An Eco-Friendly Campus

November 22, 2009 • written by Emily Beaver

A strange sight greeted students leaving Coffman on Thursday November 12th, a mountain of trash bags, boxes, and waste littered the sidewalk right outside the entrance to the Student Union.  Workers in fluorescent yellow vests lined up various types of recycling bins found around campus and displayed their signs for all to see, it was a day devoted to the three R’s: reduce, reuse, and especially, recycle.  The great mound of garbage was dramatic symbol aimed educate the student body about the amount of waste we throw out.  The sign atop the heap stated, “this is only 17% of the garbage the University throws out each day.”  That is not to say that we should all become pack rats and never discard anything, their point was ‘think of all the recyclable items that are included in all that garbage’.  The recycling demonstration did not end at a pile of trash, the demonstrators were training volunteers to be recycling conscience.  Individuals could volunteer to learn about recycling and what is and is not a reusable item.  Demonstrators supplied them with plastic gloves and aprons and set them to work dissecting the contents of trash bags.  With a trainer’s helpful guidance the volunteers learned what was and wasn’t recyclable as well as what bin it should be thrown into.  On Thursday demonstrators helped the U of M campus to become a little more environmentally friendly.

A main cause of worry and stress for many high school students is the college application process.  The questions that race through your mind: Where should I apply, Will I be accepted, and Can I afford it, can leach the fun out of the process.  When searching for potential colleges PSEO students must as themselves another question, Will my credits carry?  This is a large issue for many students.  If you decided to attend the college where you participated in PSEO then no issue exists but if you decide to attend a different college it becomes an important piece of criteria.  There are multiple instances that exist: the college may allow your credits to fully transfer, the college may only take your credits as electives, so if you took a freshman required course during PSEO you would be required to take it again, or they may accept any amount between all and none of them.  AP students face a similar problem with trying to find a college that will accept the AP credits they earned.  Some colleges may accept 3’s or higher while others only accept 5’s.  No matter the circumstances don’t let yourself get bogged down in questions and complications, applying to colleges should be fun, trying to picture yourself in various locations and evaluating the different choices laid out for you is a unique experience.  Remember, the college and location matter less than what you choose to do with yourself when you are there.

Do or Don’t PSEO advice for the week: check your email every day before class.  When registering as a PSEO student you will receive an email address specifically for that college.  This email is what professors, TAs, PSEO counselors, etc. will use to contact you.  It is very important to check your email every morning before you go to your class because your professor might be sick and your class may be canceled.  This could be especially frustrating if you only had that class that day and could have been sleeping in at home if you had remembered to check your email.  Professors and teaching assistants may not always remember to email you or they may not send out a notification until after you have shown up for class, but with the spread of H1N1 and other diseases it never hurts to check.

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