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University
Leases Buildings, Expands Presence in Vedic
City
Students in the Department of Management and
Public Affairs are now attending classes in the
new Vedic City two miles north of Fairfield, as
the University finalizes plans to lease two
buildings on the development known as Mandala
Two for use as classrooms, offices, and an
executive conference center.
The two buildings, which were originally
developed by University Vice Presidents Bob and
Maureen Wynne, were purchased this summer from
USA Global Link by Fairfield businesswoman and
University supporter Pam Powers and her husband
Dr. Greg Karnaze. The purchase was made with the
intent to aid the University in its desire to
have more of its activities take place in
buildings constructed according to principles of
Maharishi Sthapatya Veda design.
The Mansion, an elegant 19-room hotel with
swimming pool, will be used by the University as
an executive conference center. An adjacent
8,000-square-foot building, formerly known as
One Global Center, will be used to house the
offices and classrooms of the Department of
Management and Public Affairs.
In addition to these facilities, a new
building for the College of Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care is currently under construction on
Mandala Two in Vedic City and is expected to be
ready by spring. The University owns 58 acres in
Mandala Two, land that will eventually be used
for additional expansion.
"We're thrilled about this opportunity," said
professor Bill Graff, who is teaching this month
in the new location. "Already the students have
said that they have noticed a difference in
their alertness and sense of well-being."
University faculty and departments are
currently structuring weekend and week-long
seminars and conferences which will be offered
at The Mansion in the coming year. The topics
will range from management skills to Internet
business to Maharishi Vedic Science. If a
seminar has more participants than can be
accommodated by the 19 rooms in The Mansion,
they will be able to stay at The Raj or the
Rukmapura Park Hotel.
"We're excited about this new opportunity to
offer our knowledge to the meditating community
in the U.S. and to the public," said Dennis
Heaton, chair of the Department of Management
and Public Affairs. "We're planning some
state-of-the-art seminars that will be very
useful to professionals." Management faculty are
currently helping to develop materials that will
be used to promote the seminars.
The Mansion is also being used on an ad hoc
basis by the University for meetings, classes,
and faculty housing.
"I'm delighted that this is working out and
that I'm able to help the University establish a
greater presence in Vedic City in order to
further enjoy the extraordinary benefits of life
lived in accord with Natural Law--thanks to the
principles of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda design,"
Ms. Powers said.
Headlines
Permaculture
Students Return from Orcas Island
Inspired
Permaculture club members Liddy Arens, Jana
ffitch, and Charlie Knoles have returned from a
three-week, intensive course in permaculture
held on Orcas Island this past summer and are
highly inspired and eager to share what they've
learned with the entire University and Fairfield
communities.
The three students received University credit
to learn both theoretical and practical
knowledge from leading permaculture expert Doug
Bullock, who has run a permaculture farm on
Orcas Island for the past 20 years.
"Doug Bullock is a fountain of amazing
knowledge on permaculture," Mr. Knoles said. "I
literally followed him around everywhere he went
with a notebook and pen so that I could catch
everything he said."
Locally Mr. Knoles noted that the Sustainable
Agriculture program here on campus is booming.
"More and more students are interested in taking
classes, and some exciting possibilities for
Rotating University courses are on the
horizon--including studying in Costa Rica and
Brazil."
In the meantime Mr. Knoles is looking forward
to sharing his growing knowledge about
permaculture as a teaching assistant for the new
Permaculture Design course coming up in block 2
(see story on page 5).
Also Mr. Knoles will be offering his
knowledge through the Permaculture Club which
meets twice a week--Sunday evenings in the
Dreier Building and Monday nights in the Student
Union Theater. Both meeting times are 8:00 p.m.,
and all in the community who are interested are
encouraged to come.
In addition, an informative weekly e-mail
newsletter is available to anyone interested in
keeping updated on all of the club's activities.
It includes a substantial knowledge component
and is available by sending an e-mail to
<listserv@ramsbottoms.com>.
Write "subscribe permaclub-announce Firstname
Lastname" in the message (substituting your name
for "Firstname Lastname"). Leave the Subject
line blank.
