Growing stronger than ever: Revitalization of UWS’s Sustainability Club

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It's important to take care of the environment and practice sustainability. The Sustainability Club at the University of Wisconsin-Superior offers a space in which students can reflect on, encourage and enact sustainable practices.

This semester, the club has revitalized under new president Travis Akinkugbe, a computer science major who relates deeply with the club's mission.

"I grew up in a large city by the sea," said Akinkugbe," It was not uncommon to see garbage strewn around the streets and in the water because people couldn't be bothered to throw things away properly, and the sea was so polluted that I'd never seen a single fish in it."

The club was officially disbanded last spring, but now it is as active as ever with more than 60 members engaging in environmentally focused activities.

This November, the Sustainability Club went on a study tour of Enbridge, a pipeline and energy company working in both the U.S and Canada.

"The tour of Enbridge was quite insightful," said Akinkugbe.

Students attending the study tour were able to examine the efforts of Enbridge in maintaining sustainable practices. The tour showcased Enbridge's investment into solar power and wind turbines. They also highlighted their active risk avoidance when it comes to potential environmental harm. Students learned that, should an oil spill occur, Enbridge was prepared to quickly assess damage and implement damage control policies.

"I am personally motivated in seeing how passionate our students and the multiple stakeholder communities are about contributing positively toward building a more resilient community," said Sakib Mahmund, professor of sustainable management and economics and faculty advisor for the Sustainability Club.

The UW-Sustainability clubs' passion shines through in their active presence on campus. The club has hosted campus clean ups, movie nights and raffles. Additionally, they encourage the use of reusable utensils through projects such as the O2GO Project and the Bamboo Project - both of which provide sustainable alternatives to plasticware in the campus dining areas.

One major activity of the club is their management of the campus Free Store. Supporting sustainable practices, the campus free-store provides items to students and community members alike. The Free Store offers access to clothing and other materials for the campus and community. The store is located in Old Main, Room 131, and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Students from a wide range of majors offered at UWS help to keep the club active. As club representative, Akinkugbe is proud to have such a diverse group with varying backgrounds and experiences to contribute.

"We have members who study marketing, computer science, communicating arts, business analytics, elementary education, biology, international business, transportation and logistics management, environmental science, writing, public leadership and changemaking and many others"

By Olivia Fleming, English major and student writer for UWS.