Move over blue and gold, it looks like green might be Quinnipiac’s new favorite color.
In an effort to help the environment, Quinnipiac University has decided to build York Hill as a “green campus.” Junior class representative Sarah Kelleher, the vice president of Quinnipiac’s chapter of Roots and Shoots, said the green initiative began earlier this year.
“President John Lahey came to us spring semester last year, and he said he wanted to put in windmills and solar panels,” Kelleher said, adding that they have begun working on these energy-saving measures and the campus will “definitely have recycling as well.”
The move is a major one for the University, as the green initiative must be worked into the blueprints of the new campus. These implementations will diminish energy consumption and encourage students to take part in recycling.
According to statements from the Department of Residential Life, the York Hill campus will be able to house over 2,000 residents, and each room will come complete with a full kitchen. Next to the residential buildings there will be a central student center containing a cafeteria and a gym. All of these areas will support the green initiative.
In addition, Quinnipiac has also focused on making the Mt. Carmel campus more environmentally friendly. The amount of recycling bins has been increased and the University is trying to increase awareness.
Despite these attempts, some students believe the university is not doing enough.
“I heard people last year saying they just threw [the recyclables] out with the regular trash,” sophomore Corey Leaver said. “They make us think they recycle but they don’t do anything about it.”
Sophomore Stephanie Schonbrun said she also heard the same rumors, but is more impressed with the recycling efforts this year.
“People are more aware of it [the recycling] because there are more efforts,” Schonbrun said. “I think it’s a good step–I think it’s going to help.”
Kelleher said the school does recycle and wants to dispel the notion that recyclables are thrown out with trash. According to Kelleher, facilities sorts out the recyclables and places them in bags separate from trash. These bags are brought to the recycle location behind the dining hall, where they are later picked up by a recycling company.
Quinnipiac is not stopping with extra bins in the residence halls. Kelleher said the school is working on further plans.
“One of the big goals is to get recycle bins on the Quad,” Kelleher said. “As of now, there are only trash bins on the Quad. The school is currently working on placing recycle bins in all the academic rooms and increasing the amount of paper-only bins.”
According to Kelleher, it all comes down to the effort of the students: they control how much gets put into the recycle bins. The participation may not be at its best now, but Kelleher was hopeful for a more environmentally-friendly school and a greener tomorrow.