entries).

Of the videos I saw tonight, these were my  favs:

Lindau: A 3-D rap battle (This is where the line “Don’t be a hampster, be be a man” comes from)

Tucker: A Hilarious Parity (An “Urban Mysteries” look at the origins of skyways)

Siemers: A Heartwarming Depiction (This little girl was at The Walker tonight – she is so adorable! But before the showing, I was thought to myself, “what is this little girl doing here? She has such a sophisticated social life for a 3 year-old” Ha, it all became clear… )

Now, I want to spend some time investigating the other entries here!

Overall conclusions:

  • Thursdays are awesome.
  • Art rocks.
  • Skyways are awesome, but I believe the ol’ “everything in moderation” rule should apply in some capacity.

 

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“Turn Around and Take a Step Forward”

January 31, 2011 | Environment | 2 Comments

180° South; Conquerors of the Useless

Upon recommendation from my friend Jenny, I just finished watching 180° South, an inspiring documentary about Jeff Johnson, an adventurer retracing a 40 year-old trip of Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins (environmentalists/outdoor clothing entrepreneurs) to Patagonia.

Jeff Johnson begins the film by mentioning that for every phone book in America there are “10 of him.” After watching this documentary, I beg to disagree and argue that he is truly an awesomely unique individual. After viewing a video of Chouinard and Tompkins’ voyage from America to Chile in the 1960s, Johnson is determined to share their experience. He travels by boat and car from America to Chile and encounters some unexpected people, events, and beauty along the way. I am so glad he shared his story.

While I saw many documentaries and films throughout my high school and college days, I have never seen a movie on my own accord that made me want to take notes. Until now. The first time a line from the movie resonated with me, I grabbed a post-it. Then I grabbed another. Then I grabbed a notebook. This movie has some simple yet profound things to say about adventure, enjoying life and protecting the world we live on. I can’t take credit for any of them, but I thought I would share my favorites:

“The best journeys answer questions that in the beginning you didn’t even think to ask”

“The word ‘Adventure’ is over-used. Adventure is when everything goes wrong. That’s when the adventure starts”

“Fear of the unknown is the greatest fear of all”

“If you love a place, you have a duty to protect it. And to love a place, you must know it first.”

“Men do not learn very much from the lessons of history. And that’s the most important of all the lessons of history” – Aldus Huxley

“In response to people saying “you can’t go back,” I say well what happens if you get to the cliff and you take one step forward or do a 180° turn and take one step forward? Which way are you going? Which way is progress? The solution to many of the world’s problems is to turn around and take a step forward. You can’t keep going trying to make a flawed system work”

“The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life. It’s so easy to make it complex. What’s important is leading an examined life.”

Along Johnson’s adventure, he lands on Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island). There, he reflects on the ancient society that collapsed on the island due to their own self-destructing resource consumption. Johnson points to Jared Diamond’s book, Collapse, as a source for discussion on civilization’s battle with progress and sacrifice. I read this book several years ago which was recommended by one of my favorite BU econ professors, Jay Zagorsky  (self titled “Professor Jay (not rapper the rapper) Z”) and found many of the situations unbelievable yet true.

Another perk to the movie was its soundtrack. I enjoy music and think life should have a soundtrack. This movie’s tunes are perfect. “Here’s to Now” by Ugly Casanova was my favorite.

As someone who is constantly in seek of adventure, I connected with this movie and everything it represented. For a moment it made me want to ditch my “real job,” forget about my all-consuming apartment hunt and just travel to unknown places. This, however, is not the most practical lifestyle for my personality and current career goals. I guess, this movie just provided another strong reminder that I am an adventure seeker and I will continue to make exploration an essential part of my life.

Thanks Jen for telling me about this movie. I enjoyed it and hope that others do too!

(180° South is currently on Netflix available for instant queue viewing or on sale at REI for $34.98)

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Cleantech Open – A Cool Opportunity for environmental entrepreneurs and volunteers

January 14, 2011 | Business, Environment, Nonprofit | No Comments

Last fall while I did the bulk of my “hard-core” Minneapolis networking, I met a pretty cool person by the name of Justin Kaster. My mom is in a toastmasters club with Justin and found out that he is involved in a group that is both environmental and business focused – obviously she made an introduction.

