Student Employment Position Created For Green Purchasing

In an effort to improve environmentally friendly purchasing at Macalester and partly in response to student desire, Business Services, which includes Requisitioning, Purchasing and Accounts Payable (RPA), has created a student employment position to assist with campus purchases.

The Purchasing Assistant will be responsible for researching green purchasing resources and making recommendations to the college about where to purchase goods. He or she will also communicate regularly with the CEIC and make recommendations to the committee regarding campus purchasing, remodeling and new construction.

Campus procurement received a grade of ‘D’ in last spring’s Environmental State of the College report, released by the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar and the CEIC. This was the lowest grade the college received in the report’s examination of environmental practices in 10 areas.

According to Sally Weivoda ’06, a student employee in the Environmental Studies Department, the new purchasing assistant could have an enormous say in where Macalester buys its goods, which she says could help to reduce the negative environmental impact of Macalester’s purchasing practices.

- Brief written by News Editor Sara Nelson
 

President Rosenberg Chats by the Fireside, in the Library

President Brian Rosenberg told students that they should “not kid themselves” and realize that every college in the country seeks full-paying student to some degree at a “fireside chat” to discuss the need-blind issue on Monday evening.

Due to last-minute planning and publicity, the event received minimal attendance but nonetheless allowed for lively and intimate dialogue among the group of eight students, Rosenberg, and Dean of Students Laurie Hamre.

Rosenberg stressed that students who wish to be active in the debate educate themselves fully on the issue, and pointed out two factual errors in the petition that students brought to the Board meeting stating their opposition to the proposed change.

“It’s important not to caricature positions,” Rosenberg said, saying that Macalester will continue to give more financial aid than all of our comparison schools no matter what.

Seth Schlotterbeck ’06 questioned the extent to which the proposal would ameliorate the financial situation that is described in the RPC report, citing the small fraction of the four to eight thousand additional dollars that the RPC requests in per student spending that the change would cover. In response, Rosenberg said “They’re not magic numbers. What I take away from the report is the general point.”

Students raised questions about progress in alumni fundraising, the decision to fundraise for two new facilities on campus, and the timetable for the Board of Trustees vote.

Rosenberg made a promise to consider any alternative suggestions that students bring him. “Whatever you want the Board to know, I’ll make sure they get it,” he said.

- Brief written by Editor In Chief Lizzie Tannen
 

International Roundtable Panelists To Discuss American Empire

This weekend marks the 11th annual Macalester International Roundtable. It started on Thursday October 14 and will culminate with a roundtable discussion on Saturday. The theme for the 2004 roundtable is “America and Global Power: Empire or…?”

During the roundtable, a panel of experts will give presentations and answer questions pertaining to America’s current and future role as a world power. “‘America and Global Power’ is a compelling and timely topic, which will generate a great deal of discussion among students,” said Dean of International Studies and Programming Ahmed Samatar.

The roundtable began yesterday with a speech by Niall Ferguson entitled “The American Empire: Between Ceasar and Victoria.” Ferguson, a professor of International History at Harvard University, is also editor of the Journal of Contemporary History.

This morning, Tariq Ali will give an address entitled “The American Empire and its Discontents.” Ali is the editor of the New Left Review and the Editorial Director at Verso.

This afternoon, Michael Ledeen, who occupies the Freedom Chair for the American Enterprise Institute in Washington D.C., will be speaking on “America’s Mission.”

All three of these speakers will participate in the final roundtable discussion on Saturday morning. At the roundtable, Anna Klappe ’05 and Jesse Uggla ’05, will act as respondents to Ali and Ledeen’s presentations, respectively.

The event, sponsored by the International Studies Department, is held in Weyerhaeuser Memorial Chapel.

-Brief written by Contributing Writer Christine Elliott