The Office of Sustainability is pleased to announce that applications are now open for paid internship positions with the Office and the Community Garden.

The Office of Sustainability is hiring interns for the summer of 2019 to work on a wide range of projects to advance sustainability at Colgate. This is an exciting opportunity for Colgate students to get hands-on experience putting sustainability into action, working to support the Program Coordinator and Director of Sustainability. The internship requires up to 40 hours per week, starting in late May and ending in early August. Work schedules are flexible and will allow for vacation time, however a total of 10 weeks of work during the summer is required.

“The summer Sustainability internship has many components to it, which makes it even more fun and exciting,” says summer ’18 intern Luvna Dhawka. “I had the opportunity to participate in the Foundations of Sustainability course for staff led by John Pumilio, the Director of the Office of Sustainability, who really drove the point home that somebody, somewhere has to act differently for change to happen, and it might as well just be me. Another aspect of the internship that I really enjoyed was managing a vegetable plot with the other interns at the Colgate Community garden where we would volunteer for an hour every week – a nice break from office work and ideal to enjoy the beautiful summer weather of Hamilton.”

To apply for this position, please email your resume and cover letter to pgramlich@colgate.edu by April 14th. More information about the position and application is available on the portal.

The Colgate Community Garden is hiring two interns starting in early/mid May 2019 until mid/late-August 2019. Garden interns will help manage and promote the organic community vegetable/herb garden on campus. This is a physically demanding, yet very rewarding job. Work includes long days and exposure to outdoor elements (e.g. heat, sun, rain, etc.). The student interns are expected to coordinate and organize volunteers and community work parties, as well as carry out an independent garden project from conception to completion. The Garden interns will report directly to garden manager Beth Roy. Interns will work in close collaboration with other Colgate students, faculty, and staff to plan and manage the garden. The student interns will gain life-long skills and knowledge in planting and maintaining an organic garden, organizing events, and supervising volunteer workers.

According to former Garden intern Mak Bridge ’20, “I loved being able to see the entire agricultural process from start to finish. Working at the garden is one of the only opportunities students have to get involved with agriculture, and as Colgate is set in such a rural environment, I think it really helps to give the interns a sense of place.”

To apply to be a Garden intern, please email your resume and cover letter to eroy@colgate.edu by April 14th. More information about the position and application is available on the portal.

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This year marks Colgate’s tenth consecutive greenhouse gas inventory report. Colgate’s gross campus carbon emissions in Fiscal Year 2018 (July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018) was 9,464 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTeCO2). We have reduced our net campus carbon footprint by 12,332 MTeCO2, representing a 72.9 percent reduction since 2009. Since signing the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) in 2009, rebranded as Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment, Colgate has implemented many changes on and off campus to achieve these reductions, moving closer toward our goal of carbon neutrality. 2018 State of Sustainability Report.

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February 10-16 was a garbage week for some people at Colgate.

To bring awareness to the amount of trash produced by individuals on Colgate’s campus on a daily basis, 34 students and 8 faculty and staff members carried their trash with them for a week.

Throughout the week, participants opted to dispose of their waste in a Ziploc bag instead of a trash can. All trash produced during the week, except for hygiene products and food waste due to health and safety concerns, was carried in the bag and was visible for all to see. Many bags were completely full by the end of the seventh day, clearly demonstrating how much waste an individual can produce in a week.

Some of the most common items were food packaging, plastic silverware and food boats from the Coop, and paper towels. Participants say that they tried to limit the amount of trash they produced throughout the week, but many items, such as paper towels used to clean equipment in the gym, were unavoidable. According to one student, “I didn’t realize how many simple items are impossible to use without producing trash, especially food wrappers and containers.” About 50% of participants produced more trash than they originally anticipated.

Carry Your Trash Week has made students, faculty, and staff members more aware of the waste they produce. One student reported that “it is so easy to throw something away without thinking about it. Having to actively put it in a bag makes you much more conscious.” Additionally, Carry Your Trash Week has inspired people to change their behavior. Many students have committed to bringing reusable silverware up the hill and opting for a reusable mug instead of a disposable to-go cup.

