UTSAV GANDHI campus@technewsi MING“ | Thesdu November 1 2012 AIAS, Rock Climbing Club co-host Design Charrette By D an Zweig STAFF WRITER This semester, theAmerican Society of Architecture Students (AlAS) and the Rock Climbing Club at in cosponsored an event to design a new rock climbing venue Every semester, the AlAS typically hosts a design charrette that teaches students hoW to Work in teams to competitively design a proiect in collaboration with other architects and engineers A feW years ago, it Was to design a new campus center at UT, this time it was to reinterpretan existing landmark ,, Crown Hall ,, into a rock climbing gym Since 2010, the Rock climbing club has been working closely with iiT administration, staff, and SGA to try to satisfy the student body’s desire for a rock climbing gym on campus We have been trying to come up with something small for training, similar to local gyms like Hidden Peak, where students can hone their techniques and become better prepared for their large outdoor trips These trips typically go to places like Red River Gorge, Kentucky and Devils Lake, Wisconsin After much deliberation, the athletics department announced they would not build a small climbing facility at Keating, instead promising to include a new rockrclimbing wall at the athletics facility planned for the next Srl oyears in the longrterm vision oftheschool, this makes more fiscalsense and the Rock Climbing Club is excited to seesuch an opportunity at UT for future students This semester, AlAS and Rock Ciinbing also collaboratedon a design charrette for students, that reinterpreted monumental Crown Hall into a rock climbing facility for students and Chicago The advertising for this event surprised many students, who emailed the organizations and posted on their Facebook pages to ask if this alteration was actuallygoing to happen of course this was not the case, it was just a design charrette to judge students ability to design new and exciting spaces, and it also allowed for a more interactive design experience The students were brought by the organizations on a Friday evening to a functioning and popular climbing gym, ClimbOn in Homewood, and invited to investigate the space and experience the activity firsthand They designed the re imagined Crown Hall in Crown Hall so that they could continually analyze their ideas and designs firsthand Students were provided with a free trip to a rock climbing gym, and then participated in a free charrette With other students, and top designs won prizes provided byAlAS This was an exciting cooperative eventbetween twoverydil'ferentandsuccessful studentorganizations on campus and produced a great event With interesting results Both organizations are always looking for ways that they can corsponsor events With other organizations, to benefit from their greater experience, generate interesting results from the mixture, or help groWing organizations with their experience and numbers it will be interesting to see what other corsponsored events come out of these organizations in the future and what the design prompt for next semesters charrette willbe llT November Sustainability Forum: Achieving ZERO Waste Successes, challenges and future opportunities http://‘ir‘yur‘ SVP at: R ,com/z 12100-1 30er Speakers: eroForum John Dunsing Raj Rajaram Questions: campussustainability@iit.edu Sustainable, vegan, and gluten free food will be offered hat: Go lock climbing a renovate Clown Holl lot the new Owners the Rock Climbing Club heve: climb on 5 Crown Hall hen: 3“ Friday, Oct, l9 at e 30 pm Saturday Oct 20 at 9:00 am Sign up ui hflp:l/iitaias.wordpless.com Under the Events rub. Imagesmuvtzgofflimzwrw Vedic Vision Society: Transformation Exhibit, Meditation Workshop By Snella 5am STAFF WRITER The live music band outside the MTCC Ballroom lmt Eridaywas clearlyahead turner This was part ofVedicVision Societys “Transformation Exhibit and Meditation Workshop” The obviously unfamiliar call and response music band drew students As you walk into the auditorium, you are greeted by smiling student volunteers who help you get started The first table was called “Changing bodies, Unchangingself’: describing how we grow from a childbody to ayouthfulbody to an aged body but our sense of “i am” never changes This sense of “i am” or “i exist” is the indication of the soul just like thoughts and desires are indication of the existence of the mind The essence of this exhibit was that we are spiritualbeings residing in a body that changes over time and dies, but the soul is eternal in pursuit ofhappiness, most of our lives are spent caring for the body 7 but whether one is rich, prettyorfamous, one fails to find happiness orsatisfaction itisbecause true happiness comes from within when we nourish the soul The process of mantra meditation hence is so powerful since it helps one become happy from inside, unaffected by time, place and circumstance The next stop was the table showing the various topics discussed at vvss Riday seminars and the general progression of topics, starting With “who am l” all the Way to “Practical Spirituality” The third table covered Karmar QELAand Krishna Lunch Many people had interesting questions about God, actionrreaction, and reincarnation, to name a feW The most importantpointat this table Was hoW to lead a life With minimum damage to other living entities and the environment The logical point that comes up in this context is food, rather vegetarian food This is where Krishna Lunch fits in itis arecenteifort from vvs to provide students With vegetarian meals for $5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which is also a fundraiser for a nonprofit Lastbut not the leastWas the meditation workshop, where students sat on chairs With sacred beads chanting the Hare Krishna mantrawhile trying to focus their minds on the transcendental sound vibrations Many participants described the experience as very calming, feeling much more at ease even after afeWminutes it Was an event that is quite unique and unlike what most of us come to experience in our daily lives The whole experience was thought provoking and the meditation workshopwassimplyamazing Somestudents Juststayed there and meditated for up to half an hourl Overall, i found the exhibit to be a wonderful experience Even though i have been attending the Friday lectures since January this event Was definitely neW to me it provided me With a greater insight on the underlying theme, which was the transformation ofour consciousness from matter to spirit For anyone who Wants to find out more about the lectures, the videos for previous lectures are available forvieWing and discussion on facebook com/vedicvis