| Save the Earth: FAMU Dorms Go Green |  |
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| By Ava Jennings -- Black College Wire | |
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On Florida A&M University’s campus, as students pack up for summer, many of them will be standing around the car, scratching their heads and trying to figure out how to get everything back home. 
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Here are some simple tips on what you can do as you get ready to leave for the summer – and as you prepare to come back in the fall: * Instead of throwing your belongings away, donate them to a charity * Give your belongings to a friend * Sell your belongings to someone who is in need * Recycle your belongings * Participate in the “Don’t Dump. Donate!” Campaign The FAMU Green Coalition is sponsoring the “Don’t Dump. Donate!” Campaign. Students are encouraged to donate their unwanted items for reuse or recycling rather than dumping everything in the trash. There will be collection stations at on-campus student dorms and apartment complexes the weekend before and after finals. Jomar Floyd, 22, thinks the campaign is beneficial for FAMU students. “This is a great opportunity for students to engage in the recycling process and this campaign shows them that there’s other ways you can make a product by using less energy,” said Floyd, a fourth-year healthcare management student from Orlando. This event involves collecting unwanted clothes, household supplies, food and appliances that students might throw out as they leave at the end of the semester. The items are then donated to nonprofit organizations, such as the Salvation Army, Goodwill, Refuge House and E-Recyclers (for electronics). As you prepare to come back in the fall and are organizing your dorm and or apartment, here are some more tips on how to create a “Green” room. * Look for 100 percent organic cotton or bamboo sets, which are made without harmful pesticides. * Look for PEVA shower curtains rather than those made from PVC Vinyl * Reduce your time in the shower by 5 minutes * Reuse. Shop at local-thrift shops for cool recycled, flowerpots, wall pictures, or vintage picture frames * Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL). * Plug everything including your cell phone into a power strip that can be turned off when you’re gone * Keep air conditioning use to a minimum * Instead of plastic cups and paper plates, use reusable kitchenware Rutha Adams, 23, a psychology student from Orlando, already utilizes some of these tips. “All of my appliances in my bedroom are plugged into one power strip, that way when I leave, everything can be turned off at once, and my roommates and I keep our air conditioning at a set temperature,” Adams said. “I’m killing two birds in one stone because I’m saving money on my utilities and I’m trying to live green.” Shalonda Williams, 23, said she also uses effective ways to preserve energy. “When I leave, I make sure to unplug all of my appliances, cut all the lights off and make sure no water is being ran,” said Williams, a senior elementary education student from Tallahassee. Floyd said trying to live green improves the living standards in the communities. “If individuals actually make some of these tips a part of their permanent life style, living green could become a new cultural style,” he said. Ava Jennings writes for The Famuan, the Florida A&M University student newspaper, which originally published this article.
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| Posted Apr. 22, 2009 |
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