It's pretty easy being green
Editorial Board
Issue date: 5/29/09 Section: Ed-Op
Summer is a beautiful season, full of sunny days and colorful flowers. Between spending weekends at the beach and weeknights at the park, the season is energetic and fulfilling. Summer is the reason we love the earth. It's also the perfect time to make an effort to be more green.
Because our campus is less populated during the summer, the administration should seriously contemplate taking measures to be more energy efficient. As students, we have first-hand experience as to how inefficient the ventilation systems in school buildings can be. Furthermore, there is no uniformity; the fourth floor of the Main Building could be freezing while the second floor may be sweltering.
Since less classrooms are being used in the summer, the administration should pay closer attention to little things that have big impacts, like turning off lights and air in unused rooms at night and controlling the temperature in classrooms during the day while they're not being used.
It's not just on the administration to take the initiative to be green. As students, we also have to learn how to use natural air from windows as opposed to cranking the air conditioning up.
Another green initiative that should be paid more attention by students this summer is recycling. We now have recycling bins all around campus, but many people do not take advantage of this opportunity, or we still litter. Though there are less of us on campus in the summer, because of the warm weather we are all outside more during the days and nights. This means that there is a bigger chance of using, eating or drinking something outside and tossing it anywhere - make a conscious effort to toss your waste in the right bin.
Summer is also a great time for the administration to persuade the faculty to use less paper. With fewer classes and fewer students in those classes, professors may want to think about testing out electronic versions of assignments through e-mail or Bb Vista. Though many of the older professors are reluctant to do this, testing it out on smaller summer classes can be a great way to make the transition.
Students and faculty will be more likely to implement these changes if the administration leads by example. Our University brings in a lot of money from our tuition; it can certainly afford to spend a little more money to greatly assist our environment.
Because our campus is less populated during the summer, the administration should seriously contemplate taking measures to be more energy efficient. As students, we have first-hand experience as to how inefficient the ventilation systems in school buildings can be. Furthermore, there is no uniformity; the fourth floor of the Main Building could be freezing while the second floor may be sweltering.
Since less classrooms are being used in the summer, the administration should pay closer attention to little things that have big impacts, like turning off lights and air in unused rooms at night and controlling the temperature in classrooms during the day while they're not being used.
It's not just on the administration to take the initiative to be green. As students, we also have to learn how to use natural air from windows as opposed to cranking the air conditioning up.
Another green initiative that should be paid more attention by students this summer is recycling. We now have recycling bins all around campus, but many people do not take advantage of this opportunity, or we still litter. Though there are less of us on campus in the summer, because of the warm weather we are all outside more during the days and nights. This means that there is a bigger chance of using, eating or drinking something outside and tossing it anywhere - make a conscious effort to toss your waste in the right bin.
Summer is also a great time for the administration to persuade the faculty to use less paper. With fewer classes and fewer students in those classes, professors may want to think about testing out electronic versions of assignments through e-mail or Bb Vista. Though many of the older professors are reluctant to do this, testing it out on smaller summer classes can be a great way to make the transition.
Students and faculty will be more likely to implement these changes if the administration leads by example. Our University brings in a lot of money from our tuition; it can certainly afford to spend a little more money to greatly assist our environment.
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