Lee Creation Care Club hosts sustainability panel, students plan Lee Lawn Sale
On Monday, Feb. 21, the Lee Creation Care Club held a sustainability panel in the School of Nursing Lecture Hall. The panel presented an educational conversation on making Lee’s community more aware of its environmental impact.
The Creation Care Club is dedicated to educating the student body and staff on environmentally conscious living. The club provides service-based projects to educate students and to allow them to apply what they have learned. The Creation Care Club, partnered with the honors program Kairos, hosted the panel with help from professors and students.
Madeline Padgett, junior double major in environmental science and anthropology and president of the Creation Care Club, said the heart behind the sustainability panel is providing platforms for education within the world of environmental health.
"Part of what this panel is about is trying to change that stigma of this as a political issue, because it's not," said Padgett. "It affects everybody, from all different backgrounds. And that's why we want to promote this, so that we can explain sustainability in such a way that people recognize that it's not a political issue, it's a people issue."
Dr. Michael Freake, professor of biology at Lee, opened up the panel by explaining the basics of sustainability.
"Speaking from a normal science perspective, sustainability really revolves around folks meeting the present needs without compromising future generations' resources," said Freake.
Dr. Kevin Snyder, a professor of Christian ethics, represented the biblical aspect of sustainability by emphasizing why it is essential for Christians to care about the earth.
"God loves what he has created, so God's love is something working,” said Snyder. “In theory, to love God is to love what God loves also."
Dr. Ruth Wienk, a professor of sociology, discussed the sociological impact of sustainable living.
"Sustainability is more than just clothing,” said Wienk. “It's being conscious of our losses with locally sourced food. [We need to] think about sustainable practices involving all of our consumption. I want to think about the benefits to the community, like the local benefits to food. Something like food co-ops are there to help reduce poverty, they help to reduce food deserts and they help local farmers."
Charlotte Fults, a junior sociology major, presented helpful tips for Lee students when making purchases.
"It's important to be a conscious consumer and focus on not only living sustainably, but reusing what we already have," said Fults.
Kelsey Osborne, a senior political science major, broke down practical ways students can start making a positive impact and move towards a more sustainable campus.
According to Osborne, the practice of turning lights off when leaving a room, carrying around a reusable water bottle and donating items to others before disposing of the items are all ways to engage in sustainable living.
Osborne and Hannah Hicks, a senior English major, are partnering to host a Lee Lawn Sale where students can buy and sell items at the end of the year. This event will take place on Reading Day, April 27, on the Dirksen Lawn. All students are invited to sell items. There is a $3 fee to reserve a booth. According to Osborne, this money will be donated to a local charity in Cleveland.
“This is an excellent opportunity for Lee seniors to downsize before moving out, and for younger students to furnish their future apartments and buy from one another. We are also opening the yard sale up to other clubs, like Greek clubs, as fundraiser opportunities,” said Osborne.
All panelists expressed the significance of sustainability providing space and opportunity for future generations to have more access to renewable resources. The panelists believe change can happen on campus if students push for better economically-conscious living, and speak out against reasonable waste prevention practices.
For more information on getting involved with the Lee University Creation Care Club, follow them on Instagram. For more information on the Lee Lawn Sale, click here.
