2/13
In today’s class, we talked a lot about what qualities help make up a successful leader. This class helped me reflect on my own leadership qualities. The exercise with the shield was helpful because we could only pick a few qualities and values. Then, going around the room, everyone shared their leadership qualities and values and it helped me think of some of my other leadership skills. I believe two of my best leadership qualities are positivity and commitment. I like to think I’m a generally positive person that will help keep others positive. I also feel like I’m a committed individual. If given a task, I will be sure to remain committed throughout the completion process. This class also helped me to narrow down what I would like to do for the project. My three ideas include: raising the plastic bottle “tax” to 10 cents in Albany Country. As well as implementing a same fee on plastic water bottles. I cannot stand plastic bags or plastic water bottles. People neglect to care or change their behaviors regarding plastic bottles and bags, so I think the best way to initiate change is to impose a fee. The average usage time of a plastic bag is 12 minutes. The average lifespan of plastic bag in the landfill is 500-1000 years. Plastic bags make no sense. My other ideas focus campus waste reductions. The plastic containers at the SNAR must be replaced and pizza boxes from the Quarry or take-out must be composted. Also, plastic cups and coffee cups from dining locations around campus must be improved as well. I wish coffee was only offered to people that bring their own mugs to these locations. Everyone has a mug from Charter Day or a personal one from home. There’s no excuse to continue using non-reusable mugs.
2/20
Today’s class was helpful not just to try and get feedback for our ideas, but it was also refreshing to hear everyone else’s ideas. It was refreshing in the sense that other people share similar values as me and wish to act on these issues. In some cases, I found myself thinking to myself, “man I wish I thought of that idea.” Issues and values ranged from raising awareness about climate change through “climate dialogues,” to increasing local election participation, to more equal pay for Dickinson dining workers. It was great to see such a wide variety of topics, as well as scale. There are always ideas or policies that people wish to change at local level such as an institution like Dickinson or a small town like Carlisle. There are also issues that must be addressed at a larger scale. What I found most inspiring was how Jack took the initiative to speak with the man that was rummaging through his garbage. Having the power to speak with him and not ignore him is something I hope to do given the opportunity. It was also cool to hear that that man helped inspire an idea for Jack to do for this project.
2/24
As I’m sitting outside the Quarry enjoying this beautiful 68 degree weather at 10 am on a Friday in February, I can’t fully enjoy this because I know this is slowly becoming the norm. The entire week has been in the 60s and 70s. In years past, there are typically some random 60-70 degree days in February, but not entire weeks of this early summer weather. Everyone is finally beginning to realize this is not normal. Long gone are the days where I can count on a nice, big snow storm in February, or the entire winter season for that matter. While people are praising this warm weather, I get an eerie feeling. The problem about climate change is that it’s making for milder winters in the Northeast. Many people prefer the 60-70 degree weather over the old norm of 30-40 degree weather because it enables summer behavior. No one wants to spend their time shoveling when they can be playing games outside in shorts and a T-shirt, so why do something to stop this? Well, as a consequence, not only will winter temperatures rise, but so will summer. Days of 90+ degree heat will increase. Not many Northeasterners prefer that.
So what’s next? That brings me to our class now. We, as young leaders, must continue to push for environmental policy that reduces fossil fuel usage, restricts pollution, and most importantly, educate the fools who believe all is well while they sit outside for a week in 70 degree weather in February. Without encouraging system and behavioral change, the world as we know it is gone. Sometimes it’s difficult being an environmental science major. I know, to an extent, the severity of climate change and what will happen if we continue to live as we do now. The positive of this though is we are the ones to initiate change. If no one studied environmental science, we would have no one to look to for help. Days like today are reasons why our class and many other classes are important in a changing world.
2/27
Class time today was used to help strategize our next steps and go over what our tactics are to reach our end goal. In groups of three, we listened to each other’s ideas, steps they’re taking to ensure their goals are met, and offered advice on how to successfully facilitate their ideas. This was a great exercise to hear other classmate’s goals and tactics to enable change. It was also good to have the chance to tell my idea to others in more detail so I could get a better sense of what I want to moving forward. This exercise helped gauge where I’m at and made me realize that I should begin implementing some of my tactics. I would like to get in contact with dining services this week and try to set up a meeting with them next week or the week after spring break. It’s time to begin starting my action plan so I can have enough time to discuss with the proper amount of constituents and hopefully create a campus wide change.
Today’s class was also helpful because we had our first presentation regarding a student interview today. Kelsey interviewed two people and received some really promising feedback from them both. Listening to her got me thinking of my interview and who I would like to target. My goal is to reach out to someone in a leadership position at an organization I am interested in and hopefully receive feedback on how their leadership has helped them move forward with action plans similar to what we’re doing. I would also like to try and interview someone from another school that has been successful in initiating change similar to what I am aiming for.