In addition to compelling participants to face the amount of trash they produce in a week, another goal of Carry Your Trash Week was to encourage the entire Colgate community to think about their waste. However, despite participants’ best efforts to display the trash they were carrying, many did not receive questions or comments about their trash from others. One student reported that the only people who were willing to talk about reducing waste were already conscious of their own trash. According to Professor Jason Kawall, “I made sure [my trash bag] was highly visible in my classes but no one took me up on it, which was a little disappointing.”

Although overall campus engagement fell short of expectations, Carry Your Trash Week was still a great success, as many people on campus became more aware of the trash they produce and are taking action to consciously reduce their waste.

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It’s no secret that Colgate students face quite a challenge staying warm during the frigid central New York winters. However, heating is incredibly energy intensive and greatly contributes to Colgate’s greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2017, over 50% of the university’s carbon emissions were associated with heating. Colgate’s heat comes from multiple sources including wood chips, natural gas, fuel oil, and kerosene. In order to heat campus as sustainably as possible, Colgate has recently made upgrades to campus infrastructure. For example, natural gas replaced fuel oil in the townhouses during summer of 2018. Although natural gas is a non-renewable resource, it is still much less carbon intensive than fuel oil. Additionally, the heating plant has recently been upgraded to support more efficient wood chip burning, which is a carbon neutral source of heat. These upgrades will help to reduce future carbon emissions.

While the university has taken steps to reduce carbon emissions associated with the operational side of heating, students can play a large role in reducing the amount of heating that is actually used. Here are some tips to help you both stay warm and decrease your carbon footprint on campus:

• Make sure all windows are closed when the heat is on
• Don’t turn your thermostat above 70 degrees
• Use a blanket and wear warm socks
• Lower the temperature a few degrees when you’re not in your room
• Wear warm winter clothes when you are outside to maintain a healthy body temperature so that you are not tempted to turn up the heat after returning inside
• Turn the thermostat down to 55 degrees if you won’t be in your housing for an extended period of time, such as over Spring Break

Establishing healthy heating habits now will also benefit you later in life when you’re responsible for paying your own heating bill. According to energy.gov, lowering the thermostat by 10-15 degrees for 8 hours per day will help you reduce your bill by 5-15% per year.

Heating is a necessary part of life, especially during the Spring semester at Colgate, but is unfortunately a large contributor to carbon emissions. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of how much energy we use to heat our rooms and do what we can to stay warm sustainably.

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The Sustainability Representative (S-Rep) program introduces first-year students to the sustainability culture at Colgate and equips them with the skills and information they need to improve sustainable practices in their Commons communities. These are the 2018-2019 S-Reps!

Ellie Lawrence is a Brown Commons S-Rep from Chicago, Illinois. She intends to double major in Political Science & Middle East/Islamic Studies. Ellie is involved with Club Ice Hockey & the Office of Admissions, and also enjoys skiing, working on political campaigns, and journalism. Ellie is passionate about making this campus a more environmentally-minded place.

Juliana Koller is a Ciccone Commons S-Rep from Weston, Connecticut. Juliana intends to major in Environmental Studies. She enjoys being in Shock Dance Group and working at her sleep away camp in the Berkshires. Juliana is excited to help run events for Colgate’s 13 Days of Green.

Willa King is a Brown Commons S-Rep from New York, NY. She is an Economics major and is involved with the Hamilton Fire Department. Willa also enjoys baking and backpacking in her free time. She wanted to be an S-Rep because she has been fortunate to see some beautiful places in nature and wants to make sure those places can be preserved for future generations.

Nicole Dienst is a Ciccone Commons S-Rep from Westport, Connecticut. She intends to double major in English and Environmental Studies. Nicole is also a writer for the Maroon News, is on the Residential Commons Council, and is a member of Green Earth Gang. She is also an avid readers and enjoy hanging out with friends and playing sports. Nicole wanted to be an S-Rep so she could have real hands-on ability to improve sustainability at Colgate.

