Brigman

by JUSTIN HERBERGER
Intern News Reporter

Appalachian State University works towards becoming “greener” with help from the Residence Hall Association and the Department of Housing and Residence Life.

Thomas A. Brigman, junior political science major and RHA President said, “the biggest goal of the RHA’s ‘Green Initiative’ is education.”

Some residence halls, including Gardner Residence Hall and Doughton Residence Hall, have sponsored programs that encourage students to live green.

Organizations such as Renewable Energy Initiative (REI) and Power Vote have been active in these programs.

Stacy C. Covington, senior secondary education major and RHA Housing Operations Liaison said, “the housing department at Appalachian is a leader in the state and in the Southeast [in sustainability].”

Also, Covington said Peter Vandenberg, director of housing operations has a proactive stance toward green living and sustainable development.

Last year, the department of housing and residence life added recycling containers to every floor of all residence halls so students could recycle easier.

The Department of Housing Operations has also adopted green practices by using environmentally friendly cleaning products and cutting down on waste, Covington said.

Brigman said recycling among on-campus students increased as a result of the placement of containers in the residence halls.

While RHA has not asked for additional money specifically for its green initiative, it does budget its funds to aid efforts in sustainable development, Brigman said.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a national non-profit organization headquartered in Washington D.C. that works to expand sustainable building practices, according to usgbc.org.

USGBC has a rating system called The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

According to usgbc.org, “LEED has four levels of certification: certified, silver, gold and platinum, with platinum representing the highest level of achievement.”

Frank Residence Hall, currently under construction for renovations will be Appalachian’s first LEED certified building.

The residence hall will have a LEED certification of silver, Brigman said.

All future housing projects at Appalachian will also be certified at least the silver level of certification with LEED, Brigman said.

The RHA and the department of housing and residence life are also looking into the possibility of placing photovoltaic panels on the residence halls themselves.

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