Green Alfred strikes gold
In the past week, student-run organization Green Alfred has received two of Alfred Universities most highly coveted awards: an Alfie, for outstanding educational program, and the award given by student senate for Club of the Year.
The club kicked off fall semester 2009 with a concert and "go green" rally featuring earth-friendly band Revision and their vegetable oil powered tour van. Since the inaugural event the club has been dedicated to spreading awareness and action across campus.
Later in the semester, the club posted flyers in study centers, residence halls and anywhere else with spare space on the wall in preparation for 350. The international event marked the day the world realized what must be done to save its ecosystems.
Throughout the fall, Jenny Urfer, with the assistance of Leah Houk, headed a campaign to educate students on recycling in residence halls. Finally, the semester ended with Alternative Cinema and Green Alfred presenting an open screening of "Food Inc." at town hall.
“Most of the groups and organizations operate independently from both the institution and each other,” AU President Charley Edmondson explained in an email addressed to the campus preceding his speech at a Green Alfred rally; “The result is that our efforts to improve the energy efficiency of the institution and educate the community about the need for environmental consciousness in everyday life have often resulted in duplicated efforts, a lack of institution-wide cooperation, and a failure to achieve results commensurate with our good intentions.”
Green Alfred has addressed this problem by inviting physical plant workers to Green Alfred meetings and now those workers are playing key roles in conversation and green action across campus. The club’s president Kacie Dean is a member of the Universities Council on Green Efforts and each week members of Green Alfred attend the university’s recycling committee meetings.
Green Alfred began spring semester with innovative collaboration in mind, looked to join otherwise separate clubs with campus-wide green efforts and created an initiative.
The movement resulted in an academic environmental fair, where students learned about green classes being offered next semester. Also the Herrick Library printing initiative was carried over from previous efforts while art and design student Mike Stevenson paired with the club to print Green Alfred t-shirts.
Earth Week, the club’s final four day event brought education and collaboration to the forefront. With the help of AU PRIDE, Ana Devlin Gauthier, AU Activate, Spectrum, Student Senate, Creative Arts therapy, MEDO, Natural Wood, Bike Club, Alternative Cinema and AU President Edmondson as well as philosophy professor Emrys Westacott, Green Alfred earned the 2010 Alfie for best educational program.
As the year draws to a close it seems late-night studying in Powell Campus Center and mid-day catnaps in Herrick Library have paid off for Green Alfred’s enthusiastically diligent president, Kacie Dean, as she looks forward to the possibilities of Green Alfred’s next semester.
