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Sustainability Council awards students at ‘Come Clean, Go Green’ ceremony

The Sixth Annual “Come Clean, Go Green” student awards were celebrated April 14 at Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå University. The ceremony followed a keynote presentation by Kay McKeen, founder and executive director of School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education (SCARCE), who stressed the importance of “Little Things Matter.”

Sam Baker won first place for “Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary,” a proposal to create a Monarch Butterfly sanctuary on campus with native plants to foster the health of this important species.

Second place went to Ciersten Deardorf for “Compostable Cutlery,” a proposal to purchase and use compostable cutlery on campus to work in tandem with the existing food scrap composting program.

Sam Baker earned third place for “Apple Trees,” a proposal to plant several apple trees on campus for both the human wellness component and environmental benefits of planting more trees on campus.

Students also voted for their favorite proposals during the ‘student choice’ section of the program, where Compostable Cutlery was voted the favorite among those who attended.

Six student proposals were submitted for judging this year: Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, Community Garden, Apple Trees on Campus, Geothermal Energy, Compostable Cutlery, and an Environmental Development Plan. A panel of judges from across campus blindly judged the proposals based on merit and feasibility of implementation. Students were awarded cash prizes, ranging from $250-$1,000. Half of the funds will go toward implementation of the project.

McKeen reminded the audience of “little things” they can do at home to go green, such as recycling electronics, printing on both sides of a sheet of paper, changing fonts to use less ink and dropping off unused medications to police stations for proper disposal. McKeen also discussed ways to help conserve water and encouraged people to plant milkweed for Monarch butterflies.

The “Come Clean, Go Green” contest is sponsored by the Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå University Sustainability Council. The organization develops policies and strategies that reflect Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå University's commitment to sustainable practices. The council also promotes responsible environmental stewardship.

Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå University is a Catholic university in the Lasallian tradition offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,700 traditional and adult students. Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected, and socially responsible graduates. The seventh largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit for further information.