The Orbis

Issue date: 9/25/09 Section: News/Features

Media Credit: SPEAR website Cardboard recycling at the Commons after move-in.

Students at Vanderbilt are using their talents and skills to take action against one of the greatest challenges facing the world: the environmental crisis. Orbis would like to show some love for two environmental activist groups on campus. Their members are working hard this year to teach Vanderbilt students and administrators how to be green.

SPEAR

Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Recycling (SPEAR) has been the voice of Mother Nature at Vanderbilt since 2003. Through their green projects and educational events, they seek to promote environmental awareness among the student body. In addition, SPEAR strives to "work closely with the administration… to maximize available resources in the quest for sustainability," said SPEAR president Leslie Labruto.

SPEAR's past efforts include a 2004 campaign for green LEED-certified dorms at the Commons, a 2006 comprehensive trash audit of Vanderbilt campus, and a 2007 Biodiesel Initiative.

Already this year, SPEAR has recycled 6.7 tons of cardboard from students' move-in, continued a compost project at the Commons, and partnered with the Sierra Club to bring the first Eco-Fashion show to Vanderbilt.
Their upcoming projects include a campus-wide energy competition, a seminar series on environmental sustainability, a Water Bottle Reduction Initiative, Earth week events, Rites of Spring recycling, and a program to show the "Kilowatt Ours" documentary to elementary school children.
Labruto encourages students to get involved by attending meetings every other Monday at 8 p.m. in Buttrick 201.

Find SPEAR online at:
www.studentorgs.vanderbilt.edu/spear


ECO-DORES

Vanderbilt's brand new environmental program is a joint effort by the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office (SEMO) and the Dean of Students Office. Unlike a traditional student organization, Eco-Dores is an application-based program run by the administration.

The program advisers, Kendra Abkowitz (SEMO staff) and Abigail Richards, an intern at the Office of Housing and Residential Education, envision 34 Eco-Dores-one student from each residence hall-serving as "peer educators."

Eco-Dores are required to complete ten hours of community service per month as well as participate in monthly educational sessions, with each session introducing a different topic. The Eco-Dores will then "devise their own educational program around that month's topic that will interest the students in their residence halls," explained Abkowitz.

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