Blacksburg, VA, March 3, 2019 - Browsing Around: College junior Kiersten Margulies browses the racks at Goodwill instead of the mall to help out the environment.
Maroon and orange goes green
College students at Virginia Tech are striving to be more eco-friendly in the hopes of creating a better future.
Sarah Carr - March 6, 2019
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Whether it be using a metal straw or carpooling with friends to class, college students are taking charge and doing their part to create a greener planet both on and off campus.
At Virginia Tech, one of Princeton Review’s top “Green Colleges” of 2018, junior Kiersten Margulies transitioned into a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. She began going to thrift stores for fun, and grabbing the green to go containers without question – until one day it all clicked for her.
“Thrift shopping started out as something I did for fun, then I thought, I wonder how long I can go without shopping fast fashion,” said Margulies. As for the green to-go containers, she said that when she wouldn’t use them, it felt as if she was unnecessarily contributing to something harmful.
In response to the growing green trend among college students, Virginia Tech started a program called “The Green Graduates of Virginia Tech” where students make a pledge to be more environmentally conscious in exchange for a free green cord to wear at graduation. According to the Facilities Department website, “By pledging, students are committing to foster sustainable behaviors both in their own lives and in the lives of their friends, family, and coworkers.”
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Blacksburg, VA, Feb. 26, 2019 – Metal Straws: College junior Kiersten Margulies opts for a metal straw as opposed to a plastic one to reduce waste.
Another way in which college students are striving to be more environmentally friendly is through what they eat. Sophomore Alexandra Varnon went vegetarian for the environment the day the 2018 climate report was released last November.
After researching statistics and watching documentaries, Varnon decided that it was important for her to begin cutting back on meat in order to do her part in helping the environment.
“You don’t have to go vegetarian to make a difference,” said Varnon. “If people just cut out meat from one meal a day it would help.”
Although these are just two stories from students at Virginia Tech, college students everywhere are striving to be more environmentally aware. From tweeting online about how to live a more sustainable life to students joining organizations to make a difference, college students are making sure that society is not only taking a step in the right direction - but a greener direction as well.
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