The Trail

Issue date: 2/16/07 Section: News

Students for a Sustainable Campus set out tables in the SUB to inform classmates about the environment

For the first time in campus history, UPS is hosting the weeklong EcoFest. EcoFest 2007 is the brainchild of the brand-new Students for a Sustainable Campus, a group founded by sophomores Erick Peirson, Kirsten Duncan, Jenny Metcalf, Maggie Milligan, Emma Montgomery and Sara DiTullio. The six all lived in Harrington Hall last year and found that they shared the same passion for helping the environment.

Co-presidents Peirson and Duncan knew of the Sustainability Advisory Committee, a committee of students, faculty and administration, but felt that there was too big of a disconnect between it and students.

"We thought about how we could build community on campus that can advance the diallogue about sustainability," Peirson said. "People on campus are socially and environmentally receptive. We felt that ideas weren't getting translated into action."

Treasurer and co-secretary Metcalf agreed.

"We were looking at something for students to be able to voice what they wanted," Metcalf said.

After the group formed and decided on their vision, they broke up into three different focus groups: the Dining and Conference group, which works directly with Dining and Conference Services to collaborate on ways to make the SUB more sustainable; the Green Energy group, which works on finding ways to promote and change the campus towards using green energy; and the EcoFest task force, a group that is committed to putting on this year's EcoFest 2007.

SSC originally thought of EcoFest after looking at the EcoOlympics, which is held at Duke University and UC Davis every year.

The EcoOlympics is based on different residence halls on campus competing for who could be the most sustainable in terms of electricity and water use, as well as recycling and campus cleanup. While SSC found the idea inspiring, they ultimately decided that this year's focus for their EcoFest should be about education.

Junior diversity theme peer minister Sarah Moody was also excited to get involved with the project. She spoke with Peirson and Joe La Sac, fellow peer minister of theological inquiry.
"We realized that the connection between faith and the environment is strong," Moody said. "We want everyone to see how their actions affect the world."

Continued...

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