Student Senate elections are coming up Thursday, and I hope all students intend to vote. Many of your classmates put a lot of effort into the student governance at Ohio University to represent you on concerns such as student conduct and discipline, LGBT issues, diversity issues, guest policy in the dorms, alcohol policy and more. This year there are two full-ticket parties, TOGA and PULSE. You might have seen their fliers around (or at least TOGA's).
One of the major issues this year is OU's environmental responsibility. Awareness and interest in serious environmental issues is on the rise at Ohio University. Student groups are growing, and new ones are being formed. The Ohio University Ecohouse is finishing up its second academic year, and the Ohio University Office of Resource Conservation is finishing up its first. Annual OU Earth Day activities became Earth Week this past April, and Ohio University is now part of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment, along with 238 others in the nation.
Both Student Senate parties have environmental platforms that are outlined on their Facebook.com accounts. TOGA discusses improving off-campus housing and pushing for solar panels on buildings around campus. The PULSE platform includes, but is not limited to, pushing for a campus-wide energy audit to assess how much energy is used at OU, creating a rotating fund in which money saved though energy conservation is put back into further environmental initiatives and scholarships, improving campus and city bus and bike routes, updating city housing codes to require greater energy efficiency and looking into LEED building certification.
Members of the PULSE team are involved with environmental groups on campus. Their platform reflects their involvement. PULSE also recognizes that energy conservation is much more important and cost-effective than slapping solar panels on some buildings. Their platform goals are both lofty and feasible given the support from the student body, faculty, administration and the Athens community. The growing student interest, the Presidents' Climate Challenge and the Cool Cities campaign poise Ohio University on the brink of great improvements. Ohio University has a great deal of efficiency to gain in terms of how resources are used and wasted. On Thursday, vote PULSE for Student Senate to ensure positive environmental change at Ohio University.' Nathan Jud is a senior plant biology major.
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