Garnet & Grey Goes Green
by: Eduardo Soto ‘11Over the past few decades the United States has implemented many different steps to help improve our environment. Within the past five years Hampden-Sydney has also been taking part in this process, but a large portion of the student body is not aware of our college’s attempts to shrink its carbon footprint.
Norman Krueger of the Business Office has helped to keep H-SC on the path to going green. The most successful venture the College has undertaken involves carbon collection. In the past year, the College’s kilowatt usage has decreased by 10%; this reduction was made possible through many changes in energy consumption.
All major lighting systems are controlled by computer. If you walk around campus at dusk, you’ll notice that the street lamps and outside lights turn on at roughly the same time. This is that automated feature— only using light at the darkest times of the night. On top of that, all lighting has been replaced with eco-friendly compact fluorescent light bulbs. A further feature is used in most all the classrooms: the photocell, motion-sensitive switches set to shut off after two minutes of inactivity.
Hampden-Sydney has also made progress in other areas of conservation. The school has three massive, subterranean tanks that are used to store a high volume of propane. Each of these tanks is strategically located to support the college effectively. The College has also made plans to construct with the environment in mind. As of right now, Atkinson Hall is run off of geothermal energy; in the future there are plans to make the renovated Winston and Eggleston Halls geothermal as well.
Furthermore, there are plans to eventually make the pool in Kirby Fieldhouse heated by solar panels. Mr. Kruger stated that the school has implemented a forestry program: “There are two new trees planted for every dead one.” There are whole fields, one by the Finch House and another on Slate Hill, which have been prepared to receive new trees.
Our college has also taken steps that immediately affect the students as well. The College Bookstore has made a conscious effort to bring environmentally friendly products to the H-SC community. Bob Card, Inventory Manager of the Bookstore, states that “60% of paper products are either made of recycled materials or made in a ‘green’ factory.” Hazel Baldwin, the Bookstore Manager, says that there are over 30 “green” products available at the bookstore, products like notebooks, folders, pens, batteries, and clothing. Going green was in “alignment with the College and the Bookstore’s vision, mission, and values,” she added.
Hampden-Sydney is not alone in its endeavor to help the environment. Alongside her are Lynchburg College, Sweet Briar College, and Randolph-Macon College, among others. Jill Farley, Bookstore Manager at Lynchburg College, states that they provide “woven bags to be reused as an alternative to plastic,” as well as sell green products like “pens…paper…polo shirts…[and] mugs” to name a few. Dr. Jamey Pavey, Professor of Environmental Science at Lynchburg, said that “2007-08 served as Lynchburg College’s Year of the Environment, which included bringing speakers to campus as well as initiating a campus-wide recycling program.”
Barclay DuPriest, Bookstore Manager at Randolph-Macon, has also implemented reusable bags as well as reusing “all cardboard boxes, paper, and packing from incoming shipments for our out-going shipments.” On top of that, RMC students have “relinquished trays in the dining hall to save the water,” RAs encourage the utilization of recycling bins, and have organized the “Students for Environmental Action.”
For Sweet Briar College, Lynn Lewis, Bookstore and Café Manager, has employed a “recycle mug.” “When customers purchase that particular mug, they get a 10% discount on beverages when they bring it with them to Daisy’s Café or The Bistro. It encourages them to carry it with them, thereby using fewer disposable cups.” she said.
But, SBC has taken leaps and bounds compared to many of her peers. For instance, SBC has built “The Green Village.” Jennifer McManamay, Assistant Director of Media Relations, explains: the Green Village “features include geothermal heat pumps, tank-less water heaters, Energy Star appliances, low-flow plumbing fixtures, solar lighting, Energy Star windows and roofing, and structural insulated panels. Furnishings were purchased from vendors who use environmentally sustainable materials and manufacturing practices.” This is only one of the many examples that Sweet-Briar has put into practice.
What more can Hampden-Sydney do? Miguel Mogollon ‘10 has made it his objective to help bring Hampden-Sydney students into the “green” game. Many of us are unaware of this institution’s environmentally friendly undertaking. Mogollon is taking the necessary steps to establish a recycling program on campus that the whole community can participate in.
For starters, he wants to encourage the students to recycle aluminum cans by placing bins in the fraternity houses and in freshmen dorms. To help promote recycling, Mogollon says that “the building with the most recycled cans will get a reward of either two wireless routers or photocell light switches for the dorm.”
Mogollon asks that students help with collecting and driving and also wants to invite the faculty and the staff to take part in this program. He can be contacted at mogollonm@hsc.edu.
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