Life-size dragon and bird puppets performed in the middle of the Quad on Monday.

The dragon represented the students’ dreams, while the bird represented “the ominous forces of evil” preventing students from accomplishing their dreams, Geoffrey Navias said.

The performance by students in SOL 345: “Puppets and Community,” which Navias teaches, and DRA 400: “Art in Action” was an interpretation of how students can sustain their dreams in college and in the real world.

Elizabeth May, a junior acting major who participated in the puppetry performance, said the message of the performance was open for interpretation. It was a chance for students to see how they can alter their dreams to make them sustainable, she said.

“It’s like a play or piece of music,” Navias said. “People take from it what they want.”

The event was a part of the newly redesigned SU Showcase. The day’s events attracted a larger audience than the organizers of the event expected, with the puppetry performance attracting 90 people. There were at least 25 people at every fellow’s presentation, said Steve Parks, director of SU Showcase. He expected about 20 to 25 people at each presentation, he said.

The goal of the day was to highlight and recognize student research, and the audience made that possible, Parks said. It also helped organizers recognize how next year’s event can be improved, he said.

Students from SU and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry presented their works during the daylong event on the Quad, in Hendricks Chapel and in other buildings across campus. The presentations included debates, performances and poster displays about the theme of sustainability.

Many of the day’s presentations were projects students completed in class during the semester. One presentation, titled “Be Classy/Not Trashy: How SU Students Treat Food,” was put together by four classmates from HPM 214: “Menu Development.” The presentation focused on the results of their survey about student and faculty habits in dining facilities and their dissection of trash from Schine Dining Center.

Their survey of 850 people from five different dining centers revealed most people recycle, do not use refillable water bottles and are willing to go tray-less in the dining centers.

They also went through the trash from Schine Dining Center and separated its contents into categories: food waste, paper cups, plastic cutlery, paper plates and napkins. They found food waste made up the biggest portion of the trash at 47 percent.

Colleen Holland, a freshman hospitality management major and one of the presenters, said they have prepared for SU Showcase since the beginning of the semester. During that time, they came up with a focused proposal, conducted research and planned the presentation, she said.

Holland also said she was impressed by the student and faculty turnout for their presentation, which attracted about 35 people.

“I thought it was really great to see the reactions on people’s faces and knowing we’re doing our part in spreading the word,” she said.

Students and faculty also collaborated with four SU service workers to present “Sustaining SU,” a project that recognized and applauded the service workers in the university.

The performance in Hendricks Chapel, which attracted about 70 people, gave the audience a virtual tour of several SU buildings and events, such as the residence halls and the graduation ceremony. During each stop, the service workers shared stories about their experiences inside and outside of SU, their families, their duties and what they entail, how they interact with students and faculty, and why they are important to the university.

“We are proud of what we do. Without the work of the service workers, none of the others would take place,” said Gert Danzy, a service worker who participated in the performance. “Our work sustains you.”

Chloe Martin, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she enjoyed the performance because it was emotional and personal.

“It gave me an appreciation for the people who make living here possible,” she said.

Several presentations lasted throughout the day.

The “Get on Your Sustainability Soapbox!” was presented by four members of the SU Debate Society who stood in front of Hendricks Chapel and gave speeches about the values, politics and purposes of sustainability.

Samantha Costello, a freshman Russian major and one of the debaters, said they had a lot of interaction with the audience, who gave them positive responses. People walking to class and prospective students touring the campus stopped to watch or participate in the debate, Costello said.

The students held short debates on sustainability topics that interested them, such as ethanol energy usage, hybrid cars and reducing meat consumption, Costello said.

“It’s about us coming out here and talking about what we’re really passionate about,” Costello said.

Another daylong event was a display of posters by students from the course PPA 730/LAW 891/EST 696: “Climate Change: Science, Perception and Policy” in the Noble Room in Hendricks Chapel. The posters represented a collection of research about the causes and consequences of climate change in different countries, such as the United States, Brazil, South Korea, India and France, among others.

Though SU Showcase exceeded his expectations, Parks said he already has several improvements in mind for next year’s event.

The organizers need to do a better job of framing the events at Hendricks Chapel and on the Quad to give SU Showcase a more unified feel, he said. Difficulties also arose with managing the tents on the Quad, especially with the acoustics, he said. Parks also said it would have been nice to have a sign indicating SU Showcase was taking place.

Next year’s theme will also be slightly broader because the theme of sustainability did not appeal to every student’s interests, Parks said. He said these improvements would help to create a larger SU Showcase identity.

But Parks also said he was satisfied with the presentations and the student attendance.

He said, “It was an event that really respected what students can bring to campus.”

 

Published on April 19, 2010 at 12:00 pm