Campus News
Issue date: 1/27/10 Section: News
Washington state campuses going green
Seattle University is making monumental jumps toward a greener campus for all parties involved. From biodegradable forks to composting leftovers, from green gathering spaces to multiple forms of car-pools, they are doing just about everything they can in a united effort to help our planet.
"There's a lot of student activism on campus, and students are used to people talking to them about social or environmental issues," says Katie Boehnlein, a Seattle U. senior involved in environmental advocacy. "I hope that when they leave, students will take away some knowledge about their local environment and think more about the decisions they make every day."
The campus's biggest achievement so far is in their composting and recycling habits. In the last three years they have gone from composting and recycling 120 tons of debris up to an amazing 540 tons per year.
Seattle University isn't the only campus making these changes either. Students on several other campuses have begun growing their own gardens, and Evergreen has even made their own organic farm and outdoor classroom. All colleges and campuses should take a page from the book of Seattle University, and take a step toward protecting our planet, it's the only one we have.
Is college worth the price?
Everybody knows that normally, a degree from a higher education institution translates into a better career when you enter the real working world. But such is not the case. These days people, both college educated and those with only a high school diploma have been finding that it is hard to survive in the real world. The recent coining of the term "upside-down" (here defined as having more debt than your larger possessions such as a car or hour are worth) is a clear representation of the times.
"Whether college is worth it depends on how much you pay for it," said Kevin Carey, the policy director at the Education Sector, a Washington-based education think tank. "It's not worth much if you pay too much for a degree that has no value in the market, or one that pays too little to pay back what you borrowed."
Seattle University is making monumental jumps toward a greener campus for all parties involved. From biodegradable forks to composting leftovers, from green gathering spaces to multiple forms of car-pools, they are doing just about everything they can in a united effort to help our planet.
"There's a lot of student activism on campus, and students are used to people talking to them about social or environmental issues," says Katie Boehnlein, a Seattle U. senior involved in environmental advocacy. "I hope that when they leave, students will take away some knowledge about their local environment and think more about the decisions they make every day."
The campus's biggest achievement so far is in their composting and recycling habits. In the last three years they have gone from composting and recycling 120 tons of debris up to an amazing 540 tons per year.
Seattle University isn't the only campus making these changes either. Students on several other campuses have begun growing their own gardens, and Evergreen has even made their own organic farm and outdoor classroom. All colleges and campuses should take a page from the book of Seattle University, and take a step toward protecting our planet, it's the only one we have.
Is college worth the price?
Everybody knows that normally, a degree from a higher education institution translates into a better career when you enter the real working world. But such is not the case. These days people, both college educated and those with only a high school diploma have been finding that it is hard to survive in the real world. The recent coining of the term "upside-down" (here defined as having more debt than your larger possessions such as a car or hour are worth) is a clear representation of the times.
"Whether college is worth it depends on how much you pay for it," said Kevin Carey, the policy director at the Education Sector, a Washington-based education think tank. "It's not worth much if you pay too much for a degree that has no value in the market, or one that pays too little to pay back what you borrowed."
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