SAGE » AboutSAGE is a product of IPER 200: Going Green: Research, Writing and Reporting to the Public. The course, which is given twice a year, draws enthusiastic graduate students (and gifted undergraduates) from the natural sciences, journalism, social studies, engineering and more. Students dive into the course by learning classical journalism techniques, focusing on the "advice column" genre made famous by Dear Abby and Ask Amy. Classes early in the quarter cover subjects such as audience identification, voice, interviewing, humor and writing for clarity. Special attention is given to differentiating the roles of reporter and columnist from those of scientist and observer.
Each student is matched with three questions on environmental and sustainability issues submitted by members of the Stanford community. They range from the existential ("Are we doomed?") to the lifestyle-based ("What is the biggest barrier to reducing our use of disposable plastics?") to the specific ("How much energy do a typical laptop and desktop use in standby mode?"). Course instructor Thomas Hayden considers the learning stage, writing skills and personal interests of each student before assigning him or her questions to answer. Hayden, a longtime science journalist, puts on his "editor-in-chief" hat as his students research, draft and revise their columns. Each month, STANFORD magazine publishes a selection of these columns on its website.
SAGE is a joint project of the School of Earth Sciences, the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in the Environment and Resources (E-IPER) and the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University.
