By Tanner Anderson, Page Editor
ACU is known for being purple and white; but the Students’ Association Congress’ latest goal is to turn the campus Green.
SA Congress has begun plans to make the campus more environmentally friendly by creating the structuring stages of a new recycling initiative. SA Congress has been talking with John Delony, director of Residence Life, and the city of Abilene in order to construct a reasonable and stable recycling movement. While Delony was unavailable for comment by press time, SA Congress President Daniel Paul Watkins, senior political science major from Fredericksburg, Va., explained the new plan.
“Our goal isn’t to augment recycling for this semester,” Watkins said. “It’s to implement a stable recycling program that will last.”
One of the challenges that has yet to be determined is the location of the recycling dumpster. Congress would like to place it next to the Larry “Satch” Sanders intramurals field, but the location needs to be approved by Student Life.
“We’ve talked to faculty and different students and hashed out different problems from the past, and right now we have everything prepared,” Watkins said. “We have the money to buy the recycling bins, all we need is the go-ahead from Student Life.”
Congress plans on purchasing 30 different recycling bins from its executive officer initiative fund and placing them throughout Nelson Hall and the Mabee Business Building.
“The priority of recycling and good stewardship is important. Currently, it’s not where it needs to be, but it is definitely growing,” Watkins said.
If students are in desperate need to recycle their paper products and empty plastic bottles, several recycling areas can be found in the Brown Library, the Campus Center and the Hardin Administration Building. However, the blue bags found in these areas are for paper products only.
Not only is the campus looking to clean up its act, the University Park apartments are searching for ways to be environmentally friendly as well.
Once a month, UP does something special for its residents. Last January, it passed out energy efficient light bulbs.
“These (light bulbs) are incredible; I went through my apartment the next day and switched out all my light bulbs, ” said Tenell Zahodnik, resident director of UP.
Along with saving energy, UP is searching for ways to recycle. Originally, UP wanted to install a recycling system that would have cost thousands of dollars, Zahodnik said.
“We’ve had many of our residents inform us that they would like to recycle. We’re financially not ready for undertaking large projects, but we’re constantly looking for other ways to bring that to our residents,” she said.
Two residential associates on staff currently have been collecting aluminum cans and other products around the area.
Next, UP plans to create a clothing drive that will benefit the Salvation Army later on in the semester.
“UP is constantly searching for different opportunities; we want to provide our community to make small changes, and that those changes will add up to one big change,” Zahodnik said.