Headlines
Dr. Sam James, Students
Return from Philippine Jungles,
Mountains
BY ALESIA LLOYD
Sam James, biology faculty and world expert
on worm taxonomy, returned this past summer from
a six-month trip covering 22 different locales
in the Philippines with a mission to discover as
many unique species of earthworms, snails, and
leeches native to the region as possible.
The trip, which was funded by a grant from
the National Science Foundation, came about
after Dr. James paid a visit to the Philippines
two years ago to help address the growing
problem of earthworms ravaging vital rice
terraces. After discovering that the Philippines
had a vast population of as yet unidentified
earthworms, Dr. James applied for a NSF grant to
conduct a biodiversity survey.
Students Take Part
Joining Dr. James early in his trip was
faculty member Ken Daley, who took extensive
digital video footage documenting the study.
University students Jana ffitch and Matt Levi
also spent some time in the field with Dr. James
helping to collect samples.
"We spent most of our time camping and hiking
through the mountains and jungles of the
Philippine Islands where we were able to collect
and bring home some 100 species of worms which
are completely new to science," Dr. James
said.
Biology student Matt Levi spent three months
earning University credit by assisting Dr. James
in his study and emerged with some interesting
stories to tell.
On one occasion Dr. James was unable to
accompany him on an assignment which involved a
four-day camping trip into the jungle to collect
worms. Mr. Levi then ventured out alone,
accompanied only by his guides, who were
terrified of a relatively harmless dwarfed
species of water buffalo. "The guides would walk
through the jungle hollering and making as much
noise as possible to scare off these creatures,
and upon coming into too close a proximity to
them, the guides would get so scared that they
would run up these low lying palm trees which
were too small to support them." Mr. Levi
said.
Avoiding Traps in the
Jungles
At one point on that trip Mr. Levi was
walking along the trails and was stopped dead in
his tracks by the guides, who pointed out some
etchings on a tree.
"We were surrounded by these markings which
would tell of traps along the trails that the
local tribe had set to catch wild boars," Mr.
Levi said. "The markings on the trees would
indicate how many traps were set and what kind
they were. The guides then said it was okay to
proceed and had me lead the way. I had to look
out for several kinds of traps including ones
that would launch spears through the air, ones
that would trigger something to fall from above,
or ones that would push me off a cliff."
Mr. Levi added, "That particular trip was the
climax of my experience in the the Philippines.
I really felt the responsibility and success of
going out on my own and being in charge of a
national study."
More Opportunities for
Students
Dr. James predicts that there will be another
opportunity for a student to travel and study in
the jungles with him. "With about 60 percent of
the field work finished, I anticipate another
trip to the Philippines, possibly next
March."
At this point Dr. James is sorting through
all the specimens he brought home and is eager
to offer University credit to any students
interested in helping him with data processing,
including creating a database of photos for use
on a web site.
Headlines
Nine New Members
Named to Board of Trustees
In recent months eight additional members
have joined the University's Board of Trustees,
bringing the total to 28.
According to University Executive
Vice-President Craig Pearson, the new trustees
are all very successful in their careers and are
also dynamic leaders of Maharishi's
programs.
The University began increasing the number of
trustees at the recommendation of the North
Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Mr.
Pearson said that the number of trustees is now
more in line with the boards of other
universities, and he looks forward to their
lending powerful support to the University's
growth.
The new trustees include:
• His Excellency Dr. Girish Varma,
Honorary Trustee--Minister of Higher Education
of the Global Country of World Peace
• H.E. Dr. John Hagelin--Minister of
Science and Technology of the Global Country of
World Peace and Director of the University's
Institute for Science, Technology and Public
Policy.
