Sustainability House Could Be Residence Life Option for Fall 2018

LVC continues to make exciting strides toward becoming a more sustainable campus. One recent initiative in that direction is a new Sustainability House. Starting in the fall semester of 2018, students will have the option to live in the Sustainability House as one of the special interest houses on campus. 

This particular initiative is especially exciting because it was developed by a student, McKenna Lupold ’18. Lupold came up with the idea for a Sustainability House while taking LVC’s food study course taught by Dr. Bob Valgenti, chair of religion and philosophy and founder of the E.A.T. Research Group. Once the idea sprouted, Lupold had to research how to make it a reality. 

“I contacted numerous schools across the country to learn about how sustainability houses worked and were being implemented,” said Lupold, when asked about the process of implementing the house. 

After collecting information she decided that a sustainability house would be a feasible and beneficial addition to our campus.

“The sustainability house grants students the opportunity to reside in a living-learning community that aims at educating students, faculty, and community members about what it means to live in sustainable ways,” said Lupold. 

Students living there will be asked to reduce energy and water usage, recycle, compost organic wastes, and help create green initiative programs with campus food service provider Metz Culinary Management. The residents of the house will also serve as ambassadors to help with other sustainable practices on campus. Living in the house will enable students to complete their immersive experience requirements for their general education curriculum, Constellation LVC.

In addition to living sustainably, residents of the Sustainability House will get to design two programs per semester that will aim to share their knowledge with other students and community members. These events will be determined by the students living in the house and can reflect their interests, but they will all revolve around sustainable practices. 

One of Lupold’s long-term goals for the house is to have a teaching kitchen. Along with the residents, this kitchen would be used by Metz and faculty to host cooking seminars, informational sessions, and cooking classes. These events will help teach the importance of cooking as a facet of sustainable living.

Students can apply to join the house by completing the special interest housing application found in the Office of Residential Life. This will require students to explain their interest in the house and note any projects of interest. 

For more information, students can contact Dr. Robert Valgenti, chair of religion and philosophy and professor of philosophy, at valgenti@lvc.edu.