Students petition SLCC
They want more recycling on campus
Ani Arakelian
Issue date: 11/18/09 Section: Campus
Have you ever finished that last drop of a sweet soda and looked to find a recycling bin but there is not one to be found around you? Many students feel this is a problem at SLCC and are trying to do something about it.
The Environmental Team of The Service Council at The Thayne Center for Service and Learning have started a petition to get things changed.
The mission is to get more recycling started in an unusual place.
"One of the activities we planned was a trip to the Salt Lake Landfill. And while we were at the landfill we learned that there are only fifty years until the landfill will be full. And so that number for us kinda slapped us across the face that this is our lifetime," says Michael Edward Whitney, council member of The Service Council.
Over one thousand students have signed The Service Council petition. The Service Council knows that there is a lot of recycling being done on campus already; they would just like to see more of it.
"It is unrealistic to expect students to save their recyclables until they can find a recycling bin. That is like not putting garbage cans out and then expecting people to save their garbage, when you do that you're going to have garbage everywhere. So you have to have garbage cans, and you need to have other options, or the reality is that people will just throw their recyclables away," says Whitney.
It is clear that students do not think there is enough recycling on campus.
"Personally I don't think so. I think a lot of the garbage we use is paper products so instead of having garbage cans, I think maybe we should just have recycling bins instead," says Whitley Palmer, SLCC student and employee.
"I think there should be a recycling bin a least by every garbage can. If we are promoting throwing away garbage than we should be promoting throwing away recyclables, too," says, SLCC student, Kyle Garahana.
"Um it is heard to define 'enough.' I think there could be more receptacles perhaps, because I know that are some areas where I have to hold on, especially plastic, to find some place to recycle," says, SLCC employee, Clint Johnson.
The students on The Service Council do not want to raise student fees to pay for more recycling; they hope that money can be found in other places.
"When I was coming from [Summer break], into the Student Center, and we were doing all of the remodeling, and there was the new tile and the sliding doors and it said 'your student fees dollars at work', I said you know we didn't need new tile or sliding door, not that there is anything wrong with them, but there is money, it is just not being allotted," says Whitney.
The council has a meeting with Dr. Marlin Clark, the Dean of Students, in the coming week. They have been working with Dr. Deneece Huftalin, Vice President of Student Services. Whitney says that they will take this all the way up to President Bioteau if they need to.
"It really is my dream for Salt Lake Community College, that's my vision, that you don't see a garbage can without another option," says Whitney.
The Environmental Team of The Service Council at The Thayne Center for Service and Learning have started a petition to get things changed.
The mission is to get more recycling started in an unusual place.
"One of the activities we planned was a trip to the Salt Lake Landfill. And while we were at the landfill we learned that there are only fifty years until the landfill will be full. And so that number for us kinda slapped us across the face that this is our lifetime," says Michael Edward Whitney, council member of The Service Council.
Over one thousand students have signed The Service Council petition. The Service Council knows that there is a lot of recycling being done on campus already; they would just like to see more of it.
"It is unrealistic to expect students to save their recyclables until they can find a recycling bin. That is like not putting garbage cans out and then expecting people to save their garbage, when you do that you're going to have garbage everywhere. So you have to have garbage cans, and you need to have other options, or the reality is that people will just throw their recyclables away," says Whitney.
It is clear that students do not think there is enough recycling on campus.
"Personally I don't think so. I think a lot of the garbage we use is paper products so instead of having garbage cans, I think maybe we should just have recycling bins instead," says Whitley Palmer, SLCC student and employee.
"I think there should be a recycling bin a least by every garbage can. If we are promoting throwing away garbage than we should be promoting throwing away recyclables, too," says, SLCC student, Kyle Garahana.
"Um it is heard to define 'enough.' I think there could be more receptacles perhaps, because I know that are some areas where I have to hold on, especially plastic, to find some place to recycle," says, SLCC employee, Clint Johnson.
The students on The Service Council do not want to raise student fees to pay for more recycling; they hope that money can be found in other places.
"When I was coming from [Summer break], into the Student Center, and we were doing all of the remodeling, and there was the new tile and the sliding doors and it said 'your student fees dollars at work', I said you know we didn't need new tile or sliding door, not that there is anything wrong with them, but there is money, it is just not being allotted," says Whitney.
The council has a meeting with Dr. Marlin Clark, the Dean of Students, in the coming week. They have been working with Dr. Deneece Huftalin, Vice President of Student Services. Whitney says that they will take this all the way up to President Bioteau if they need to.
"It really is my dream for Salt Lake Community College, that's my vision, that you don't see a garbage can without another option," says Whitney.
Be the first to comment on this story