Campus groups celebrate Earth Day every day dayday
By Patrick Flajole
The adage "reduce, reuse, recycle" has been given new meaning as students participate in long-term sustainable projects at Santa Clara.
The choice to live an eco-conscious life is more of a process than a rash decision. It can be difficult to discern which choices are truly sustainable.
On-campus projects like the Sustainable Living Undergraduate Research Project can help. SLURP, which is based on the seventh floor of Swig Hall, is a year-long learning experience focused on making sustainability a lifestyle.
Next Wednesday, the SLURP community will be sharing results from the on-campus sustainability research projects they began in the fall.
SLURPers have finished the first full year of the pilot program with a positive outlook for future opportunities to integrate sustainability into residence hall life.
According to sophomore Rochelle Stowe, the university completely funded the program. "We were given the opportunity to say what we wanted for our projects," she said.
"We had a ton of money, and we didn't even use all of it," said Stowe. SLURP projects explored residence hall waste output, fair trade products on campus and taste tests comparing bottled water to tap water.
Sophomore and program participant Courtney Blann said that dinners made by some of the SLURP upperclassmen provided great opportunities for bonding and forming friendships among the students.
"It's a community that focuses on one special issue and that's sustainability," said Blann. "Our floor's connection is really cool. It's centered around something we're all super interested in."
The project shows potential for incorporating more sustainable practices into all residence halls. SLURP Director John Farnsworth has even been asked to speak at national conferences about the program.
Sustainability Coordinator for the Environmental Studies Institute Lindsey Cromwell helps organize student groups to assist in community projects like the Ulistac Natural Area, an ecological restoration and environmental educational site maintained by volunteer work.
Ulistac is a park located just over four miles from campus on Lick Mill Boulevard. The Ulistac Outreach Center is housed in the Montgomery House, which is also home to Santa Clara's Environmental Studies Institute.
Cromwell insists that these communities help make sustainability "fit into the norm." Certainly, going to Ulistac and doing yard work on the weekends isn't everyone's idea of a good time, but Cromwell insists that the resulting satisfaction of restoring the environment makes it well worth the sweat.
There is a lot going on here to make life a bit greener.
For students like senior Andrew Conner sustainability is becoming more of a lifestyle. Conner has taken it upon himself to reduce his carbon footprint by setting up a compost system with his housemates in his backyard.
"By becoming closer to our waste," said Conner, "we become more conscious of what we consume."
Other students are involved in the Grass Roots Environmental Efforts Now Club, which focuses on sustainability issues on both individual and campus-wide levels.
"Everyone hears about 'green' these days," said G.R.E.E.N. Club member and The Santa Clara photographer Tim Sennott. "But it's about getting the message across that it's not 'out there' someplace. It's right here, with you and me."
G.R.E.E.N. Club meets Mondays at 7:30 p.m. in Kennedy Commons.
Contact Patrick Flajole at (408) 551-1918 or pflajole@scu.edu.