Michigan State's W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Science Coordinator Not Happy About Law Enforcement Conference At Campus - wbckfm.com

I always ask myself if the people who have such disdain for law enforcement and the men and women who work for them would ever call them if they need help. If they did they would certainly be open to criticism of hypocrisy. Now we have some people who appear to be upset and concerned that the Law Enforcement Command and Staff Leadership Conference will be held in the Battle Creek/Kalamazoo area.

Have you ever heard of KBS? KBS is the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station is Michigan State University’s largest off-campus education complex and one of North America’s premier inland field stations. It is located between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, Michigan. We are informed from their website that KBS has “12 faculty members, more than 20 graduate students and research associates, as well as numerous specialists and support staff”.

It appears one of their Science Coordinators, Nameer Rahman Baker, is not happy about this Law Enforcement Conference occurring at KBS. He sent the following email out on January 21, 2022, to all involved with KBS with a subject line “CIC statement on next week's Law Enforcement Conference”. CIC is short for The Culture and Inclusion Committee.

The email is as follows:

Dear KBS community,

As you may have seen in a recent email, KBS will be hosting a “Law Enforcement Command and Staff Leadership Conference” next week. The CIC wanted to share some additional details about this event.

Members of our community have expressed concern with this event on several grounds. Given that our institution is committed to making our community more inclusive for people of color, we find it difficult to reconcile hosting an event for a group with a long history of making certain groups of people feel targeted. Additionally, an unknown portion of attendees will be armed, including attendees who may not be a part of MSU, which is an unnerving situation. We want to make clear that we stand in solidarity with those who feel uncomfortable with this event happening at KBS.

To ensure members of our community feel supported, we want to share more details with you about the event so that anyone who is concerned can take appropriate action:

• Who: Law enforcement officers undertaking a course offered by MSU Criminal Justice. Some will be active police officers, meaning that they will be carrying firearms on KBS grounds. As we understand, this includes both officers affiliated with MSU and non-affiliates.
• When: The conference runs all of next week, from Monday Jan. 24, to the morning of Friday Jan. 28.
• Where: Attendees will have access to the auditorium in the Academic Building, McCrary dining hall, and dormitories/apartments. Given that attendees are lodging at KBS, please expect attendees to be present in other outdoor spaces of KBS property (e.g., lake path).

We want to call on all faculty and supervisors to grant leniency to staff who do not feel comfortable working on KBS sites mentioned above over the next week. We hope the details provided above can help people plan for alternative scenarios, and expect supervisors will recognize that the normal work and living environment may not feel safe for some people. We urge KBS residents who are uncomfortable due to this event to reach out to the CIC and/or your coworkers to help you with anything you may need - we are available.

Please feel welcome to reach out to the CIC with any concerns you may have (co-chairs Nameer Baker…Kyle Jaynes…).

The Culture and Inclusion Committee

I have two simple questions for you Nameer and Kyle.

The first: have you or anyone in your family ever needed help and you called 911 or the police?

The second: will you or anyone in your family ever call 911 or the police if you need law enforcement help in the future?

If you answer yes to either one, are you not concerned that they will be armed and make you feel targeted?

Wait, one last question Nameer and Kyle, if you answered yes would you consider yourself a hypocrite?

I have emailed Nameer to invite him on my radio show to discuss his position as of publishing this article he has not responded.

LOOK: 20 tips to help your houseplants survive the winter

20 tips to help your houseplants survive the winter

Even if your plants have their own methods of fending for themselves against the harsh elements of winter, a little specialized cold-weather care from you can go a long way. Stacker used a variety of home and gardening resources to compile a list of 20 tips to help you better care for your houseplants in the winter. They vary from techniques to manipulate light and heat, to watering, cleaning, and potting methods that can keep the cold from getting the better of your plants. It should be kept in mind, however, that these tips are largely generalized; the specific needs of plants differ based on their species and origins. It’s always important to research each particular plant type beforehand.

Read on to learn how to best care for your indoor plants through the year’s coldest months.

By: Andrea Vale
From: 20 tips to help your houseplants survive the winter

Wash your windows

Placing your plants in front of a sunny window won’t do much good if the window is too dusty or grimy to let the sun’s nutrients in. Wash your windows on both sides so the maximum amount of sunlight is getting in.

Ease up on fertilizer

Winter is a hibernation period for many plants, and they require a lot less fertilizer than in the spring––and sometimes none at all. Check the specific requirements for each type of plant you have, but mostly, you’ll want to hold off––or at least cut back––on fertilizing plants during the winter since they’re not actively growing.