3/3
I’ve learned a few things this week related to this class and relating topics. First off, I realized how difficult it can be to conduct an interview. I have conducted a few people asking for a small amount of their time so I can ask a few questions, however no one has gotten back to me yet. I am hopeful someone returns my message so I can conduct an interview soon. Secondly, I have been watching a lot of Ted Talks this past week in preparation for my upcoming spring break trip to Iceland with The GREEN Program. The GREEN Program is an opportunity for students to gain experience in the sustainability and renewable energy fields. They are requiring all students to watch some motivational videos and talks in order to inspire us to act. This program relates a lot to this class because it’s all about initiating change and pursuing in what we believe in, regardless of the hurdles or setbacks we may face, especially from our very own administration.
That brings me to my last point. Each week, it seems like President Trump says something that negatively impacts our push toward environmental safety. This week, he made claims to revisit President Obama’s Clean Water Act. He also stated that he wishes to cut the EPA budget by another 25%. As a student of environmental science, it’s very disheartening to hear these statements. In such a crucial time for our planet, one of the world’s most influential leaders is proposing to set us back environmentally after years of progress. Statements like these continue to exemplify the importance of this class. We, young leaders, must fight back and not let President Trump regress our society towards a fate of no return. As these statements continue to come out, now more than ever we must be brave, step up to the plate, and fight for what we need.
3/6
Today’s class was a nice way to take a step back from our project ideas and go through the process of trying to figure out a way to develop tactics for real life issues. A prompt about a city in Philadelphia was given to us. The city, much like Carlisle, portrayed great divide. In this city, the Northern part was more affluent, while the Southern part saw more poverty, higher crime and drug usage, and a school system in shambles. While Carlisle is not in this bad of shape, this prompt immediately reminded me of Carlisle. The Northern part of the borough has a much lower standard of living. Crime, drug usage, and housing are all worse off in this part of town. It was interesting to critically think about the theoretical place in Philadelphia because this stuff is happening all across the country. I found it helpful to talk about what social factors are most important when looking at divided cities. Focusing on two main topics made it a little easier to create positive and eye catching slogans, as well as strategies and tactics to help us move forward.
All three groups decided that the number one problem to address is the division among higher class and lower class people. Typically, poverty is concentrated, therefore silencing this part of town. If poverty was more equally distributed, then maybe these people would feel like they have more of a voice or feel more comfortable to speak out. Education and housing were the two main important factors listed second by the three groups. Having a successful education system in towns and cities is important because that is one of the main things people look at when moving. If the education system is sub-par, parents or future parents will look for other places to move to. I think a good education system is a very attractive thing to have. Parents would be willing to live a little further away from work if that mean their child would attain a greater education.
3/10
Another Friday, another week of strange weather patterns. Yesterday the sun was shining and people were outside in shorts. Today we woke up to a fresh, wet blanket of snow on the ground. Snow picked up on and off for the morning, but by mid-day, all the snow was almost gone already. Two Fridays ago, temperatures reached the 70s. Now, it’s cold and snowy again. People are beginning to realize these irregularities are occurring more and more frequently. Soon, people will forget again, seeing as this will be the new norm and no one will be surprised again. That is, unless, things intensify even further and temperatures and change in weather patterns turn more drastic. It’s crazy how frequently we, or at least myself, are reminded the continuing effects of climate change. Every week something happens, whether climatically or politically. Leadership and social change can be applied week in and week out.
Also relating to our class this week is the fact that I’m going to Iceland in a day and a half. The program is geared toward renewable energy and sustainability, welcoming 35-40 students from across the country. All of us will have passion for such topics and it takes leadership skills to endure in an adventure/learning experience like this. I would be lying to say I’m not scared of going to a foreign country not knowing a single person. This is my first time flying alone, so I’m a bit anxious. However, my desire for social change got me here. I wouldn’t endure on this adventure without my leadership skills. I’m excited and anxious for this next week!
3/21
Today’s class was devoted to five minute presentations about our progress towards our projects thus far. I enjoyed hearing what stages everyone was at. Some people had made slight changes from the last time I heard so it was good to get an update of everyone’s topic which is basically finalized now. After we shared our progress, the floor was opened up to questions and comments about our progress thus far. There were some helpful comments and questions offered to me such as creating a campaign for student change, teaming up with CSE to give away EcoTainers or Mason Jars to use across campus to the incoming freshman classes because CSE usually gives the freshman class a gift, and the suggestion of telling students to take a moment and eat in Union Station instead of always being on the go was given to me as well.
