A civic journalism project led by Dr. Kristen Swain’s 574 class, rightly named "Green Innovators," gave students a chance to explore efficiency on campus, including alternative means of transportation. Students held a focus group to discuss ways to improve dorm efficiency, recycling and the Rebel Pedals bike-share program that began last fall.
The bike-share program started as a part of the Ole Miss "Red, Blue and Green" campaign, an effort from the University to encourage students and faculty to make changes in their lifestyle that better the environment. The program just implemented it’s first phase, which allows students to rent bikes from the Turner Center over-night, at no cost. According to Jason Thomas, this is a step in the right direction. " You should keep it for as long as you need it," he said.
Thanks to the Rebel Pedals program, along with a newly expanded bus system, bike lanes, and sidewalks, getting around in Oxford has never been easier. Focus group participants all agreed, if more students were aware of these programs, of their simplicity and reliability, they would take advantage of the alternative transportation. "Many people don’t even know the OUT bus system is free for students," said Matthew Archer.
Rebel Pedals is run by Ole Miss Outdoors, and currently has more than 40 bikes available for rent, many of which came from a $25,000 grant from Wal-Mart.
Shannon Baker Richardson, assistant director of Campus Recreation, said the bike-share program is designed to allow students the opportunity to see the freedom the bike allows them on campus and to launch a "bike culture."
Focus group participants thought the program could also help alleviate the parking problems on campus. " I bike to class and I never have to worry about leaving an hour ahead of time just to make it to my 9:00," said senior public policy major Elliot Warren.
Plans for the future of the Rebel Pedals Program involve working to expand the program to involve more checkout locations, like the Union and dorms. Other suggestions from the focus group included implementing a third-generation bike system that would be similar to "red box" where students could swipe their student I.D.’s to rent a bike at anytime. With a system such as Georgia Tech’s ViaCycle program, bikes will be available 24 hours a day, have GPS tracking and will be weatherproof.
March 22, 2010
TGIF and Energy Star Appliances
When asked how to make Ole Miss a greener campus, four male focus group participants suggested energy conservation techniques. Though the costs of making the campus greener are expensive, the participants seemed ready and willing to put forth the extra dollar and make their suggestions a reality. “You feel like you are in a clean environment, you will get your enrollment up and that will defiantly cover the cost,” said Jason Thomas.
One suggestion in particular consisted of placing energy star appliances on all dorm floors. Energy star appliances use from 10 to 50 percent less energy than standard appliances and the label produces refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines. The appliances save money and energy, and reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. Benefits of using Energy Star appliances include lower utility bills, improved quality of the machines, and an enhanced performance.
Since appliances are the cause for nearly 20 percent of a household’s energy use, it is important to consider energy efficient appliances. By placing energy star approved appliances in the dorms, laundry rooms would be much quieter, and both water and energy would be saved. This could result in lower utility bills for the university and could potentially lower tuition costs for students. Also, energy efficient refrigerators and stoves in the kitchens on campus would reduce the amount of energy used. Energy Star efficient products can save up to $80 a year in energy costs when compared to other standard appliances.
Improving dorm life on the campus through the use of energy star appliances would greatly benefit students. No one at the focus group meeting mentioned a complaint about lower tuition bills and a cleaner, quieter living arrangement. “Dorms would be the last thing you would look at,” said Elliot Warren, TGIF intern. “Many students when I lived there didn’t treat it with a lot of respect. The dorms are just abused. They aren’t going to put a lot of money into something that gets treated like that.”
One suggestion in particular consisted of placing energy star appliances on all dorm floors. Energy star appliances use from 10 to 50 percent less energy than standard appliances and the label produces refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines. The appliances save money and energy, and reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. Benefits of using Energy Star appliances include lower utility bills, improved quality of the machines, and an enhanced performance.
Since appliances are the cause for nearly 20 percent of a household’s energy use, it is important to consider energy efficient appliances. By placing energy star approved appliances in the dorms, laundry rooms would be much quieter, and both water and energy would be saved. This could result in lower utility bills for the university and could potentially lower tuition costs for students. Also, energy efficient refrigerators and stoves in the kitchens on campus would reduce the amount of energy used. Energy Star efficient products can save up to $80 a year in energy costs when compared to other standard appliances.