Justin is the Regional Director for the North Central chapter of Cleantech Open; a global business competition aimed to “find, fund, and foster the big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental, and economic challenges.” After my initial communications with Justin, it seemed as though he was quite busy and I wasn’t sure he would have time to meet with me to discuss my interest in his organization. But I was persistent. I kept my name in front of him and reminded him that I was interested in learning more about Cleantech Open. He remembered. Although he didn’t have time to grab coffee, he invited me to the North Central CleanTech Open Gala. I remember my hesitation to go to the event – I didn’t really know what the gala was, I didn’t know a single person who would be there, aaaand it cost a pretty penny to attend the event (at least for someone who was unemployed at the time). Anyway, I had been invited, I had an interest, and so I went.

Cleantech Open - Finds, funds, and fosters entrepreneurs who want to solve environmental problems

At the gala, I learned a ton about Cleantech Open as well as met some interesting people. I found out that the competition started in California in 2006 and has since expanded rapidly to other regions in the US. The organization focuses on empowering entrepreneurs in the cleantech industry by providing meaningful mentorships, networking opportunities, business resources, as well as the chance to compete for recognition and funding. There are some very well-known companies sponsoring the competition such as Chevron, AutoDesk, Faegre Benson, Wells Fargo, Piper Jaffray, Padilla Speer Beardsley (my former employer  - woot woot go PSB), and AMEC.  The thing I was most surprised (and impressed by) was the fact that 2010 was the first year the North Central region participated in the competition. Led by Justin Kaster, the North Central chapter (comprising of Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska) entered the competition in full force! I honestly would not have known that it was the chapter’s first year if they had not announced it. The chapter seemed well-established and the gala was well-attended. The North Central chapter had 55 entrepreneurs enter the competition last year – an astounding number for a brand new chapter. At the gala, awards were given to teams who were outstanding in particular areas and 16 semifinalists were chosen to go on to the national competition in California (3 of which became national winners).

After the event, Justin contacted me and apologized for being a little preoccupied and agreed to meet me for breakfast. I don’t blame him for being preoccupied – he did an incredible job organizing the first year of the North Central chapter and his hard work clearly paid off. Justin is a young guy who is in the investment banking field by day, and is volunteering in the cleantech space by day, night, middle of the night, and early mornings… He is very passionate about investing, but mostly, passionate about investments in industries and issues that are important. It is very clear that he believes in the Cleantech Open and the message it stands for.

I explained my educational background in business management as well as environmental studies and expressed my genuine interest to get involved as a volunteer. Justin was more than welcoming and invited me to help in the early planning stages of the 2011 competition. I haven’t done a whole lot yet, but have helped draft materials to prospective sponsors and contestants and am truly looking forward to spending my time working with Justin and other volunteers to strengthen the NC chapter and raise the visibility of the competition as well as the importance of clean technology.

I think everyone can and should find space in their schedules to spend time volunteering – but specifically volunteering in areas of interest. I believe that an engaged and dedicated volunteer base makes for the most powerful and capable organizations. (VolunteerMatch is a cool resource that helps people find volunteer opportunities by location and interest). I am sure that cleantech entrepreneurs and I will be learning a great deal from Cleantech Open in the near future!

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GO BU! Impressive New Sustainability Efforts

November 01, 2010 | Environment | No Comments

This weekend I traveled to my alma matter, Boston University, to visit friends and spend time in New England during its prime foliage! I had a wonderful time and am happy to report that BU has made a lot of changes since I have been gone.

While studying at BU, I took courses in Environmental Policy and was regularly surrounded by other environmental activists and supporters. However, BU needed something more. Sustainability at BU, a recently initiated program, works with Dining Services Sustainability and the Sustainability Committee to decrease the university’s environmental footprint through sustainable actions, educational programs and research.

Within my four years at BU, I saw several environmental upgrades including (but not limited to): local food offerings in the dining halls, motion activated and daylight-responsive lighting, and programs supporting biking.

One thing I was really hoping to see at BU was a composting program. Last Friday, I visited the GSU (aka the George Sherman Union, aka the main hang-out on campus) and was pleasantly surprised to see a recent renovation with a focus on the environment! During my time at BU, there were three bins to throw away garbage: trash, paper recycling, and bottle recycling. While this was nice, I always saw people throwing things in the wrong bins and not paying close attention to their actions. Now, BU has trash cans, a variety of recycling bins, and compost bins! The best part is that they have signs posted telling students what belongs where as well as “trash monitors” who stand near the bins to make sure people are correctly throwing away their garbage. In addition to the new composting bins, food is offered “to stay” or “to go.” For students staying at the GSU, they are given plates that are washed and reused, and for students taking their food to go, their food is served biodegradable containers. Pretty cool.

