Go Green Task Force hosted a documentary filming of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a film based on an 85-year old master sushi chef named Jiro Ono along with a panel discussion.
Some of Dr. Gaik’s students in his linguistics course presented research regarding the increasing demand of the endangered species, pacific blue fin tuna.
Brandon Childers, business administration major, stated, “I was never one for the environment or sustainable anything [because] I didn’t care. The movie is great. If a movie like this can crack a nut like me and make me think in a green fashion I think it can work for anybody.”
He also expressed that this is the second time coming to this event. He adds, “We have the tools to fix the problems like these today but we just don’t apply our resources properly”
Go Green Task Force also gave away a long, environmentally friendly capsule with 2 pens, 2 pencils and a pencil sharpener that are made from recycled materials as students asked questions and gave comments during the panel discussion on Thursday, April 21.
Dr. Gaik, hosted the event with more than 60 students in attendance.
He stated, “You can watch [the film] for many different reasons. I think the students love this idea of ‘follow your passion, build your skills, be excellent every day, and don’t worry about the money.
”It costs $300 to have a sushi lunch. [Jiro] only has to serve 8 people a day. When President Obama went to Japan, he went there because it is the greatest sushi in the world.”
He adds, “What intrigued me was how many students were intrigued by that little moment where you saw the giant surf-board sized tuna when he was a kid and then they are immediately suit case-sized and students start saying ‘Wow, are we over-fishing, killing the tuna?’”
During an individual presentation of Dr. Gaik’s linguistics students, each student presented some research and they stressed that no animal should become extinct at the hand of human involvement.
For example, one if the slides presented to the audience stated that “According to a recent study, only about 40,000 adult pacific blue-fin tuna remain [in the ocean]” due to increased hunting.
Immer Martinez, Go Green Task Force Club Commissioner states, “Go Green Task Force is a Committee of students that comes together for a common cause to help the environment and raise awareness to other students that don’t know and also those who don’t know how.”
One of topics discussed during the panel was related to the fishermen that follow the rules and those that do not.
The blue-fin tuna is endangered, not by the fishermen who follow the rules, but rather by those who hunt for them regardless because of higher monetary profits.