Improving dorm life on the campus through the use of energy star appliances would greatly benefit students. No one at the focus group meeting mentioned a complaint about lower tuition bills and a cleaner, quieter living arrangement. “Dorms would be the last thing you would look at,” said Elliot Warren, TGIF intern. “Many students when I lived there didn’t treat it with a lot of respect. The dorms are just abused. They aren’t going to put a lot of money into something that gets treated like that.”
Focus group wonders what needs to be done to improve the Oxford O.U.T. bus system
As the Ole Miss student population grows and the environmentalist trend continues to grow, the need for public transportation is becoming an increasingly popular topic. On February 11th, a focus group of current Ole Miss students and Oxford residents met to discuss new ways to promote and improve the O.U.T. bus system. Within the first five minutes of the meeting, it became apparent that the bus system has not yet reached its full potential for public transportation around Oxford.
Most of the eight Oxford residents who were brought together to talk about the O.U.T. bus system knew little about it. Few even know it was free to current Ole Miss students. Everyone basically admitted ignorance to anything and everything about the bus system and seemed to agree that the lack of advertising was the reason. When asked if better advertising would help awareness for the bus system, senior Ole Miss student, Alexa Mai seemed to think it would. "Yeah, if I could know the times and places and everything, I would use it." With nods of heads all around the table, her answer seemed to speak for everyone.
"It's not convenient...if it's at that odd time. And you don't want to have to stand in the rain and get stranded." was another excuse. Active ASB member, Taylor McGraw, told us that he actually met with the O.U.T. directors the day prior to the focus group, and that they are looking into building bus shelters with route maps inside. But is this enough incentive for people to ride? What else do the O.U.T. directors need to do to encourage more students to ride the bus? Rewards for first time riders, such as gift certificates to popular Oxford eateries was one idea. "If you can get people to ride it one time, they will figure out that it's really easy and convenient."
One would think that with today's high gas prices, students would be inclined to seek out the bus system regardless of incentives, but none of the participants expressed any concern for gas prices. Many, in fact, seemed to feel that the need for their car was more important than worrying with gas prices. Mai said "I can't survive without a car because I run errands. Girls run errands all the time." But with cars comes the issue of parking, which brought up the topic of a parking garage. A parking garage might solve some of the current parking problems, but it encourages students to use their cars, which does nothing to help sustain the environment in the long run. Environmental issues are becoming more of a concern in other parts of the United States, but the focus group gathered that many Oxford residents seem passive towards to issue.
Professional photographer and writer of "Pick It Up Oxford" blog, Lizzie Oglesby, brought up a good point about how culture can come into play in public transportation when she said, "We're all part of a demographic where we all have cars. You go to New York City (where public transportation is very prevalent) and nobody has a car, but we all happen to have them. Everyone I know has a vehicle and they are stuck with it. We are all just comfortable to an extent that we're going to use our cars." Oglesby brings up such a good point that it makes one wonder if, even with better advertising and incentives, the O.U.T. bus system can really ever take off in a culture where cars rule.
Most of the eight Oxford residents who were brought together to talk about the O.U.T. bus system knew little about it. Few even know it was free to current Ole Miss students. Everyone basically admitted ignorance to anything and everything about the bus system and seemed to agree that the lack of advertising was the reason. When asked if better advertising would help awareness for the bus system, senior Ole Miss student, Alexa Mai seemed to think it would. "Yeah, if I could know the times and places and everything, I would use it." With nods of heads all around the table, her answer seemed to speak for everyone.
"It's not convenient...if it's at that odd time. And you don't want to have to stand in the rain and get stranded." was another excuse. Active ASB member, Taylor McGraw, told us that he actually met with the O.U.T. directors the day prior to the focus group, and that they are looking into building bus shelters with route maps inside. But is this enough incentive for people to ride? What else do the O.U.T. directors need to do to encourage more students to ride the bus? Rewards for first time riders, such as gift certificates to popular Oxford eateries was one idea. "If you can get people to ride it one time, they will figure out that it's really easy and convenient."
One would think that with today's high gas prices, students would be inclined to seek out the bus system regardless of incentives, but none of the participants expressed any concern for gas prices. Many, in fact, seemed to feel that the need for their car was more important than worrying with gas prices. Mai said "I can't survive without a car because I run errands. Girls run errands all the time." But with cars comes the issue of parking, which brought up the topic of a parking garage. A parking garage might solve some of the current parking problems, but it encourages students to use their cars, which does nothing to help sustain the environment in the long run. Environmental issues are becoming more of a concern in other parts of the United States, but the focus group gathered that many Oxford residents seem passive towards to issue.
