2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial: Old reputation meets new facade
Issue date: 8/27/08 Section: Opinion
Editor's note: This article has been corrected. See below.
Congratulations, Chico State. The university has been graced with winning two more titles related to being environmentally friendly.
Not only were we among the 10 greenest colleges in America, but we also won the 2008 Best Practices Award for Student Energy Efficiency. Please see Ben Burg's article on A2 for more information about the awards.
While the sustainability movement is a noble cause and our achievements in the area deserve celebration, they are a desperate attempt to separate us from our past, which may come at a cost. Twenty-one years after stumbling to No. 1 of Playboy's list of party schools, the ensuing hangover has endured.
Until now.
All the effort poured into being sustainable has left everyone green. The amount of money spent on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified buildings is sickening - the new Student Services Center, for example, cost $47 million and the Wildcat Recreation Center is expected to cost $62 million. At the same time, classes are overcrowded or canceled, faculty are being laid off and the existing buildings on campus are deteriorating.
Instead of concentrating on manufacturing a pretty new exterior or winning awards, there should be more effort put into actually improving students' quality of education now. Future students may benefit from the sustainability upgrades, but the changes lie on the backs of those currently enrolled. Even worse, mass environmentalism has become a false pretense for salvaging Chico's reputation.
The university could still concentrate on being eco by renovating older buildings to make them LEED certified. According to a 2006 Green Building Council study, retrofitting buildings can save 90 cents per square foot annually, on average, in energy and other costs and earn back their investment in about three years.
Alternatively, we've opted to take unnecessary steps. There are plans to tear up some areas of cement from the front of the Student Services Center and replace it with drought-resistant native trees, said Kaari Martin from the Facilities Planning Department.
True, the events - riots and Pioneer Day celebrations - that placed us in the party school Pantheon have been over since before the incoming freshmen were even born, but our actions should match our words.
According to Scott McNall, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Development, the campus gets about 22 percent of its energy from renewable sources. This is good, because the sparkling flatscreen TVs in the A.S. Bookstore don't run themselves.
Rather than indirectly sacrificing student well-being by living up to the drunken dream concocted by Playboy, fiscal policies are blatantly stifling the universities opportunities through excessive spending. Finding ways to cut costs in the ways that positively impact students the most should be first priority.
On one corner of campus, we have people hugging trees, which takes attention away from the staggering students emerging from one of the 22 bars less than two miles from campus. We haven't fixed a problem, we've only moved from one obsession to another. And anything done in excess isn't good.
The original editorial incorrectly attributed information to Bill McNall. The information came from Scott McNall. The Orion's reporters strive for accuracy. We recognize that mistakes will occur, but we treat every error very seriously. If you feel a correction needs to be made, e-mail the managing editor at managingeditor@theorion.com
Congratulations, Chico State. The university has been graced with winning two more titles related to being environmentally friendly.
Not only were we among the 10 greenest colleges in America, but we also won the 2008 Best Practices Award for Student Energy Efficiency. Please see Ben Burg's article on A2 for more information about the awards.
While the sustainability movement is a noble cause and our achievements in the area deserve celebration, they are a desperate attempt to separate us from our past, which may come at a cost. Twenty-one years after stumbling to No. 1 of Playboy's list of party schools, the ensuing hangover has endured.
Until now.
All the effort poured into being sustainable has left everyone green. The amount of money spent on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified buildings is sickening - the new Student Services Center, for example, cost $47 million and the Wildcat Recreation Center is expected to cost $62 million. At the same time, classes are overcrowded or canceled, faculty are being laid off and the existing buildings on campus are deteriorating.
Instead of concentrating on manufacturing a pretty new exterior or winning awards, there should be more effort put into actually improving students' quality of education now. Future students may benefit from the sustainability upgrades, but the changes lie on the backs of those currently enrolled. Even worse, mass environmentalism has become a false pretense for salvaging Chico's reputation.
The university could still concentrate on being eco by renovating older buildings to make them LEED certified. According to a 2006 Green Building Council study, retrofitting buildings can save 90 cents per square foot annually, on average, in energy and other costs and earn back their investment in about three years.
Alternatively, we've opted to take unnecessary steps. There are plans to tear up some areas of cement from the front of the Student Services Center and replace it with drought-resistant native trees, said Kaari Martin from the Facilities Planning Department.
True, the events - riots and Pioneer Day celebrations - that placed us in the party school Pantheon have been over since before the incoming freshmen were even born, but our actions should match our words.
According to Scott McNall, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Development, the campus gets about 22 percent of its energy from renewable sources. This is good, because the sparkling flatscreen TVs in the A.S. Bookstore don't run themselves.
Rather than indirectly sacrificing student well-being by living up to the drunken dream concocted by Playboy, fiscal policies are blatantly stifling the universities opportunities through excessive spending. Finding ways to cut costs in the ways that positively impact students the most should be first priority.
On one corner of campus, we have people hugging trees, which takes attention away from the staggering students emerging from one of the 22 bars less than two miles from campus. We haven't fixed a problem, we've only moved from one obsession to another. And anything done in excess isn't good.
The original editorial incorrectly attributed information to Bill McNall. The information came from Scott McNall. The Orion's reporters strive for accuracy. We recognize that mistakes will occur, but we treat every error very seriously. If you feel a correction needs to be made, e-mail the managing editor at managingeditor@theorion.com
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ChicoState
posted 9/02/08 @ 9:57 PM PST
FINALLY! A fantastic article that truly highlights what many have been thinking, but have not said. Well delivered.
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