Kate Connelly is a Brown Commons S-Rep from Smithtown, New York. She intends to double major in Environmental Studies and Economics, and is also involved with Model United Nations and Hamilton Outdoor Group. In her free time Kate loves binge-watching Game of Thrones and quoting vines. She became interested in being an S-Rep because she wanted to be an advocate for change at Colgate.

Melanie Crawford is a Ciccone Commons S-Rep from Atlanta, Georgia. She intends to major in Environmental Economics, and spends her free time partaking in Green Earth Gang, spending time outdoors, and hanging out with friends. Nicole wanted to become an S-Rep because she was interested in spreading awareness about the environment through events and campaigns.

Ramy Berenblum is a Dart Colgrove S-Rep from Bedford, New York. She intends to major in Environmental Studies and is also involved in Sidekicks and Club Squash at Colgate. Ramy loves to hike and backpack in her free time. She is excited to be a role model for sustainability on campus.

Clare McCormack is a Dart Colgrove Commons S-Rep who intends to double major in Sociology and Political Science. She is also involved with the Equestrian Team, Planned Parenthood Generation Action, and Spoon University. Clare is a firm believer that everyone can pitch in to keep the Earth inhabitable and beautiful for many generations to come.

Elisabeth Pezzuto is a Brown Commons S-Rep from Hilo, Hawai’i who intends to major in Biochemistry. Elisabeth spends her time on campus partaking in Outdoor Ed programs and dance programs. She also loves hiking, exploring new places, playing volleyball, and making ceramics. Elisabeth is very passionate about sustainable living and collectively doing small things that can make a big difference.

Sam Brotmann is a Brown Commons S-Rep from Pound Ridge, NY. He is currently undecided about his major. Sam is also involved in Students for Environmental Action and WRCU Radio at Colgate. In his free time, he enjoys playing bass guitar. Sam has always been interested in the natural world and living sustainably, and is excited for the opportunity to make Colgate a better place.

Liam Higgins is a Ciccone Commons S-Rep from Massapequa Park, NY. Liam intends to double major in History and Economics and is also a Mock Trial Attorney and Career Services Intern at Colgate. Liam loves listening to music in his free time. He was interested in becoming an S-Rep because he cares about the environment and promoting sustainability and taking every step possible to ensure that the Earth is habitable for generations to come.

Charlotte Carey is a Ciccone Commons S-Rep from Balitmore, Maryland. She intends to major in Environmental Studies and is also in Club Squash and UCAN at Colgate. In her free time she loves to paint, learn about art history, and hike. Charlotte is so excited to learn more about the sustainable initiatives on campus and to be involved in making Colgate a greener school.

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Carbon emissions have recently been a hot topic of conversation both at Colgate and around the world. As the University engages in campus-wide conversations regarding carbon neutrality and carbon offsets, international reports on climate change emphasize the importance of mitigating carbon emissions.

On November 23, 2018, the US government released a National Climate Assessment Report. The scientific report, which was issued by 13 federal agencies, warned of the consequences of climate change. In addition to environmental degradation and threats to marginalized communities, America’s economy could be reduced by as much as 10% by the end of the century.

This report is one of many to have been recently released. In October, the IPCC released a report about an impending climate crisis, advising nations to take urgent action in order to limit global temperature rise to 1.5℃. Less than two months later, the UN released its annual Emissions Gap Report to check on how well countries are doing at reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Alarmingly, global emissions currently are not on track to limit warming to 2℃.

While international communities are highlighting the importance of mitigating carbon emissions, Colgate is taking responsibility for its carbon footprint and is on track to become carbon neutral in 2019.

