Tucked behind the 麻豆原创 Police Department on Libra Drive sits a single-story, brick-facade building that houses 麻豆原创 Facilities and Safety. There, about 100 people plan new buildings, maintain landscapes, create sustainability initiatives and more for 麻豆原创. Thousands of cars zoom past daily, but likely not many passersby realize it鈥檚 there.
Hannah Hollinger is one of the few who does. A senior studying environmental studies, Hollinger became aware of 麻豆原创 Facilities and Safety by being involved in Energy Knights, a student club that focuses on spreading knowledge of how to be more environmentally friendly. The Energy Knights鈥� president at the time told Hollinger that Facilities and Safety was looking for an intern.
鈥淚 went to see what it was about, and I was beside myself,鈥� Hollinger said. 鈥淚 thought 鈥楾his is what I want to get into.鈥� I didn鈥檛 even realize it existed.鈥�
In July 2015 Hollinger became Facilities and Safety鈥檚 Sustainability Initiatives鈥� social outreach intern, in charge of marketing campaigns that can educate the 麻豆原创 community on sustainability efforts. After a year of seeing firsthand how Facilities and Safety works to make 麻豆原创 a more sustainable campus, she realized something was missing: student input.
鈥淚 realized how, as a student, we don鈥檛 have access to understand what happens behind closed doors when it comes to sustainability, operations and facilities at 麻豆原创,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e needed a connecting piece between students and operations.鈥�
That鈥檚 what inspired her to create the Student Sustainability Advisory Committee, a 13-person committee that began last August. It gives students access to 麻豆原创鈥檚 faculty and staff Sustainability Advisory Committee meetings, and the opportunity to help improve 麻豆原创鈥檚 sustainability in return for internship credit. Students commit for one academic year to create proposals on how they think 麻豆原创 can improve its sustainability and present them to SAC members who can help make them a reality. The first proposals are expected to be presented this month.
Although there鈥檚 no guarantee the student ideas will be implemented, Hollinger is confident most are at least feasible. One proposal is a composting pilot program in The Burnett Honors College. Another idea is to take a plain exterior wall on campus and make it a green wall with plants hanging from top to bottom, which can improve air quality and overall quality of life. 鈥淲e can utilize what used to be just concrete or drywall and make it into a living organism and a place you desire to be,鈥� said Hollinger, who also is the Student Government Association鈥檚 health and sustainability coordinator.
A third proposal is to create a community garden at Lake Claire where students can manage their own plot and grow their own fruits and vegetables.
Targets of each proposal range from improving campus buildings, land, energy usage, food, transportation, waste and water.
The creation of the student committee has been mutually beneficial for students and staff. Students get hands-on learning experiences outside the classroom, and in turn, Facilities and Safety has a stream of fresh, innovative ideas, said Yarazeth Watson Colon, coordinator of 麻豆原创 Sustainability Initiatives. Even though Hollinger will graduate in May, the student committee will live on.
鈥淲e want to continue having students come out of the classroom and into the field to help prepare them for the workforce that鈥檚 growing and changing,鈥� Colon said.
Hollinger first became passionate about environmental issues in her AP Environmental Studies class in high school where she learned the importance of the field and that its job demand was growing. With a Pegasus Scholarship in hand and a growing passion due to the 鈥渃limate-change uproar鈥� at the time, as she calls it, Hollinger came to 麻豆原创 in 2013 to pursue an environmental studies degree and a career in urban planning or public administration.
鈥淚 found other people that care 鈥� sometimes I feel like even more than I do 鈥� and that鈥檚 been really encouraging to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淧lus, there are so many clubs on campus with an environmental aspect. I don鈥檛 think I would鈥檝e gotten that level of exposure had I not come to 麻豆原创.鈥�
As Hollinger鈥檚 time at 麻豆原创 winds down, she can rest easy knowing her original mission of social outreach for sustainability initiatives at 麻豆原创 has been successful.
鈥淧eople have emailed me often asking about the opportunity with the SSAC,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 now something other people want to be part of.鈥