Both Sustainable Synergy and NYWEA have begun to host an event called Sustainable Fridays. Members of both organizations are welcome to participate in a weekly small scale activity geared towards making Clarkson University a more eco friendly campus, while building environmental awareness of real issues to Clarkson's student body. The reasoning behind this was that by doing a small eco-minded activity each week with volunteers, the clubs could create a noticeable, immediate impact on campus and avoid the negative effects that come with focusing solely on large scale projects. Students have the chance to interact with projects on the ground, brainstorm new ways to make campus a more eco-friendly place, and see their ideas put into action.
The idea was pitched in the spring semester by the current president of Sustainable Synergy, Mike Howard and was well received by both organizations. Currently, the event has mostly focused on collecting litter along Clarkson's Munter trails, a system of trails that runs along the Raquette river. The turnout has been good with members from each club attending. The trails are noticeably cleaner, and the students find the work very rewarding.
While the past projects have focused on litter cleanup, the program is still young and new ideas are emerging. Potential plans for this semester have consisted of anything from hanging up the student made posters created for the Potsdam Climate March last Spring, to affixing CO2 emission stickers above light switches around campus in hopes to remind students to power them off. Interest in the program seems to have remained strong over the summer and seems to be growing. In the future, outreach will potentially be made to students outside of the two clubs in hopes to gain more participants. Sustainable Fridays is a great way to get students involved in real environmental issues on campus that give the immediate satisfaction of actually making a difference.
By Mike Howard, Ryan Peploski, edited by Sonja Gagen