Programs & Events
In celebration of Arbor Day, the Sustainability Committee hosts an annual tree planting celebration. Each year, the type of tree and location is carefully chosen in order for the tree to thrive and benefit the campus community. At the ceremony, information is shared about the background of the tree and Arbor Day. It concludes with a blessing by the Chaplain and a musical performance by Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ students while members of the campus community help plant the tree.
During first-year move-in day, a lot of cardboard boxes make their way to campus with nowhere to go after items are unpacked. Members of ECO and the campus community partner to break down cardboard boxes and ensure they're recycled. It creates less clutter in the residence halls while also being environmentally friendly.
Green Move Out is a partnership between the Sustainability Committee, Housing & Event Management, Career & Civic Engagement, FMP&C, and Residence Life. During Spring Closing, donation bins are set up around campus collecting new or gently used clothing, unopened food items, and school supplies. It reduces the amount of waste produced while also benefitting the local community. In 2016, 1,273 pounds of clothing was donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters and 300+ pounds of food was donated to the UCC Soup Kitchen. In 2017, over 400 pounds of food was donated and school supplies were collected to donate to the Mama Project in Honduras.
Several times a year, members of the student Environmental Coalition (ECO) coordinate opportunities for the campus community to assist in cleaning up several creeks surrounding Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ's campus. Each each on Heritage Day, ECO holds a clean up on the Monocacy Creek as just one of the many service options available that day. The campus community members put on their boots and remove litter and items from the environment.
IN FOCUS promotes an in-depth examination of complex issues from multidisciplinary perspectives. The themes of programming rotate on a four year basis. Sustainability Committee Members, Frank Kuserk and Theresa Dougal, served as the 2016-2017 IN FOCUS chairs planning a yearlong calendar of engaging events on the topic of sustainability. Sustainability is slated to be theme of IN FOCUS in the 2020-2021 academic year.