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Zymergist Collective -Amendments and additions to charter. The past Zymergist Collective neglected several essential features to the brewing experience. First, their language seemed to dodge the fact that they were brewing beer, making it seem somehow illegitimate (they seemed at pains to make it sound legitimate). Secondly and consequently they failed to address which part of the community would be interested and how to connect them into the larger interests of Hampshire College as a whole. The collective will be restructuring it's approach towards brewing beer at Hampshire College with these considerations in mind. Our objectives, which are really additions to the former charter, falls under four categories, they are: 1) The acquisition of equipment necessary for brewing. -Including finding the right place on campus to store and brew. Also, we are interested in seeing if certain ingredients can be grown through the Farm Center. 2) Invitation and encouragement of participation, whether it be solely informative, in the brewing process. -While everyone may not feel morally connected to alcohol, we believe that ignorance in morally charged debates (alcohol policy/legislation has moral underpinning) lead to dangerous ideologies. In other words, whether or not beer is considered morally dubious, people should know what it is that they are "fighting" against (breweries for mass consumption have particular promotional techniques which are not reflective of the basic brewing process, which can be done with a few friends). -About a quarter of Hampshire students are legally of age. All of the faculty and staff are well above the drinking age. We do not presume that everyone will be interested in brewing and enjoying beer. However, we do not have to pretend that alcohol does not promote social interaction. If the school has any real interest in promoting a socially healthy citizen, it should promote opportunities where students can interact with the faculty and staff who play very important roles in the students life. Rather than hide what is obvious, the older members of the Hampshire community could set examples of how to drink responsibly; that is enjoyably. -Prohibition of substances has a long and interesting history. The governments regulations of what we can and cannot consume is a matter of serious consideration. Obviously, understanding the history of state instituted drugs is of both historical and immediate consequence. As students, we must consider seriously the place of alcoholic consumption. -We wish to maximize the enjoyment of beer by being a part of the brewing whole (not just blind consumers). 3) The informed brewer/consumer will need resources such as recipes, books on the history of brewing, the history of repression (patriarchal law), guides to breweries, etc. -The collective will help make these resources available for the community. 4) Establish a programming structure that will make it desirable to participate. -With solid participation, we can expect solid beer. If the system works well, students, faculty and staff will want to make use of our equipment and programming. We will charge a fee for new equipment when needed and additional equipment when desired. Proceeds will also help pay for books and resources. The Original Charter amended: The Hampshire Zymergist group is founded on the presumption of both responsibility and reasonability of it's members. We are interesting in learning about the four or five thousand year old tradition of brewing. The group will teach elements of chemistry and basic cooking skills. Literature will be accumulated and disseminated to those parties interested. Activities will include discussion, historical debate, brewing, basics in making fermenters and other equipment. We will offer lessons for interested students, faculty and staff. Lectures on fermentation and brewing science will be offered depending on the interests of the group. We hope to invite local micro-brewer to discuss management of small scale operations. Micro-brewers are popping up at an amazing rate. We hope to promote understanding and respect for a process that is in many cases integral to social gathering; creation and enjoyment of that created. Brewing is a simple and pricey process. For each attempt, there is a twenty to forty dollar expense. This does not include research and permanent equipment. Member of the group may have several of the necessary materials. The group wishes to provide equipment which will collectively be owned by Hampshire College. Money requested falls into the categories of food, non-permanent equipment, books and duplications. The purpose of providing food, books and duplications should be self-explanatory. Non-permanent equipment falls under two main categories: bottling and brewing. We hope to use recycled bottles, though will need to purchase caps and capping devices. The group will be govern by consensus. We will have a facilitator for each meeting who will be responsible for scheduling, postering and making purchases when necessary. Membership will be divided into two categories. Those who are twenty one and those under. Although membership will be open to the community at large, those under age will be barred from consuming the product. The group assumes full responsibility for keeping track of the age of members and checking identification. As a new group, and members new to the process of organizing through the Hampshire system, this semesters has largely been a trial of just getting to know the formalities. We held 5 meetings, for which we spent $40 dollars on food. Through this, we have discovered a larger body of students interested in the zymergist activities. Brian, Koji and several members have been pursuing these activities for years (with families, etc.). We wish to share the insights and enjoyment we have gotten out of brewing to a larger audience. List of current members: Nat Hill, Alisa Kitamura, Sachi Decou, Brian Lamoreaux, Koji Kamada, Eve Press, Justin Lowe, Sarah Smart, Spephanie Dalton, Jill Peterson, Diana Warring, Kyle Bloomstien, Beth Furguson, Molly Fulilove, Adam Thurell, Phil Wisor, Sean Green, Gareth Edel, Sebation Quinn, Sam Morris, Debbi Shoval, Sky Cooper, Peter Lull, Morrine Bayer, Scott Fitzmorris, Liz Otte, Debbie Stein, Allison Brown, Zack Turner, Jake Carr |