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Bakko launches 'sustainability' theme for academic year

By David Gonnerman '90
September 8, 2005

The Opening Convocation of St. Olaf College took place Sept. 8 in Boe Memorial Chapel. The event featured a presentation by Eugene Bakko, professor of biology and curator of the college's natural lands, and a brief address by Thomas Rusert '06, incoming president of the Student Government Association. It also included a procession of faculty as the college welcomes new and returning students to the start of the 2005-06 academic year. The St. Olaf Band provided music.

BakkoConvo
Bakko greeted faculty colleagues after convocation, including Mary Steen (foreground), Kris MacPherson (to her left) and Kathy Tegtmeyer Pak (at right).
In keeping with the college's announcement of the campus-wide "sustainability" theme throughout 2005-06, the title of Bakko's talk was "Sustainability and Seredipity." Bakko prefaced his remarks by thanking St. Olaf President Christopher Thomforde for establishing this year's theme.

During his address, Bakko encouraged students to discover "how you tick" and to search for "work worth doing, which will in itself be sustainable." And he stressed that not only scientists, but politicians, school teachers, lawyers and professionals of all types -- including parents -- are heavily involved in environmental issues today.

He also cited the college's forthcoming wind turbine, the food composter, the "green" science curriculum and proposed "green" science complex, the student-run STOGROW produce production project, and the enthusiasm across campus for these projects as being crucial to the future of St. Olaf.

Bakko, who is credited with organizing the St. Olaf natural lands to be used as a classroom for demonstrating restoration biology and sustainable agriculture, is one of the college's leaders in the current green movement. Bakko developed the Interim course "Winter Ecology in Minnesota" at Itasca State Park, and the "Biology in South India" and "Environmental Science in Australia" semester programs.

Before the benediction, and in keeping with the sustainability theme, Thomforde challenged students to ponder what it would mean "to have a lifestyle that would go on indefinitely."

The convocation was the first event in Boe since the building was struck by lightning the previous weekend. The strike damaged both the sound system and the organ. A temporary sound system has been set up until the main system is repaired.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.