Whether freshman or senior, Martelian or Lovetteer, we all complain about on-campus living conditions at one point or another. We've all experienced problems with water pressure and temperature, poltergeist AC units or light fixtures that have minds of their own. In perspective, however, these malfunctions pale in comparison to our own malfunction: We aren't using these spaces properly. Our personal living habits not only drive up the cost of living for everyone at Rice, but they also eat up resources and speed up wear and tear on our facilities.
With all the coverage of exciting environmental initiatives on campus recently, Rice looks from the outside like a leader in sustainable living. We have classes dedicated solely to green campus initiatives, top-notch LEED certified buildings, green roofs, single-stream recycling, bike sharing programs and even part of our tuition now goes toward improving our carbon footprint. There's no doubt that Rice students are smart enough to know about the importance of maintaining a sustainable lifestyle, but are we smart enough to care?
