November 3, 1978

Letting the sun shine in

Proving that the use of solar energy is both practical and feasible, a group of Wesleyan students are diligently constructing a solar greenhouse next to the Ecology House at 69 High Street.

Eight students, four of whom live in the Ecology House, drew up plans for a greenhouse during the summer and early fall. Several of them participated in the building of a solar home in Portland, in conjunction with the Wesleyan course "Field Work in Resource Planning."

After petititioning CSIS for sponsorship, the students had to tackle Middletown’s red tape in order to begin construction. Their efforts have resulted in a financial backing of $500 from the SBC, $1000 from the administration, grants from outside donors, and discounts from several of their suppliers.

Alice Dunn, one of the students participating in the construction, explained that it is an extremely time-consuming task. The students spend about five hours of class time with their instructor, Paul Haake, professor of chemistry, as well as an estimated 15 hours per week in producing, transporting, and securing the materials for the structure.

In addition, they often refer to outside consultants for advice and information. The exterior of the structure is expected to be completed in December; a concrete foundation has been laid, and the frame of the greenhouse is being constructed, Dunn said.

The project, which is viewed as a cooperative effort, is being planned to save the Ecology House an estimated 75 percent of its heat requirements for hot water. Dunn added that the students hope to grow complementary vegetables–plants which nourish each other–such as tomatoes, lettuce, and snow peas in the greenhouse. They expect that these plants will supply one quarter of the Ecology House’s vegetable needs. (Everyone in the Ecology House is vegetarian.) Moreover, they hope to carry out experimental project in the structure, including the operation of a solar over.

Solar Gym Among Campus Plans

Solar heating may be utilized in the water system of the expanded Fayerweather gymnasium, according to Nils Frederiksen, director of campus and facility planning, better known as the campus planner. The proposed pre-heating system brings the water up to a certain temperature after which the existing oil burning system heats the water to the desired temperature.

"The solar system would be an incremental cost," said Frederiksen. "Our analyses, based on commerical funding and projections of future fuel costs, indicates a 25-year payback period." The lengthy payback period–the time it takes for the fuel savings to equal th ecapital investment–makes the project less enticing unless substantial federal funding can be obtained. But the solar heating system is still a possibility, and bids are being accepted which include the system as part of the construction cost, Fredericksen said.

Fredericksen outlines three recent major projects in eneregy conservation:

1) The conversion of an oil driven, air conditioning chiller to a more economical electrical unit.

2) The installation, last spring, of a boiler in the Science Center. This allows the university to turn off the much larger campus boiler during the summer. It is estimated that in July, August, and September of 1978 the new boiler used 279 barrels of oil, as opposed to the 3,065 barrels burned by the large boiler the previous summer. The savings were $39,200, making the projected payback period for this project only 4.6 years.

3) The installation of stack economiser which reuse the heat escaping in the smokestacks.

In addition, all federally assisted institutions have a 1982 deadline to make all programs accessible to the handicapped. "The emphasis in that sentence," said Frederiksen "is on the word ‘programs.’ To make all areas of the school accessible to a handicapped person would be impossible."

Classes in which handicapped students are enrolled will be scheduled in classrooms which can be easily reached. Most of these classes will be moved to the Science Center, which has elevators going to all floors. Construction will be necessary on buildings that house classes which can not be moved, such as the art studios, Frederiksen said.

If the project is self-funded, Frederiksen estimates a cost of $200,000. "Once again, there is the possibility of federal funding, so we are proceeding cautiously," he added.

The building of a new gymnasium and a new pool, and the improvement of Olin library service, prgramming, and planning are also being investigated by the department of planning. All of them will remain in the planning stages until funding for them is found.

 Running from Joggers

A couple of joggers nearly bumped me off the sidewalk while I was walking to the supermarket. On the way home I could hear them gaining on me–squish, squish, whump, whump, as eight more passed me. A small dog caught up in the excitement joined in, running circles around the whole bunch.

What a tremendous outpouring of energy, what hazards they face. It suddenly occured to me that on a really hot day, I see very few of them, and in a heavy downpour, none at all.

I’m proposing that Wesleyan should build a jogging wheel, centrally located between the dormatories. This could be like a huge phonograph turntable, 80 or 90 feet in diameter, tilted slightly, with the lower edge just clearing the ground. The students could build one at minimal cost.

With a canopy over it, the joggers could avoid falling tree limbs, muggers, rapists, crazy drivers, inclement weather, elderly pedestrians, dogs, and the piled up evidence of their existence. Participants could enter at the hub, start out slowly, working to the outer edge as they warmed up, and then step off the outer edge. Here the 100-pound girl and the 200-pound athlete could find their own niches. Lovers could jog hand-in-hand. Others could cram for exams, watch TV or listen to the radio. People could jog on schedule, so that the wheel would pump storage tank water in the daytime, and generate yard-light electricity at night. Shed fat for the future! Good Luck!

WESU: 88.1 and the Temperature is Rising

"Very few student organizations can honestly claim to service both the Wesleyan communitity and the Middletown area. WESU makes good this claim 19 hours each day with a diversity of programming that enables them to appeal to a variety of special interest listeners," remarks President Peter Manbeck.

Although some of their programs cater more to the Wesleyan campus than to the Middletown communitity, Manbeck does not like to consider any programs as exclusive of either of them. Allison Brown, WESU program director, added that the programming is determined by the masses, but that the minorities get a "fair share" or fit. "We have more diversity in our programming than most college stations," noted Manbeck.

Among the varieties of music which can be heard over the station are jazz, rock and roll, soul, gospel, classical and latin. Other programs are a story hour, a book review and a forum which analyzes issues concerning Wesleyan and Middletown.

Servicing Wesleyan and Middletown involves both monetary resources and manpower. According to Manbeck WESU is the largest functioning student organization on campus. "The station has the services of about 100 students, and it is also the most paid-for activity on campus," remarked John Woodhouse, secretary-treasurer of the station.

On a continuing basis WESU buys records and pays an annual rate for the United Press International news service, which is $3200 along. "The costs of running WESU could be substantially more but... much of the technical work (which would be expensive to have done) is performed by the staff," said Woodhouse. This keeps costs down.

Concerned about the quality of their broadcasts, this year WESU instituted a new policy for the selection of persons who want to have shows. Allison Brown explained that WESU began these policies in order to improve the quality of the broadcasts through familiarizing their staff with the proper operating procedures of the station. "People were ignorant of what they were doing," he said. He went on to explain that this year the station established guidelines, as well as rules and regulations that people have to follow.

Soccer Routs Central 4-0

It was a strange game with a little of everything. There were good saves and good goals; yellow cards and red ones; a penalty shot and 20 minutes of, (though one could hardly call it) soccer. It was entertainment for the delighted fans who watched Wesleyan defeat Central Connecticut 4-0 and take a big step toward making the ECAC playoffs. The Cards can now go to Williams having clinched a better than .500 season.

It was an easy win with Wesleyan dominating from the start. The Cards’ first goal came 17 minutes into the game and was set up by Paul Roland’s centering ball to Scott Newton. Newton was open and he let go a rising shot but the Central goalie was able to jump up and knock the ball away. The ball bounced in front of the other side of the net and where Seth Sholes tapped it in the easiest goal he’ll ever score.