2008 Woodie Awards
'Foamless Friday' creates awareness and disputes
Andrea Padamonsky
Issue date: 2/21/07 Section: News
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The Mount St. Mary's Environmental Club, University Recycling Committee and Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability Committee sponsored "Foamless Friday" in Patriot Hall to raise awareness of excess Styrofoam consumption.
On Friday, Styrofoam containers were not used in Patriot Hall. Instead, students were encouraged to remain in the cafeteria to eat, or bring their own containers to Patriot Hall to take food to-go.
"'Foamless Friday' was an awareness-building event meant to draw attention to the excessive and wasteful use of styrofoam to-go containers, particularly on the part of those who remain in the Dining Hall," said Dr. Brian Henning, moderator of the Environmental Club and chairman of the University Recycling Committee.
The Environmental Club built a wall on both sides of the entrance to Patriot Hall, displaying 1,700 styrofoam trays, in order to demonstrate the issue. The club also set up a table by the display where they collected more than 400 signatures of students, seminarians, faculty and administration in favor of biodegradable instead of styrofoam to-go containers, according to Henning.
"Dining Services estimates that more than 3,500 containers are used each day at the Mount. That means that nearly half a million styrofoam trays have been thrown away so far this school year," Henning said.
"The point of the day was really great and we're really supportive of that, but we don't understand why they wasted all those styrofoam boxes to build a wall," said sophomore Lauren Fram, whose friend sophomore Erica Shannon agreed with the statement.
Some students, who disagreed with the event, tried to steal containers from the wall to use them. Other students put up an argument with club members manning the table by the display. The majority, however, seemed happy with the awareness activity or simply acted neutral, according to Environmental Club members.
"I was very pleased to see the positive way that MSM students were reacting to Foamless Friday," said sophomore Kate Zuraitis, secretary of the Environmental Club. "Once they saw the display of only half the amount of styrofoam to-go containers we use in one day, over 400 students were willing to sign the Environmental Club's petition to get biodegradable containers. Thanks to the support of SGA and the student body we can make this a reality."
On Friday, Styrofoam containers were not used in Patriot Hall. Instead, students were encouraged to remain in the cafeteria to eat, or bring their own containers to Patriot Hall to take food to-go.
"'Foamless Friday' was an awareness-building event meant to draw attention to the excessive and wasteful use of styrofoam to-go containers, particularly on the part of those who remain in the Dining Hall," said Dr. Brian Henning, moderator of the Environmental Club and chairman of the University Recycling Committee.
The Environmental Club built a wall on both sides of the entrance to Patriot Hall, displaying 1,700 styrofoam trays, in order to demonstrate the issue. The club also set up a table by the display where they collected more than 400 signatures of students, seminarians, faculty and administration in favor of biodegradable instead of styrofoam to-go containers, according to Henning.
"Dining Services estimates that more than 3,500 containers are used each day at the Mount. That means that nearly half a million styrofoam trays have been thrown away so far this school year," Henning said.
"The point of the day was really great and we're really supportive of that, but we don't understand why they wasted all those styrofoam boxes to build a wall," said sophomore Lauren Fram, whose friend sophomore Erica Shannon agreed with the statement.
Some students, who disagreed with the event, tried to steal containers from the wall to use them. Other students put up an argument with club members manning the table by the display. The majority, however, seemed happy with the awareness activity or simply acted neutral, according to Environmental Club members.
"I was very pleased to see the positive way that MSM students were reacting to Foamless Friday," said sophomore Kate Zuraitis, secretary of the Environmental Club. "Once they saw the display of only half the amount of styrofoam to-go containers we use in one day, over 400 students were willing to sign the Environmental Club's petition to get biodegradable containers. Thanks to the support of SGA and the student body we can make this a reality."
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