Written by Shambhu Sharan, The Shorthorn senior staff
THURSDAY, 25 FEBRUARY 2010 08:27 PM
GET INVOLVED
To become an ecoRep contact your resident assistant, residence director, sustainability director Meghna Tare, or visit http://www.uta.edu/sustainability/ for more information.
Sustainability Director Meghna Tare encourages on-campus residents to get interested in helping the environment with a new program next fall.
The new program, ecoReps, is a peer-to-peer educational program designed to help students in residence halls and on-campus apartments with their environmental footprint through environmental awareness and behavioral changes.
“The ecoRep program will train student leaders who will promote environmentally responsible behaviors in the residence halls and apartments,” Tare said.
Residence life Director Mari Duncan said ecoReps has two benefits.
“It is a great way to get involved for a great cause,” Duncan said. “It will make students more active and involved.”
Students should be residents and interested in sustainability to become ecoReps, she said. The ecoReps are volunteer positions.
“I hope they become proactive members of their community and implement some of the ideas and some of their ideas in regards to sustainability,” Duncan said.
The office is hoping to elect 14 ecoReps, two from each residential community in April.
Tare said she wants students’ participation and involvement in the sustainability’s new program.
The elected eco-representative will implement ideas like green movie screenings, green speed-dating, residence hall gardens.
Resident assistant Kelsey Jackson said she hasn’t heard about ecoReps, but thinks the initiative would provide resources for other programs like RecycleMania.
“I will be joining the program to represent Brazos House,” she said. “It will show students involvement not only faculty and staff. It sounds like a good program.”
Tare said the students involved in the university’s sustainability program will gain recognition through awards. The students will be listed on the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Web site. They receive opportunities to participate in public forums and meetings and interact with other universities.
Students wanting to be an ecoRep for their halls or apartments can contact their residence assistants or residence directors. Students can visit the Sustainability Office in Preston Hall Room 204. Fore more information about the various programs and events, visit http://www.uta.edu/sustainability/.
http://www.theshorthorn.com/content/view/18936/265/