IS USF SUBSTAINABLE?

By: Noëllie Inard Entertainment Editor

We all know that the University of St. Francis (USF) cares about the environment. Between the last Winterim that was centered around sustainability and the required green events for every club, USF seems to do a lot when it comes to sustainability, but is it really enough?

We know sustainability goes through the things we eat, especially how much meat we consume. If we take a look at the food options on campus, it’s impossible for a vegetarian or vegan to be healthy. Meat is present in every meal and sometimes even in different forms while no other options are offered.

Not only does it keep students from feeling included and being healthy on campus but it also promotes a non-sustainable diet and does not encourage students to try new things. It’s unfortunate that we need religious events to have more offered vegetarian options. On top of that, the food waste in the cafeteria is huge, and this one lies as much on the students who take way too much and as much on the cafeteria workers who give way too much.

Moreover, despite having some conversations going about the University starting to use reusable plates, cups and utensils for students to use, we are still left with hundreds of boxes and cups thrown away every day and not even in the good trash can. The truth is that students don’t know how to recycle and don’t care about it, letting the university waste a lot of opportunities to improve its recycling. This is why reusable utensils would be needed.

Even though USF implements sustainable actions and events through its clubs, in its everyday life, USF seems to lack some essential sustainable habits, such as turning off the lights.

Did you ever ask yourself how much the electricity bill has to cost? The lights are on 24/7 in the hallways, bathrooms and even classrooms when people forget to turn them off. While an automatic light is needed to help students navigate the university at night, it is hard to understand the use of lights in Motherhouse at 2 AM.

So, between the waste of foods and the non-sustainable food choices, the lack of recycling on top of the lights being on 24/7, it seems that, despite taking many actions on paper, USF still has a long way to go to be truly sustainable.