Denison University
EN-3: Student Life

The DU Green Team was founded by Environmental Study students of the class of 2006 . It works to promote environmental awareness on campus. Activities include a Recyclable Fashion Show, Earth Day Mania, and speakers from both the Denison faculty and national organizations. Students are creating the DU Green Guide complete with resources and information on a variety of environmental topics and consumer choices. We hope to promote and educate the Denison community about sustainable living.

VEG is a vegan advocacy student group on campus that organizes our meatless Monday (called Mindful Mondays) campaign in the dining hall as well as hosts a yearly documentary series.

Thanks to a grant from the city of Newark, Denison students work with youth who are mandated by Juvenile Court to do community service all summer, planting, weeding and watering a cooperative garden called the Helping Hands Garden of Hope. Harvesting takes place in the fall, and the food is distributed to a local food pantry. The winter months are spent planning for the next year, and preparing start-up gardening kits for the residents surrounding the garden. These involved Denison students also help encourage local agencies and neighbors to participate in 6th Street and Growing Community Garden.

The Campus Community Garden was started in March of 2010 through a John R. Hunting Venture Fund Grant. Coordinated by a Denison Professor, the garden consists of thirty 24 x 4 raised beds. Students, faculty, and staff are all able to participate and to date the garden has over 100 active participants.

Denison has partnered with a local farm to offer a Denison specific CSA for students, faculty and staff. All members of the community are invited to go out to the farm to help with farm chores - though it isn't a requirement of being part of the CSA.

The Bandersnatch, located in Huffman Hall (next to the Dining Hall entrance), functions as a alternative social outlet for all of Denison's student body. The coffee shop is run by students and has recently received grants from the John R. Hunting Sustainability fund to make their operations "more green". This includes more reusable dishware, and recycled "to go" containers. Also, the "Snatch" is working to promote student awareness for recycling and reusing and encouraging students to bring their own coffee mugs and beverage containers for a beverage purchase at a reduced rate.

Every year, campus academic departments bring in speakers, lecturers and performers - many of whom have direct connections to sustainability. In addition to these, some recent highlights include:

In 2017 and 2018, Denison hosted a student climate summit for students from around Ohio. These were organized by Denison students who formed an organization called IntersectECO.

The Denison Museum host exhibitions year round with many having a sustainability-related focus. In 2014, Denison hosted a Smithsonian Green Rev exhibition that included works developed by students on campus. In addition, an academic course focused on curating the exhibition.

Our performing and visual arts departments often bring in artists and have performances that are sustainability related.

In 2018 and coming in 2019, the Denison Sustainability Office and the Denison Museum have partnered to bring artist Nathalie Miebach to campus for an exhibition of her 3D weaving sculptures that incorporate climate data.

The Denison Outing Club provides students with an opportunity to take part in outdoor activities away from school. The club typically runs events throughout the fall and the spring. Some of these events include mountain biking, backpacking, caving, hiking, kayaking, and canoeing. Most of the weekend activities take place in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The first major trip of the year is during the newly created fall break, where they spend four days hiking through some of the best fall foliage the east coast has to offer. In addition, spring break gives students an opportunity to explore some of America's more remote wilderness areas in states such as Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, and Georgia.

As part of its First Year Student Orientation, Denison coordinates an outdoor orientation program whereby incoming students submit essays and applications to be considered for this experience. Led by a group of faculty and staff, this orientation program teaches leadership, teamwork, self-reliance, and problem-solving while taking students on a 3 day hike through the West Virginia wilderness. Issues of sustainability and environmental responsibility are also addressed during the orientation.

First-year students at Denison are required to take a Writing 101 during their first year on campus. These classes cover a variety of topics, but each semester at least one section of that course focuses on environmental or sustainability related topics such as climate change or environmental education.

The Denison Homestead provides a unique off campus living experience where students live in cabins that are built with sustainable design principles and powered by solar power. The Homestead maintains gardens, has livestock, utilizes a wood furnace and generally attempts to provide for low-impact sustainability living options.

Denison makes available one residence hall room to show on its Admissions tour. This room has been remodeled to include energy-saving lighting and equipment. It also displays a number of items that highlight opportunities for students to engage in sustainable activities on campus. The room is open every day and current Denison students are also able to visit the room to learn about ways they can green up their own room on campus.

Denison employs Sustainability Fellows through the Office of Sustainability. Anywhere from 4-15 students are employed each year to do outreach work across campus.

Each year at Denison's Commencement ceremony, hundreds of graduating students don green ribbons signifying that they signed the Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility.

On Denison's campus, both the Environmental Studies Senior Fellows and the Office of Sustainability coordinate the program.

The pledge states, "I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of the decisions I make in my personal life and the actions I take in my professional career. I will strive to continually better my community and the global society in which I live."

Denison maintains an internal password protected website where most of this information resides. Public access web pages have limited information on this topic.