For students interested in learning about national climate assessments, four Colgate alumni who have worked on the National Climate Assessment Report will be on campus from Thursday, January 31 to Friday, February 1. The panelists are Ellen Mecray ’90, Director, Eastern Regional Climate Services, Center for Weather and Climate, U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA; David Reidmiller ’01, Director, National Climate Assessment at the U.S. Global Change Research Program; Dan Barrie ’05, Program Manager with NOAA’s Climate Program Office and NOAA representative to USGCRP National Climate Assessment Steering Committee; and Natalie Bennett ’16, Adaptation and Assessment Analyst at the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

On Thursday evening, they will present The Climate Dilemma: Findings, Impacts, and Actions from the Fourth National Climate Assessment.

On Friday afternoon, they will present The Fourth National Climate Assessment: the Story behind the Report from Four Colgate Alumni.

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From October 2-4, three Colgate students and three staff members attended the AASHE Conference and Expo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. AASHE, or the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, hosts an annual conference attended by nearly two thousand people. The theme of this year’s conference was “Global Goals: Rising to the Challenge.” The conference gave attendees the opportunity to present their efforts to promote sustainability at Colgate as well as learn about successful projects at other universities.

“People come to AASHE to make change-inspiring strategies accessible to all. I witnessed people actively solving how to scale new systems within different geographical and cultural contexts. It was truly a privilege to learn from and alongside such innovative sustainable thinkers,” said UCan founder Christina Weiler ‘21.

(L to R) Christina, Isabel, and Maddie at AASHE.

Thanks to funding support from CLTR, students were able to attend AASHE and view presentations, network with sustainability professionals, and present the work they have done at Colgate. Isabel Dove ‘19, an intern with the Office of Sustainability and founder of the Beekeeping Club, was a panelist on a presentation entitled “Pollinator Friendly Campuses: Strategies to Help You Get Your Buzz on.” Isabel discussed student involvement with campus apiaries and gave advice for establishing apiaries at other institutions. Intern Madison Smith ‘19 and Christina Weiler ‘21 both served as panelists on “Sustainability-themed Living and Learning Communities,” in which they discussed Colgate’s innovative S-Rep program. Christina also presented a poster on her social recycling system UCan.

Sustainability and Environmental Studies Program Coordinator Pamela Gramlich co-lead the workshop “Develop Your Toolkit for Sustainability Communications.” Pamela and Kat Pritts, a designer for the Communications Office, both contributed to the presentation “Communication Strategies to Reach Beyond the Choir.” Finally, Director of Sustainability John Pumilio served as a panelist on the presentation “Approaches to Carbon Offset Procurement.” These workshops and presentations were an effective way of communicating Colgate’s leading-edge approaches to promoting sustainability on campus.

The AASHE conference served as a professional development opportunity for students and energized interns to continue thinking of ways to engage the Colgate community in sustainable lifestyles. Madison reflects, “While it was great to present at AASHE, gain experience in public speaking, and collaborate with people from other schools, the most valuable part of the conference was listening to the ideas of my peers and learning through the work that they are doing.”

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By: Jaanvi Sachdeva ’21

Colgate University is currently home to 16 state-of-the-art Elkay water refill stations, and is on the path to installing more. This cleaner, more energy-efficient water experience is something that students have come to understand as part of their lives, but they have not been around forever.

The University has installed these water refill stations in several batches, with each new addition following student backing and request. In 2015, a refill station was installed in the renovated Cooley Science Library, and in 2016, four were installed on the first, third, fourth, and fifth floors of Case-Geyer. Many of these projects have been the direct result of SGA proposals that highlighted the essential role the stations could play in encouraging sustainable behavior and showcasing sustainable living at Colgate. Bryan Complex just received an Elkay water refill station thanks to a successful SGA proposal, and 113 Broad is expected to receive one before 2019.

Students have expressed that these stations significantly benefit their lives, as they promote both sustainable behaviors and regular hydration. “I think I drink much more water here [at Colgate] than I do at home, because every time I walk by one of those stations, I am reminded to fill my bottle up. At home if I’m thirsty, I just grab a plastic water bottle but I regularly use a reusable bottle while here,” said Jared Collins ’21.

