With the Big Splash Week kicking it off, the Making Waves Initiative is in full swing. But what does this really mean for students?

There were a lot of fun events on campus last week, from concerts to carnivals to kayaking tours, as well as guest speakers to educate and inform. But just as the Making Waves Initiative goes beyond one week of activities, student involvement should stretch beyond the passive attendance of events.

We’ve already seen individuals in the Laker community step up and take action. The Beach Clean-Up event was expanded from the initial 175 participant limit to 200 because of demand. Within the Multimedia Journalism program, Professor Jeff Kelly Lowenstein has recruited students to take on investigative projects into water access and cleanliness.

Professors: Kelly Lowenstein’s efforts in the classroom can be used as an example in your own. As professionals and authorities of higher education, you have the opportunity to bring water awareness into your classroom. By assigning water research or encouraging attendance to Making Waves events, you can create a wider outreach in the GVSU community and teach students the importance of water education. 

Students: if you want to get involved with water awareness but don’t know where to start, check out this course list compiled by the Making Waves Initiative of classes featuring water. Whether you’re studying biology, English or sociology, or if you’re looking for an elective, you should check out the list to see how you can learn more and get involved. 

If you aren’t seeing anything on that list that inspires you, well, take initiative yourself. Start a project with your student organization or reach out to your professor for independent study possibilities. 

As Michiganders, we take pride in our natural water sources. On campus, we have buildings named after Laker Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. With our proximity to and our love for the Great Lakes, we should take advantage of our unique opportunities to involve ourselves in the preservation, access and cleanliness of our water.