• Mr. Marsh Belden--Trust Manager, McBel
Trust, Canton, Ohio
• Mr. Bob Daniels--founder and CEO of
Copperfield Chimney Supply, Fairfield
• H.E. Dr. Michael Dillbeck--Minister of
Primary and Secondary Education of the Global
Country of World Peace and International
Vice-President, Maharishi University of
Management
• Dr. Susan Dillbeck--International
Vice-President, Maharishi University of
Management
• Mr. Charles Lieb--money manager and
president, family charitable foundation, Boone,
North Carolina
• H.E. Dr. Steve Rubin--Minister of
Energy and Natural Resources of the Global
Country of World Peace and Chairman, United
Fuels International
Headlines
Completion of
New Computer Science Building Targeted for Next
Month
University officials anticipate that the
McLaughlin Computer Science Center may be
finished as early as October, and completion of
two other buildings is targeted for spring.
As of the beginning of September the interior
of the McLaughlin Center was virtually complete.
Carpeting was expected to be installed soon, and
the heating/air conditioning systems were
connected.
The cupola was expected to be built as soon
as the weather cooled. As of early this month
the arrival of the special Vedic ornamental
columns was imminent. After the columns are put
on, they will be painted, the sidewalks will be
poured, and the yard will be seeded.
Maharishi Veda Bhavan, which will house the
College of Maharishi Vedic Science, and the
College of Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care building are
both expected to be completed by spring. In both
structures all the rough electrical and plumbing
work was finished as of early September. The
external siding had been put on, and the
heating/air conditioning and sheet rock were
being installed.
The new east side of the Maharishi Patanjali
Golden Dome of Pure Knowledge was finished in
early summer. The west half of the Dome will
also be completely remodeled, with the work
beginning as soon as the remaining funds are
raised (about $100,000).
"Every step of progress brings a new feeling
to the campus," said University Executive
Vice-President Craig Pearson. "We are eager to
continue the transformation until it is
complete, until every structure on campus is
built in accord with Natural Law."
Reconstruction of the campus also entails
removing older structures that are in disrepair
and that are not in accord with Natural Law.
Barhydt Chapel was razed earlier this month. The
organ was carefully disassembled and placed in
storage, and the stained-glass windows were
removed and stored.
Razing of Dorm 121 C was expected to begin in
mid-month.
Headlines
Vedic City
Officially Incorporates
Representatives of Iowa's first new city in
19 years handed over the official documents
necessary to complete the incorporation to the
Iowa Secretary of State on July 25 at the State
Capitol.
Located two miles north of Fairfield, Vedic
City is Iowa's first new city since 1982 and the
950th city in the state.
Dedicated to creating maximum health and
well-being for its citizens and visitors, Vedic
City is the first city in the modern world to be
based entirely on the ancient principles of
Maharishi Sthapatya-Veda design and other
aspects of Maharishi Vedic Science.
Vedic City currently has over 40 buildings,
all built according to these Vedic principles,
including The Raj, a nationally known health spa
and clinic, three resort hotels, condominiums,
chalets, villas, and homes. More than $30
million has already been spent on
development.
Vedic City plans to expand amenities for
citizens and tourists by building Veda Vision,
an indoor family theme park with high-tech
illusions created by the late master magician
Doug Henning. Another attraction will be a
Maharishi Vedic ObservatoryTM, a full-scale
outdoor astronomical observatory based upon
principles of ancient observatories found around
the world.
Plans also include a golf academy and an
organic, environmentally friendly 9-hole
learning course with Vedic themes, and walking
trails and botanical gardens featuring a wide
variety of herbs and plants native to Iowa.
Headlines
Trip to Wisconsin to
Offer Excitement for Kayakers, Bikers
BY SRIPRIYAA CHANDRASEKHAR
Students will have the opportunity to head to
the Wolf River in northern Wisconsin for
white-water kayaking and mountain biking during
the long weekend at the end of block 1.
Ken Daley, head of the Department of Exercise
and Sport Sciences, says the spot chosen for
these activities is one of the best locations in
the country. The group will leave on Thursday,
September 27, at 12:15 p.m. and return on
Sunday, September 30.
The location is filled with breathtaking
landscape, mountains, swinging bridges, and
more. Accommodations will be cabins dating back
to the 1920s.
Those interested in enjoying a fun-filled and
adventurous trip can sign up at the front desk
in the Recreation Center. Or contact Mr. Daley
at ext.1163.
The cost for the trip is $46, which will
cover most of the expenses, including food,
accommodation, travel, and equipment.
