Student Essays, Opinions & Other Insights on a Sustainable UMD 2013-2014 Academic Year | Page 5

Dear University of Maryland community,
When discussing sustainability, people often talk about large-scale reforms, such as carbon neutrality
or zero waste, but sustainability is so much more than that -- it’s a way of life. While students have created
and funded the University Sustainability Fund for large-scale projects, we find it vital for students to
recognize the potential of their individual contribution to helping the Earth become a better place. That is why
the Student Sustainability Committee of the SGA decided to orchestrate the “What Will YOU(md) Do?”
Sustainability Pledge. Our goals in creating this pledge were to raise awareness and educate the student body
in regards to sustainability, demonstrate that everyone can make a difference, and unite students around the
common goal of sustainability.
When students signed up to take this pledge they were challenging themselves to keep sustainability
in their mind and in their actions over the course of four weeks. Throughout the four weeks, students pledged
to take various personal actions to mitigate the environmental issues of diminishing natural resources,
water scarcity and climate change. By participating in the pledge, individuals learned small ways to change
their lives that can make a big impact. Finally, the pledge culminated with a huge Earth Day Festival to
celebrate the planet and to thank all pledge participants for their immense dedication to living sustainably.
Overall, the pledge was a huge success, as 410 students took the pledge, 300+ students attended the Earth Day
Festival and 30 student groups hosted tables at the Festival to share their work on sustainability.
In an effort to empirically demonstrate the student body’s commitment to sustainability, we held an
essay contest to conclude the pledge and asked students to answer three simple questions:
Why did you sign up for the pledge?
Why is sustainability important to you personally?
What is one thing you’d like UMD to do to be more sustainable?
Many students, from Freshmen to Seniors and Business to Engineering majors, submitted essays, and
we have chosen the top 18 to include in this book.
The sustainability pledge was created as a means to show the University community that sustainability
is attainable -- that sustainability does not discriminate and that it is applicable to everyone. Though every
action is small, they culminate to create a large impact that alleviates the strain we put on the Earth. From
brushing our teeth to powering our cars, we are constantly consuming Earth’s finite natural resources. By
taking personal responsibility and reducing our environmental impact, together we can take strides in
combating environmental degradation.

The following pages stand as a testament to the importance of sustainability to the student
body, and represent the dedicated students who insist that the University of Maryland
does everything in its power to remain a national leader in sustainability.

Enjoy,
The Student Government Association’s Student Sustainability Committee

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