This class, NSC 491, was a random elective I picked based off of the course description. I walked into it not knowing what to expect, and came out a very well informed student that is more inspired than ever before. Although the project I am currently working on is for another class, I thought it would be appropriate to not only explain my project, but also go further and incorporate things I have learned in this class to dig deeper.
For another class, my group members and I decided to look into the Kellogg Center right here on campus and see what they could do as a business to become more “green.” Incorporating terms and ideas I have learned in this class, we made a poster and PowerPoint that explains what not only the hotel itself can do to become more sustainable, but small steps everyone can take to help save the earth. Instead of using regular light bulbs, people should use LED light bulbs. Instead of wasting energy and causing pollution from coal in power plants, generate your own power with solar panels. Unplug cords you aren’t using. Use organic and locally grown food to help stimulate your own town’s markets and eliminate pollution that would come from shipping. Simple things like this are what the world needs to be more efficient. We will be presenting our ideas to a small group of individuals that will hopefully be able to take our ideas further. Our goal or outcome is to bring awareness to the general public and although I feel that this won’t do too much, I know that it is a start. In relation to NSC, I believe that most of the speakers we had visit our class mentioned at least one idea of how aesthetics are slowly but surely changing. Instead of people marketing products that are gigantic, wasteful and obnoxious, we have learned in this class that the new marketing scheme is focused more on being sustainable and less wasteful. Our thinking for this project was that, in time, the hotel won’t just be more sustainable, but will also have the upper hand on other hotels in that more people will want to stay in a “green” hotel, which will in turn cause the hotel to make a larger profit. One of our group members spoke to the manager of the hotel and he supplied us with a little bit of important information. It turns out that The Kellogg Center is planning on expanding in the next 5 to 10 years, which is the perfect opportunity to incorporate more “green” into the design. Not only this, but our group discovered a certification program called LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) which ranks a building (silver, gold, platinum) based on how energy efficient a building is. We believe that this will be a high selling point in attracting customers since aesthetics are headed in that direction and will in turn be helping the environment. Although this project focuses on the Kellogg Center, our goal is to bring awareness to everyone, not just businesses with wasteful buildings.
Throughout this class, I have learned that sustainability encompasses a broad range of topics. When I first walked into class, I thought it was just about recycling and using less waste, but little did I know, this is only the surface. I now know that sustainability includes; civic engagement, systems thinking, ecological integrity, social equity, economic vitality, aesthetics, self-authorship and critical thinking; all of which interrelate with one another. These terms are what our class has been based off of and each one can be related to another. For example: 3.1-Analyze the roles of small group process can be related to 4.6-Model a balancing loop related to sustainability and 2.3-Identify divergent perspectives for an issue of sustainability. This is true, because during our project, we talked as a group and heard what each person had to say, while inquiring and advocating our views (3.1), and in doing so, talked about our divergent perspectives on the issue of how to become a more sustainable building (2.3) and thus formed a systems diagram about how our perspectives have similarities and can be connected through boxes and arrows (4.6). I feel that this caused us to be more efficient then we would have been if we had not incorporated these skills. I have been able to incorporate these ideas into not only my project, but also into my daily life. As I watch TV and listen to the radio, I am now more aware of what is truly going on. In response to this, I now have more in-depth thoughts about what is and can be done and in doing so, practice self-reflection.
Through this class, I feel that I have become more aware of various factors that directly relate to sustainability as a whole. I plan to use all that I have learned in this course to share with as many people as I can and maybe help improve the world one step at a time. Baby steps are key to making a difference, and I believe that if every person tried to change one thing wrong in this world, we can move forward at a rapid pace.
~ Lauren Cibor
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