Tag: sustainability

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Campus News

Center for Sustainability Hosts Open House

By Megan Brown

On a bitterly cold Friday afternoon in late January, while most students were heading back to their residences or leaving campus for the weekend, I trudged up Roth hill on my way to an event occurring on the third floor of the Chamberlain building: the Center for Sustainability Open House.

As I entered this cozy room in Chamberlain, decorated with recycled paper chains handcrafted by Mary Chichester (‘22), an intern at the Center for Sustainability (CFS), I was greeted by a room full of people playing an environmentally-themed game of Kahoot, eating cookies, and getting to know each other. Both the space and the people were welcoming. The large windows revealed a bright and beautiful winter scene outside, framed with a variety of plants perched on the windowsill. In the corner, a bookshelf was full of a range of items, from an impressive collection of literature about sustainability and social change to Russian nesting dolls. Music gently played in the background. The room not only serves as an office for the Center for Sustainability but also provides a delightful hangout space for students and interns alike. It additionally serves as the office for Brian Webb, who heads the CFS.

When I asked what he loves most about his job working on issues of sustainability on campus, Webb remarked “I love Houghton students, getting to work with them, and building connections with them, both in and out of the classroom.” He acknowledged the many difficult challenges that our planet is facing, but noted that “the passion our students have for sustainability and protecting God’s creation gives me hope for the future.”

The first CFS intern with whom I engaged in conversation was Clayton Hardiman (‘22), clad in his signature ball cap and sipping a steaming cup of hot chocolate. He encouraged me to help myself to the array of snacks being served, and he even offered me a bottle of local honey. On the down low, he also invited me to take one of the mugs that the coffee and other hot beverages were being served in. Hardiman serves as the Garden Coordinator for the CFS, a position that he noted mainly consists of planning during the winter months. When asked about what the CFS means to him, he shared that the CFS “brings the issue of ecological care and creation into a Christian perspective.”

After chatting with some other interns and students attending the open house, eating some delicious cookies, and drinking a hot cup of coffee, I left the CFS with a complimentary bottle of honey and a smile hiding behind my mask. Next time you’re on the third floor of the Chamberlain Center, I encourage you to also stop by to visit the fine people at the CFS. You can sit down to parooze a book about environmental issues, have a meaningful conversation about sustainability with people who are well-versed on the subject, and perhaps have a spot of tea. ★

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Campus News

Senior Class Gifts Apple Orchard

Saturday April 23, willing volunteers and members of the Eco Reps planted an apple orchard on campus. The orchard is located between Steese Cottage and the tennis courts. This installment was given to the college by the class of 2016 as their senior class gift.

The Class of 2016 planted their Senior Class Gift this past Saturday between Steese Cottage and the tennis courts.
The Class of 2016 planted their Senior Class Gift this past Saturday between Steese Cottage and the tennis courts.

The orchard will be maintained by Houghton’s maintenance staff and will be open for use by students, community members. Sodexo will also use them in the cafeteria. The trees will take five to ten years before they are fully-grown and ready for apple picking.

Sustainability coordinator, Brian Webb, facilitated the purchase of about 25 apple trees of different varieties and the Sodexo facilities department worked to prepare the planting area for the trees, including running a water line and digging holes.

“The Eco Reps had been working on the idea of an orchard project for two years. They did the research on the idea and sketched out an initial proposal. I took the idea to the important stakeholders and campus to get it approved,” said Webb

He continued, “Our only barrier was finance, so when the senior class showed some interested it was the perfect solution.”  The class raised over $1,200 for the project, and the sustainability office covered the remainder of the cost.

According to Gabrielle Schott ’16, the senior class gift process begins by gathering ideas from different offices on campus for possible projects. After determining the feasibility of the proposed projects the class cabinet narrows down the choices to two or three options and presents them to the senior class for voting.

“The senior class tossed around ideas for projects but landed on the apple orchard idea because of its uniqueness and the opportunity to see it planted. They also look forward to being a part of the planning before graduation, and ability to watch it grow over the years when they return as alumni,” said Emily Spateholts, Development and Reunion Specialist of the Advancement Office.

The advancement and alumni offices work together with the senior class each year to find a project that represents the class as a whole and strives to leave a lasting legacy for future students. A senior class gift must be reasonable in cost, able to be easily maintained, and able to be enjoyed all across campus rather than by a specific group of people.

Webb commented, “My hope is that the Houghton College Orchard will help connect students both to their food and to the natural environment around them.”

He continued, “Having an orchard on campus will help students see God’s creation as more than just a pretty landscape, but as something that we can actually play a role in wisely stewarding. Plus it will be awesome for students to walk over, pick an apple and eat it.”

According to Webb, the sustainability office has plans to incorporate other trees, as well, including pears, peaches, cherry trees, and maybe even grapes.

 

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Campus News

Solar Panels Prove Profitable

Last spring, the new array of solar panels on Houghton’s field of dreams promised a viable option for energy.

It was the result of the initiative that began three and a half years ago when Houghton was first contacted by Smart Energy with the idea for solar panel partnership. “Houghton was not in a financial position to pay for anything like that,” said sustainability coordinator Brian Webb. Through the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), Houghton was able to begin installing the solar panels in September of 2014. The financial arrangement allows Houghton to lease the land for WGL Energy without paying capital, buying the energy it produces at a “predetermined price” for twenty-five years. Webb explained that “because the energy is connected to the grid it, is sold to RGNE,” Houghton’s utility company.

According to Webb, there are two aspects determining the overall success of the endeavor. “It’s automatically successful, environmentally speaking,” he said, since the driving factor was “wanting to install renewable energy and lower the carbon footprint.” The solar panels produce nearly fifty percent of Houghton’s energy. “It’s the equivalent of 300 homes worth,” Lauren Bechtel ‘16 explained, recalling the visual representation of the 300 paper homes on the quad last spring. Bechtel was involved in the installation of the solar array as one of the student representatives, a link “between the student body population and the leaders that made it happen.”

Webb also discussed the “side benefit” of the financial yield. While he admitted that examining savings is “preliminary analysis” due to the differing billing cycles of the solar and utility companies, it looks promising. “The difference between what we pay and what get paid is really attractive,” he said.  Since the solar panels were finished in April, Houghton’s savings have amounted to $73,000 according to Webb. These savings counter the concerns of some Houghton students regarding the solar panels last spring. “There was a lot of confusion and misunderstanding,” Bechtel explained. She noted that while students worried about the cost of the solar panels, the PPA and likely financial benefits attest that “Houghton wasn’t choosing solar panels over student interests.”

Both Bechtel and Webb are pleased with the success of the solar panels. Bechtel noted that Houghton still has the largest solar array of any New York State campus. “Even if the students don’t see them everyday, they’re still contributing to the sustainability of our college,” she said. “It’s been exciting to see it go up,” Webb said. Having overseen the project through the phases of organizing grants, funding, design, and construction, he expressed “finally getting it installed is a big success.”