Story by Brooklyn Waggoner, Reporter
Photo courtesy of Pexels.com

One of the many wonderful attributes of Aquinas, and what seems to be the unwritten fifth pillar of the College, is sustainability. From separated trash receptacles, to the minute diversion rates in every building, Aquinas is as green as the trees smattered across campus in the summer. It only makes sense that the week of Earth Day would be chock-full of events on campus focused on sustainability.

On Wednesday, April 18, take part in #LightsOutAQ. All across campus, students, staff and faculty will be taking the time to pay closer attention to their energy usage by turning out the lights in dorms, offices and even classrooms. #LightsOutAQ takes place from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. But if you cannot turn off lights, take part by participating in another energy saving activity, like eating a lunch that doesn’t require heating, or unplugging any appliances in your space. In addition, if you post your energy conserving activities on Instagram using the hashtag #LightsOutAQ, you could win a notebook from the future courtesy of AQ Sustainability.

Another awesome way to partake in the sustainable festivities is to participate in the We All Live Here Service Day on Friday, April 20. The focus of the event is to take care of campus, our home. Staff, students, faculty and alumni will participate in morning and or afternoon shifts to lend a hand indoors and out, all across campus.

However you choose to participate this week, take some time to think about the sustainable things you can do every day. Earth Day is a brilliant reminder of how important our planet is, and how much attention we should pay to keeping it clean and green. And it can’t be done only one day a year. Here at Aquinas, there are countless little ways we can be more sustainable in our everyday lives, and I challenge you to seek those out. I challenge you to make every day Earth Day.