“As a college campus, we have often been a center of activism, and I think it’s really important to take advantage of that and tap into our ability to organize collectively while we have this space,” Hamilton Sustainability Coordinator Elizabeth Siminitus ’23 said.
For students interested in how we, as world citizens, can work to prevent the depletion of our planet’s natural resources, the event provided an opportunity to learn about different campus organizations working on sustainability matters. They include:
The Climate Justice Coalition is an activism and education focused organization that hopes to create systemic change on the college level. Their primary goals include educating students on sustainability issues and pushing the campus to divest from fossil fuels.
A group of paid student workers, Hamilton Sustainability Coordinators work to improve sustainability through various campus projects. Willa Karr ’25, a member of the Education and Outreach branch, worked to organize the Sustainability Fair and is in the beginning stages of planning a campus thrift store. Applications for new coordinators are due in November, but the group has also taken volunteers in the past, Karr said.
The Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) considers the interconnections between sustainability and other social issues, both on a campus and national scale. As part of the national organization, members have access to participation in the YDSA Climate Cohort.
The Levitt Center provides research opportunities and avenues to engage with community partners, both locally and internationally. Students can get involved in a range of topics, including sustainability. Projects this year have focused on making campus waste disposal management more sustainable and promoting sustainability in the city of Utica.
Harvest combines sustainability with volunteering as its members work to diminish campus food waste. Members package leftover dining hall food to provide meals to the greater Utica community.
Slow Foods exposes students to the importance of including local food initiatives in our understanding of sustainability. The organization hosts trips to local farms that allow students to see and understand where their local food comes from.
With a goal of providing plants to the campus community, Plant Club has focused on fulfilling their mission in a more sustainable way, which includes reusing objects as plant pots and hosting events focused on plants that benefit the air and wildlife.
Sustainability
As leaders in education and environmental stewardship, students, faculty, and staff at Hamilton are committed to protecting and sustaining the environment through institutional processes, management of facilities, and curriculum.
