Visiting the Kern Center and Kern Cafe with Alison

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[background music]-This morning, I was really craving.a pastry from the Kern Cafe,so I decided to head outof my own campus housing,otherwise called Mods,and go see what they had in store.Usually, in the mornings,everything's fresh-baked,and nice and warm,just out of the oven.It's so delicious.I really find myself cherishingthe time that I get to spendon morning walkson Hampshire's campus in the fall.10All the seasons here are beautiful,but the fall is especially beautiful11because of the colors, and the leavesand the way that fall in New England12is just a uniquelybeautiful time of year.13Although it's only a short walkto get to the Kern Cafe14in the morning for meto get a cup of coffee,15there are lots of other trailsand walking paths on campus16that are just as colorfuland beautiful as this one,17and I'll take much longer walkson those from time to time.18We have arrived.19The Kern Building where the Kern Cafeis located is a beautiful example20of the pursuit for sustainabilityin the environment.21The College decided to pursuethe Living Building Challenge,22and create a stringent SustainableDesign Certificate.23To date, the LBC, or the LivingBuilding Challenge requires buildings24to meet a hundred percentof their energy needs25with onsite renewable energy,and to provide a hundred percent26of water demand usingonsite rainwater collection27and process their own wastewaterand stormwater onsite.28By adopting the Living BuildingChallenge the project team adopted29a strong set of shared valuesand goals for the building,30which were augmented by the GreaterHampshire Community.31As a student in Hampshire,I really appreciate the commitment32that Hampshire Collegehas to sustainability33and the environment.34Besides composting, the Kern Cafehas other really unique features35for Hampshire.36We don't have gendered bathroomsthroughout the College's campus,37and on top of that,38the Kern Cafe is oneof the sites on campus39that has begun featuring compostabletoilets, which is a really unique40and interesting endeavor that allowsfor us to recycle, reuse,41and reduce water consumptionon campus by cleaning42through the water that we do use,43and by eliminating the waterthat we need for the restrooms.44Did you know that Hampshire Collegewas also the first residential45US college to power its campus100% on solar electricity acquired46by solar panels we haveon and off-campus?47I think that's pretty cool.48As a student who cares deeplyabout the environmental crisis49that we currently face worldwide,50it really means a lot to me to knowthat when I'm powering my laptop,51when charging it,or when I'm using electricity52in the housing that we have,I'm not contributing to problems53with electricity overconsumptionworldwide54by using electricityfrom a power plant,55and rather I'm usingsolar-powered electricity56that the College is providing.57In the Kern Cafe today,there's a string of notes posted up58under the staircase that studentshave written to each other59to motivate and encourage each otherduring the trying times of COVID.60I really appreciate this kindof sentiment,61and it's somethingthat I have noticed across campus62all my years at Hampshire.63Students really want to supporteach other, and give each other64some positivity throughout the day,even if they've never met before.65Often you'll see noteslike this written around campus66as a motivation and a toolfor supporting each other.67It may be really odd,but I find a lot of peace68just in the natural tones69of the materials usedin the Kern to build it.70It's part of why I like coming here.71Well, I guess, that,and the delicious food.72Every once in a while, like today,there will be an exhibit display73of student artwork74that you can check outwhen you go to the Kern.75I really like lookingat other people's artwork76and thinkingabout the different concepts77that are being presentedlike the Illusion of Away.78What does that mean?I wonder.79On the way back from the Kern, I sawthat there was this cool slackline,80so I tried it out.81I'm not very good at it.82That's something else that I findreally unique about Hampshire's83campus atmosphere.84Students are really creative,and every day's85almost like a new adventurebecause of the amount of artwork86that suddenly appears, and the waythat people create entertainment87for themselves and find waysto display their unique projects.88I never know quite with certainthings what's going on,89but I'm assuming that this pieceor installation I guess,90that was outsideof somebody's Mod,91is actually partof a DIV III Project.92As quickly as that,I'm right back to the Mod93where I live with some of my friendsin beautiful Enfield.94[music]