Headlines
General Singh
Speaks on Defense
Major General Kulwant Singh, a top-ranking
army general who helped lead the fight against
terrorism in India for nearly three decades,
spoke to a standing-room-only crowd on campus
earlier this month. Using dramatic examples from
his experience and speaking five days before the
terrorist attack on the U.S., he explained why
terrorism is the chief threat to world peace and
why Maharishi Vedic technologies are the only
answer.
As Defense Minister for the Global Country of
World Peace, His Excellency General Singh is
encouraging President Bush and other world
leaders to immediately deploy Vedic technologies
of defense--a scientifically proven approach
that defuses regional and ideological tensions
and prevents conflict.
He said that research confirms that the
outbreak of war begins with rising tensions
among rival factions and that conventional means
of defense do nothing to address the underlying
cause of war: mounting tensions in critical
hotspots throughout the world.
Headlines
New
Permaculture Course
to Teach Planting in Harmony with Nature
Growing plants, whether at home or in the
field, can be done in a manner that's in harmony
with the natural world--the topic of a course in
Permaculture Design to be offered in block 2,
October 1 to 25. The course is open to all
students and to the whole community.
According to course instructor Steve
McLaskey, permaculture involves creating
ecosystems that are as diverse, stable, and
resilient as natural ecosystems. Land is used in
ways that mesh with nature's rhythms and
patterns. Instead of poisoning the environment
or depleting the topsoil, permaculture, being
more natural, doesn't cause damage. Over a long
period of time the result is greater stability
of the cultivated system and more abundance in
society.
Dr. McLaskey, who has a Ph.D. in agriculture
and is director of the program in sustainable
agriculture, will not only offer lectures but
will also lead field trips and conduct hands-on
learning. The course will also include
discussion, observation, videos, slide shows,
and handouts.
The course will cover principles and
methodologies of sustainable design; how to read
the landscape; strategies and tools for urban
and rural homesteads, gardens, food forests and
orchards; natural building; and alternative
energy techniques.
Students in the class will gain both
practical skills and theoretical knowledge so
that they will know how to design and implement
sustainable systems. They will then be ready to
apply these methods and skills in their homes
and their local communities.
Maharishi University of Management students
may take this course by registering for BIO 341
in block 2. There are no prerequisites. Those
who are not students can register for the course
through Continuing Education by calling
472-1135. For more information about the course,
contact Dr. McLaskey at 472-6823.
Headlines
Award-Winning Celtic
Folk-Rock Group Returns to Campus
Lenahan, which was recently honored by
becoming the first Celtic folk-rock band to
perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington,
D.C., will appear in concert in the Student
Union Theater on Sunday, September 23, at 7:30
p.m.
The group has been described by the
Washington Post as "one of the top Celtic
folk-rock bands in the world," and group leader
Tom Lenahan, a singer, songwriter, guitarist,
and bagpiper, has received five ASCAP Songwriter
Awards.
The group sold out two concerts at the
Kennedy Center and kicked off the Kennedy
Center's prestigious cultural series titled
"Island: Arts from Ireland." Currently they are
on a 21-state tour, which will be followed by a
European tour and the release of a new album at
Christmas.
Based in New York City and in London's Irish
section, the group is well-known in the Irish
music world for their unparalleled musical
style, which combines traditional Celtic musical
themes with original North American rock, blues,
folk, and even reggae influences. Lenahan has
twice been voted Best International Irish Band
in Europe. Their music is featured in the Irish
motion picture Beyond the Pale.
In addition to Tom Lenahan, the group also
features fiddler and guitarist Clarence Ferrari,
bass player Jim Nordstrom, and drummer Ryan
Cavan. Mr. Ferrari, a favorite at previous
performances here, has been called a "fiddling
flame thrower" in New York papers.
Headlines
Eight Vedic Science
Students Honored with Certificates
Eight Maharishi Vedic Science Certificate
students were honored on June 23 in a graduation
ceremony at the Dreier building, marking the end
of their one-year program.
