By Kerri Linsenbigler
Features Editor
“Global climate change is a huge issue. It’s something we should be thinking about for the future.”
Alexandra Bulszewicz, a senior finance major, said this is the outlook of SBU Tread Lightly. Club president Bulszewicz said she hopes to increase sustainability and environmental awareness across campus. Last week, Tread Lightly participated in Sustainability Week, which promotes awareness of eco-friendly lifestyles.
Tread Lightly sponsored a clothing swap Wednesday, Bulszewicz said. The swap showed students how to decrease their carbon footprint by wearing second-hand clothes.
“The idea of that was for people to trade things instead of buying first-hand at the store, so you reduce your energy consumption,” Bulszewicz said.
According to Bulszewicz, the most successful event of the week was the Thursday showing of “Sun Come Up.” The 2011 Academy Award nominated documentary follows the lives of refugees from Carteret Island, which is underwater due to climate change.
“It was about the first climate change refugees,” Bulszewicz said. “A lot of people came out, and we had a discussion afterwards. Everyone had a lot of input and were really moved by the film.”
The week concluded Friday with Lights Out Day. Members of Tread Lightly encouraged Bonaventure students to use less electricity throughout the day. To help students keep the lights off, Tread Lightly held a tie-dye event on the Hickey Lawn.
“(Lights Out Day) was really successful,” Bulszewicz said. “We reduced our energy consumption on campus by 5 percent.”
According to Marie Dirle, Tread Lightly secretary, Sustainability Week is a nationwide event. The individual efforts of schools across the country contribute to a larger impact, Dirle said.
“Universities all around celebrate the week with their own events,” said Dirle, an international studies major. “Since everyone everywhere is taking small steps to help the earth, Sustainability Week in that regard is beyond successful.
Besides participating in Sustainability Week, Tread Lightly plans to spread the word about recycling throughout the school year. Lack of recycling in dorms is a huge problem, according to Bulszewicz. Next semester, Bulszewicz said the group plans to hold a Recyclemania competition between the dorms, like they did last year.
Another way Tread Lightly is sharing eco-friendly tips is through “Toilet Talk.” Toilet Talk is a series of posters featuring sustainable lifestyle tips posted at eye level in bathroom stalls around campus.
“We thought ‘we’ve got a captive audience in the bathroom, so why not,’” Bulszewicz said. “We’re trying to be funny about it too, so it’s not serious.”
Both Bulsewicz and Dirle said the group hopes to attend the Powershift conference in Washington, D.C. next April. The conference brings college students from across the country together to discuss renewable energy sources. Everyone is welcome to attend, not just Tread Lightly members, according to Bulszewicz.
“We are trying to get students to sign the Power Pledge,” Dirle said. “The pledge asks students stand up to big polluters, protect our democracy from polluting corporate interests and work to create a clean energy economy through voting.”
Encouraging students to live a more eco-friendly life is the ultimate goal of Tread Lightly, according to Bulszewicz.
“That is what we focus on — providing a sustainable future, starting here on campus at St. Bonaventure.”
