By Ona Golonka
There's plenty of "green" on the University of Portland campus this year.
Two "green" initiatives that came to fruition this fall were the formation of two sustainability- themed houses, one off-campus and the other located in Tyson Hall.
The off-campus house began as an idea sparked by sophomore Jane Strugatsky and her housemates.
"We want to make living sustainability acceptable for everyone and show that it is not that much work," Strugatsky said.
She's hoping that others will become inspired by their efforts. They have already installed low-flow showerheads and compact florescent light bulbs in their rental house.
"The Energy Trust of Oregon came and audited our house," Strugatsky said.
The Energy Trust of Oregon is a non-profit organization that helps businesses and homeowners become more energy efficient and provides consultations that assess the energy performance of your home. Strugatsky and her housemates will later compare their previous electricity and water bills with more recent ones after changes were made.
"It's also a plus that we have a big backyard," Strugatsky said.
This backyard will house a raised bed for a garden as well as a compost bin. In the future, Strugatsky hopes the backyard will also house an urban chicken coop, in order to have another nearby source of fertilizer.
Their off-campus house is advised by professor Steven Kolmes.
"The environmental studies department is helping us get started," Strugatsky said. "They give us ideas to give us a push."
The on-campus Tyson Hall Sustainability house, also known as the Green House, similarly began as an idea of last year's senior College Ecology Club students. Now, six sophomores inhabit the house.
For sophomore Kevin Hershey, one of the six students, the goal of living in the sustainability house is to become more active with environmental issues.
"I like the communal lifestyle," Hershey said. "I enjoy being around people focused on similar issues."
Each student is required to take the Principles of Sustainability course, taught by Professor Bill Barnes. The one-credit class requires each student to plan and implement an individual project throughout the semester. All six students have to participate in a collective group project as well.
"These students are eco-ambassadors; they are agents for sustainable living," Barnes said.
Though they have only been living in the house for a little more than three weeks, they have already begun implementing sustainable ideas.
They have begun setting up an indoor clothes-line and plan to install a planter box for a small garden.
Also, each student has agreed to limit their time in the shower, Hershey said.
"We want to leave a foundation and set the tone for what other kids would want to do," said sophomore Maddie Lougee.
Their individual projects are geared toward their personal interests.
Sophomore Danielle Bibbs wanted a chance to help with recycling in the Village.
"In Tyson, recycling is an inconvenience," Bibbs said. "Students don't upkeep the recycling room."
For their group project, the six sophomores agreed to focus on composting. They already have a glass jar filled with food scraps sitting on their kitchen countertop. Members of College Ecology Club were also interested in starting a composting initiative in the Village.
"We definitely want to work together, but we haven't sat down to officially discuss it yet," said Green House resident Sarah Nanbu.
Both CEC and the Tyson sustainability house had plans on how to pursue their project.
"We would inform residents what they can put into their bins and volunteers would go around once a week to collect and carry it over to a larger bin near the SLUG garden," said CEC co-president Kelsey Reavis.
Tyson and Haggerty would be the guinea pigs for a future campus-wide composting program.
"One place to get started is at the Village," Reavis said. "We can see what works and what doesn't."
The success of such a project ultimately depends on the self-motivation of the students involved, explained Barnes.
"It's 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration," he said.
