First Impressions
You've now been an Eco-Rep for two weeks (or more, for those of you returning). What are the first impressions you have of your role? What are you looking forward to in this position?
posted by UVM Eco-Reps Program Coordinator @ 3:27 PM
33 Comments:
I'm definitely really excited to be back in the EcoRep swing and flow of information. Being that this is my second year, I have some knowledge of what to expect, but with almost all new members this year has some serious earth-saving potential. The ropes course and lunch was a great way to start the year and I feel like everyone brought a ton of passion and energy.
As far as things I've noticed around my building and campus would have to be the automatic lights and hand dryers instead of paper towels in the bathrooms. This was something that I struggled to get people to comply with last year and it's so great that the job is done for me this year. I have noticed pretty good recycling/trash sorting, but the lights in the laundry room and trash room are not automatic and I have noticed those on a lot, even without anyone in them.
This may be a question that I consider for our survey project this semester.
-Olivia B.
I'm extremely excited to start working another year as an Eco Rep. I'm looking forward to working in a bigger complex with more students to interact with, as well as Eco Reps and RAs to cooperate with. Like Olivia said, the Eco Reps this year seem very proactive and prepared to make some serious changes this year. Already meeting great people in my hall, I cannot wait to start working on our survey project with their help. I also just met with the Health and Wellness class to speak about Eco Reps. From that experience discussing our impact on campus, I'm ever more anxious to get involved this semester.
Sarah
I am very excited about being an eco rep this year. I think things are still definitely getting started, I'll be really happy when the compost system is ready. I've had more trouble than I anticipated already (and I'm in my own building which happens to be greenhouse) so I can't imagine what obstacles others are running into. I'm looking forward to really making a change this year and I hope that together we can spread conscientiousness throughout the campus!
The training day was a whirlwind of information. But I'm really excited to work with my hall and RAs. Everyone that I've met so far have been very friendly and supportive. I'm eager to start doing the dirty work. Looking in the trashrooms I noticed some good recycling behaviors, however I did see quite a few plastic water bottles. Hopefully, through the year I'll be able to tackle this problem. -Cassie, Austin hall
I would say that some of the first impressions I have of my new role as an Eco-Rep are, firstly, I have a lot of work to do, and secondly, it looks as though I could have a fairly productive year. The people in my building seem very willing to listen and ask questions, which I think is a definite plus. I'm looking forward to organizing events and getting to know the people in my halls who will be willing to help me if I ever need it. I have had students come up to me asking about composting and getting more bins for trash, recycling and compost available across campus, so I guess I'm looking forward to addressing the suggestions of the students I live with.
-Caitlan Stephens
I am really excited (like my other fellow eco-reps) to start and really help out in the Res Halls. Since I am living in the GreenHouse, but get the chance to work with those living in Wills, I feel like there is a lot that I can do. Everyone on central is really looking forward to having compost buckets and I really hope everyone gets into it. I really want my Res Hall this year to win in the trash sort and to also realize that it is very easy to do the "little things" that end up making a big difference in terms of conserving water and saving energy. I can't wait for this to really get going.
adios,
genna
My first impressions of my role are that I am working with a very cooperative and supportive residential community in terms of the RAs, RD and ARD, but the residents definitely run the gamut in terms of environmental awareness. Some of the residents are really good about composting but don't seem to do well with recycling.
I am really looking forward to trying a community project this semester so that I can see the change that I am hoping to enact come into fruition. It will be interesting for me to work with the residents to see if I can help them to make more environmentally-minded decisions.
I think that Eco-Reps is a great program and I am really excited to invest my time in a program that not only promotes environmental stewardship, but also relates to my environmental studies major! I have enjoyed wandering around Living and Learning meeting some of the residents and hanging up signage! Seems like a fun cooperative crowd in my building! It is going to really fun to get involved and hopefully make a difference! Also, the RD TJ had some awesome input for some effective targeting of certain areas. For example, he suggested that we add a compost receptacle in the fireplace lounge, promote the magazine rack more and told us that there have been issues with students stealing the compost bins we leave in the buildings. Hopefully we can all pull our brain power to figure out some creative solutions! I'm so excited!
