“The basic difference between being assertive and being aggressive is how our words and behavior affect the rights and well being of others.” ― Sharon Anthony Bower 

 

 

 “If you limit your choice only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise.” ― Robert Fritz 

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the unconventional and unorthodox Paul Conforti)

 

Joe McDaniel from Champaign West announced an area wide Rotary NCAA Tournament challenge. Rotary will use a Yahoo hosted web site, the entry fee will be $10 (you can use BidPal to pay, or pay President Rod next meeting). One half of each entry will be returned to each member’s club and there will be 3 winners receiving 60%, 30% and 10% of the remaining pot based on the final standings.

 

Instructions at: https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/group/29657

 

March 23rd (Thursday) meeting will be a club assembly with a focus on Visioneering and Goals. There will also be a short new member orientation.

 

March 30th (Thursday): CU Sunrise at Krannert Uncorked (5pm) and our regular Thursday morning meeting will not be happening that day. Krannert Uncorked Stage 5 is the crossroads to gather, make connections, and try a new wine. Garrett Ryan and Ryan Byfield will each perform a 55-minute set. Wine samples selected and served by Big Grove Tavern.

 

New Rotarian Orientation: President Rod would like to schedule a formal new member orientation at a date to be named sometime in April.

 

April 26th (Wednesday) will be the all area Rotary meeting. We will not have our Thursday meeting that week.

 

 

PROGRAM

 

Keith introduced Ann-Perry Witmer from the University of Illinois Department of Engineering

 

Ann holds a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Illinois. Ann also holds degrees in journalism and art history magna cum laude from Boston University. Currently Ann is pursuing a graduate degree in engineering investigating the relationship between technical design and non-engineering considerations like politics, culture and economics.

 

Her presentation focused on the Honduras Water Project, an engineering course providing students the opportunity to see how learning can have real life applications. The two-semester long course includes a 10-day research trip to Cerro Verde, Honduras. Students were grouped into 4 teams– social, political, water, and structures – and carried out various tasks during the trip to collect needed information for the water distribution system, and to conduct health education workshops in the community.

 

This project teaches engineers to recognize the needs of people they are serving into the projects they are designing; called Client-Centered Engineering:

-Focus on client needs, not on personal expertise

-Determine client expectations of what the project will mean to them

-Propose engineering solutions interactively with the population

-Consider the non-technical and cultural influences of the population being served.

 

There is an upcoming course that builds on the Honduras Water Project by researching the impact that engineering design has on communities. Ann would like to see it continue to grow on an understanding that any discipline involved in international development can benefit both the engineer and the population served. Interdisciplinary approaches to international development needs to be more widespread. And it will only make engineers stronger.

 

Honduras Water Project: http://publish.illinois.edu/iaslibrary/tag/ann-perry-witmer/

 

Ann-Perry Witmer

University of Illinois College of Engineering

217-244-7805

awitmer@illinois.edu

 

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  Mar 16th Mar 23rd Mar 30th Apr 6th
Introductions Laura Auteberry Oktay Baran Michelle Barbey Keith Brandau
Invocation BJ Lytle Ben Mast John McDaniel Phyllis Mischo
Greeters Laura Auteberry Oktay Baran Michelle Barbey Keith Brandau
Larry Johnson Andrew Kerins Bob La Charite Barb Lintner
Song Leader Keith Brandau Reuben Chambers Paul Conforti Diana Dummitt
Notetaker Perry Penwell Hodson Lintner

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

March 16th – John McDaniel, CUSR Rotarian, will discuss a major fundraising idea for the club (Laura)

March 23rd – Club Assembly (Mary)

March 30th – No am meeting; CUSR Social at 5:30pm at Krannert Uncorked

April 6th – Lex Tate, adjunct lecturer in journalism and advertising at UIUC, will discuss her book An Illini Place—Building the University of Illinois Campus (Phyllis)

April 13th – TBD

April 20th – TBD (Tom)

April 27th – TBD (Bob)

May 4th – Speaker from the Trinity Horsemanship Foundation (Ata)

May 11th – TBD (Mary)

May 18th – TBD (Phyllis)

May 25th – TBD

June 1st – TBD (Mary)

June 8th – TBD (Bob)

June 15th – TBD (Laura)

June 22nd – TBD (Tom)