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Identifier
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Release_1973-1974_1973-258
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Title
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News Release (December 12, 1973) Faculty Member Ted Gerstl Conducting Research Project With 22 Students, Asking Volunteering Olympia Families to Live For One Month With Severe Energy Restrictions
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Date
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12 December 1973
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extracted text
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EWS
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, Washington
for immediate release
98505
for further information
Judy Annis, 866-6128
December 12, 1973
How can American families
effectively
deal with
the energy
adjustments to their life styles will they have to make?
crisis?
What
How can they more efficiently
use the limited resources they have?
Some answers to these kinds of questions may soon be available thanks to a
research project being undertaken by a faculty member and 22 undergraduate students at
The Evergreen State College
in cooperation with Olympia-area families willing to
volunteer as control groups in the study.
Families who participate will be asked to
live for one month within some severe energy restrictions.
Each of the families who volunteer for the project will agree to consume not more
than 10 gallons of gasoline for a week.
They will cut their use of water and electri-
city in half; they will keep their thermostats set at 60 degrees,
and they will live within
sharply reduced food and entertainment budgets.
The results of their sacrifices "may help all of us deal more effectively with
the adjustments we may eventually have to make," according to Evergreen Faculty Member
Ted Gerstl, an applied behaviorial scientist with a Ph.D. in organizational behavior
from Cleveland's Case Western Reserse University, who is coordinating the study.
"It's becoming increasingly obvious that we will all be facing changes in our
life styles because of the shortage of energy sources," Gerstl says.
"We want to study
how families make adjustments to these shortages now, before the crisis deepens any
further. "
Gerstl's students, all members of an Evergreen Coordinated Studies program
called the Individual in Contemporary Society, originated the idea for the study before
the Middle East war so dramatically affected the fuel shortage.
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I
2.
"They're extremely concerned
about the shortages we face," he says.
"They
realize it will greatly alter our standards of living and are anxious to gauge the effect
these alterations will have on an average family."
Students have already prepared an in-depth study on the effects the energy
crisis may have on families based on reactions of families to similar shortages during
the depression and World War II.
They have gathered detailed documentation on the energy
crisis itself and have spent most of Fall Quarter preparing for work with the volunteer
test families, who will be the first in the nation to participate in such a study.
"Substantial alOOunts of research have already been done on the quantity of natural
resources still available for consumption," Gerstl points out.
"In addition, there is
a wealth of statistics available which estimate when existing supplies may be exhausted.
"But," he adds, "there has been surprizingly little research into the effects
these shortages will have on the American family and on our culture as a whole.
In fact,
this is the first study in the country which attempts to measure the effects of
drastic energy restrictions on average families."
Twenty-five families are being sought to volunteer for the program.
be available between the first of February and the first of April.
They must
All families will
reside in single family dwellings and will have one to fou4 children.
,
The first month of the study, students will interview family members weekly,
so that students "can become aware of what the family's usual interactions are," Gerstl
says.
At the same time families will keep a log of their electrical, water and gasoline
useage, and will write daily journals.
Then, about the first of March, the real test begins.
Families will be asked to cut their use of electricity and water by 50 per cent
based on their consumption rate for February and March of 1972.
They will be informed
of the consumption rate of specific appl~ances and will be responsible for
their use of water and electricity accordingly.
-more-
rationing
1
3.
They will be asked to use less than ten gallons of gasoline a week and to live
within a sharply cut food and entertainment budget.
mnth,
In addition, several times during the
families will be telephoned about an "air pollution alert," which will require
that they stay in the house as much as possible because of a dangerously high ozone count
which limits outdoor activity.
Families will also be required to keep their heat at
60 degrees the entire time.
"We realize participants will experience some discomfort," Gerstl says, "but
we strongly feel that the experiences which each family endures will have far reaching
and beneficial implications for the greater population."
Each family will enter the experiment voluntarily, he points out, and each will
have a clear understanding of the conditions under which its members will be
required to live.
"We're certain these conditions will not endanger the health or well being of any
individual involved, and we guarantee all participants
immediate release from the
experiment if an emergency situation arises," he adds.
All participants will remain
anonymous unless they request otherwise.
Throughout the two-month period, students will conduct weekly interviews with
family members as individuals and as part of a group, and they will test and retest
the participants.
Spring Quarter, Gerstl's students, all of whom are studying social sciences, will
compile and compare the data they have gathered and present their findings to both the
Evergreen community and the community at large.
In the meantime, they're keeping busy recruiting participants; gaining interviewing, observation and testing skills; detailing specific plans; and recruiting sponsors
for the program.
Persons interested in volunteering as participants or as sponsors of the
volunteer study can contact Gerstl at 866-6638 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays or
at 866-0784 evenings.
-30-
NEWS
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, Washington
98505
for immediate release
Kathleen Hoey, a Gig Harbor student at The Evergreen State College~ is among 22
undergraduates helping conduct a unique pilot program to test haw
American families
will deal with the energy crisis. Ms. Hoey, daughter of Mrs. Richard Hoey, Route
4,
and a graduate of Peninsula High School, is studying psychology under the guidance of
Evergreen Faculty Member Ted Gerstl (please see attached).
