School of Cycling

Dear President Robert E Witt,
Recycling has become a major issue in our world today, and as a university we should promote more recycling programs on our campus to help improve our environment. As a fellow student of the university I am only aware of some of the recycling programs on our campus, such as the “tri-bins” that are randomly placed throughout the campus area, but my unawareness of the recycling programs presents the argument that a large number of the student body is also unknowledgeable of these programs. The SGA Department of Environmental Concerns is the organization on campus responsible for “encouraging a more sustainable campus”, but most of the informing is done through campaigns, such as Energy Conservation Campaigns within the Residential Halls, Residential Recycling. Environmental Ambassadors inside Bryant Denny Stadium during UA Home Games, Game Day Recycling on the Quad, and Academic/Administrative Hall Recycling, which are all helpful, but for our campus to improve its impact on the environment we need more involvement. Which will only happen when more become knowledgeable. The awareness of the issue has made recycling easier for the US because more of the community is starting to provide more convenient means of recycling, such as bins, dumpsters, and even recycling pick-up services, and our campus should also make recycling more convenient and easy for not only students but visitors as well.
The University has a lot of great recycling programs and with the help of other recycling organizations we can continue to improve our community. Each year every college and university gets graded in specific categories and receives a “College Sustainability report card”, which can be pulled up on www.greenreportcard.org, this report card is a great way to learn about how your school is improving in recycling, how it needs to be improved, and certain aspects of programs that are recycling on the campus. The University of Alabama’s average grade report for the year 2010 was a B-, overall very good grade, especially when compared to surrounding colleges such as, Auburn with a grade of C+, and the University of Georgia just barely passing with a C. Our university needs to set the example for the southern colleges and work harder to improve and become the best, to set the standards high. In the 2010 College Sustainability Report Card there are nine categories: Administration, Climate Change & Energy, Food & Recycling, Green Building, Student Involvement, Transportation, Endowment Transparency, Investment Priorities, and Shareholder Engagement. The areas that our university needs to improve in are Administration, Green Building, and Endowment Transparency. For these are the only three categories that we were graded a C or D in. This Report Card is just one example of an easy way to pick out aspects that need improvement; other ways include becoming knowledgeable of all the different ways to decrease our campus environmental footprint and also comparing each of the ways to figure out the best way to do things financially.
Money always seems to be an issue when trying to fix anything, but fortunately there are organizations that provide loans for colleges interested in becoming “green” because recycling, along with everything else, can end up costing some money. The amount of money that recycling saves depends on the program that was used to do it, which explains how becoming aware of all the possibilities is beneficial in many ways. The amount of money spent on recycling bins, awareness flyers, dumpsters, pick-up, and all the necessities for our campus to really go green are worth it. Our environment has become more polluted and college campuses are one of the worst’s spots for pollution. There are around 29,000 students on our campus, so along with faculty, staff, and visitors there are always a lot of people on campus. Which means a lot of trash coming from all the food-courts and classrooms that can easily be recycled and reused. All this trash would be more easily recycled if there were more standards for it around campus, for example buying more recycling bins for inside and outside all of the buildings on campus instead of purchasing more trash bins would be a good expense worth the money. The SGA Department of Environmental Concerns has came up with a “Green Guide” which is given out to freshman students to inform them on ways to decrease their impact on the environment at the university. If this “green guide” was edited every year and distributed not only to the freshman class but to campus stores and buildings for everyone to see and take home and share, more of the student body would be knowledgeable of ways to improve. The solutions to the campus’s recycling issue are not very difficult. All that needs to be fixed is the convenience and amount of the proper available recycling bins and information to everyone who comes onto campus. This solution will not only improve our environment but our community and perception as well. Our perception would be a hardworking and caring campus. This new perception that is formed will attract more people looking at colleges and also strive surrounding areas to meet up with our criteria. Which will improve not only our community but also the quality of lives for those who follow in our footstep.

Getting Involved On Campus

"Getting involved on campus, made easy"

Every year thousands of new students come to the University of Alabama to start their college career. Each student is typically overwhelmed with the idea of living on their own, starting a new life, and meeting new friends. However, another important part of college is getting involved in activities and organizations. New students usually become flustered at the beginning of the school year and forget to sign up for these organizations, or simply do not even know where to go. Luckily, the University of Alabama has created many different ways to get students involved and ready for their future. So what do you do to get involved?

Well, the first thing to do is check out the University of Alabama website, it is a great way to look at all the different clubs and organizations the school has to offer. The link is: http://studentorgs.ua.edu/ this link will take students directly to the list of all the organizations and clubs with a brief description of each type of organization or club. Clicking on any link will enable students to get a greater idea of what the organization is like, allowing them to learn more about the organization or club before entering the school year. Getting involved is a great way to meet new people, so it is important to be around people who you like and have similar interests. There is a huge selection of organizations and clubs that just about every individual could find a place in at least one, if not numerous. Even those students who did not participate in clubs or activities in high school should look into joining a club. College is a completely different experience than high school and it is an important time for people to develop their own identities, therefore trying new things is always beneficial.

Another way to learn more about these organizations is the “get on board” fair which takes place at the Ferguson Center for one day during the first couple weeks of school. At this event hundreds of organizations and clubs put out information booths, which give students the opportunity to interact with members of the clubs personally to get a better understanding of what they are all about. During this fair, students can put their names on the e-mail lists for the clubs in order to receive notifications about meetings. No student is required to commit to every club they sign up for, it’s important to sign up for numerous clubs even if you do not think you will stay in them, in order to try new things.

Although it is not for everyone, Greek life is another fantastic way to get involved. The University of Alabama has a strong Greek system, which is open to all students to join. There are many diverse fraternity and sororities on campus, which allows many students to find their place at the University. Within each fraternity and sorority, most members are either strongly encouraged or even required to get involved in other organizations on campus. This enables all members to keep a diverse surrounding, while creating some of the strongest friendships and relationships they will have for the rest of their lives. However, the Greek population at the University of Alabama is only about 25% of the entire student body, so students are certainly able to find their place in other areas, around campus.

The University of Alabama strives to get their students involved, and being a new student it is hard to feel comfortable. However, there are thousands of people in the same situation, looking for their place in such a huge university. Putting yourself out there is the best way to find the perfect way to make the most out of your college experience, so we suggest taking the time to try something new. You never know how far that might take you! Get involved!