The Elkay water refill stations leads to a wider acceptance and normalization of reusable water bottle use. This is important because last year, the average American used 167 disposable water bottles, but only recycled 38, leading to significant environmental harms. The Elkay water refill stations not only save money spent on disposable water bottles and add convenience to the lives of students, but also decrease waste associated with single-use bottle production and disposal.

While more widespread use of reusable water bottles by Colgate students has been encouraged by the Elkay water refill stations, there is still room for improvement. Perhaps the largest obstacle to reducing plastic waste is that many students do not feel comfortable drinking the tap water here and consequently opt to drink bottled water. One student reports, “It’s convenient to keep plastic bottles in the room, because I’m unsure about the quality of the tap water. It doesn’t taste as good as water from other places.” While Colgate’s tap water is safe to drink and is regularly tested for safety, the Elkay stations do provide students with another, better-tasting option to refill their bottles.

While Colgate is making great strides to encourage healthy, sustainable lifestyles and reduce waste, we can still do much more! If students are passionate about these issues, some outlets for these concerns might be talking to Commons leaders, seeking funding from various student groups, or simply putting their concerns in the public eye where decision-makers are aware of them. We encourage student participation in this conversation for greater sustainable living!

The locations of the current Elkay refill stations at Colgate can be viewed here:

https://myatlascms.com/map/?id=148&sbh=1&tbh=1#!ct/13699,25166?ce/19941?mc/42.81685778263024,-75.53754508495332?z/17

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Skylar Jeveli ‘21

Skylar is a sophomore from Lafayette, California majoring in Environmental Studies. Her hobbies include sailing, skiing, travel, photography, hiking, cooking, and volunteering. This year, she is excited to help promote all of our incredible sustainability events and encourage students to attend and learn about Colgate’s sustainability initiatives. She is also looking forward to working on the state of New York sustainability report for Colgate.

Maggie Dunn ‘19

Maggie is a senior from Greensboro, North Carolina majoring in Geography. Maggie enjoys baking, reading, and learning about new topics of sustainability. She is studying to become a LEED Green Associate and can’t wait to help implement the lessons she learns on Colgate’s campus!

Jacob Watts ‘21

Jacob is a sophomore Biology major from North East, Pennsylvania. His hobbies include sailing, hiking, white water kayaking, rock climbing, and tree identification. During his first year as an intern, Jacob is excited to teach the PE passport classes about sustainability to anyone who is excited to learn!

Adam Zaharoni ‘21

Adam is a sophomore from Yardley, Pennsylvania double majoring in Geology and Classical Studies. His hobbies include debate, a Capella, and paddle boarding. Adam worked as an intern over the summer and is excited to mentor the S-Reps this semester.

Chaveli Miles ‘19

Chaveli is a senior from Shelburne, Vermont double majoring in Geography and Environmental Studies. Chaveli loves to listen to music, stream podcasts, and do just about anything if she’s spending time with friends. This year, she’s excited to work with different campus organizations and student groups.

Madison Smith ‘19

Maddie is a senior from Goffstown, New Hampshire double majoring in Environmental Studies and Economics. She enjoys hiking, kayaking, biking, reading, and cooking. Maddie spent all of last year abroad and is happy to be back in the Office of Sustainability, where she will be  getting first-year students involved with sustainability on campus through the S-Reps program!

Caroline Barrett ‘20

Caroline is a junior from Vestal, New York majoring in Environmental Studies and minoring in Psychology. She enjoys hiking, soccer, reading, live music, restaurants, yoga, running, traveling, coffee. This semester, Caroline looks forward to working with the other interns to organize and plan programs and events!

Samantha Lovely ‘20

Samantha is a junior from Jupiter, Florida double majoring in Geography and Environmental Studies. Her hobbies include horseback riding, playing French horn, and paddle boarding. She is looking forward to working with the S-Reps to get first years involved with sustainability at Colgate!

Matthew Froelich ‘19

Matt is a senior from Seminole, Oklahoma majoring in Geography and minoring in Economics. His hobbies include paddle boarding and canoeing. Matt can’t wait to help complete our Greenhouse Gas Inventory this year!

