by Christi Mathis
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Sustainability Office is sponsoring an open house beginning Monday, Oct. 14, and everyone is invited to tour the new area and bring their ideas for programming and initiatives to make campus even more green and sustainable.
Sustainability Office graduate assistants Bharath Chintada, left, an electrical and computer engineering master’s student, and Pukar Bhandari, a doctoral student in electrical, computer and biomedical engineering, are helping to prepare the Sustainability Hub for its Oct. 14 open house. (Photo by Carson VanBuskirk)
The office recently moved to an upgraded space designed to better support its mission. It is now at the south end of the second floor in the Student Center, near the International Lounge, according to Aimee Lemrise, sustainability director.
Visitors are always welcome to drop by the office on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. as well, to learn more about campus sustainability and give their input.
The office is also planning a weeklong recognition of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, celebrating Leadership and Service Week, Nov. 18-23 in partnership with the Office of Student Engagement.
“We are hosting a series of special events to raise awareness about hunger, homelessness and other critical social issues and to empower students to take on leadership roles to make a difference in the community,” Lemrise said.
Making a difference
The week features guest speakers, workshops, volunteerism opportunities and other activities that will provide valuable information about the issues while fostering a spirit of service, community building and leadership, organizers say.
One of the highlights of the week is the official kickoff event featuring keynote addresses and reception Nov. 18 from 4-6 p.m. at the Student Center. Guest speakers will include a licensed clinic social worker (LCSW) and a homeless youth supervisor from northern Illinois who will speak about the issues this vulnerable population encounters and discuss ways to help them. The announcement of the special guests is coming soon. After the presentation, there will be a reception and refreshments in Corker Lounge. The public is welcome to attend.
Another significant event revolves around feeding the community. Students will gather Nov. 19 from 4-5 p.m. in Student Center Ballroom A to help assemble care bags with items donated since Oct. 1. The bags will be distributed during the “Feeding Our Community” event set for noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Town Square Pavilion in Carbondale. Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy a free lunch, games and music.
Other key events include:
- Sustainability tabling and food drive – Nov. 18, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Student Center’s first floor art gallery. Information about National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and ways to help address the issues will be distributed, and people can participate in a food drive to help fight hunger and food insecurity through the Saluki Food Pantry. Care bags and nonperishable food items can be dropped off at the Student Center, Office of Student Engagement, Morris Library and the Sustainability Hub throughout the week.
- Showcasing Our Salukis – Nov. 18 and 19, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Student Center Studio. Students can obtain free headshots to help them prepare for successful career searches and more.
- Sustaining Our Service – Nov. 19, 5-7 p.m. Student Center Ballrooms A and B. Kia Smith, an SIU alumna, will host this evening featuring a discussion of sustaining service to the community and a time of affirmation during which participants are encouraged to write themselves a love letter.
Additional events are being added to the schedule. Find more information and the complete schedule online.
Sustainability actions abound
Several other projects and initiatives are bringing the spotlight to sustainability.
“SIU has long been a leader in sustainability and green initiatives, and we have many more great things happening,” Lemrise said.
For instance, recently a living wall was installed in the Agriculture Building, funded by a student Green Fund Grant. Led by Karen Midden, agriculture professor emerita and landscape architect, and Jennifer Matthews, interior design instructor, the project was installed by the Growing Green company of St. Louis and supported by the College of Agriculture, Life and Physical Sciences. It can be seen whenever the building is open.
The Sustainability Hub will soon launch a small-scale thrift store initiative designed to promote resource sharing and reduce campus waste by turning one person’s unused items into another’s treasure. The theme is “Take what you want, leave what you don’t!” Through this thrift store, students, faculty and staff can obtain a variety of useful items such as stationery, electronics, cookware, pantry essentials and other household items (clothing will not be available).
The thrift store, located within the Sustainability Office, will encourage sustainability as people across campus can donate useful items in good condition that they no longer need and then others in the campus community can obtain them for their use.
“This will be a great free resource for the campus community when it opens,” Lemrise said. “Stay tuned for an opening date. By participating in this initiative, everyone on campus can help reduce unnecessary waste and support a culture of sharing and sustainability at SIU. Together, we can foster a more sustainable environment by giving things a second life and ensuring that valuable resources are not wasted.”
Also, in his role as a sustainability intern Andrew White, a senior double major in geography and environmental resources and studio art from Rockford, Illinois, recently conducted a study to help analyze and improve campus sustainability. He conducted an audit at Faner Hall, assessing the use of trash and recycling bins with the goal of assessing and improving waste management practices in the building.
White noted that reorganizing things could free valuable space and encourage better use of the recycling bins, and he praised the School of Earth Systems and Sustainability as a “standout” because the school had a balanced 1:1 ratio of trash to recycling bins.
Lemrise said White’s findings “provide valuable insights that will guide future efforts to optimize waste management and recycling practices at Faner Hall, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable campus environment.”
The Sustainability Hub will offer graduate and undergraduate students internship opportunities for the spring 2025 semester as well. The office currently has two interns with geographic information systems (GIS) experience who will be creating a comprehensive map of the water bottle filling stations and the bike fix-it stations across campus.
Learn more about the many sustainability initiatives and activities on the website. Email sustainability@siu.edu or call 618-453-2846 for additional details.