December's Programs of the Month - 20th Street and Stuy Park

We tried and tried, but with the great programs that happened in December we couldn’t pick just one!

Here are the 2 programs that tied for Program of the Month for December 2011:

20th Street – Loving Lampposts

RAs from the 20th Street staff, led by, Joel Arken, and in collaboration with Hall Council, screened the film "Loving Lampposts" in November 2011.

This film is about the autism spectrum and the many responses to the crisis of autism diagnoses and was shown to a group of residents in the 20th Street Residence Hall. After the film, there was an hour-long discussion about representations of people on the autism spectrum and the different strategies to better understand autism. Several residents had experience working in nonprofits or having family members on the spectrum, so there were many diverse experiences that helped shape a fascinating discussion. Due to the success of this event, a follow-up program might take place in the spring semester!

Stuyvesant Park – Be Good, Be Green, Be Glamorous!


Stuyvesant Park RA, Ayanna Heaven, noticed that our students have a passion for clothing and for sustainability. She saw this as a great need for students to be given different options for accumulating clothing and introduce a new way of thinking about consumerism. The idea of a Stuyvesant Park clothing swap event was born!

When a student gave an article of clothing, he/she received an entry ticket to come to the event. After 2 days of clothing collection, the big swap event occurred on November 17th. At the event, the clothing and accessories were arranged on racks and tables in a retail fashion. The Stuyvesant Park Study Lounge was truly transformed into a clothing boutique. It was very reminiscent of a Fashion's Night Out event, promoting residents to give pieces so that they were given a ticket to come. There were hors-d'oeuvres, music, and goody bags at the event for them. Residents seemed to really dig the clothes that they got, and it was a good turnout.

Special Interest Community Highlight: Alison Schuettinger, 20th Street Green Community

Originally from Fredrick, MD, Ali is currently a second year masters student studying psychology. She is interested in applying psychology to environmental sustainability in order to combat global warming using behavior change. Ali’s interest in being a Special Interest Community R.A came from her interest in living a sustainable lifestyle and how that relates to well being.

Q. What is your favorite part about the 20th Street Green Community?
A. The garden, the people that care.

Q. What has been your favorite program with your community?
A. I conducted environmental health and safety inspections right after (the regular health and safety inspections) and people paid attention to the signs I posted on doors and turning off lights and AC and unplugging electronic devices when not in use. One resident in 2F had all lamps, devices unplugged with cords out on floor and nothing left on. I will conduct these monthly.

Q. What’s one goal you have for your community?
A. For residents to use less energy. For students to become aware of environmental concerns and become aware of environmental concerns and easy behaviors they can acquire in their lifestyle that produce zero to less carbon emissions (compost, recycle properly, take the stairs)

Q. What is the most memorable thing that has happened in your community?
A. The first week this resident who I had just met volunteered to stand by compost bins and educate students that all NS products are biodegradable and organic waste can be thrown away in compost not landfill.

Q. What is your dream, no-budget, no restriction program?
A. To measure the ecological footprint of the (20th Street) Green floor. We applied for green fund, let’s hope we get it.

Campus Sustainability Week... You should go!

Have you signed The New School Sustainability Pledge yet? Go ahead, the commitment is easy and you'll be just one of hundreds of other New School students who have done the same!

This year, The New School will be celebrating its first annual Campus Sustainability Week, with events running from October 25-29. These events aim to bring The New School community together in its common commitment to sustainability within the University and on a larger scale. The schedule of events is as follows:

Tuesday, October 26
ReNew School's Free Market
Time: 1:30-4 pm
Location: Wollman Hall, 65 West 11th St., 5th Fl.
ReNew School's community swap. Bring your gently used clothes, books and trinkets to exchange for new treasures.

Wednesday, October 27
New School Alumni Panel on Sustainability
Time: 5:30-7 pm
Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th St.
Graduates from Milano and Parsons discuss their work in sustainability.

Thursday, October 28, 2010
Green Fund 2010 Awardees Presentations
Time: 6-8:30 pm
Location: Kellen Auditorium, 66 5th Avenue
Recipients of Green Fund 2010 awards will present their projects.

Friday, October 29, 2010
Sustainability Town Hall Meeting
Time: 12-1 pm
Location: Kellen Auditorium, 66 5th Avenue
This brownbag lunch presentation will introduce the work of the Office for Sustainability and the Sustainability Advisory Committee.

Parsons Solar Decathlon 2010 Team Presentation
Time: 4-5 pm
Location: Kellen Auditorium, 66 5th Avenue
New School students present their entry in the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon 2011 competition.

