Name: Kristen Arnold
Major/Minor: Political Science/ Sustainability Studies
HC: What is PESC and why did you decide to join?
KA: “PESC is an acronym for the President’s Environmental Sustainability Committee, for which I am a member of the Student Committee. PESC was formally founded in 2009 after Father Peter signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which pledged Villanova to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The Student Committee is responsible for promoting sustainability around campus and encouraging the Villanova community to adopt sustainable practices in their daily lives. I wanted to join PESC because sustainability is very important to me both in terms of my personal choices and future career goals, and PESC serves as an opportunity for me to continue to make a difference now. In college especially, you see the prevalence of wasteful habits and negligence in respect for the environment, but getting involved in PESC has allowed me to change our campus to make it more sustainable, while also (hopefully) inspiring the Villanova community to want to make a change, too.”
HC: What role do you play on the committee?
KA: “In PESC, I serve as one of the Communications Chairs on the Executive Board. Communications Chairs are responsible for maintaining PESC’s social media presence on Facebook and Instagram. You can like “Sustainability at Villanova” on Facebook and follow “VU_GoGreen” on Instagram to stay up-to-date with PESC events and other sustainability initiatives outside of Villanova.”
HC: What are some fun events or activities PESC does on campus?
KA: “Everything PESC does is fun! Some of our annual events include the freshmen orientation carnival, where we tie-dye shirts for the freshmen, as well as build a sculpture out of the thrown-out boxes from move-in day to provide students with a visual representation of the waste accumulated on move-in day; Earth Day, where we have a farmers’ market, tie-dye station, and host an Earth Day of Service students can volunteer for; Mount Trashmore outside the Oreo, which is a compilation of the trash from the Pit and Conn collected throughout the day to bring awareness to the amount of waste accumulated on campus; and the Kill the Cup competition, which takes place throughout the month of October and encourages students to use reusable coffee thermoses instead of disposable ones (plus Holy Grounds will give you a discount if you use a reusable cup!).”
This picture was a selfie taken for the Kill the Cup competition. Part of the competition involves social media presence to encourage others to use reusable mugs.
HC: What is your favorite part about PESC?
KA: “My favorite part about PESC is the platform it provides me to spread awareness of sustainability around campus. I am very passionate about sustainability, and love how PESC allows me to be a part of campus-wide initiatives to make Villanova more “green.” Also, PESC is awesome because you are surrounded by amazing people who share your passion for protecting the environment and are always learning new ways to be more sustainable.”
HC: What do you hope PESC brings to campus?
KA: “Above all else, what I hope PESC brings to campus is a change of heart in the Villanova community. It is often frustrating for me to see the lack of empathy people have for the environment as exemplified by the impact of careless actions due to wasteful habits, but I hope that the presence and initiatives of PESC on campus will inspire students, faculty, and staff to care about the environment and cause them to understand the pertinence of incorporating sustainable practices into their daily routines.”
HC: How can other students get involved?
KA: “To be a member of the PESC Student Committee, students must go through an application and interview process that occurs every spring semester. However, you do not need to wait to apply to get involved with what we are doing on campus! You can sign up to receive a monthly email of the Sustainability Newsletter by contacting Liesel Schwarz, our wonderful advisor, at liesel.schwarz@villanova.edu to stay up-to-date with PESC activities throughout the semester. Also, getting involved could mean taking up sustainable habits of your own, such as using reusable water bottles, recycling, unplugging chargers and turning off lights when not in use, and eating meatless meals. We also welcome suggestions; feel free to connect with us on social media if you have a change you would like to see on campus. #IgniteChange #GoGreen”