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Students Unite to Protect the Environment
by Danielle Kamffer
Founder Matt Kupstas
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You don't have to want to send humans back to the dark ages by banning the use of petroleum as a fuel. You don't have to believe that global warming will lead to the drowning of Manhattan. But for those students who do recognize a need to protect our natural environment, GSU is here.
GSU, an acronym for Green Students United, is a group of students concerned about environmental issues.
"I didn't want [GSU] to be a radical group that had a gloom and doom approach to everything," says founder Matt Kupstas, "I simply want to bring awareness to environmental issues."
GSU is Mars Hill's newest environmentally-conscious group. It follows in the footsteps of the Conservation Club, which has been inactive in recent years.
Kupstas tried to revive the Conservation Club briefly last semester, but due to mounds of red tape and not enough time to sort through it all, he decided to start from scratch and form a group with the principles he felt were most important. His main priority is to educate, making people aware of the problems the environment faces today. He says that doesn't mean aggressively protesting current actions that harm it. "I had my own direction in mind," says Kupstas, "and I wanted to go with it."
Kupstas, who became more interested in the topic once he began college, was influenced to some degree by his mother, who raised his awareness by speaking about these issues at home.
Kupstas plans to show informative documentaries each Thursday night and organize projects around campus that can involve all students. He hopes the group will be well-recognized by the end of the year.
Kupstas is very excited about the support he has received for the group, originally started as a branch of the Outdoor Center. "We have gotten lots of faculty support from Leslee Johnson, our faculty advisor, Mark Norwood, Marc Mullinax, Laurie Pedersen and Stan Dotson, and we also had more than 18 students at our first meeting," said Kupstas, who is enthusiastic about what the group will be able to accomplish with this support.
GSU already has several projects it will be working on, all of which are open to all students who want to become involved.
GSU: learning about and protecting the environment..and even having fun!
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Cafeteria Manager Kenny Barefoot's Green Thumb Project is an attempt to minimize the use of Styrofoam cups in the Lion's Den and Soda Shop by buying and reusing a plastic mug, sold in both locations. "This is a cheap easy way to help our cause, even if you don't consider yourself an environmentalist," says Kupstas.
Another project is a student-led recycling campaign. "It has been tried before," says Kupstas, "but we hope to figure out a good way to implement it by using students as advocates." Kupstas hopes this project will be off the ground soon and again encourages all students to become involved. After all, he says, how hard can it be to throw your recyclables in a designated trashcan?
He also intends to sponsor or publicize presentations about the environment. For example, on April 5 Business Professor Bobby Nicholson will be at the college to discuss An Inconvenient Truth, the Academy-Award-winning movie about climate change moderated by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.
In addition to these projects, "a big part of my intention," says Kupstas, "is to focus on positive things already happening on campus -- like Kenny Barefoot buying local foods, which saves gas, and the new science building using geothermal power, which will help with energy costs. I want people to know we are not just here to protest the bad things."
Kupstas says that if people don't fully understand his objectives, "there is no way to combat negative associations" that people may have with environmental groups. However, he emphasizes, I don't want [GSU] to be all Democrats or all tree-huggers. Anyone with a concern for the environment will be valuable."
If GSU sounds interesting to you, join their Facebook group, Green Students United, and become involved. All events are posted on the group page, and messages of meetings and chances to be involved will be sent out from there.
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