Professional photographer and writer of "Pick It Up Oxford" blog, Lizzie Oglesby, brought up a good point about how culture can come into play in public transportation when she said, "We're all part of a demographic where we all have cars. You go to New York City (where public transportation is very prevalent) and nobody has a car, but we all happen to have them. Everyone I know has a vehicle and they are stuck with it. We are all just comfortable to an extent that we're going to use our cars." Oglesby brings up such a good point that it makes one wonder if, even with better advertising and incentives, the O.U.T. bus system can really ever take off in a culture where cars rule.
The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF)
A recent focus group provided suggestions on how to make Ole Miss a greener and more efficient campus. The Ole Miss Green Initiative Fund aims to raise money for the improvement of efficiency in all dorms and buildings on campus. This fund seeks to renovate buildings on campus to more green and LEED certified.
Four male students were interested in making improvements in the buildings on campus. They all felt that efficiency could be improved in all of the buildings especially in the dorms.
This program is in development and will be operating through the Office of Facilities Planning. Two buildings are under construction: the new Law School and the Center for Manufacturing Excellence.
TGIF has asked that every student give a certain dollar amount for each credit hour that they take each semester. The amount started at $.50 and then the Ole Miss ASB raised it to $3.00. When the dollar amount per credit hour was raised the initiative did not pass.
Those at the TGIF focus group were male students, all of which are interested in making improvements in the buildings on campus. They all felt that efficiency could be improved in all of the buildings especially in the dorms.
Everyone contributed ideas about how to improve on campus recycling and efficiency.
“Trash disposal would be a big thing. There was only one option. There wasn’t much of an opportunity to recycle,” said student Matthew Archer about the recycling situation in the dorms.
TGIF is geared toward improving energy conservation. The focus group recommended mandating Energy Star appliances on all dorm floors, motion sensor lights, and automatic sinks and hand dryers.
“Work with the university to find some type of product that is either number 1 or 2 plastics. If they are going to make a commitment to be more efficient on game days that is going to have to change,” said, senior Public Policy major Elliot Warren.
Along with improvement in building efficiency, TGIF also plans to improve the bike share program Rebel Pedals, which provided students with affordable and environmentally friendly transportation. Increased access to bikes provides an alternative to driving and may promote and a culture of sustainability on campus.
The focus group participants also had many ideas for ways to advance the bike share program and campus transportation in general. Ideas included clarifying the bus routes, allowing students to keep bikes longer and provide access to different check out locations. Another suggestion was to have a bike share program for the dorms.
"You keep it for as long as you need it,” said junior, Jason Thomas as an idea for improving Rebel Pedals.
TGIF is making improvements in building efficiency and Rebel Pedals, but through student fees for each credit hour they could do a lot more. Many improvements still must be made to make the University of Mississippi a greener campus.
Four male students were interested in making improvements in the buildings on campus. They all felt that efficiency could be improved in all of the buildings especially in the dorms.
This program is in development and will be operating through the Office of Facilities Planning. Two buildings are under construction: the new Law School and the Center for Manufacturing Excellence.
TGIF has asked that every student give a certain dollar amount for each credit hour that they take each semester. The amount started at $.50 and then the Ole Miss ASB raised it to $3.00. When the dollar amount per credit hour was raised the initiative did not pass.
Those at the TGIF focus group were male students, all of which are interested in making improvements in the buildings on campus. They all felt that efficiency could be improved in all of the buildings especially in the dorms.
Everyone contributed ideas about how to improve on campus recycling and efficiency.
“Trash disposal would be a big thing. There was only one option. There wasn’t much of an opportunity to recycle,” said student Matthew Archer about the recycling situation in the dorms.
TGIF is geared toward improving energy conservation. The focus group recommended mandating Energy Star appliances on all dorm floors, motion sensor lights, and automatic sinks and hand dryers.
“Work with the university to find some type of product that is either number 1 or 2 plastics. If they are going to make a commitment to be more efficient on game days that is going to have to change,” said, senior Public Policy major Elliot Warren.