I think that Eco-Reps is a great program and I am really excited to invest my time in a program that not only promotes environmental stewardship, but also relates to my environmental studies major! I have enjoyed wandering around Living and Learning meeting some of the residents and hanging up signage! Seems like a fun cooperative crowd in my building! It is going to really fun to get involved and hopefully make a difference! Also, the RD TJ had some awesome input for some effective targeting of certain areas. For example, he suggested that we add a compost receptacle in the fireplace lounge, promote the magazine rack more and told us that there have been issues with students stealing the compost bins we leave in the buildings. Hopefully we can all pull our brain power to figure out some creative solutions! I'm so excited!
I'm excited to really start getting involved with Eco-rep duties, since this is my first year. It was encouraging to hear from all the people in my building that they were also excited to develop a more environmentally educated and friendly community. So far, it's been nice to be a part of a team with other Eco-reps in the CBWC complex, especially since most of us in that group don't live in the complex, just to be able to communicate and coordinate our duties together. I'm really looking forward to getting compost bins and the word out about composting over in Chitty because we didn't have it (or at least know about it if we did?) when I lived there last year. It's exciting to know there are concrete goals that we're capable of accomplishing.
-Laura D.
I am very excited to be an eco rep this year! I have always been interested in teaching people about the environment and I think this is a great way to spread my passion. The group seems really excited to start working and I have met some really cool people. My building is excited about the compost and they seem interested in making a difference in the environment. I am excited to spread environmental awareness throughout campus!
I am really looking forward to making changes this year as an eco-rep. Things are just starting to move along and I can't wait for everything to be in full swing. Living in a different dorm than the one I am working with is a little bit more difficult since I can't go around as often as I'd like, but I am looking forward to working with the students in Davis to create more environmental awareness. I'm hoping to help change people's behaviors and actions from wasteful to more sustainable and in time they will become natural behaviors to everyone, so they don't have to consciously think about doing, or not doing, certain things.
I am incredibly excited to start working as an eco-rep. I transferred to UVM from the University of Delaware after one semester, and secretly, one of the many reasons that added to the large ones was the lack of recycling on campus. It killed me to see not a single recycling bin on campus or in the dorms, and it makes me so incredibly happy to live right next to the recycling room on my floor. I cannot wait to begin composting, as many students on my floor have asked when this will start. It excited me to know that they want to make the same efforts that come natural to us, and that they are willing to do their part. I look forward to teaching them other environmentally friendly practices, as well as providing them with the tools to complete the ones, such as composting, that they have told me they do at home.
-Olivia M
This is my first year as an Eco-Rep, and I've heard a lot about the program last year. Most everyone I talked to gave me the impression that the program really was getting to students and making a difference. I'm very excited to become part of the Eco-Rep team, and do feel pretty honored, especially when considering how many students are in UVM, and also how many schools even have programs in place like this. It seems like we'll all encounter a fair amount of work and invest a good chunk of time in this, but I am very excited to help to inspire and make change this year. I believe that together, we can really make this a huge year for the Eco-Reps; I can't wait to see how the year unfolds.
-Jon, Buckham
I am so excited about this opportunity because, as an Eco Rep, I get the chance to spread awareness of environmentally friendly practices to the people that I live with and having this role forces me to be
constantly thinking about the kind of example I am setting as an Eco Rep. Already, this position has had positive ramifications in my life and I'm excited to help others make lifestyle changes too... ones that help improve their quality of life and benefit the environment!
I am also super excited to be a returning EcoRep. It was really refreshing to see a whole new group of EcoReps at our ropes course who are enthusiastic about making the residence halls green! I am looking forward to new ideas and collaborating with new people. There will be new and different challenges for me because I changed residence halls. I was lucky enough to be an EcoRep for the Greenhouse last year and this year I am in U Heights North so I am anticipating some new challenges. My goal for this year is to do even more than last year and build on the knowledge base I already have.
~Natalie
I'm pretty excited and terrified to go to these mysterious hall council meetings- which turn out not to be a secret underground tribunal of grave and stern money-lenders as I previously thought, but a casual grouping of normal students taking on leadership roles in the community. And none of them were scary! It's also interesting to introduce oneself to various people in the complex: the RD, the ARD, cleaning staff, and all those other people who help the complex run smoothly whom the average student takes for granted.
As for my dorm, its small, most people are considerate of each other and of recycling and composting. I had a compost bin week #1, and people began to compost right away. The kitchen trash bin almost never has any compostable or recyclable material in it, and the compost has not been contaminated with trash either. The only time I found a large amount of compost in the trash, the compost bin was full!