While I heard some students say it’s unnecessary and a waste of money, I think it is great! BU is clearly devoted to making investments in change and is educating the community on their progress. I’m not the only one noticing their commitment to provide a greener campus; the Sierra Club named BU one of the top greenest colleges in the country this past September and last April, Princeton Review gave credit to BU in their “Guide to 285 Green Colleges.”

I'm a BU fan through and through!

I have always been a BU hockey fan (Go Terriers! / Beat BC!!!) but I am also an enormous fan of their efforts to engage the community in their sustainability initiatives. GO BU!

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Food – New Marketing Efforts & My Own Personal Actions

October 27, 2010 | Environment, Marketing | 1 Comment

Considering I have grown up with a great appreciation for the outdoors, it’s not a huge surprise that I was interested in learning about the environment during my college studies. As an environmental policy minor, I was exposed to a multitude of relevant topics ranging from sustainable development, urban planning, consumerism, environmental services, environmental regulations, etc. However, a huge topic that somehow evaded me during my college experience was FOOD. Fortunately for me, one of my best friends (check her out on Twitter @jclynes) was studying environmental issues at UW Madison and learned a great deal about food, the environment, and our health.

Since last spring, I’ve been learning more about food thanks to my good friend Jenny! Mostly I have been investigating environmental and health ramifications of what I am eating. (So far, I have read several books by Michael Pollan, kept my eye on food-related news, and watched movies including: Food Inc., No Impact Man, King Corn, and Supersize Me) Throughout this endeavor, I have paid extra close attention to the food industry and how products are marketed to consumers.

As everyone knows, “green,” “eco,” and “environmentally friendly” have all been brand buzz words for the past few years. While I believe some companies use these words to appear responsible (while keeping their products/practices the same), others are truly trying to decrease their environmental footprint and change the way they do business. Now, within the food and grocer industries, “local,” “organic,” “all natural,” and “farm fresh” are popping up everywhere. Things are definitely changing within the food landscape, but it is interesting to see who is talking.

The movie Food Inc. is a documentary showing consumers that there is a lack of transparency in the our food system. Food producers have successfully hidden the origins of their products from consumers. Shoppers walk down aisles of their local grocery stores and see foods perfectly packaged with images of picturesque farms on their labels. However, the picture on the label and the reality are sometimes far from the same. The film tries to lift the veil on the industrialized food industry and show consumers the origins and impacts of the foods they consume daily. (In case you couldn’t tell, I recommend you see the film for yourself!)

Personally, I have almost eliminated my meat consumption, tried to eat foods with as few ingredients as possible, and have avoided foods with ingredients I don’t recognize. I’m still working out the details of where I buy my food and have been shopping at a variety of markets, co-ops and grocery stores to find reasonably priced foods that I think are the right thing for my body and environment.

Apparently, I’m not the only person demanding better food – according to the USDA’s report Marketing U.S. Organic Foods, “The marketing boom has pushed retail sales of organic foods up to $21.1 billion in 2008 from $3.6 billion in 1997.” Consumers are looking for simpler products that provide nutrition through natural ingredients. Foodprocessing.com’s article,”Wellness Food Trends for 2010” points out that many brands are calling their products “simply X” or “simple and pure.”

Simple ice cream with only five natural ingredients.

They use Häagen-Dazs “Five” as an example of the new trend. “Five” uses only 5 ingredients and is marketed as a purer healthier ice cream option.

While this product does indeed have 5 ingredients, I think consumers should not believe everything they see. I think the best thing to do is look at labels and decide for yourself whether something is “pure” or “all natural.” Look for transparency!

All natural Cheetos... Interesting.

Of course it’s typical to see organic brands package their foods in earthy tones, but when products like Cheetos and Hormel pork are packaged to appeal to the “hippies” roaming the grocery store, I feel a little confused.

Bottom line – I’m happy to see my neighborhood grocery store point out their locally grown produce (even if it is only one product in the entire fresh foods section).

A sign pointing out locally harvested squash at my neighborhood chain grocery store

The USDA ‘s Agricultural Marketing Service reports that  the number of US farmer’s markets have more than tripled in the last fifteen years which is pushing big supermarket chains to compete by offering local and natural products. Keep an eye on labels, verify claims, and take the time to learn about what you’re eating!

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