Kent State University hosted several events on Oct. 23 for the 11th annual Campus Sustainability Day, a day dedicated to recognizing sustainability in higher education. The events, which took place at the Kent Student Center, included a guest panel and Q&A session, displays set up by student sustainability groups, and a national keynote and broadcast webinar titled 鈥淐limate Adaptation: Resilient Campuses and Communities.鈥 Kent State has several campus sustainability initiatives, including energyefficiency installations, construction waste management, green building strategies, recycling programs and electric vehicles. Committees are involved in many sustainabilitydriven projects, including making the campus bicyclefriendly and maintaining the community garden. Many Kent State students are involved in sustainability initiatives on campus. Sustainabilityfocused student organizations on campus include: U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Founded in 2011, USGBC鈥檚 local Kent chapter strives to 鈥渆ducate members about green building and sustainable technologies, encouraging the community to be more sustainability minded.鈥 The group has an architectural focus but accepts students of any major. Members volunteer, listen to guest speakers and tour colleges and buildings.
Net Impact Kent State鈥檚 local Net Impact chapter for graduate students is housed in the College of Business Administration. According to the organization鈥檚 website, Net Impact works 鈥渇or a sustainable future鈥 by 鈥渆mpowering a new generation to use their careers to drive transformational change in the workplace and the world.鈥 Members go on business tours, volunteer, listen to guest speakers, go to sustainability conferences and participate in fundraisers.
C.R.I.C.K. (Cuyahoga Watershed Research Information and Conservation at Kent State) C.R.I.C.K. is a new organization on campus that works with the Center for Ecology and Natural Resource Sustainability (CENRS) to 鈥渦nite students, faculty and environmental leaders from multiple disciplines for the purpose of engaging in research on the Cuyahoga River Watershed.鈥 The group participates in restoration projects, workshops and meetings.
Kent Interhall Council (KIC) KIC is a residence hall association that unites individual hall councils on campus to 鈥渃reate a structured environment for residents.鈥 The group is not focused on sustainability but advocates several sustainability programs, such as RecycleMania.
Biology Club The Kent State Biology Club, open to any students interested in biology, concentrates on various topics, including conservation and zoology. The club goes on field trips, listens to group speakers and participates in handson activities.
Posted Oct. 28, 2013 | Amanda Lang