The main problem I've noticed so far are people leaving lights on, and possibly leaving on TVs. Also, people might compost and recycle less on the top floors of the building, possibly because the compost bin is all the way downstairs, and the recycle bin is all the way across the hall from the trash bin... or because there are fewer signs explaining what can be recycled.
-Emily M
This is such a great opportunity to engage students in issues of sustainability, and I was thrilled to see all of the other Eco-Reps who are already involved. I am excited to start educating my peers on issues that are important to me, as well as educating myself. Already I have learned from the Eco-Rep presentations.
I have spoken to administrators in my building, and I am beginning to form a picture of what needs to be done and what might be difficult to do. It looks like there are a few challenges ahead.
The role of an Eco-Rep seems to be to connect students with resources- educational, practical, human- in order to live more sustainably in the residence halls. This facilitation/organization is a skill I am looking forward to improving and a challenge I am sure I can meet.
I am so excited to be part of EcoReps! At home my family tries to be very "eco friendly" so it is nice to come back to school this year and bring some of home with me. I am especially excited about the compost bins! I put it out a couple of days ago and its already full, which is awesome! I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone really well in the independent living housing in the Back 5 and change the way people behave toward recycling and composting and everything else we learn about this year and then bring to the dorms. I think it is such a good thing to have an ecorep back here in these small dorms because it seems more personal and I really think people will accept what I have to say and hopefully since i am in such close proximity with them all day, i can remind people to compost if I see them cooking, or toss thei bottles and pizza boxes into the recycling instead of the trash, and most important, turn off their bathroom lights! Its going to be a good year....!
-Zoe Hoffman
My first impression is that being an eco-rep is going to be really challenging, but also extremely rewarding. Some people seem very receptive to the idea of composting and recycling, and many were even visibly excited when I told them that there was now a compost bucket in the trash room. A lot of people would say stuff like, "Really?? That's so cool!! I kept wondering when we would get to start composting." So that was nice. But then there are definitely people who are seem pretty uninterested--like, "oh, cool, thanks" and then go back to whatever they were doing. But the amount of people who are interested in being more green is inspiring, and definitely outweighs the more negative responses. I'm really glad that the RD and the RA's for my building really seem to want to facilitate the work that I'm doing, and make important resources available to me. My biggest problems have been getting lost in my building (it's not that big..how is that possible???) pretty much every time I go in there. I had such a hard time finding my bulletin board and when I finally did I realized I'd already passed by it like three times. But overall, I'm really looking forward to the task of enlightening my peers and working together to make UVM a much more sustainable campus.
After the training session I realized just how big of a responsibility and time commitment being an Eco-Rep will be, but nothing that I am not ready or anxious for. The first thing I did as the Simpson Eco-Rep was introduce myself as this role during the floor meeting, and got an unexpected reaction from the rest of the residents: they (most of whom are first years) were really interested in what my job was and thought it was really cool. I had to just stop by the meeting before I left for a class so I quickly just said my name and jokingly yelled "so you better compost and recycle!" as I left them all behind. when I came home later that night, someone had written in big letters on the Community Standards list: Compost & Recycle! Hopefully their intrigue and support for my positiion will help the job run smoothly.
Overall people seem really receptive to what I have to say and the activities we conduct. Composting has been great but the recycling in my dorm needs some work. I feel much more involved in my res hall community (as well as the university) this year as an Eco-Rep. I can't wait to get more into helping my res hall be more green!
I am really glad that I am finally a part of the Eco-Reps. I have been always frustrated by residents' eco-unfriendly behavior, so I will try to do my best and give it a change. Also, this is a great opportunity for me to learn more about UVM, and also to develop skills to communicate with people effectively.
I want to make the best of the chances and attend as many events as possible. I am excited about seeing changes we are going to be making throughout the year!
-Kazuha
The EcoRep position has definitely gotten off to a good start, and after talking to some of the residents within my building, they also are looking forward to the activities the program has for the coming year. For the most part, everyone seems to be putting trash in the trash bin, and recycling in the recycling bin. Though one thing that definitely has stood out is that the lights in the Kitchen on each floor seem to be constantly on. Could be something to look into later in the semester.