Along with improvement in building efficiency, TGIF also plans to improve the bike share program Rebel Pedals, which provided students with affordable and environmentally friendly transportation. Increased access to bikes provides an alternative to driving and may promote and a culture of sustainability on campus.
The focus group participants also had many ideas for ways to advance the bike share program and campus transportation in general. Ideas included clarifying the bus routes, allowing students to keep bikes longer and provide access to different check out locations. Another suggestion was to have a bike share program for the dorms.
"You keep it for as long as you need it,” said junior, Jason Thomas as an idea for improving Rebel Pedals.
TGIF is making improvements in building efficiency and Rebel Pedals, but through student fees for each credit hour they could do a lot more. Many improvements still must be made to make the University of Mississippi a greener campus.
Convenience
Making Truth More Convenient
The focus group believes that recycling on campus is nearly a misnomer. Philip Barret commented that “Go green. Ole Miss hasn’t shown a lot towards that effort.” How many places do you know of that have recycling bin? Most people who recycle on campus must make special trips to get it done. This forces people to look for a harder and less efficient way to recycle and discourages the green initiative. Anna Kate Robbins, UM student, said, “People aren’t going to do it if it isn’t convenient.” The group agreed that the lack of convenient recycling locations forces many students to throw recyclable items in the trash for the sake of time on the way to class. We found this to be very true in our focus group. Many owned up to not recycling at times simply because the trash can was there.
If the campus actually wants to go green then one of the first steps is to get people recycling. Placing recycling bins next every trash can, vending machine, and throughout all the high traffic areas on campus would surely improve the amount of recycling done on campus. The focus group concluded that every building should have at least one bin maybe more in larger places like the library. Recycling receptacles make from recycled materials could make a difference. Making recycling easy would allow the
There could be many ways to increase students’ interest in recycling. Ashley
Smith, a Junior English major, suggested getting “the fraternities and sororities involved.
They are always looking for something like that to be involved with.” They have a large
pull on this campus, and the numbers that they have could really help make a difference.
There could be many programs involving recycling that could raise money for more bins
on campus. Fraternities and sororities love competing, and holding competitions or
fundraising events would be one of the best solutions to the problem here in
might be one rather convenient solution to getting people involved and interested, and as
Mr. Robbins, Southern Region President of Simms Metal Management, put it “It has to
be convenient.”
Funding "Greener" Dorms
Dorm renovation is often an unvoiced concern on the
When four students recently met in a focus group to talk about the Green Initiative Fund on campus, all agreed that the dorms needed some kind of facelift, if not to become greener, at least to attract potential freshman. They also agreed that while this would be quite expensive, the students would greatly benefit from it.
“You’ll feel like you’re in a clean environment, you’ll get your enrollment up, and that will definitely cover the cost,” said junior finance major Jason Thomas.
One idea that was discussed by the group was putting Energy Star appliances in the dorms. The community laundry rooms would benefit by being quieter, saving water, and saving energy on campus. Just putting towel racks in the dorm rooms could decrease the number of times students wash and dry towels each week.
In the kitchens, the university could install gas stoves and energy efficient refrigerators. Even putting in water purifying systems on the sinks could cut down on students purchasing plastic water bottles and encourage them to refill reusable containers that won’t litter our campus and fill our landfills.
It appeared that even small renovations and fixes to the dorms could go a long way. Doug Hollowell, senior philosophy major, lived in Stockard his freshman year and said that in the winter, he always felt a cold draft coming in from the window. If the university just fixed all of the windows, they could save money on heat costs and help the environment also by not using as much energy to heat the buildings.
Not only could they save money there, but they could save money by replacing leaky faucets and encouraging students to turn off the sink while they brush their teeth and also to take shorter showers.
The focus group, which included a member of Students for a Greener Campus and an intern from the Green Initiative Fund, agreed that getting the university to mandate such conservation methods would be the hardest part. Fixing problems would be easy, but getting students to conserve in their dorms would be difficult.
“Dorms would be the last thing you would look at,” said Elliot Warren, TGIF intern. “Many students when I lived there didn’t treat it with a lot of respect. The dorms are just abused. They aren’t going to put a lot of money into something that gets treated like that.”
When asked if going green should be placed high on the university’s list of priorities, Hollowell said, “At least get recycling bins in high traffic areas where people are walking around with cups and a lot of recyclable material.”
