News > May 1, 2008

By Haowei Tong | Staff writer

Last week marked Wake Forest’s first “Sustainability Week.” It was a series of events organized to highlight the need for environmental consciousness on campus.

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Members of the class Social Values, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship coordinated the university’s first Sustainability Week April 21-25. A special sustainability display helped to promote the event in the Pit. (Andrea Kensy/Old Gold & Black)

Distribution of painted recycling bins, re-usable water bottles and biodegradable take-out containers were just a few examples of last week’s efforts.

Coordinators were students currently enrolled in Social Values, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship, a class taught by Dilip Kondepudi, Thurman D. Kitchin Professor of Chemistry, and Herman Rapaport, Reynolds Professor of English.

Volunteer art majors painted the university’s standard blue recycling bins with eco-friendly paints.

Students also had the option to paint their own on April 22, Earth Day, or April 23.

Thirty-two ounce water bottles featuring a “Drink Sustainably” logo were on sale on Manchester Plaza. All proceeds benefited Campus Kitchen.

On April 21, Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines presented a proclamation in the Fresh Food Company.

Jim Alty, assistant vice president for facilities management was the master of ceremonies.

Executive Chef Anthony Jones presented a special menu at the Pit on April 22. An ARAMARK nutritionist, Kate Ruley, held informational sessions on sustainable diets on April 23 and 24.

Additionally, computers were set up for students to fill out surveys about the importance of sustainability. Students could also have filled out pledge cards, promising to make small lifestyle adjustments to better the environment.

Facilities Management also participated in the sustainability week. Gas-powered golf carts are used around campus now; electric ones were put on display. Environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies were showcased as well.

For students looking to live “sustainably” beyond last week, there are several outlets on campus in addition to hundreds of big and small lifestyle changes.

SEAC, Student Environmental Action Coalition, is a growing group on campus. In the fall, it sent several students to Power Shift, the nation’s first youth climate summit. More recently, SEAC hosted Vivian Fulk, a speaker trained to give Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” presentation.

SEAC also sponsored the Progressive Job Forum, spotlighting representatives from environmental non-profit organizations. This past weekend, SEAC sent volunteers to the Piedmont Environmental Alliance (PEA) Earth Day Fair in Winston-Salem.

SEAC maintains a blog with five contributors and meets weekly in Campus Grounds.

WFU Biofuels is another quickly expanding group. This student initiative seeks to construct a biodiesel reactor facility on the Reynolda Campus.

The group has met extensively this year and has already worked with numerous university biology and chemistry professors in King. Grease from ARAMARK facilities, the annual Forsyth County fair and local restaurants can be converted to satisfy the demand for fuel on campus.

A group of students, faculty and staff began meeting at the beginning of the school year in order to discuss campus sustainability.

This group has played an active role in the Master Planning Sessions, coordinating with the administration, students, facilities management and other groups.

The group’s primary focuses include: LEED certified buildings, pedestrian-friendly roads and other environmentally sound practices in further campus construction.

Other goals involve recycling facilities at BB&T stadium, the hiring of a campus sustainability coordinator and participation in the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, of which signatories include presidents of Duke University, Davidson College and UNC-Chapel Hill.

In addition to participating in one of these groups, students can join or contact Student Government’s Executive Committee on Sustainability and Energy.

Students can also opt to take a number of classes to learn more about sustainability.

The department of philosophy offers Environmental Ethics, while the department of biology offers Community Ecology. Chemistry, physics, anthropology and economics provide other courses that may shed light on the reasons for and path to a sustainable campus or lifestyle.

“I think the efforts to make Wake Forest a more sustainable campus have gotten better, but they could definitely go a lot further,” freshman Kristen Livengood said.

“The recent addition of the biodegradable boxes is a great idea. Changing from Styrofoam may not seem like a big deal, but you’d be surprised at how much these boxes that go out daily add up.”

“Although I think we’ve got a ways to go, I think Wake Forest is on the right track.”

Livengood’s sentiments are shared by many.

“Being a top-ranked school in academics and athletics, it is embarrassing to have received a ‘D’ sustainability grade. We shouldn't be having a sustainability week at the Pit, we need to be sustainable throughout the year,” sophomore Saket Munshaw, Student Government treasurer, said.

Wake Forest’s Habitat for Humanity group contributed to a Green Build this year.

Forsyth County’s first Green Build house was built over the course of the school year and includes a wealth of innovative, sustainable elements.

“We were incredibly excited to be involved in this project that both furthered Habitat’s mission and was a positive step toward lowering our impact on the environment,” senior Nick Embrey said.