Great start from the beginning through the middle of the semester now; can only get better from here, hopefully!
-Brian S.
Eco-reping this year so far has definitely been a good experience. It seems to be a great way to get involved with several on campus activities and network with helpful resources around campus. The composting in the dorms has gone great so far and I am very pleased with the amount of participation. I am looking forward to the upcoming projects helping residents become more aware of their living habits.
I have really been liking this position so far! On the first day of training, I was struck by how energetic and enthusiastic everyone was. It is not often that you come by such an engaging group. Everyone was really willing to join in the morning activities, which made them a lot of fun. In general, I think we have a great group of students who are all for creating positive change! I think it's great that we have so many opportunities to fill our hours with activities around campus. Tabling events were fun, as was the trash sort, and the light bulb swap. I'm looking forward to all of our future activities in the upcoming weeks. There's definitely a lot of potential in our group, now we just need to find ways to get other students to care, too.
-Anya Gedrath-Smith
So far doing the EcoRep program has been really great. I feel like I have gotten so much new information on being "green" and I really like being able to tell people about the program. Being the EcoRep for the GreenHouse has also been very interesting. There are so many things in the building that are already environmentally friendly and so many of the residents are already very environmentally aware and willing to help out and so interested in learning more. It should be really interesting to see how we can improve even more.
Alyssa Iveson
I am really excited to be and Eco-Rep this year. It seems like an awesome opportunity to be a part of something that could (and hopefully will) be at the center of the University's energy change. I'm learning a lot, and finding that convincing people to change their ways is a lot harder than it seems.
So far my building has responded pretty well to the composting and recycling systems. My floor loves the compost bucket and I have to empty it every few days! I still keep finding recyclables in the trash and I go and try to make my signs all that much brighter and more noticeable. I think we're on our way to some great things and I'm siked to do more!
-Anna Speidel
I am really excited to be and Eco-Rep this year. It seems like an awesome opportunity to be a part of something that could (and hopefully will) be at the center of the University's energy change. I'm learning a lot, and finding that convincing people to change their ways is a lot harder than it seems.
So far my building has responded pretty well to the composting and recycling systems. My floor loves the compost bucket and I have to empty it every few days! I still keep finding recyclables in the trash and I go and try to make my signs all that much brighter and more noticeable. I think we're on our way to some great things and I'm siked to do more!
-Anna Speidel
I am really excited to be and Eco-Rep this year. It seems like an awesome opportunity to be a part of something that could (and hopefully will) be at the center of the University's energy change. I'm learning a lot, and finding that convincing people to change their ways is a lot harder than it seems.
So far my building has responded pretty well to the composting and recycling systems. My floor loves the compost bucket and I have to empty it every few days! I still keep finding recyclables in the trash and I go and try to make my signs all that much brighter and more noticeable. I think we're on our way to some great things and I'm siked to do more!
-Anna Speidel
I was very excited to hear that I was wanted as an EcoRep this year. Having heard about it all of last year, it seemed like it could be a great learning and teaching experience for me. I know that Harris/Millis is one of the biggest residence halls on campus and I'm wondering if it will pose as a conflict. It's also a very confusing building and I'm afraid some of the residents won't make the effort to try and find the compost. That being said, I think it's big enough that there will definitely be residents interested in keeping all of our efforts alive and I can't wait to begin.
-Anya R.
I was very excited to hear that I was wanted as an EcoRep this year. Having heard about it all of last year, it seemed like it could be a great learning and teaching experience for me. I know that Harris/Millis is one of the biggest residence halls on campus and I'm wondering if it will pose as a conflict. It's also a very confusing building and I'm afraid some of the residents won't make the effort to try and find the compost. That being said, I think it's big enough that there will definitely be residents interested in keeping all of our efforts alive and I can't wait to begin.
-Anya R.
I remember, in my first couple of weeks of being an Eco Rep, being very excited! It seemed really cool that I would be helping the sustainability effort on campus. I liked the idea of being a leader (and I still do!). There was one thing that's important to note... I remember being under the false impression that I was in a position of relative power- not like an RD, of course... But I thought it would be easier to enter the circle of RA's, RD's, and housekeeping staff. I thought we were supposed to be on a similar level, and consult each other about goings-on... As it turned out, it was hard to stay in touch with these people because of conflicting schedules and late responses to my emails.
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