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Campaigns

The Vassar Greens seeks to run goal-oriented, action-based campaigns in an effort to see real and lasting change on campus and in the Poughkeepsie community. These are the campaigns we currently have running:

 

Tap That!:

Tap That is a campaign that wants Vassar students to think about what they drink. No, not Natural Ice versus Guinness, but bottled water versus tap water. The great thing about water is that the higher quality choice is also the cheaper one, which cannot be said for other beverages. In addition to having more nutrients and being free, tap water does not require the constant wasting of plastic bottles, pillaging of public water supplies, and use of large amounts of energy that bottled water does. Clearly, tap water is the better choice, and it is available all around us on campus from recently improved water fountains and even from the bathroom sink. Yet so many students continue to purchase bottled water, ignorant of these facts. The Tap That campaign is working to raise awareness on this important issue and to encourage students to make better choices for their bodies and wallets. In our weekly meetings we have been planning great things for Spring 2012. These meetings happen on Tuesdays at 7 in the library seminary room, and if you want more information please contact Alli Crook at alcrook@vassar.edu. Most of all though, we want students to always remember to tap that – when it comes to water or Saturday nights.

 

Zero-Waste Incinerator Campaign:

Working over a year on fighting the political obstacles that have stalled the creation of sustainable waste management system for the county, the incinerator campaign recently secured a major victory in the county legislature, which passed a resolution that could bring much-needed oversight to the county’s waste management board. But the battle is far from over. Important positions are being filled in the new oversight body – the county’s Waste Management Committee – and the incinerator campaign needs to make sure the appointees aren’t cozy with incineration.

Closer to home, the incinerator campaign will be participating in the GAAP Activist Conference by giving a Free Store workshop. Building on the success of Vassar’s own Free Store, and the momentum behind the Occupy Movement, the workshop will serve as a springboard for the potential creation of a Poughkeepsie Free Store.

We meet every Monday at 7 in the Vassar Free Store (go right facing express lunch and then make a left, and it’s the first door on the right). But we don’t stay in one place! We are always collaborating with various on-campus and off-campus groups, from the Zero-waste Campaign and the Vassar Dems, to Bard College and allies in the County Government, so you might see us out and about!

Please contact Luke Leavitt at luleavitt@vassar.edu for any questions.

 

On Campus Zero-Waste Campaign

The On-Campus Zero Waste Committee aims to create measurable results in waste reduction on campus, and to promote a culture of thrift and reuse among the student body. In short, we constantly strive to find new ways to apply the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink” train of thought, to the Vassar campus and community.

Thus far, we have:

• Successfully implemented a post office paper mail opt-out system, in the interest of reducing paper waste.

• Secured a space for a new “Free Market”, to and from which students may donate and acquire items such as clothing, dorm decorations, books, and other still functional amenities. (Think permanent SWAPR.)

Now, we are in the process of:

• Spreading the composting project we started in fall 2011 in Raymond to the rest of the dorms on campus

• Continuing to successfully maintain the free market, open Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 12-5 in CC235

Interested? Have suggestions or ideas for a new project? We’re always interested. Contact coordinators Katie George and Libbie Jacobson at kageorge@vassar.edu and lisjacobson@vassar.edu. Meeting times for spring 2012 are yet to be determined.

 

Keep It Clean

The Greens’ newest campaign, Keep It Clean seeks to ween Vassar College off of its use of dirty energy and introduce more sustainable alternatives. Still in its early stages of planning and development, this campaign offers a lot of leadership opportunities and is open and welcoming to all who are interested. After a short trial run in fall 2011, Keep It Clean plans on running a large project this spring called the Dorm Energy Challenge, a competition in which dorms compete against each other to see which can reduce their energy use by the most during a measured period of time. This campaign needs a lot of help and (wo)man-power to get itself up and running, so all are welcome! Meetings happen on Wednesdays after the Greens’ general body meeting. Contact Danielle Falzon at dafalzon@vassar.edu or Eliza Decroce-Movson at eldecrocemovson@vassar.edu for more information and to get involved!