EUGENE, Ore. – (April 21, 2015) – How do we promote sustainable practices in an era of digital technologies? How do we remain mindful of the material, social, and personal resources at stake in an era of unlimited and unprecedented connectivity?

Undergraduate Studies invites the campus community to explore the answers to these questions and to go analog during Earth Week (April 20–24) with an initiative called Analog U.

“At the heart of this initiative is an exploration of ‘mindful tech,’” said Lisa Freinkel, vice provost for Undergraduate Studies. “Our extraordinary 24/7 world of social media and wireless access is full of wonder, but it can also be exhausting. How do we slow down and take time for ourselves, for each other, for our natural environment?”

To help answer these questions, everyone is invited a public event:
Wednesday, April 22: Analog U, Collier House Lawn, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Analog U is a day without devices. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to take the pledge to disconnect on Earth Day, April 22. In collaboration with the Student Sustainability Coalition, volunteers will offer programming throughout the day on Collier House Lawn.

“Join us under the tents on Earth Day,” said Freinkel. “We’ll be celebrating our tech holiday with fun, analog activities designed to help us disconnect to reconnect—to be mindful of our connections to the earth, ourselves, and each other.”

Participants can practice yoga, create art, play interactive games, and take a guided tour of our campus forest, all while setting aside their devices.

Learn more about Analog U activities, take the pledge to go device-free, and come to the Collier House Lawn on Earth Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m