Jaanvi Sachdeva ‘21

Jaanvi is a sophomore from Mamaroneck, New York and is double majoring in Environmental Studies and International Relations. She enjoys reading, baking, and watching Netflix. During her first year as an intern, Jaanvi is excited to help organize and coordinate the NYCSHE Conference that Colgate is hosting in November.

Ethan Reiser ‘21

Ethan is a sophomore from Greenville, Pennsylvania double majoring in Environmental Studies and History. He enjoys playing basketball, frisbee, guitar, and doing anything outdoors. This year, Ethan is looking forward to eliminating needless waste on campus.

Luvna Dhawka ‘20

Luvna is a Molecular Biology major joining us from Mahebourg, Mauritius. She enjoys embroidery, reading, trying different cuisines, and making flower presses. More recently, Luvna has become interested in identifying scientific names of plants. She spent this summer as an intern and is excited to keep working on making the Office of Sustainability and its accomplishments more visible to students through social media, thereby encouraging the Colgate population to become more conscious of sustainability.

Isabel Dove ‘19

Isabel is a senior from Collegeville, Pennsylvania majoring in Geology and minoring in Geography. When she’s not working in the lab, Isabel spends her time hiking, knitting, reading, and running Colgate’s Beekeeping Club. She is looking forward to working on this year’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory and helping Colgate reach carbon neutrality in 2019.

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The Office of Sustainability is pleased to announce that applications for the 2018-2019 Community Garden Internship are now open! Founded in 2010 from the efforts of a group of ENST 480 students and the Class gift of 2010, the Colgate Community Garden is now a half-acre vegetable and herb garden. We are looking for qualified students to help our Garden Manager, Beth Roy, not only manage and promote the garden, but also coordinate and organize volunteers and student work parties.

Garden interns should expect having to work in physically demanding, yet rewarding, conditions such as exposure to the outdoors and having to perform physically taxing activities. The internship has enabled past student garden interns to gain life-long skills and knowledge in harvesting and garden maintenance, event organization, and volunteer workers supervision.

“I’m very excited to see plants I planted grow and change through the course of the summer,” said Summer Cardarelli’21, one of the Summer 2018 Community garden interns, when she started working at the garden. Andrew Lapp’20, another Summer 2018 garden intern stated that  assembling a caterpillar tunnel where they planted eggplants and tomatoes was a very enjoyable experience, and he thinks being a garden intern is ideal if you enjoy the outdoors.

The internship program involves a paid position starting around August 28th 2018 until early November 2018. Students of all class years and majors are welcome to apply. The expected work hours are 6 hours weekly. To apply, applicants should email their resume and a one-page cover letter (required), to Beth Roy, the Garden Manager at eroy@colgate.edu, and fill out the application on the Colgate Portal.

The application deadline is Friday, August 10th.

See the full job description below:

INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW AND PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Interns will:

• Work with garden manager (Beth Roy) to plan and manage the garden during the fall season. Specific tasks may include preparing soil, cultivating, planting, weeding, and harvesting.
• Organize and supervise volunteer work parties.
• Coordinate with Green Thumbs presidents to schedule a weekly time for volunteer work parties and be at the garden during those scheduled times to supervise the work parties.
• Provide continuity for work on the garden throughout the 2018 growing season.
• Prepare for and help run a weekly Farm Stand to sell produce from the garden.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Strong work ethic and self-motivated.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Preference will be given to those with experience and firsthand knowledge in farming and/or gardening with vegetable crops; though previous garden experience is not required.
• Experience organizing and supervising the work of others.
• Tolerance for hard work and exposure to outdoor elements.
• Excitement about promoting local farming and local food production

For more information, visit the Colgate Portal or contact Beth Roy (eroy@colgate.edu), the Colgate Community Garden Manager and Consultant, or John Pumilio (jpumilio@colgate.edu) the Director of Sustainability.

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