On October 20, the Mirror News was fortunate to have the opportunity sit in on the third sustainability round table session at our neighbor campus, University of Michigan-Dearborn. It was sponsored jointly by the Sierra Club Cool Cities foundation and the Student Environmental Association (SEA) at UM-D during the campus's Sustainability Week.

The discussion fittingly centered around how institutions of higher education can better position themselves as key establishments in furthering the usage of green technology and raising environmental awareness. Ian Tran, SEA's president, opened the event with a brief summary of its purpose and an introduction of the evening's guest speaker, Dr. Michael Shriberg of University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Also in attendance were David Norwood (the sustainability coordinator for the city of Dearborn), university staff, students from the host school and Wayne State University, green-minded citizens of Dearborn, and the president of our own environmental association, Ziad Zebib.

It was an interesting and unexpected mix of attendees, visible proof that passion for the green movement continues to lengthen its reach and grow awareness. One of the long-term objectives of these round tables is to heighten the local level of interest and education in sustainability, and judging from the discussion following the primary presentation, it becomes more of a reality every day.

Before presenting his thoughts on the evening's topic, Dr. Shriberg began with a short detailing of how he came to be involved in the sustainability movement and his experience on the subject, proving to be an engaging and knowledgeable speaker before shifting gears to the matter of the involvement (or lack thereof) colleges and universities have in making the world an eco-friendlier place.

Though it may sound a dry topic on paper, perhaps like a lecture you'd be forced to listen to in class, it was anything but. At the risk of sounding phony, it was genuinely enlightening. Shriberg stated his belief that many campuses in Michigan, and the rest of the nation, have not taken stronger hold of the green bug because they lack guidance and, at their cores, are conservative institutions slow to make revolutionary changes. Having experienced Washington lobbying, he said that “moving colleges and universities might be even more difficult, in ways” than dealing with politicians on Capitol Hill. He also asserted that there is a “strong corporatization” present in higher education, a thought many of us have probably had when tallying up the prices for each semester's books.

This trend of college as corporation is not the only hindrance at work, although much of it does have to do with many institutions preferring to spend money on investments seen as more lucrative than installing green technology; there is also the large ideology gap between conservatively-minded school officials and the concerned body of progressive students and staff that has slowed the process of bringing sustainability to campuses.

Dr. Shriberg presented all of this information in a way that was accessible rather than preachy, and peppered in anecdotes about his own dealings with unbending campus administrators in between sharing disappointing statistics about how many places of higher education are actively trying to make a difference. The mood was kept light and conversational, humorous even. Also worth noting is that Shriberg welcomed questions throughout the slide-show and his accompanying elaboration, graciously sparing his listeners the feeling that they were being talked at instead of to.

After the presentation wound down, Ian Tran opened the floor for any additional questions, and then invited everyone in attendance to introduce themselves. The group was warm and welcoming as the introductions rolled out, everyone explaining why they were present, how they hoped to help the environment, and how they'd gotten involved. Instead of being a formal and awkward process, the round of introductions became an open dialogue between all in attendance, as people brought up their individual concerns regarding the environment and invited discussion, or sparked interesting questions relating to personal experiences in activism shared in anecdotes. This free-for-all kept the momentum going from the information given by Dr. Shriberg, and was an educational experience in its own right.

All in all, the meeting was insightful and made its point, while the sponsors skillfully kept it feeling more like a gathering of friends than an official event. More information about the next sustainability round table will be available in coming weeks, so keep an eye out. In the meantime, find out more about, and get involved with, HFCC's native SEA by contacting the club advisor, Mr. William Secrest, at (313) 845-6411.