Hi Prof. Bertus,

We are writing a news story in the Vanguard about your fund raising efforts for Charity Water, as well as the water-bottle chandelier project. We are running the story on Thursday of this week, so it would be great if you could respond as soon as possible to the following questions:

1. Why did you choose to support the Charity Water organization?

The question is how graphic designers can work towards a sustainable future. Because designers still depend on clients who pay money, graphic design is usually directly connected with the corporate world, pushing more and more products to 10% of the world who already have everything we could possibly want, ignoring the 90% who don't have clean water, housing, education, transport etc. What we're doing in the beginning design class is looking at a socially conscious design practice. Charity water has a nice answer to our question on their site, "When we started charity; water, the first thing we did was build a well, and take a picture of it. Then we told the story of the lives changed in that community to everyone back home. We've been doing that ever since. We want to show the immense need for clean water, and how that looks, really, not through statistics, but by looking at individual lives it affects. We've found this is our most powerful tool." I think graphic designers can articulate projects, visualize ideas & solutions, present opportunities, connect possibilities, open source networks online, fundraising campaigns. We can tell & show the stories of peoples lives better than anybody else.

So we'll look at charitywater.org as an example of how design can work towards a sustainable world, there are many other examples but this is just the pick of the month for kicks. Charity water has a great use of design for their campaign, they tell the stories very well, give 100% of the money to building wells, and they show that fundraising is possible.

2. Are the cups/mugs for sale made in your class or purchased/donated from a local vendor?

It's not official yet, but the students a're talking with food for thought in the smith basement to see if they will be a venue for the class to present the campaign. We want to make it a fundraiser, it seems such a good opportunity to not only look at the project but support the goal of clean and safe drinking water too. We need more wells.

3. What do you and your class hope to accomplish from this project?

We want everybody to donate some money to charitywater.org to build wells. Really. Check them out online, there are so many stories. There is so much need.

4. How does this project fit into the curriculum for your course?

PSU has sustainability as one of it's core values, I think the design curriculum should take the opportunity to step up to the plate, there are so many amazing projects out there that can use our help. We're designing a postcard campaign, both real world and digital, to ask people to consider a donation to charitywater.org for xmas.

5. Why are you creating a water bottle chandelier for President Wim Wiewel?

We're also designing chandeliers for the provost or presidents office, or the design office, we want to see if the university can make a donation in exchange for the chandeliers. I'm a Dutchy, like the new President Wim Wiewel. I'm new too, maybe we can talk about making it a Dutch thing we do here at PSU., wouldn't it be a great thing to celebrate our new jobs and build a well together? We could document it, post it online in the open source network of architects for humanity, let the marketing people play with it, it could be a good thing for PSU. To support sustainability is to make it a part of your world, it starts with how we design our own office spaces, it's the be the change you want to create attitude we need.

6. What do you and your class hope to accomplish by creating such a piece?

I want my design students to see that there is an alternative to a corporate design job. Part of this class touches on creative thinking.

7. What personal event (if any) inspired you to support this cause?

Dr. Aimée and Mark H. Bessire started a foundation an NGO engaged in providing humanitarian assistance and educational opportunities in remote areas of Africa. They are currently doing a project in Ntulya, in the Sukuma region of northwestern Tanzania, four hours west of the Serengeti National Reserve. They drilled a well for clean water, and are building a primary school with 15 classrooms, teacher housing, a kitchen, and a medical dispensary. I have collaborated with both for some years on design projects, they just started their foundation out of nothing and i admire them for it. They are online at www.africaschoolhouse.org.

8. Do you, as a professor, have a history of activism in your classes as projects?

Yes, I do. To believe in grass roots is to believe in humanity. People have a voice and a lot of us have incredible stories to tell.

Lindsay, if you want to come to class to make a pic of us that would be great, even though our classroom looks horrible. we can't show you the chandelier designs yet, they are still being developed and presented. Maybe in your next issue. Maybe Wim Wiemel can show them to you -

Luke