In regards to the other pitches made by students, I thought there were some really interesting ideas floating around. Each idea has unique ways about solving the issue and I think these kind of open ended discussions are great for leading to successful campaigns of change. It’s great we offer one another support and constructive criticism about our ideas because that will lead to the most successful implementation.
3/24
Over spring break, I had the opportunity to go to Iceland with a program called The GREEN Program. The program focused on renewable energy and sustainability and included college students from all over the country. Forty-three other students and myself were accepted into this program. We had the chance to take some courses at Reykjavik University. We also got to experience a lot of really cool outdoor activities such as hiking up a mountain to a hot spring at the top where we changed into our bathing suits in the middle of a snowstorm and went in, hiked on a receding glacial, a jeep excursion through the snow, and we saw an active geyser. We toured a geothermal plant and hydroelectric plant as well.
As fun as these experiences were, I couldn’t help to think in the back of my mind that the next time I go to Iceland (hopefully), this place will look a lot different due to climate change. The glacial hike was most eye opening. The tour guides showed us where the glacier extended out to back in 2008 and even a few years ago. It was amazing to see how quickly the glacier receded within the last decade alone. As it continues to recede and temperatures continue to rise, the part of the glacier I got to hike on may be unreachable or may even disappear within the next decade. Learning about climate change and the effects it has on the environment, especially glaciers, is one thing, but having the opportunity to see first-hand how quickly the effects of climate change are having on glaciers is very eye opening. These beautiful glaciers are rapidly diminishing, and it’s up to us to act now to ensure they are preserved.
3/27
Today’s class was devoted to the completion of sharing the rest of the interviews. It was interesting to hear about all of the unique people interviewed for this project. Some people decided to interview people that were more directly related to their project, and others interviewed leaders they know to learn more about leadership qualities and ideas. I think the most interesting interview to hear about was Mason’s interview with the guy who puts on Climate shows. It was cool to hear how interested he sounded in Mason’s idea for his project. The interview sounded like it was helpful to Mason’s project. The guy said he would even look over his script which would be really cool. Hearing about this interview gives me hope that there are many leaders in the world that are willing to help others with similar values and ideas.
After we concluded sharing our interviews, we were given time to work on our projects and help others that needed help. Mason and I decided to talk about our projects outside of the class so we wouldn’t disturb anyone else. I got to hear a little more about his idea for his script. He has some interesting ideas and I offered some advice as well on how to improve his ideas. Now he has to write up a script. There wasn’t much I needed help with because my next step is meeting with dining services. I was able to set up a meeting for this upcoming Friday with Stephanie Doulgeris-Glaser, the retail manager of dining services. I hope to have a productive conversation with her regarding the reduction of disposable plastic containers. In my action plan, I wanted to meet with someone in dining services by the end of March, and this meeting is right in that time window so I’m happy where I am at with the project at the moment.
3/31
Unfortunately, Stephanie had to reschedule my meeting scheduled for today to next Monday because she already had another meeting that she forgot about. While only a minor setback, it’s a good lesson to learn when initiating change. When you must rely on others for information or support, it’s important to not get too hung up on your timeline, although you must still keep it in mind. Everyone is busy with their own lives and issues and you can’t always expect to meet every single one of your deadlines when you’re relying on others. This is a great example of why it is important to have an action plan and deadlines. Without such, planning meetings with other people may not take place as efficiently as it if you have a plan.
4/3
Jesse Wilderman came to class today and he gave us an interesting activity to complete. We got into two teams and had to create our ideal community. Our group had lots of sustainable features, socially and environmentally, such as a farm, wind and solar energy, farmer’s market and more. Once we were satisfied with our community, Jesse and Professor Beevers went and started destroying our communities with oil pipes, Walmart and other unwanted things. It was an interesting exercise because at first they made it sound like we had a choice and could put a stop to their plans. But soon, they gave no mercy and even started ripping parts of our community away. Our group finally consolidated and sat on our paper community so they couldn’t wreak havoc any more. This was a good exercise because it showed how these real life situations progress. At first, big companies make it sound like they’re doing a good thing for your community, but soon you realize they aren’t, making community members angry enough to react.
After that exercise, we had some free time to work on our project. I used that time to meet with Stephanie Doulgeris, the Retail Manager for dining services. A colleague of mine from CSE and I discussed our ideas to get rid of disposable plastic containers. While Stephanie agreed we must reduce plastic consumption, she said we can’t completely get rid of them because of guests that wouldn’t have access to EcoTainers. We had a very productive conversation regarding the EcoTainer program and how we would like to improve it so we can reduce plastic consumption on campus. I am going to meet with her again in about two weeks after she presents my ideas to a larger staff meeting. She is hoping to make changes this summer so when students can notice a difference next fall.
