Monday, Apr 22, 2013
A year-round practice at the University, sustainability was the focus of Rider鈥檚 Earth Day celebration on April 22.
by Sean Ramsden
With spring in bloom things are starting to look particularly green. Of course, on Rider鈥檚 Lawrenceville campus, 鈥済reen鈥 is a year-round state of mind, a philosophy whereby sustainability and environmental responsibility are a full-time commitment.
This dedication was on display at Rider鈥檚 Earth Day celebration on Monday, April 22, with students flocking to the campus mall to enjoy an afternoon of environmentally friendly activities, games and presentations designed to advance Rider鈥檚 commitment to sustainability.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great way to kick off the spring, while raising awareness about the earth and its resources,鈥 said Melissa Greenberg, Rider鈥檚 sustainability manager, prior to the event. 鈥淲e want people to turn their minds toward saving energy, so this is a fun, free event that鈥檚 meant to be educational.鈥
Rider鈥檚 Energy and Sustainability Steering Committee (ESSC) and Eco-Reps were stationed at a variety of stations where visitors could test their 鈥済reen-knowledge鈥 at the Green Wheel and win a prize, compete in a recycling relay game and a cow-milking contest, and learn about Rider鈥檚 efforts to reduce its impact on the environment. The Omicron Delta Kappa sorority trivia table featured eco-friendly prizes, while representatives of such organizations as the Sierra Club and AmeriCorp we also on hand to raise awareness about environmental issues such as hydraulic fracking and watershed contamination.
Bob Marshall, assistant commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and Athena Sarafides, both of the NJDEP鈥檚 Office of Sustainability and Green Energy, toured Rider鈥檚 sustainable building projects on campus with Mike Reca, associate vice president Facilities and Auxiliary Services, and Dr. Laura Hyatt, associate dean of Sciences.
Marshall and Sarafides, an accredited professional in the U.S. Green Building Council鈥檚 Leadership in Energy and Efficiency Design (LEED), also spent time with students at the Earth Day festivities after visiting the LEED-certified North Hall and West Village, as well as the PSE&G solar farm in the rear of the campus, among other sustainability-influenced projects.
鈥淚 was pleased to see you are doing some great things on campus,鈥 Sarafides said. 鈥淵our students are wonderful 鈥 very passionate.鈥
Rider鈥檚 Earth Day celebration came just a week after the University was named one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the United States and Canada, according to The Princeton Review. The renowned education services company selected Rider for inclusion in the newly released, third annual edition of its free downloadable book, The Princeton Review鈥檚 Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2013 Edition, which was released on April 17.