Excitement is in the Air

By Ricardo Patlan

Excitement is in the Air… or, rather in the rain water IN the air. I could not help but ponder the need for, and the potential efficacy of a storm water capture system (Resilience team’s current project)  as I literally took multiple showers going to and from class these past few days. As an optimistic, enthusiastic, and dedicated member of SAR’s Resilience team, I feel obligated to irrationally interpret this past storm system as a sign; we are going to do big, relevant, and capturing things this quarter.

We had our second meeting this past Tuesday at what is almost certain to become the usual meeting location – Ackerman Union second level food court (next to Panda Express). At our meeting we further discussed and established our priorities, delegated research assignments, and shared a few moments of awkward silence – but maybe that’s just me. Of our top priorities, it is fair to say the most pressing are communicating with our stakeholder to establish a clear understanding of our respective expectations and what our options currently are; and secondly, preparing for The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) application due on February 10th. The latter will require evaluating prospective sites and picking the best location, among other things. Hopefully the one we choose will inspire a convincing vision for the TFIG committee.

In addition to that, each member has been tasked with researching a particular topic, as a part of our literature review assignment, that will help us better understand the various components involved with developing a storm water capture system and will further cement the importance of this project. I for example, am researching water policy – specifically UCLA’s water plan – and ways in which our project will both promote and practice sustainability.