 "Photo: KC Tuchol for The Hilltop")
Three MHC students in a new sustainability class are pushing to raise awareness on campus of energy use and environmental issues. Having fun is one way they are encouraging student involvement.
This fall was the first semester of the new sustainability class taught by Paul Smith. Two of his students, Ashley Alfis and Stacy Christ, along with senior Amy Miller who is auditing his class, decided to place a larger emphasis on recycling and going green.
This November was designated Green Month and involved several activities around campus.
The largest project in November was a campout on the Quad organized by Miller and Christ. The campout was supervised by Dan Morris of the Outdoor Center. Tents were pitched and a bonfire was tended throughout the night, keeping campers warm, although temperatures that evening dipped below freezing.
“It was a really fun learning experience,” said Miller. “I think we had about 30 people there at one point. Thirteen actually spent the night.”
The 13 overnighters slept in one of four tents provided by the Outdoor Center. Also provided were sleeping bags, ground mats and the traditional s’mores.
Around the campfire, students shared stories and bonded with marshmallows, cuddled for warmth and played tag. But a message about environmentalism came with the activities.
Christ and Miller spoke briefly, letting everyone in attendance know why they were hosting the campout. For every person who participated, Miller and Christ said less electricity was being used in dorms.
Late in November, Smith’s class decorated a tree on the Quad with plastic bottles, milk jugs and bags of recyclables. The purpose, said Alfis, was to get people to notice the amount of recycling that can be done and to read the signs that were attached to the bags. The signs stated facts about recycling and suggestions on keeping the campus clean and eco-friendly.
The sustainability class drew dozens of chalk signs on Quad walkways, informing readers of statistics and facts regarding recycling, energy use and the reusability of materials.
At the Lunsford Festival in October, students of the class tended a booth, giving out information about the class, environmental safety and recycling, similar to a booth at the Homecoming game. Students also participated in 350.org, a project advocating less carbon emissions.
“A healthy, or sustainable amount of carbon in the atmosphere is 350 parts per million,” Smith said in class, “and right now we’re up to 387 parts per million. We need to lower it.”
Participants showed their support by making 350 visible in the community; they wore clothes announcing 350, made billboards and took photographs for an international demonstration of support.
A goal of the sustainability class is for Mars Hill to become more active in recycling. Coca-Cola has been asked for 60 more recycling bins to place around campus, making recycling easy and more available for students.
“We have a few already on campus, but nobody knows where they are. It’s not enough,” said Christ.
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