The start of a new school year wouldn’t be quite right without appreciation for the foundation upon which our community is built. What do we stand for as a university? What does it mean to be a Laker?

Grand Valley State University has seven core values: effective teaching, liberal education, scholarship, service, inclusiveness, community, and our most recent edition–sustainability.

Although the Office of Sustainability Practices has only been active for 11 years, our campuses have made tremendous improvements in implementing this final standard. Our waste minimization has spread to many fronts through efforts of the Rapid bus service, composting, and duplex printing to name a few. Many of the freshly constructed buildings also abide to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver certification levels, which use significantly less energy, water, and material than regular buildings. For four years running, these innovative practices have encouraged recognition as one of the greenest schools in the nation by the largest U.S. environmental organization, the Sierra Club.

When I first toured GVSU and as I began exploring during a past autumn, I felt a certain pride for the appreciation of nature on our campus. Our student body is lucky to be in an academic atmosphere that values the earth. A space that encourages awareness of our waste production. I also recall a slightly frantic rush of confusion as I approached the array of bins in campus dining. A sense of fear weighed down my hands, wondering where to place my remains.

However, I am here to assure those with a shared perspective. Those with a desire to be a part of this community, but apprehensiveness in how to be greener. Sustainability is truly not that difficult to attain. Step one: look at the pictures on those seemingly intimidating bins. They’re very detailed and extremely informative. It takes a few seconds to scan the little lists and deposit your waste in the correct place.

Also consider checking out the facilities services page on www.gvsu.edu to find out exactly what we recycle and at what locations. If you want to know more about sustainability, join a group on campus. Check out our local farm. Check out the bulletin boards at the sustainability office.

As you’re walking around campus, think critically about what we can do to improve. How can we be more sustainable? The changes this campus has made are truly remarkable, but we need to keep going. Aiming towards sustainability is a never ending project. There are always ways to improve. Ways that require unique ways of thinking. Be creative in your reflection. Examine the efforts made not just by the university, but the actions in your own life that reflect our seven values when in search of ways to better capture these standards.

Embrace our new campaign, the “Laker effect.” Don’t let sustainability stop when you step foot off campus. We can all make our own little green efforts because our community does not exist without the individual parts. Through each conscious motion aiming towards a greener world, we will make a collective difference. Together, we can set off a domino effect, a Laker effect.