Washington University is a great place. Compared to similar-caliber schools, we have little red tape. That said, there are a few things that Washington University student and administration leaders can do to make this school better. Here are two of them.
The January 31 issue of Student Life reported that the University received an average C- from the Sustainable Endowments Institute. Furthermore, “The University earned failing grades in Endowment Transparency and Shareholder Engagement, areas that measure how the University manages its outside investments and corporate influence regarding sustainability.” It would be too simple for me too argue that the University’s intimate relationship with Monsanto is one of the major causes of these failing grades. That’s why I’ll let the clear link speak for itself.
Despite its links to corporations with questionable environmental practices, the University appears to be making positive steps towards change. I guarantee that while we will still receive terrible marks come the next review of “Endowment Transparency” and “Shareholder Engagement,” the other areas of “Food and Recycling” and “Administration” can be a lot better.
The University needs to directly invest in groups like Hybrid Living. By giving money to students already active in the environmental community, suggestions can come a lot faster than through a University-led “Task Force.”
The Administration needs to act upon the suggestions in the April 13 Student Life Editorial. In addition, we need two recycling bins in every dorm room on campus in addition to the trash bin-one for plastics and one for paper. This would be a cheap and efficient way to drastically improve recycling.
We need more information on recyclable materials. I constantly encourage others to recycle and bemoan the lack of recycling receptacles on campus, yet I never have answers to questions I hear: “Is this recyclable?” “Can I recycle this lid?” We need signs on campus that serve to remind us what is recyclable and what isn’t. Put up charts around campus that show how many landfills are taken up by material that doesn’t have to be there. Encourage discourse on the negative environmental impacts we incur when we don’t recycle.
Overall, the first step to increasing sustainability is making people care. All that is left is making it feasible and/or easy. I shouldn’t have to leave the Mallinckrodt Food Court to recycle a water bottle when there are more than five trash bins staring me in the face. Recycling isn’t easy right now. It doesn’t take a task force to come to this conclusion.
My second area of improvement relates to the Wash. U. Bubble. It is still difficult to learn about the world outside of the Wash. U. Bubble. I already have my homepage set to BBC News, but I’d like to learn about the world when I’m not sitting in front of my computer, trying to work.
The newspapers on campus are excellent, but the New York Times is never in Whispers in the morning, when most students are there. What is happening to these papers?
I am told that the B-school kids forego the New York Times to read the Wall Street Journal. If they choose to be stupid, I’d like to enjoy my right to remain smart. Take the New York Times from the Business School and put it in Whispers. Put some newspapers in dormitories to make them even more accessible. And get rid of USA Today. If I wanted more cartoons, I’d watch the Simpsons.
Also, in light of the tragic events at Virginia Tech, I ask that Student Union ensure that the Washington University Shooting Club never becomes an official student group. The promotion of guns-shooting, more specifically-does not and should not mesh with the University’s values. We are reminded time and time again that guns don’t kill people-people with guns kill people. At what point is the death toll from gun violence high enough?
Dave is a sophomore in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].