Don’t water at summer rates

Just like fertilizer, plants need a lot less water in winter. Cut back on the amount you water your plants—to gauge if you’re giving them the right amount, place a finger about an inch or two deep into the soil and see if the soil below the surface is still wet. Even if the topsoil is dry, you won’t need to water the plant again until the soil a little deeper down is also getting there.

Be on the lookout for pests

Certain pests spring to life during the winter, targeting indoor plants in particular. Keep a careful eye on your houseplants to make sure they aren’t infested. If you find bugs like aphids or mites on your plants, isolate infested plants and treat them with pesticide or a gentle dish soap solution.

Wait until spring to repot

As previously mentioned, many plants hibernate during the winter. Since they aren’t undergoing dramatic growth, it’s unnecessary to repot them for a while, especially since the repotting process can be trying on plants and their roots, making it a hard process for them to cope with during their weaker winter months. Hold off on any winter pot switches and save the repotting for the spring.

Avoid cold air sneaking in

Drafts, breezes, and gusts of wind all need to be watched out for in the winter. To keep your plants from falling victim to sudden changes in temperature, position them away from vents, windows, doors, or other spots where air can slip through from outside.

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Make up for lost sunlight

One of the biggest threats to your plants’ well-being during winter is a lack of sunlight. To compensate for this, put your plants in a nice, bright spot to make the most of daylight hours––however short they may be. Rotate your plants throughout the day, too, to guarantee that each side gets its fair share of rays.

Plant owners should keep a close eye on their indoor gardens during the tough winter months. You can do everything by the book, but if you’re not keeping tabs on how your plants are responding, you could miss warning signs that something doesn’t agree with them. Check in with your plants frequently, inspecting them for pests, spots, drying, discoloration, and any other prudent characteristics.

Although you don’t have to repot your plants until spring, it is still good to refresh plants’ soil from time to time during the winter. This includes trimming and rustling up root balls to keep the soil breathing.

There’s power in numbers, and clustering your plants together during the winter can help them share nutrients and moisture. There are many easy DIY fixes to accomplish this, including moving your plants onto a large plate or building them a nice indoor window box to act as a kind of seasonal co-living space for them.

Many household plants accumulate dust during the winter, which can be detrimental to plant growth since that dust can block out sunlight and even carry disease. Periodically clean the leaves of your plants by gently wiping them down with a slightly wet cloth or sponge.

Once you determine which outdoor plants you’ll be bringing indoors for the winter, it’s best to isolate these plants for a short time before making the switch. During this period, check your plants to make sure they aren’t bringing any outside pests in with them, and use the time to prune any superfluous stems and leaves, as well. After that, they will be ready to make the move inside.

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Although misting is a popular technique for giving plants a dose of moisture, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. Mist in the morning so they have time to soak it in throughout the day, while it’s still light out, and be sure not to neglect the bottom of your leaves.

It’s natural to want to protect your plants from excess cold by turning up the thermostat, but too much heat can be just as big a threat to them. As fireplaces, radiators, ovens, and other heating systems blaze up, make sure your plants aren’t in the line of fire.

Between heating systems going on and off throughout the day and degrees dropping dramatically at night, temperatures fluctuate during the winter. Houseplants, however, require a steady atmosphere, so move them away from windows at night and keep them in a well-ventilated area during the day to give them as much consistency as possible.

Use a grow light on dark days

Some winter days are so short and overcast, the sun barely peeks out at all. To make sure your plants still get the light they need, use an LED grow light—or, as a cheaper option, screw a full-spectrum light bulb into a nearby lamp—to illuminate the leaves and keep them healthy.

Many of us travel during the winter holidays, but definitely make sure to not leave your plants out in the cold when you do. Water as normal before leaving, but then consider placing your plants in the bathtub together so they can take advantage of a slightly more humid atmosphere while you’re gone. For longer trips, consider having someone come by and care for the plants in your stead.

Not all outdoor plants will need to be brought inside for winter—some, even surprisingly, may thrive outdoors during the cold months. When deciding which garden plants to move indoors for the winter, check the USDA plant hardiness zone map to see which ones are best left where they are.

Winter is notoriously dry, and your houseplants may suffer from the lack of moisture in the air. To keep things just humid enough, consider buying a humidifier to keep the atmosphere just right.

Many plants can develop dead leaves or long, leggy limbs in the winter because of a lack of sunlight. Trim and prune unnecessary growths like these to keep the plants in top shape for spring.

source: https://wbckfm.com/michigan-states-kellogg-biological-station-science-coordinator-law-enforcement-conference-campus/

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