We asked for green, and in doing so we returned the favour.
More than $200 in prizes were recently handed out for winning entries in Brock’s Earth Day contest, which asked students to send photos and videos that best depicted the spirit of Earth Day.
Brock Eco Club* won a $100 Visa gift card for its photo collage showing how its members raise awareness of environmental issues and promote environmental sustainability at Brock. It was a busy year for the club, which hosted community cleanups, educated students on why they should not purchase plastic water bottles, participated in National Sweater Day, promoted fair trade products, crocheted handmade mug sleeves called Ecozies, and held the first environmental conference at Brock.
Students Maddy Wassink and Brianna Gilmore won a $50 gift card for their commitment to carpooling to the University.
“Since we live in an area that doesn’t offer public transportation, we cut down the gas emissions in the air by cruising to school together,” Maddy said in the duo’s submission posted to Brock’s Facebook page. “If everyone that commutes carpools with someone that lives near them, imagine how much we could cut down on pollution! Grab a friend and some good tunes and start carpooling BrockU!”
Third-year Therapeutic Recreation student Jessica Will won a $50 gift card for using her “awesome” Brock water bottle.
“I find it important to go green because we have the resources available to do so,” Jessica said. “People tend to shy away at the initial higher cost, however, in the long run green products end up saving you money while helping maintain a sustainable environment. Something as simple as a reusable water bottle can reduce your footprint. It’s time we stop turning a blind eye and really work towards going green. The steps I’ve seen at Brock over the years are amazing and I’m very proud of their initiative to create a greener campus.”
Staffer Amanda Smits – who’s known as the ‘Queen of Green’ in Recreation Services – won $25 for labelling the recycling bins behind the Walker Complex welcome desk.
“You come to realize very quickly that most office trash is paper that can be easily recycled!”
* Brock Eco Club members include: President: Istafa Sufi, vice president of internal affairs: Kaitlyn Daw, vice president of external affairs: Elise Lee Lai, volunteer coordinator: Jon Chessum. Brent Barron, Dipika Singh, Elizabeth Angotti, Tyler Crowe, Elisabeth King, Haley Duckworth, Anneka Bosse, Kedar Patel, Lindsay Vollick, Emma Musclow, Laura Gemmel, Charissa DiMarco, Alyce Soulodre, Alexander Quattrociocchi, Gregory Periera, Kathleen Doxtator, Ambika Sangaran, Sarah Hirtle, Allison To, Joey Rotella, Nona Bader, Alexis Varsava, Mike Fortaleza, Kristen Dafoe, Nicola Ferguson, Shirley Lee, Nyssa Lawson, Nicole Joseph, Nicole DeCosta, Brandon Vrysen, Samantha MacAndrew, Leanne Wilton, Tolubi Ruth Bamigbade, Matt Richard, Franzi Vonhier, Kushan Azadah, Nick Burrows, Precious Niko, Kate MacDonald and Rebecca Hunt.
