Although only a small audience attended the project presentations of one American Studies class, its efforts toward a sustainable campus have been nothing less than large.Students enrolled in "Greening the Ivory Tower: Researching and Improving the Brandeis Environment" presented projects highlighting their efforts toward achieving the class' titular objective Friday afternoon in the Science Complex.

The daunting class title was once shorter, formerly taking the name "The Environmental Research Workshop," when Prof. Laura Goldin (AMST) began to teach it over 10 years ago.

Since then, "Greening the Ivory Tower" has transformed into an environmental studies course designed around experiential learning, an element that Goldin emphasizes to prepare students to become professionals educated in promoting environmental sustainability.

Goldin said she wants all students "to think about how their lifestyle, especially here at Brandeis, affects our natural resources, and be willing to make changes as needed."

Emily Silver '08, the undergraduate teaching assistant for the course, echoed this sentiment. "I think Laura Goldin's way of teaching, way of letting students take the initiative is also important in building a student's self-confidence, and building their ability to be creative," she said.

These latest initiatives are only a small portion of the history of projects that members of the class have completed. This semester's class tackled several environmental issues, ranging from clean energy to food composting, while past student projects have re-energized the recycling program, created carpool systems and have led many departments to print on both sides of the paper. Many of the projects continue to "provide long-lasting change for the Brandeis campus" Goldin said.

Brian Wartell '07, Jordan Bieber '07 and Matt Kamm '09 made up one group that attempted a Massell pond cleanup, and like other groups they had trouble in reaching some of their goals. They wanted to clean and dig out Yakus Pond, but learned they needed to apply for a Notice of Intent to the Waltham Conservation Commission and would also have to apply and pay for a permit.

Despite such setbacks, these students were still able to follow through with parts of their project and cleaned up the Massell Pond wetland with other students that came to help out or just listen.

Another group of students is trying to coordinate a composting program for both dining halls. Elizabeth Ginsburg '08, Miriam Landau '07, Michelle Kopelson '08 and Avraham Wachs-Cashman '08 worked on this project. These students also experienced difficulties in trying to implement a large scale composting program within one semester. But the students have been committed to continuing work on their project with the student body, the administration and Aramark to hopefully have results by the end of the spring.

Although many of these obstacles sound like setbacks to achieving goals, the difficulties the students faced were all part of the experiential learning process that Goldin emphasizes, and part of her desire "to engage the students and challenge them, really to focus in on their own habits, their own lifestyle, and our community here at Brandeis."

Silver said the University does not have staff members who specifically deal with campus environmental issues, and it does not have as much administrative activity related to such issues when compared with other colleges and Universities around the country, including the College of the Atlantic, which recently declared itself a zero- emission campus. Silver remained optimistic, however, that students' current initiatives, combined with the development of the University and campus clubs like Students for Environmental Action, will begin to make a difference.

With the cooperation of all shareholders in the University environment, we are beginning to create a tradition of environmental responsibility and positive environmental policy at Brandeis. "It's a matter of the institution being behind all of the various national environmental movements and policies . [that] are coming to the forefront of college awareness."



Editors Note: Micah Barth-Rogers is enrolled in the course, but he did not participate in any of the projects.