Student Spotlight: Abraham Rowe

Post date: Jun 20, 2014 7:2:21 PM

Were you excited about the program when you heard about it? If so, why?

Yes, I would say so! I think it is a nice way to acknowledge individual students who are thinking about their lifestyle and impact.

What prompted you to take it?

I had free time and it was fresh on my mind. Mostly, it sounded neat so I did it.

Why did you think it was important to certify your room?

The certificate advertises to other people and that’s important. Also, I learned about other stuff I could be doing through it.

Do you feel that the program is a good way to increase sustainability?

Yeah, but maybe as it currently exists the program needs to expand beyond participating members [in sustainability]. We should reach out to much younger people than college students, it would be really cool to “brainwash” kids. The certificates are good though, so is having your name on the internet.

Do you think it is helpful as tool to inform people or as encouragement?

Yes, because a lot of information is provided just when doing the survey. It’s useful because by forcing people to check boxes and think about daily habits and the ways in which they are using resources is a good way to promote change, especially if humans want to be ethical towards humans and non human animals in the future.

Could you envision a program we could do with kids?

Maybe talk to the elementary school. In general, children who are young are the right demographic to aim the program at.

Was the paper certification a motivation?

Heck Yeah! I am an HLEC in Harkness and have an awkwardly decorated door. Having more stuff [on my door] is a good thing.

Are there other things you would have liked to see on the form?

I would have liked to see more things about eating habits. I also felt penalized for walking rather than riding a bike, I would have had more points if I had also ridden a bike, but I rarely ride in cars.

Have you told any other people about the program?

Yes, friends and neighbors.

How would you increase outreach?

Get the program listed in the big book of forms and make first years do it. Also partner with RAs in all the dorms.

Tell me about your history in sustainability and what you are passionate about?

I feel passionate about things that are sustainability related, like animal rights, I think animals are awesome. I am strongly in favor of those things, and acting on them.

I think that in my mind that [animal rights are] related to sustainability because if you are to consider animals to be moral persons then certainly a sustainable world is one in which their life is maximized. Also, I work for OES here and run Ecolympics. I also work in the RPC and OSCA. The cooperative movement is sustainable because it directly challenges financial systems that are not sustainable.

What would your perfect sustainable campus look like?

It would be pretty stringent. We wouldn’t use heaters in the winter. I think moderate discomfort is acceptable. It would involve totally redoing the way that the college spends its money or supports itself also and would involve mandatory student work so that the college could spend less money or invest less in unsustainable things.

Do you have any thoughts on what would be a good way to increase sustainability on campus?

Get rid of hot water in showers and in washing machines.

What are some bigger things that people could do?

Participate in direct action and work to realize their own privilege and the ways they are indirectly oppressing other people.

Are you more interested in systemic or individual actions?

In my mind, attitudes need to be changed on the individual level or habits.

Is there anything you would like to add?

No.