By Stephanie Brewster

From the slopes of Discovery to the powder at Big Sky, the winter sports season is coming to an end, but it’s not too late to catch the last few days of snow. Tech students, locals, and tourists alike still have the chance to come together on the slopes before Discovery shuts its doors for the season on April 10th. With an annual snowfall of 215 inches and 67 trails to choose from, there are a wide variety of adventures to embark on whether you’re a beginner, expert, or somewhere in between.

​By Stephanie Brewster

​Before the sun has begun to kiss Our Lady of the Rockies on the horizon, and the eggs, hashbrowns, and sausage are fried on the griddle at the SUB, the “men behind the brooms” are there- preparing Prospector and Centennial Residence Halls for the day. Some of us Tech students can’t even bring ourselves to wriggle out of bed early enough to catch them in action. While we are cocooned in our covers, Dan, Billy, Jeremy, and Penn beat the sunrise and are hard at work.

Dan Lowney, an employee with Montana Tech for 10 years in March, can be found meticulously looking after students early in the morning. His work is so detailed and careful that I once found him removing a house plant from the girl’s bathroom sink in Centennial in order to clean under it and gently place it back again. In response to this, he said that he didn’t want to harm it with cleaning supplies- he likes Venus Fly Traps too much. He also offered the advice of sunlight, water, and a little bit of love to help our Resicence Hall plant grow.

In order to help students grow and thrive, Dan offered up this advice: “Go to class. Just show up everytime. You can do it.”

He related many of the students he sees to a close friend of his. Once a high school dropout, he went back for his college degree and found success- the first step was simply showing up.

 “Attendence is everything”, he said.

Dan’s passion for students is evident on campus. It can be seen in the clear sidewalks on fridged winter mornings, the refreshingly clean bathrooms, and the way trash disappear from the halls before we notice its presence. When asked what motivates him to take such diligent care of students, Dan responded that we are the catalysts.

“You guys are great to work with, ” Dan smiled.

Dan has witnessed years of freshman come into the resident halls and move on to graduation. They’re left wondering, “Where has the time gone?” in the conglomeration of late nights studying, early mornings working, and weekends socked in with social activities. He observes it all and says that it is this process, seeing lost students discover their way, that motivates him.
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This is the same heart behind each “man behind the broom” you see in the dorms. These men are so much more than the preventers of “First World Probs”, such as running out of toilet paper in the bathroom- they are the epitome of the saying, “Not all superheroes wear capes.” If you’re quick enough to catch them, you might see them in the halls on an early morning. Take the time to shake their hand- it could be your chance to meet a superhero. So, if you are looking for someone to be thankful for this season, look no further than outside your resident hall door. They are there- vaccuming, cleaning, and caring about students.
 
 
 
 
 

By Molly O'Neill

​            If you observe around you, you may see someone buying organic produce, organic skincare, or drinking organic raw Kombucha. It may appear that an organic lifestyle is more sought out than in years past. Individuals are altering their lifestyles with a health conscious approach then they have, while some are discovering food intolerances and noticing hypersensitivities to certain foods. Other reasons one might buy organic products are reasons such as; environmental protection, fear about food safety, and chemical exposure such as pesticide residue.
            While some of us choose to eat organic because of dietary issues or personal choices. Those same individuals need we to be mindful of how that food is labeled, especially when it comes to the organic label. According to an article published in JSTOR, Organic: What’s in a Name, there are “no consistent requirements for organic labeling and no guarantee that foods labeled as organic are grown and processed in a purely organic fashion.”
            Organic is defined as foods that are grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals or pesticides. The question raised is with will new technology like genetic engineering play a significant role in organic production and should that product should be considered natural or synthetic.
            USDA’s (United States Department of Agriculture) rules and regulations for labeling a product organic is the production excludes genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, and sewage sludge. There is also a list of “allowed substances” and it must be inspected by a USDA National Organic Program-authorized certifying agent, following all USDA organic regulations.
            Biologist Martha Apple, a biology professor at Montana Tech is more inclined to buy organic products,
            “I lean towards organically grown clothing fibers when affordable. For example, conventional cotton is grown with a very high pesticide load.”
            When asked the pertinence of consuming organic food, Apple stated she was in favor,
“Consider the importance of soil health and the value of mycorrhizal fungi.”
            As college students, our budget is tight and we can’t always afford a five dollar difference on what appears to be the same product.
            Brea Walker, a junior nursing student, stated, “I’ll buy organic food if they are the same price as non-organic, but if they aren’t I won’t because I don’t think it will benefit me that much.”
Should we be choosing organic food over non-organic foods and how might these chemical-laden foods be detrimental to our health?
            “The organic food industry is where soil and plant scientists can use their collective knowledge to create versatile and sustainable ways of producing food. Of course, the crop plants are autotrophs so they will grow themselves to some extent without any help from humans,” concluded Apple.
            Can any product be labeled organic without it being certified? If you make a product and want to claim that it or its ingredients are organic, your final product “probably” needs to be certified, according to USDA.  If you are not certified, you must not make any organic claim on the principal display panel or use the USDA organic seal anywhere on the package. Some operations are exempt if they are organic farmers who sell $5,000 or less. You may only, on the information panel, identify the certified organic ingredients as organic and the percentage of organic ingredients.
 
            When labels state “made with organic [specified ingredients of food groups]” 30% may be any nonorganic agricultural ingredient and product produced without excluded method. Sewage sludge, or irradiation” according to USDA. What might also be included in that 30% are nonorganic agricultural products that are produced using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides not on the National List. Thus, resulting in a misconception of organic foods aren’t always 100% organic.
            Read food labels and go out and be a skeptic in this world.