Twice rescheduled, the dedication of the solar panels on Shore Hall will be held on April 25 from 1:30-3:00 p.m., celebrating Guilford’s efforts to make the school environmentally friendly. Solar thermal collectors, facing the main campus quad, were installed a few weeks ago on Shore’s roof. The panels absorb sunlight to make heat. They are effective in maintaining high temperatures and lowering heating costs.

“I think it’s great. You hear so much about environmentalism on campus, and it’s nice to see them take a positive step towards it,” said sophomore Shore resident Jamie Metrick.

“From the operations side, no news is good news,” said Sustainability Coordinator Kim Yarbray. “They seem to be working very well. I’m excited to have them, because to me they really represent a huge institutional commitment to sustainability.”

This past year, Guilford has made numerous attempts to make the college “green.” The school is going “green” by creating systems that reduce the amount of waste collected, using products that are environmentally safe and incorporating environmentally sound behaviors in everyday events.

“A sustainable school is one that becomes a collection of individuals and departments who are willing to be a part of the global community and think in a way that acknowledges our global connections at a local level,” said Yarbray.

“The Sustainability Council is pursuing a number of initiatives,” said Kyle Dell, assistant professor of political science.

These initiatives include waterless urinals, 100 percent recycled material toilet paper, green-cleaning agents used by the cleaning staff and a newly improved recycling program.

“I believe it benefits Guilford in a number of ways,” said Dell. “There are environmental benefits, it lowers the cost of energy consumption on campus and educates community members about the benefits of greening the campus.”

Guilford has improved the recycling system by placing a small blue bin in every room on campus, threatening to charge students with a fine if the bins go astray. The bins were installed in hopes that students will reduce the amount of recyclable material that ends up in the trash.

“I would like to see recycling become something we do without thought or a lot of coaxing,” said Yarbray.

“Talk is cheap,” said Jonathan Varnell, associate vice president of operations and facilities. “If you really care about something, it should be demonstrated through behavior. Everybody has to see it as their responsibility.”

The Sustainability Council installed waterless urinals, which work completely without water and a flush valve. They save approximately 45,000 gallons of water per year.

They are trying to make every urinal in campus men’s bathrooms, except for basement restrooms, waterless.

“Sustainability is far-encompassing,” said Varnell. “We are trying to do the things that we can do rather than get overwhelmed with what we can’t do. We are having a good time with it.”

The Sustainability Council is working on an end-of-the-year program called, “Don’t throw it away, Give it away.” There will be a Goodwill truck on campus, as well as collections in each dorm, so that students can recycle their products.

“I would like to see more students use their creativity and passion within their own disciplines and tackle issues that confront the Guilford campus, the Greensboro community and ultimately the world that they will graduate into,” said Yarbray. “I would like to see Guilford become a leading school for sustainability in the 21st century.