Sustainability Gets Greener

January 2, 2007

Exeter's new sustainability logo, designed by students

Exeter's sustainability efforts extend throughout campus – you see evidence of them everywhere, from dining halls to dorms and campus transport. Virtually every campus building has recycling bins, posters about energy conservation and a box for collecting used batteries. Frequent activities reinforce the message and expand the reach beyond campus – from autumnal coastal cleanup efforts to the Green Cup Challenge (GCC) in the dead of winter and spring's Community Cleanup Day. Movie screenings – such as the recent showing of "An Inconvenient Truth", Al Gore's global warming exposé – further increase awareness.

"Sustainability and conservation efforts are becoming more and more prevalent in high schools," explains Jennifer Wilhelm, who has been sustainability coordinator at Exeter for two years. "Combating global climate change and its deleterious effects requires education and involvement."

Last year, as part of that education, Exeter's Environmental Task Force (ETF) – a group of students, custodians, dining staff, faculty, and administrators – challenged Exeter students to develop a sustainability logo. "We were looking for a logo that would represent everything we do on campus to promote sustainability," explains Wilhelm. The ETF recently announced the winning logo, which incorporates a green leaf, along with the words "Non Sibi" and "PEA Sustainability". The logo was developed by two lowers – Tori, who drew the design by hand, and Andrew, who digitized the image.

Tori brought great experience to the project. She designed logos at her junior high school before coming to Exeter, and she is an environmental proctor – one of 60 students who monitor Exeter's sustainability practices. "Environmental issues are really important to me," she explains, "as they should be to everyone. I'm eager to learn as much as I can about ways to promote environmental issues, not only across campus but in a larger context. I'm glad that Exeter provides ways to make a difference, like being an environmental proctor."

Andrew's involvement comes down to the personal – knowing how his behavior promotes a healthy environment. "I take part in Exeter sustainability by doing simple things: recycling bottles and paper; turning off the lights when I leave my room; and unplugging chargers when I'm not using them," he explains. "I'd like to learn more about exactly how much energy I'm saving, and how it all adds up. Statistics really impress me and motivate me to try to conserve more. What I learn here at Exeter about environmental awareness will stick with me in the future."

If you're statistically minded like Andrew, keep your eyes on the website in late January when the GCC starts. Begun in 2003 at Exeter as an energy conservation competition, GCC started off as an inter-dorm challenge. This year, the competition involves 15 East Coast schools – a phenomenal growth. Each school will monitor energy usage for 30 days – in dorms, classrooms, gyms, libraries, administration buildings and dining halls. The school with the greatest energy reduction wins first prize. To kick off the newly expanded program, Exeter recently hosted the 1st Annual Green Cup Challenge Conference. More than 90 participants – students, faculty and staff – from 15 schools and seven states attended the one-day event. 

Interested in learning more?
Check out the Sustainability section of the Exeter website...
Learn more about the GCC...
Read the 1st Annual GCC Conference proceedings...
See Exeter's Sustainability course offerings…