With Earth Day fast approaching, we should all take a moment to reflect on what each of us can contribute to the effort to making our campus greener. Guilford was recently rated as the third greenest college in North Carolina, but, if we come together as a community, we can achieve even more recognition.”Sustainability is a big word,” Vice President for Enrollment Services Randy Doss reminds me, which is precisely why we’ve broken our plan into three easily digestible steps.

In the first phase of changes, we unveiled a plan to increase the amount of water being heated through solar power and switched food providers to Meriwether Godsey because of their commitment to “greening” our cafeteria.

In the second phase, we selected the CEO of Tupperware to speak at the 2010 graduation ceremony, not only because he briefly attended Guilford, but also because saving your leftover food is a small but significant step you can take to prevent waste. Though Guilford is rife with dumpster-divers who may catch your scraps, utilizing advanced Tupperware technology will significantly decrease our campus’ carbon footprint.

The third phase, however, is the most important. At long last, I will no longer drive my car from my house near Milner to my presidential parking space next to Duke Hall. I’ve found that it is not only more sustainable, but quicker and more fashionable to travel campus on a fixed-gear bicycle.

Recent efforts by students and staff are pushing us in the right direction, including efforts to cut down on personal energy consumption and the creation of community gardens in the Meadows.

Yet, a recent survey conducted by Forevergreen highlighted student ambivalence towards environmental stewardship. According to the survey, 67.4 percent of students said their favorite plant is “marijuana” and 38.2 percent said their favorite animals were an “Animal Collective.”

The campus community, and students in particular, should follow the example I have set. Combining our old school motto (“Be the change you wish to see in the world”) and our new motto (“Become more.”), I have taken the lead to “become more” sustainable and return Guilford to the social justice bastion it once claimed to be.

When you look at my example, do not just ask yourself how you can be more like Kent Chabotar, but ask yourself what changes you will commit to this Earth Day to save us before it is too late. Remember, 2012 is just around the corner and we don’t have much time.

Fly, eagles! Spread your wings and soar!