An impassioned campaign for going green

A group of Heidelberg students has some ambitious and impassioned ideas for making the college green and raising awareness among the entire campus community. The students in Dr. Margo Kraft’s Principles of Marketing class researched and prepared their Go Green Campaign, which they presented on Wednesday (Dec. 3).

 

Seniors Jimmy May, Andrew Mayne and Leigh Ball and juniors Justin Hawksley and Markus Schmidt, an exchange student from Heidelberg, Germany, examined ways to partner with the college’s sustainability committee when they developed the three phases of their plan. Their overarching mission is to create a “culture of conservation” on campus in which students are transformed into conservation-minded citizens and learn through programs and curricular offerings. They also hope to instill a spirit of enthusiasm for a conservational lifestyle that would set an example of energy savings and sustainable living and develop a sustainability consortium with other colleges and universities. Ultimately, they want to position Heidelberg as a pioneer and role model in sustainability, and attract the attention of international students.

 

“The campaign will deliver huge benefits to the campus and to the college itself,” said Jimmy, the group’s spokesperson. “The challenge will be to think in the long term and to regard environment investments as assets that will pay off in the future.”

 

As part of the group’s strategic plan, they call for the development of recycling protocols for every campus building by 2009. If all components of their plan are put into place, in addition to recycling, they say they expect a 7 percent decrease in energy costs.

 

One phase of the campaign involves developing a Go Green Week during freshman orientation, purchasing energy-efficient products across campus and placement of recycling bins in strategic locations. Another, according to Leigh, carries a heavy burden but the largest payoff. This includes new windows, solar panels, new sinks and toilets and heating and climate control devices – all to improve energy efficiency.

 

Responding to a question from Interim President Jim Troha regarding the potential for marketing a green campus, Jimmy said prospective students will like to be a part of the initiative.

 

As part of their research, the group conducted an on-campus survey and found some individuals and departments are already taking initiative. “But the only way to make it happen is if everyone is on board,” Jimmy said. Andrew added, “We can’t stress enough that participation is the No. 1 goal of the program.”