Editors encourage SGA to support repurposing bill

The Repurposing Club was founded on campus just last semester, but members are already trying to get started on their first project.

The club aims to promote ways to improve the environment on campus. Its first project is to introduce recycling opportunities to the dorms.

The club presented a bill to Student Senate for a little less than $800. The money from the bill would fund 200 recycling bins, one for each room in United Methodist Hall. Senate passed the bill, but SGA President Nic Rhodes vetoed their decision.

See Page 1 for more on the Repurposing Club’s efforts. 

The Repurposing Club’s in-dorm recycling initiative would have been the perfect way to start on their ultimate goal of implementing a campuswide recycling program, something  missing from the university.

In 2009, the facilities department partnered with Blue Goes Green to create a campuswide recycling effort, and, in 2015, the university hosted “Blue Goes Green Week,” a campuswide effort to encourage environmentally friendly habits. Nothing like that has been done since.

Current efforts to help the environment are small. OCU is a Tree Campus USA, a program of the National Arbor Day foundation that recognizes universities for tree planting and beautification efforts. Officials planted more than 100 new trees on campus in the last couple of years, according to okcu.edu.

It’s great that OCU is being recognized for its beautification efforts and tree planting, which is good for the environment, but the focus can’t be simply on aesthetics. Just because the university plants trees often does not mean it should become complacent.

The initiative by the Repurposing Club should be passed because the university’s current efforts are not enough.

Rhodes doesn’t want to spend too much money too hastily, which is understandable, but OCU’s lack of recycling is an important issue, and waiting will only make things worse.

If you want to see the Repurposing Club start a campuswide program, show your support by writing to Holly Randall, SGA vice president, at hmrandall@my.okcu.edu.