LASA welcomed the 2018-2019 class with a four-day intensive in August. Throughout the year, we will post student reflections and reports on our journey together.
On Wednesday morning, we introduced ourselves, mapped LA, and caused an earthquake. Robert de Groot, from USGS, revealed a deep history of Southern California and shared his day-to-day work – explaining the magnitude of earthquakes using spaghetti and plate movement with Oreos. Noah observed that Bob’s job “intrigued” him and he noted that listening made him consider how Bob’s work “benefits other people and larger communities. I think that seismology is awesome, and I need to learn more about it.”
In the afternoon, we welcomed Jeff Kightlinger, the General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District (MWD). Amelia found Jeff’s discussion of the “politics of working with water” the highlight of the week; it “was impressive when I found out that the MWD provides water to 19 million people. From him, I feel that I gained a greater understanding of the way that Los Angeles interacts with water and how crucial it truly is to our city.” Kate added, “What I was most struck by. . .was simply the scope of water in Los Angeles. For a city that is considered not to have much water, I didn’t understand the complexity, progressiveness, and impact that water had on every aspect of life. Specifically, I loved learning about the political aspect of water and its ties to environmentalism. As environmentalism is a path I would like to follow, I enjoyed talking with professionals who had influential positions in their field, and who had successfully found careers in an area that I would like to pursue.”
Equipped with the foundational information Jeff shared on MWD the afternoon before, we set off on our first site visit Thursday morning. We jumped on our bus to drive to La Verne and MWD’s Weymouth Water Treatment Plant and Water Quality Lab. Thanks to Rupam Soni, Steve Shriver, Jacob, and Jinxu for providing us with information on their work and tours of their space. We learned about the use of ozone to treat water and gazed down at the complexity of the plant from the roof. Barker shared that visiting the plant “was an eye-opening experience that unlocked and exhibited a piece of the complex behind-the-scenes operation going on in Los Angeles County.” For Mason, the trip “showcased practical applications of science in everyday work. It was especially surprising to see the amount of work that goes into testing water samples and how. . . sophisticated California’s water systems are.”
After we returned to The Huntington and ate lunch, Jim Folsom, the Director of the Botanical Gardens at The Huntington Library shared his the story of how he ended up working at on the grounds and his day-to-day challenges with wells on the property. “He was so passionate it was contagious and I learned a lot about environmental trends and what acre feet were,” Noah reflected.
Friday morning, we got wet – but not as wet as in years previous. LASA met with several Rangers including Ranger James Latham from the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) on the banks of the LA River and jumped in kayaks to experience the river close up. “I appreciated the approach of viewing the LA River as not an untouchable landmark that didn’t really affect us, but as a place of use and a center for life. In other words, I enjoyed experiencing the river in a less technical and more active way,” Riley shared. Jessica added, “Before this day, I was completely unaware that a city, notorious for its traffic jams and tourist flooded streets, had a river that is home to a living, unique ecosystem.”
“Seeing that the LA river is more than simply a concrete fixture demonstrated the importance of preserving its surrounding habitat and wildlife,” Anusha reflected.
After kayaking, we enjoyed lunch at a local park and listened to Marissa Christiansen, the Executive Director at Friends of the Los Angeles River (FOLAR). She spoke about the on-going efforts of many in Los Angeles to consider the role of the river in LA’s future. Riley particularly enjoyed “hearing her story about how she wanted to change the world for the better, and how she could do it. I also appreciated her emphasis on the importance of hearing everyone’s side of a story.”
Having moved from studies on groundwater, to water treatment and quality plants, to well water, to the LA River, we closed these few days on our study of water Friday afternoon and turned towards food insecurity in our city.
On Saturday, we worked a shift at the Los Angeles Food Bank alongside volunteers from across the county. Their brief introductory video was eye-opening. “I always knew hunger was a big problem in Los Angeles,” Catherine reflected, “but before we volunteered at the food bank, I never knew how much of an impact it has on families, seniors, and children who are food-insecure.” Daniela “really liked how everyone from LASA worked together to pack so many meals.” Katy shared that it “warmed my heart when I found out how many meals we had made, and I am eager to do it again someday.” Lily (and others) concluded volunteering at the food bank “inspired me to try and volunteer at the food bank more often.”
As we wrapped up the summer session, Danny summed up LASA’s first few days together: “Having experienced this week I realize, even more than before, that there is a lot more than meets the eye and I feel more able to tackle problems within our community.” We look forward to September and to thinking about the various roles of business in LA.
