Residence Services creates new opportunities for Marshall students to preserve environment

Marshall University Residence Services added a green house living-leaning community to raise awareness of sustainability in the residence halls and on campus for fall 2010.

"What were finding is a lot of our students have an interest in green issues and sustainability," said Stephanie Hurley, residence life specialist.

Two floors, one male and one female, with 18 rooms in Twin Towers West will be dedicated to students who have interest an in green living and raising awareness on campus, Hurley said.

"It's a cool opportunity for people who aren't sure how they feel about it," Hurley said.

Anyone who is interested in green living but not sure they can fully commit can have the opportunity to get their feet wet and see if it is something they can do, she said.

"We will work with the sustainability office on campus-wide initiatives they want to do, but specifically work to spread the news of green living within the residence halls," Hurley said. 

"I think the university has made an obvious effort in going green," said Sarah Morrison, sophomore English major from Cross Lanes, W.Va.

Morrison said she lives off campus but plans to move into the residence halls this summer. She said she is interested in living on the green house community floor.

"It would be better for the Earth, and I would learn more about ways to do things right," Morrison said.

Residence Services is hoping people will do things like be more conservative with water and electric, and there will be a general expectation of that as well, Hurley said.

"Silly things that don't seem like a big deal can make a big impact, such as turning off the water when you put soap in your hair, and there will be a greater initiative for recycling," Hurley said.

Recycling bins will be placed on the floors, making it more available for the residents and to motivate them to recycle, she said.

"We are still in the beginning planning stages, but we are trying to plan field trips where the green house community can go and see the benefits they are doing in action," Hurley said.

For example, they would go to a recycling plant to see what is happening or go to a landfill to see where the trash goes when it is not recycled, she said.

"I think it helps the impact to physically see the difference," Hurley said.

One project residence services is working on with the sustainability office is having an earth hour next spring and encourage students to turn off their appliances and lights in their room for one hour, she said.

"We will invite everyone to do it, not just the greenhouse community floors," Hurley said. "By turning off a lot of the electricity, we hope to heighten the awareness on how much unnecessary energy we consume."

Tess Moore can be contacted at moore231@marshall.edu.