Dick
Nichols.
Infor mation
Director
Services
NEWS
The Evergreen
Olympia. Washington
State College
98505
for immediate release
Catherine Nielsen, a Etiday Harbor student at The Evergreen State College, is
among 22 undergraduates helping conduct a unique pilot program to test how American
families will deal with the energy crisis.
High School
Ms. Nielsen, a graduate of rriday Harbor
and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Einar Neilsen, is studying psychology and
sociology under the guidance of Evergreen Faculty Member Ted Gerstl (please see
attached) .
Dick
Nichols,
Information
Director
Services
1
NEWS
l
te
for immediate
98505
release
22 undergraduates
student
at The Evergreen
who are participating
will adjust
(of 815 North Pearl)
sociology
Olympia. Washington
r aJ
A Centralia
families
The Evergreen State College
to the energy
crisis.
under the guidance
to test how American
l{easter, Chehal:i-s. He is studying
of Evergreen
Nichols.
Information
is among
A graduate of Toledo High School, White
(please see attached).
Dick
Ernest L. Whlte,
in a unique pilot program
is the son of Virginia
and psychology
State College1
Director
Services
Faculty Member
philosophy,
Ted Gerstl
NEWS
for immediate
will adjust
Gerstl
student
at The Evergreen
participating
student
State College,
in a unique pilot program
to the energy crisis.
social science
Olympia. Washington
98505
/
t=;
j
C'
release
A Bellevue
undergraduates
The Evergreen State College
studying
A graduate
of Evergreen
(please see attached).
Nichols.
Infor mation
is among 22
to test how American
of New Port High School,
under the guidance
Dick
Craig Conner,
Director
Services
Faculty
families
Conner is a
Member
Ted
br
NEWS
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, Washington
98505
for immediate release
Two Edmonds High School graduates are among 22 undergraduates at The Evergreen
State College who are participating in a unique pilot program to test how
American families will adjust to the energy crisis.
Inyolved are DaraBray
McKamey, both currently residents of Everett (Please see attached~\
Dick
Nichols,
Information
Director
Services
and Linda
NEWS
for immediate
American
Olympia. Washington
High School graduate,
J. Cole, is among 22 students
Kenneth
State College who are participatingn
families will deal with the energy crisis.
Cole (29 S.W. l30th Place),
Faculty Member
98505
release
An Evergreen
The Evergreen
The Evergreen State College
Ted Gerstl
Cole is studying
a unique pilot program
under the guidance
Nichols.
Information
to test how
The son of Mr. and Mrs, Loyal
(please see attached).
Dick
from
Director
Services
of Evergreen
NEWS
for
The Evergreen
Olympia. Washington
State
College
98505
immediate release
Two Bremerton students at The Evergreen State College are among 22 students
participating in a unique pilot program to test how American families will deal with the
energy crisis.
Krista E. Dietz, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Robert J. Dietz, 2021
East 16th St., and Janet Ann Bernholt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Bernhoft,
2425 Rocky Pt. Rd., are studying under the guidance of Evergreen Faculty Member Ted
Gerstl (please see attached).
Dick
Nichols.
Infor mation
Director
Services
NEWS
The Evergreen State College
Olympia. Washington
98505
for immediate release
Three Seattle students at The Evergreen State College are participating in a
unique pilot program to test how American families will deal witQ the energy cr~s~s~
Sandy Arcorace, a graduate of Franklin High School, KennetQ James, of
Burien's Evergreen High School, and Terri Ferris, of Shoreline High School, are among
22 social science students conducting the study under the.gut.dance of Faculty Me:mber
Ted Gerstl (please see attached).
Dick
Nichols.
Information
Director
Services
rl
NEWS
The Evergreen State College
Olympia. Washington
98505
,.':~j
for immediate release
Dorothy Jaskar, an Aberdeen student at The Evergreen State College~ is among 22
undergraduates helping conduct a unique pilot program to test how American families will
deal with the energy crisis.
Mrs. Jaskar, wife of Dr. R. O. Jaskar of TacQma~ is a
graduate of Aberdeen's Weatherwax High School and is studying psychology and counseling
at Evergreen under the guidance of Faculty Member Ted Gerstl (please see attachedj ,
Dick
Nichols.
Information
Director
Services
NEWS
The Evergreen
Olympia, Washington
State College
98505
for immediate release
Dorothy Jaskar, a Tacoma student at The Evergreen State College, is among 22
undergraduates helping conduct a unique pilot program to test how American families
will deal with the energy crisis.
Mrs. Jaskar, wife of Dr. R. O. Jaskar, 236
Lake Louise Drive, and an Evergreen transfer student from Fort Steilacoom Community
College, is studying psychology and counseling under the guidance of Faculty Member
Ted Gerstl (see attached, please).
Dick
Nichols,
Information
Director
Services
J
