UNH prepared for a swine flu outbreak

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama urged U.S. schools to take an active role in preventing the spread of the swine influenza virus.

UNH’s Emergency Group met last week to review how the university would deal with a potential outbreak.

“We have a strong pandemic plan in place,” wrote President Mark Huddleston in an e-mail sent on April 29.

Huddleston assured the UNH community that Paul Dean, UNH’s director of emergency management, is receiving “frequent daily briefings” from the Center for Disease Control, as well as the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services.

Dean is posting his updates on the UNH homepage under UNH News. The campus will also be notified with important updates through RoamSecure, UNH’s text messaging alert system.

“While we have not had to deal with a flu outbreak exactly like this before, we are well-prepared to do so if cases are identified in New Hampshire or at the university,” wrote Dean in a recent update.

As of last week, there were more than 100 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States, including at least three probable cases in New Hampshire. A boy visiting from Mexico recently died of the disease in Texas.

New Hampshire has established a hotline for residents with questions or concerns about swine flu. The number is 888-330-6764.

WildCAP to decrease greenhouse gases

Efficiency, renewable energy and conservation are the main ideas for creating a sustainable campus at UNH. On April 30 in the MUB, chief sustainability officer Tom Kelly and program coordinator Brett Pasinella presented UNH’s Climate Action Plan, or “WildCAP.”

The UNH Energy Task Force has spent the past two years planning, brainstorming, and weighing possible projects and policies to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the university. With plans to lower greenhouse gases 50 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050, the plan will not only lower the amount of greenhouse gases emitted, but, in the long run, will decrease the amount of money UNH uses on energy, Kelly predicted.

WildCAP calls for use of cogeneration and landfill gas for energy. UNH’s cogeneration plant is its primary source of heat and electricity and will save the university an estimated $20 million in energy costs over the next 20 years. In September, UNH will also start ECOLine, a project that uses methane landfill gas as a primary energy source. WildCAP also plans to bring solar hot water systems and turbines to the campus.

WildCAP calls to lower thermostats one degree in the winter and raise it one degree in the summer; this change alone would save the university hundreds of thousands of dollars. The plan also calls for students to turn off lights, unplug computers and use Energy Star appliances.

library statues showcase student art

Anyone traveling through the campus can see the Sophomore and Senior Seminar art classes’ new exhibit on poverty.
Outstretched hands carved into tables reach for food and help on the “Starving at the Table of Plenty” display leading down the stairs to the Paul Creative Arts Center.

“The tables are poetic and a little less literal when they address social inequality,” said Sophomore Seminar Professor Jennifer Moses.

Not too far away, “The Weight of Wealth” structure stands in front of Dimond Library in Murkland Courtyard. It depicts a person leaning on a table that is supported by another person where the chair’s legs should be. The crippling weight of the table is meant to represent the burdens of people who are often overlooked in our society.
Professors Ben Cariens and

Moses teach the two classes that collaborated on this project. The classes had been sharing and coordinating ideas since January and spent 14 hours bringing the exhibit to life on a recent weekend. The exhibit speaks to viewers on many levels, starting with the chosen material of wood for its ability to be manipulated and reused.

“We tried to address the weight of social inequality,” said Moses. “It was great to have a collaborative work of many people and their different ideas.”

The exhibit will stay up until Thursday, May 7, when it will be moved to the PCAC courtyard or recycled.