Smith College
EN-2: Student Orientation

For the sustainability orientation that took place this past fall, House Sustainability Reps created a video that all incoming students received during the summer. This video was an overview of sustainability at Smith. The House Sustainability Reps discussed what can and cannot be recycled and composted. In addition, the House Sustainability Reps explained energy and water usage on campus and also emphasized the importance of the co-gen plant. This video prepared incoming students to live sustainability at Smith. Along with the video, students received the date, time, and location of our sustainability orientation during their first week on campus. This orientation further engaged incoming students on Smith's sustainable efforts and showed students all the different ways they can become environmentally involved on campus. In addition, House Sustainability Reps presented an overview of the different "green" organizations and groups on campus, while focusing on the roles and duties of house sustainability representatives. The House Sustainability Reps explained how house sustainability representatives are elected officials their houses and, as a result, sit on the house council. Moreover, House Sustainability Reps discussed passed projects, i.e. Harvestfest, April Showers, Earth Week, and the composting pilot/composting fairies. Then, the House Sustainability Reps moved on to discussing the agenda for this upcoming year, which included reducing water and energy consumption in the house, expanding the compost pilot, and gaining house community participation/awareness of environmental issues on campus. There was a total of twenty-five incoming students that attended the House Sustainability Reps orientation. Of that twenty-five, about fifteen students became Reps for the fall of 2013. However, all expressed interest in becoming House Sustainability Reps, but had other commitments or time conflicts with our biweekly meetings.