For more information, contact:

GWEN KILVERT THE NEW SCHOOL
Assistant Director for Sustainability & Energy Management Facilities
71 5th Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10003
kilvertg@newschool.edu

**Don’t forget that being green isn’t just a one-week event – it’s something that you can do every day of the year! Try following some of these tips to lower your impact and make your carbon footprint a little smaller:

Remember: less is more. Did you know that it’s possible to have more money, work less, and save the Earth by doing absolutely nothing? I know it sounds too good to be true, but cutting back on the amount of things that you are purchasing each month can make a major impact on your bank account and the environment. Think about all of that unnecessary packaging, and the pollution caused by producing and transporting goods – when you buy less (or buy used), these problems disappear, and the Earth is a cleaner place because of it.

This is an obvious one, but it seems like one can never be reminded too many times to TURN OFF THE LIGHTS when leaving a room empty. Unless you’re living in a haunted house, there are no invisible people hanging around your room, so when you leave, don’t forgot to turn the lights off.

Finally, be lazy. Do you hate doing your laundry every week? Me too. The solution: do it less often. Don’t make a trip to the laundry room unless you have a full load of laundry – running a regular wash cycle for just a few items is a waste of water and a waste of your money!

For more ideas on staying green, visit National Geographic’s “Green Guide” at http://www.thegreenguide.com/.

It's Green week... Commit!

Have you signed The New School Sustainability Pledge yet? Go ahead, the commitment is easy and you'll be just one of hundreds of other New School students who have done the same!

This year, The New School will be celebrating its first annual Campus Sustainability Week, with events running from October 25-29. These events aim to bring The New School community together in its common commitment to sustainability within the University and on a larger scale. The schedule of events is as follows:

Tuesday, October 26
ReNew School's Free Market
Time: 1:30-4 pm
Location: Wollman Hall, 65 West 11th St., 5th Fl.
ReNew School's community swap. Bring your gently used clothes, books and trinkets to exchange for new treasures.

Wednesday, October 27
New School Alumni Panel on Sustainability
Time: 5:30-7 pm
Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th St.
Graduates from Milano and Parsons discuss their work in sustainability.

Thursday, October 28, 2010
Green Fund 2010 Awardees Presentations
Time: 6-8:30 pm
Location: Kellen Auditorium, 66 5th Avenue
Recipients of Green Fund 2010 awards will present their projects.

Friday, October 29, 2010
Sustainability Town Hall Meeting
Time: 12-1 pm
Location: Kellen Auditorium, 66 5th Avenue
This brownbag lunch presentation will introduce the work of the Office for Sustainability and the Sustainability Advisory Committee.

Parsons Solar Decathlon 2010 Team Presentation
Time: 4-5 pm
Location: Kellen Auditorium, 66 5th Avenue
New School students present their entry in the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon 2011 competition.

For more information, contact:

GWEN KILVERT THE NEW SCHOOL
Assistant Director for Sustainability & Energy Management Facilities
71 5th Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10003
kilvertg@newschool.edu

**Don’t forget that being green isn’t just a one-week event – it’s something that you can do every day of the year! Try following some of these tips to lower your impact and make your carbon footprint a little smaller:

Remember: less is more. Did you know that it’s possible to have more money, work less, and save the Earth by doing absolutely nothing? I know it sounds too good to be true, but cutting back on the amount of things that you are purchasing each month can make a major impact on your bank account and the environment. Think about all of that unnecessary packaging, and the pollution caused by producing and transporting goods – when you buy less (or buy used), these problems disappear, and the Earth is a cleaner place because of it.

This is an obvious one, but it seems like one can never be reminded too many times to TURN OFF THE LIGHTS when leaving a room empty. Unless you’re living in a haunted house, there are no invisible people hanging around your room, so when you leave, don’t forgot to turn the lights off.

Finally, be lazy. Do you hate doing your laundry every week? Me too. The solution: do it less often. Don’t make a trip to the laundry room unless you have a full load of laundry – running a regular wash cycle for just a few items is a waste of water and a waste of your money!

For more ideas on staying green, visit National Geographic’s “Green Guide” at http://www.thegreenguide.com/.

This Holiday Season – Recycle, Reuse and Re-invent Your Holiday Spending!

The school year is half way complete, and by now you've become enlightened on what it means to be a college student in New York City. For example, you know that taking taxis everyday and shopping for groceries only at Whole Foods are two sure fire ways to drain your bank account quickly. But just because you've adjusted your daily habits to cut costs doesn't mean you won't be tempted to spend spend spend this holiday season! So before you head home for the break, use these tips to help you curb your shopping appetite. After all, Mom and Dad can't be too proud of all those A+s if there are minus signs in front of your bank account balance!

