“CRASH COURSE” EXPLORES SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS DISCIPLINES

Debera Johnson

Debera Johnson, academic director of sustainability, lectured at Sustainability Crash Course, a highlight of Pratt’s 2011 Green Week observance. The intensive daylong series of 20 sessions on Saturday, March 26, on the Brooklyn campus immersed faculty, students, and community members in learning about sustainable design and meeting the people who have pioneered new thinking and practices. Sponsored by Pratt’s Center for Sustainable Design Studies and Research, the workshop offered a host of experts from Pratt’s sustainable design faculty and elsewhere, all sharing their knowledge in person. The crash course considered how sustainable practices affect design, business, science, and the arts, and concluded with an after-party hosted by Pratt’s Design Incubator for Sustainable/Social Innovation.

Photo: Kate Unver

INTERNATIONAL FOOD FAIR OFFERS WORLD OF TREATS

Alumna Bojana Ilievski (B. Arch. ’01) slicing up Serbian pumpkin strudelWith festively colored balloons and buffet tables laden with exotic choices, Pratt’s International Food Fair 2011 was held on March 26 in the ARC building on the Brooklyn campus for the 38th year in a row. More than 300 members of the Pratt community shared in the cultural traditions of Pratt’s international student population by sampling the culinary efforts of student volunteers who prepared their national dishes. The cuisines of 16 countries were represented, including Brazil, China, Colombia, Hungary, Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, and Serbia.

Contributing to the festive atmosphere were performances by the Latin band, Andreas, and a Middle Eastern dancer. There were also poetry recitations in German, Mandarin, and Spanish by children from Pratt’s America Reads/Counts program.

Photo: Douglas Marks