Winter
2005 / Volume 10, Number 2
Watt
Warrior: Emily Wheeler ’08
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Emily
Wheeler’08 |
When
Emily Wheeler ’08 says “eek,” it’s
a good thing. The sound is Mount Holyoke parlance
for “EAC,” which
translates to Environmental Action Coalition, the
vibrant student organization that Wheeler cochairs.
Throughout the
fall, EAC worked to get 2,800 MHC computer monitors
into power-save mode as part of the nationwide Million
Monitor Drive. “That
small change will save Mount Holyoke approximately
$49,000. And the carbon dioxide emitted from the
power plants that
produce the College’s electricity will be reduced by
411 tons,” Wheeler said.
A
sophomore from Orange, Vermont, Wheeler came to Mount Holyoke
looking to take action. She
immediately
joined EAC, as well as the crew
team, and began taking environmental studies classes. This
year, she’s
swapped crew for the cycling club—Wheeler pedaled to the top
of Mount Holyoke on Mountain Day—and joined Diversions,
an a cappella group.
Wheeler
is excited to be at the helm of EAC, which sponsors a number
of ongoing campaigns designed to build
conservation
into people’s
way of life. “We have the annual kilowatt competition that
challenges dorms to save energy, and last year was the first year
we
participated in Recyclemania, which involves colleges and
universities across the nation,” Wheeler
said. “EAC is structured so that whoever has a passion can
start a campaign. We have a lot of first-years, so I’m looking
forward to their proposals.” Other ongoing campaigns aim to
reduce the amount of waste associated with food production/consumption,
and increase the amount of locally and organically grown
food served
in
the
dining halls.
These
days Wheeler also is trying to decide on a major. The trouble
isn’t just that her interests are
varied, but also that “Mount
Holyoke is overwhelming in the amount of good choices
and possible paths.” Having
grown up on a farm, Wheeler currently is leaning toward
her interest in sustainable agriculture.
She’s also turning
her thoughts to a call to action put out by Lauret Savoy, director
of the Center for the Environment. “Lauret wants
students’ ideas. So I’ve been thinking, ‘Hmm,
what do I want the Center for the Environment to do for this campus?’ It
says so much about Mount Holyoke that the center exists.” She
knows that EAC will get involved and she hopes the entire
campus will, too.
“We can’t think of South Hadley or a dorm as our home. The entire
earth is our home,” Wheeler said. “We need to respect
it. Every action has an impact.”
On the MHC
Web:
Environmental
Action Coalition
Vista
- Winter 2005 Index
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