Get in the Holiday Spirit, for Free!

New York City is notorious for holiday sightseeing and events. Free options include enjoying the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, admiring the window decorations on 5th Avenue, watching the nightly lighting of the giant menorah on 5th and 59th during Hanukkah, and of course, visiting Santa at Macy’s Herald Square. Not big into tradition? Well that's okay, too! Check out some unique and diverse activities, like the parading boom box carolers of Unsilent Night, the 500 tuba players at Rockefeller Center for Tuba Christmas, or celebrate the seven principles of Kwanza at the Museum of Natural History .

Get into Giving Gear and Donate!

Perhaps your dorm room is looking a little cluttered. When's the last time you wore those floral platform wedges, anyway? Help out your community (and spare your roommate some extra space!) by donating this season - and you can do it all right from your residence hall! Check out the bins in your lobby and drop off some coats, clothes, and canned goods.

Swapping Equals Saving

Not sure who to buy for this year? Spare yourself the torture of deciding which friends make the gift list by doing a group exchange. Have a Secret Snowflake Swap and set a price limit. Or be sustainable and do a White Elephant gift exchange...for once, re-gifting is encouraged! For more ideas, check out http://www.santalady.com/xmasgame/whiteelephant.html.

DIY and Use Your Talents!

Ever notice how Mom and Dad seem to love everything you've ever made, even those pictures where you colored outside of the lines or saturated the paper in glue? Well now that you're in college, odds are your talents have expanded, so using them for gift-making is an idea they'll truly appreciate. Got some time to kill on the long bus or plane ride home? Try knitting or crocheting. Decided to major in art? How about making a series of small paintings? If you're a writer, try filling a scrapbook up with some of your favorite memories, accompanied by photographs. It won't cost much to make, but you'll be sure to see many happy faces as your gift recipients open these hand-made gems.

Getting Dirty never felt so good!!

Thanks to everyone who joined us last Friday to help clear brush at the Jackie Robinson Park in Harlem!

Join The New School through two great opportunities this Friday!

Volunteer in a New York City Park:
August 28, 2009 - 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
There are two great parks to choose from! All student who attend will receive lunch and a roundtrip metrocard to the site. Talk to your RA about where to sign up or check in at your residence hall office to learn more! See you there!

Jackie Robinson Park

Directions: Depart from Residence Hall at 9:00 a.m.

About the park: 16 acres of park with numerous garden locations, 3 athletic fields, large lawn areas, an outdoor Olympic swimming pool and full gym and indoor and outdoor athletic facilities.
Type of volunteer work: General gardening tasks. Planting perennials and shrubs, maintaining park paths and gates, and other miscellaneous beautification activities. Note: this project happens rain or shine, as rain does not impact planting. Please check weather forecast and be prepared with jacket, sweatshirt or poncho.

What volunteers should wear: Light colored, washable clothing that can get dirty. Long sleeves and pants are recommended. Also please wear sturdy, covered shoes. No flip flops or tank tops for safety reasons. It is also recommended to bring a hat, sunscreen and bug spray if needed by the individual volunteer.

Riverside Park

Depart from Residence Hall at 9:00 a.m.

About the Park: Stretching four miles from 72nd to 158th streets along the Hudson River, Riverside Park is widely regarded as Manhattan's most spectacular waterfront park. As one of only eight officially designated scenic landmarks in the City of New York, it has a long and storied history. Recreational facilities include a range of sports courts and fields, a skate park, a large portion of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway (for bicycles), and the 110-slip public marina at 79th street, an important part of New York State's Water Trail.

Type of volunteer work: Volunteers will be working to clear an overgrown slope in the park and do planting of flowers and shrubs.

What volunteers should wear: Light colored, washable clothing that can get dirty. Long sleeves and pants are recommended. Also please wear sturdy, covered shoes. No flip flops or tank tops for safety reasons. It is also recommended to bring a hat, sunscreen and bug spray if needed by the individual volunteer.

On Campus Sustainability Project
August 28, 2009 - 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Presentations begins at Wollman Hall, but we plan to walk, so wear comfortable shoes and clothes.

• 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. What is The New School doing? Recycling presentation in Wollman Hall.
• 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. What Else could we be Doing? - Meet New School employees, and examine office spaces for proper recycling procedure. Give your suggestions.
• 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Green Market and NYC sustainability Tour – See your local neighborhood and what they are doing for sustainability.