After much debate behind the creation of the campus’ Sustainability Center, the University’s first ASUO Student Sustainability Coordinator started work Monday.
The ASUO hired Louisa de Heer to become the coordinator prior to winter break. Already, de Heer is teaming with ASUO Environmental Advocate Nathan Howard to plan a tabling event for all sustainability groups in the University Sustainability Coalition.
“We’re kind of just getting the ball rolling, but there’s been a lot of momentum already,” de Heer said.
de Heer said the fair and the event of opening the Sustainability Center will be her first big events as coordinator, though she said EMU facilities holds control about when the coalition will be able to use the center.
“I think [the event] will bring attention to the fact that the University is taking sustainability and integrating a lot of the efforts of student groups seriously,” she said.
de Heer said her motivation in working with this position is to create a genuine, lasting impact for University students.
“What they’re getting out of their classrooms is the most up-to-date science that we have,” de Heer said. “And bringing that into our daily lives and how we vote with our wallet every day when we make decisions, those are things we’re learning together. We know the general place that our society needs to get to.”
Howard said he thinks several hundred students will attend the fair, with sustainability groups tabling on each side of the EMU Concourse.
“The whole concept of having a coalition, center and coordinator is that all those people who have passion for those issues can center their efforts and speak with one voice,” Howard said. “To have that, there has to be a lot of participation in the individual student groups, and so this fair is going to try to bring in members previously unengaged in the student groups.”
Howard said the coalition reserved the concourse for Feb. 23, where the 15 campus sustainability groups will be holding tables and informing uninvolved students about the various options and the coalition’s goals for the term.
Primarily, each individual group will be focused on the tabling for their group, and the planning will be done by Howard, de Heer and Campus Recycling Education Coordinator Cimmeron Gillespie.
Gillespie said this tabling event should inspire a collaborative effort for sustainability groups on campus.
“If one group was tabling or having events by themselves, it only goes so far, but when you start talking about 10 to 15 groups, it takes on its own feel,” Gillespie said. “I don’t have an exact vision for how the sustainability coordinator will work in the future, but I have really high hopes for the position.”
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ASUO set to open Sustainability Center
Daily Emerald
January 3, 2011
Ivar Vong
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