Taylor University introduced the environmental assistant (EA) position in the dorms this semester.
“What we do is basically like a DA or a PA,” Heidi Gibson, sophomore environmental science major and EA of Swallow Robin Hall, said. “But instead of focusing on the social and spiritual health of dorms, we are focusing on environmental health.”
The role originated after students advocated for sustainability efforts at Taylor.
It is designed to coordinate campus-wide initiatives that reduce waste, improve recycling efforts and promote ecological awareness among students,senior Von Herring, co-founder of the new program, said.
“I am so blessed to be working on a team of people with a passion for preserving the environment,” Sophie Peshek, sophomore environmental science major and EA of Bergwall Hall, said. “I'd love to see this passion grow outward to the student body over the years.”
The environmental assistant works alongside facilities staff, student organizations and faculty to implement practical strategies for a greener campus, she said.
Key responsibilities include managing waste-sorting stations in residence halls and being available to answer questions that other students may pose, she said.
All the EAs are trained in identifying basic sustainability practices and communicating with others.They are to advocate for lifestyle changes towards sustainability in the dorms through education and action, she said.
Gibson said that they are currently working on improving awareness on campus by using posters and signs for recycling. They also hope to get recycling bins back into the Larita R. Boren Campus Center.
The goal of the EA program is to help Taylor strive, as a community and institution, towards more sustainable practices.
“In the past, Taylor hasn't necessarily come out as the number one most environmentally friendly school, and the EAs want to change that,” Meghan Kline, environmental assistant leader, said. “I'm hoping that by having an Eco-Assistant in each dorm, students at Taylor will really start to think about how their daily habits affect God's Creation.”
God gives mankind an early responsibility to the Earth, and Christians are called to care for and steward God's creation, she said.
Similarly, Gibson holds onto the original translation of the Hebrew word “shamar” as meaning “the ability to keep, protect, guard and look after.”
“My favorite one is ‘to steward,’” Gibson said. “To steward something means to take care of something that does not belong to you, and that’s why we are on earth.”
Peshek had a different take on God’s call to stewardship.
A metaphor for our responsibility as stewards can be found in “Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh, she said.
“Van Gogh's most famous painting is the ‘Starry Night,’” Peshek said. “It's large and beautiful, and it's what he's known for, it's his most beloved painting. But even though ‘Starry Night’ is his 'best' work, we don't throw out his other paintings. No, in fact, we cherish and protect them, just because it was Van Gogh who painted it. We are God's ‘Starry Night,’ his most beloved creation. But I think everything on earth should be used well and treated with respect simply because it was made by God.”
Young people are important to bring about change and advocate for the environment, Peshek said.
EA-hosted events are being discussed but will not happen in the near future.
“We'd love to host events in the future, but that will take a lot of planning,” Peshek said, “For now, we're working closely with the Stewards of Creation club which already hosts events like Randall Fest in the fall and some Earth Day activities in the spring. These are great ways to get involved in campus sustainability.”
Gibson hopes to place EAs on every floor of every dorm at Taylor.
The dream is for EAs to work side by side with the personnel assistants (PAs) and discipleship assistants (DAs) to help raise awareness and advocate for care for the environment.
Kline, Peshek and Gibson encouraged people passionate about stewardship of the environment to apply to join the EA team.
“I think having students from different academic backgrounds has been one of the strengths of our team,” Kline said.
The EA team encouraged people with questions, concerns or a passion for the environment to connect with dorm staff or reach out to the EAs in their dorms.
