Day 4

Today started off with a bang. Around 5:30 in the morning, a bird started squawking near our window. This is a perfect way to start your day in Costa Rica. At 7:00, we were on our way to eat breakfast at the cafeteria at Earth University. Once again rice and beans were on the menu, along with some really good homemade yogurt.  After breakfast, we got on the bus to go see were the bananas are planted at the university. It was extremely hot but worth it because of the information we learned. If you buy your bananas at Whole Foods, you are eating Earth University bananas. Next, we went see were the bananas get prepared to be packaged. This to me has been the most interesting part of the trip. The way the bananas were transferred on the "banana bus" to the way the ladies put the stickers on the bananas fascinated me. After we were through with the bananas, we went to see how the students of Earth planted some of there fruits and vegetables and how they make manure into methane gas. Let's just say it was a smelly situation. We went eat lunch at the cafeteria and then hung out by the pool for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we are starting our journey back to San Jose were we will have AC again. I am really glad we were able to come to Earth University because I believe they are doing really good work here and maybe one day make a difference in the world. 

I will now answer the question that the Nichols professor came up with!!! Thank you Nichols!!

As a student or employee  are there any principles or concepts that you take with you from EARTH to benefit your organization or other businesses in the U.S.?  Discuss and give examples.

As a student, I think the biggest thing I could take away from this place is the concept of sustainability. As students, we are the next generation that will have an impact on this earth. Some of the ideas I've learned here like the methane gas and some of the fertilizer tricks may save this planet one day. Costa Rica,I believe, is on the right track when it comes to being carbon neutral and Earth University might be able to take Costa Rica's ideas and spread them across the world. 

As a business leader, some of the ideas taught here are cheaper ways of doing business. Any way to save a dollar in this economy can really help a business survive. Also, I believe universities in America can learn a lot from Earth. Earth University is really a hands on college. They learn by doing. I know we need to test and have ACT scores but doing a little hands on work can only help a student succeed in his or hers given major. I really like Earth Universities academic model and I believe the States could learn a lot from it.