John Revolinski, of the University's Public
Affairs/Admissions offices, delivered the
commencement address, and Ruthann Bollinger,
co-director of Personnel, gave the charge to the
graduates. Paula West, faculty member and
director of the Certificate program, was Master
of Ceremonies.
Jan Ramberg, Ginette Herron, and Oliver
Ferré, faculty for the Certificate
program, and Robert and Ruthann Bollinger,
directors of Personnel, performed the
traditional candle-lighting and cake-cutting
ceremony.
"Teaching courses in the Certificate program
provided an incredible opportunity for gaining a
deeper understanding and experience of
Atma--pure consciousness--and how it
sequentially creates the whole universe from
within itself," Mr. Ferré said. "The
purity and intense focus of these devoted
students, who wanted to absorb the knowledge
with all their hearts, created a wonderful
learning environment in which to enjoy
Maharishi's Vedic wisdom."
The structure of the Certificate program
offers a balanced routine of study and work.
Students are in class weekday mornings and work
for the University in the afternoons and on
Saturday. Although the main academic focus of
the program is learning Sanskrit and reading the
Vedic Literature, students also take courses
such as Maharishi Vedic Science, Veda in Human
Physiology, and the Bhagavad-Gita.
"These dedicated students, who have come from
all parts of the world, have not only gained
something very precious for themselves in terms
of Maharishi's knowledge, but have contributed
substantially to the smooth functioning of the
University on a daily basis," Ms. West said. "On
behalf of both the administrative and academic
areas of the University, I congratulate you on
your achievement, and thank you for everything
you have done for the University."
Claude Viau, longtime Governor from Quebec
and a graduate of the program, says of his
experience, "This beautiful course, placed in
our regular daily routine, is a great
opportunity to progress quickly on the path to
enlightenment. We have the experience of Atma in
our Transcendental Meditation® and
TM-Sidhi® programs, intellectual
understanding in our classroom, plus Maharishi's
technique for enlivening Atma in activity
through reading the Vedic Literature. All this,
plus getting to know about other cultures by
studying with people from so many different
countries, makes this course very rich and fun
at the same time."
This program is open to Sidhas and Governors
from around the world who are in excellent
standing with their local Center for the
Transcendental Meditation Program and national
leader.
Headlines
Students Offer
Yogic Flying Demo in Iowa City
BY SRIPRIYAA CHANDRASEKHAR
In August University students offered their
first Yogic Flying demonstration of the year to
a group of about 100 persons at a gathering of
Indo-Americans in Iowa City.
The demonstration was arranged by management
professor Jane Schmidt-Wilk with the help of
staff members P.G. and Savita Joshi. It was
offered as part of the annual celebration of
Lord Ganesh by those of Indian descent who have
settled in Iowa City. The hosts were Drs. Milind
and Guri Deshpande, who work for the University
of Iowa.
According to Dr. Joshi, Hindu families across
the globe follow the tradition of organizing
three to eleven days of grand celebration of the
birth of Lord Ganesh. During such celebrations a
variety of programs are arranged, such as folk
dances, Gandharva Veda music, discussions of
Vedic Literature, and competitions.
The hosts said that the students' Yogic
Flying program fit very well. Students Keith and
Shankari Wegman gave a presentation on the
significance of Yogic Flying, and students Matt
Ticciati and Henning Hansen, as well as
Maharishi School Registrar Rod Falk, presented
the demonstration. According to Dr. Joshi, the
audience was amazed and silent, even the young
children. He said that those gathered were
keenly interested in the experience of pure
consciousness and have expressed their intention
to visit the University.
After a question-and-answer period, the
program ended with a sumptuous dinner.
Headlines
®Transcendental Meditation, TM-Sidhi,
Maharishi Sthapatya Veda, Maharishi Gandharva
Veda, Maharishi Ayur-Veda, Maharishi Vedic
Science, Veda Vision, Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care,
Maharishi Vedic Observatory, Maharishi Vedic,
College of Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care, College of
Maharishi Vedic Science, Global Country of World
Peace, and Maharishi University of Management
are registered or common law trademarks licensed
to Maharishi Vedic Education Development
Corporation and used under sublicense.
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