As the university begins to take steps towards being a greener campus, the question is whether or not they will focus on renovating the dorms. Though some students certainly believe the dorms need a closer look, it will be up to the university to examine where the TGIF fund will actually be spent.
-Samantha Rivera
Incentives for Going Green
Smith went on to explain how this idea might work. Fraternities and sororities are constantly competing or in some cases working together to help others, raise money for charities, or just to accomplish a worthy goal. Recycling, however, is not something the Greeks have tried to tackle yet. It would be easy for these student organizations to start recycling efforts, and if they all worked together it could have surprisingly significant impact.
Discussions on a way O.U.T.- public transportation in a small college town
They said that when University of Mississippi students returned from their Christmas break, many noticed a few new additions to the Oxford University Transit system. Four new buses delivered from Charlotte, N.C., were added to the city’s transportation system in hopes they can increase ridership.
The Oxford University Transit system was launched in October 2008 to create a more eco-friendly city, while encouraging students to find easier methods of transportation than only their cars.
Students, faculty, and local residents met recently to discuss why public transportation hasn’t caught on as much as it has in other cities.
An hour-long focus group session at Ole Miss and led by a student team in a journalism class at the University, discussed the role public transportation plays in Oxford’s culture, as well as new ways to get around town without relying on a car.
The focus group included eight people from various backgrounds and different majors. Six participants were students at Ole Miss, one participant was an University of Mississippi alum, and one person was a professional photographer.
From the beginning of the session, the participants could all agree on one thing: Oxford’s culture has never really catered to public transportation, making it difficult for students to consider the possibility of alternate methods of transportation besides their own vehicles.
“I think the biggest problem might be is that we are over an hour away from the nearest airport,” said Taylor McGraw, a Public Policy Leadership student and Associated Student Body student affairs committee chair. “How do you get back and forth from Oxford if you don’t have a car?”
Without any shuttle service to Memphis or a reliable taxi service, it is difficult for students from out-of-state to travel without the use of a car. They need a car to travel any distance, so they feel that since they have a car in Oxford, they might as well use it.
“We’re all part of a demographic that we all have cars,” said Lizzie Oglesby, a professional photographer who lives in the Oxford area and has a blog “Pick It Up, Oxford” which focuses on making the South a greener place. “I mean, we are all just comfortable to an extent that we’re gonna use our cars.”
The start of OUT coincided with the declining economy and the surge in gas prices. High gas prices seemed to push some people towards public transportation instead of personal cars, but most participants said gas prices generally aren’t an issue for them except when taking a long road trip.
“Well, I mean on a day to day basis, we usually will be driving a mile or two to and from campus.”
Everyone in the focus group agreed they would like to see OUT become more popular in hopes it would ease traffic congestion. However, there needs to be a better way to attract students to the bus system.
“I think the people who do ride it in the community really rely on it.”
TGIF: Recycling in The Grove
Fall in the tiny town of Oxford, brings more than just a gentle breeze and great football celebrations at the University of Mississippi. It brings 90,000 fans and the un-recycled items they leave behind.
The Grove, an 18-acre stretch of tree-covered grass in the middle of campus and a few minutes walk from the football stadium is home to the best tailgating in the country. However, the lack of recycling by visitors to The Grove has been a problem in recent years. Attempts to encourage recycling both the university and student organizations have had mixed results.
In early 2009, the university established a Green Grove Initiative Fund, naming this year’s program “Crunch Time!’ Students and other fans were asked to deposit their recyclable items in bins placed in The Grove, the Circle and outside the stadium. As an added convenience, volunteers would walk through The Grove two hours before kickoff and collect recycled items placed in bags in and around the party tents. All the collected items were then transported to a local recycling facility in Oxford.
To better understand the success of the recycling programs, a recent focus group of faculty and students discussed a variety of issues, ranging from awareness of various programs to their personal opinion on the effectiveness of each.
Student Doug Hollowell a “Crunch Time” program participant said the biggest problem was in the stadium. “All of the recyclable items were either contaminated or wrong, and we weren’t able to use any of them,” Hollowell said. He said the university should put more money towards going green.
Another student, Matt Archer, agreed. “It would be a good investment. It’s the next thing we have to do.” Archer said the university is hesitant to make the financial investment needed. “Get behind us, and I can show you how increasing recycling on game day will save the university $40,000 a year,” he said.
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