5 facts about Moravian's Sustainability Special Interest House

At this month's NAI conference I impressed a room of impressive people.

I was in a session about helping the public understand the reality of climate change. 

"The book talks about how the same group of scientists spread doubt on both the harmful effects of smoking and the reality of climate change," one of the panelists was saying. "But the name is escaping me."

"Do you mean Merchants of Doubt?" I spoke up from the back of the room. 

"That's it!" he replied with a smile.

Everyone turned to smile and nod at me. The punch line? I haven't even read it yet! Gina--ECO president as you may remember from my interview--is reading it right now and told me all about it. Don't worry, I do plan on reading the book.

This is just a funny story, but it gets at a larger point;
you learn things if you surround yourself with others who also want to grow and learn. Living with a group of girls that are dedicated to understanding environmental and social issues,
I've learned a lot. 

I have the awesome opportunity of living in the Sustainability Special Interest House (SIH). The SIH program allows students to live with others who share their same interest. To be awarded a SIH, one must apply to housing with a proposal for a special interest topic. The extra effort is worth it. Like other SIHs, my house is an environment where my housemates and I can constantly share ideas. But most importantly, we inspire each other to be better people and stronger members of the community. 

House member Becca modeling inkblot shirts we made in our Sustainability Special Interest House
last year. The proceeds from the shirts funded Moravian's trip to PowerShift 2011 in D.C.

So who are we? 

5 facts about the 5 girls of the Sustainability SIH:

1. We all started as freshman in the HILL's two (first ever!) Living and Learning Communities: Sustainability and Drugs in Society
2. We lived in a 10 person Sustainability SIH in the HILL last year
3. We are members of ECO
4. Our majors focus on the environmental and human issues
5. We work with others to make Moravian a more sustainable college

Becca and Keena at ECO's Trash on the Patio, Spring 2011

Now meet the Five Girls of the Sustainability SIH. 

We all have our own take on environmental issues. 

1. Keeana might someday be high-five-ing polar bears. She loves anything that barks, purrs, and squeaks. She's an Environmental Science major who would love to work with animals in need. She has also talked about starting her own eco-friendly pet-shop. Keeana is the house leader, the perfect role as she's got no problem organizing programs nor solving a dirty sink crisis. She also makes a great treasurer for ECO.

2. Jackie represents an important element in sustainability, the human element. She's headed for a career of investigating human behavior, especially related to crimes and delinquency. So when we all talk about an environmental issue, Jackie tends to see from the human behavior perspective. Sometimes, she's our reality check. 

3. You already met Becca, ECO Vice President and Environmental Science major. Becca is Ms. Practical. We call her our problem solver, because when we're debating about where to have Trash On the Patio, or whether to do a program this way or that, she always has the smartest answer.

4. And Gina, ECO President and Global Applications of Sustainability major. Gina has taken an strong interest in the sustainability in food. As part of an independent study project, next semester she'll be a food ambassador for Moravian. So if you have concerns about the health or sustainability of your food, head her way. 

5. Then there is me. I'm an Environmental Communication major and Art minor. I'm also the publicity officer for ECO. So I approach environmental issues by asking myself how I can get people engaged. Part of my work as ECO publicity officer, was to overhaul ECO's identity. I tried to give the former EnviroCo a friendlier name and a unified style of advertising.

We all come together in our goal for our SIH. Above all, we want other students to become more engaged in Sustainability Issues. We want them to ask where their food comes from and who made their new Moravian shirt. We want to get the campus to enter the debate about issues like the Keystone XL pipeline and the reality of climate change. 

But we know this isn't easy. 

So here are five ways we're trying this year
to get students to wake up. 

We want to:

1. Host film screenings
2. Throw green dinner and discussion parties
3. Work to make ECO as effective as it can be
4. Throw outdoor green parties
5. Bring Lehigh Valley campaigns like the Fair Farm Bill to Moravian

I'm seriously honored and grateful to have the opportunity to live in the Sustainability Special Interest House. 

I've known and grown with these girls since we were freshman. It's been my pleasure to watch us challenge one another to be our best. 

It's tough to be constantly fighting for what you believe in. My housemates. as well as the other awesome SIHs and organizations on campus,  inspire me to work harder. 

So what do you think?
Do you or someone you know live in a SIH? 

What would you like to see the SIH do on campus?