4/7
On Tuesday, I had a webinar with Cupanion, a company that promotes sustainability through their reusable cups and mugs. In efforts to reduce plastic waste across campus, I found Cupanion to be a great way to do so. Cups are probably the most difficult thing to reduce because reusable options are harder to come by, especially at a large scale like this. The webinar was very informing about the company and how it could be used at Dickinson. I had Stephanie, Brooke Nagy, and Marcus Welker join the webinar as well so they learn about the program. The program basically works like this. Dickinson purchases reusable cups and mugs that have unique barcode on them. Whoever decides to purchase such mugs or bottle from Dickinson must download the Cupanion app on their phones so they can take a picture of the barcode on their cup every time they use it at a dining location. It sounds like something students would be willing to do. Each time your cup or bottle is scanned through the app, you are given points. Once you reach a certain amount of points, you are award a prize in the form of a gift card or something similar. You are also entered in a nationwide opportunity through Cupanion to win larger prizes like a GoPro.
After running through some financial data, I really think this could be a great way for Dickinson to not only reduce its waste, but also costs. Dickinson spends roughly $44,000 on disposable cups, lids, straws and cup sleeves each year. If Dickinson were to purchase 3,000 Cupanion products at an average price of $7.00 per unit, plus a $995 yearly subscription fee with Cupanion, Dickinson could cut costs in half. I am happy that I was able to find this company and have them offer a webinar regarding it. My next step is to meet with Stephanie again to discuss the use of this product at our school. I hope it is a feasible option for Dickinson because that would be a great help in reducing plastic waste on campus.
4/10
Karen Showalter visited our class today. She is an avid organizing and very involved in activist campaigns. One of her main focuses as an organizer is managing social media accounts for her organizations. She spoke about the powers of using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Slack, and Canva and how they can connect you to a larger audience. She spoke about some specific features to these social media platforms such as Facebook Live and Tweetstorms. I had never heard of Tweetstorms, but Karen made them sound like they are a very useful way to communicate to a large audience. She has various Tweetstorms each week regarding different issues. She said it shows up on 6-8 million people’s timelines and averages about 700 active participants. I’m surprised I haven’t heard of Tweetstorms because with what Karen said, it sounds like they are a great way to broadcast an issue.
I thought her speech was very interesting because she taught me a lot about social media from a perspective I’ve never explored. From my experience, social media has had a negative connotation associated with it and is typically used for self-promotion or spreading of individual ideas. I never really thought of it from a campaigning standpoint. I also failed to recognize the significance it can have when organizing people. It was also interesting to learn how a non-millennial is such an avid social media user. Most non-millennials I have spoken with aren’t avid users and don’t see the point of social media. This is definitely something worthwhile, whether I start an avid campaign on my current topic for the class, or use it in the future to reach a much wider audience.
4/14
Today I received some free samples from Cupanion, the reusable cup and bottle program that I am trying to get implemented at Dickinson in order reduce plastic consumption on campus. They gave me 10 individual products to try. There are some really cool ones and I think they could be an easy way to get students to switch over. Next week, I scheduled a time to speak with a woman who works in Dining Services at St. Lawrence College in Ontario. They recently started using Cupanion so I want to get feedback from her to see how well she thinks the program works and how well students have perceived the program thus far. I also contacted six other colleges and universities but have yet to hear back from any of them. I plan to follow up next week in hopes of hearing back from at least one other school.
Moving forward, next week looks like an opportune week to continue pushing forward. I think getting the samples today and speaking with St. Lawrence College next week will provide me with meaningful feedback that I can transfer over to Stephanie. I hope to meet with her within the next two weeks again to address the EcoTainers and Cupanion. Now that she has had time to speak to other members of dining, I am curious to hear an update about the feasibility of both projects.
4/18
Today’s class, some of shared an update on our projects. It’s interesting to hear the difficulties people are still facing. It’s a constant reminder of how difficult it is to facilitate change, especially with limited time within a semester. I brought my samples from Cupanion so I could update the class. While I’m still focused on eliminating plastic food containers, I think this is a simple way to reduce plastic cups as well. My peers seemed to like the idea, especially because they wouldn’t need to buy a brand new bottle but rather buy a sticker to place on the bottle they currently own.
I myself am facing a little adversity as the semester is coming down to a close in a hurry. Stephanie from Dining Services has become very busy with her work and I am unsure if I will be able to meet with her again this semester. While unfortunate, I will definitely continue to pursue my project for the rest of the semester and next semester. At the moment, it’s not looking like I will be able to accomplish either eliminating plastic food containers or implementing Cupanion by next fall unless some serious actions are taken this summer.