Greening Cornell student leadership


Blaine Friedlander
Students Sarah Ditton, foreground, Audrey Stanton, Alisha Luthra, Martha Williams, with Sarah Zemanick, director of campus sustainability, stick brainstorming Post-it ideas on the Memorial Room wall in Willard Straight Hall.

About 100 students from various campus groups converged at the Leadership Summit Dec. 6 for Cornell’s Environmental Collaborative – an umbrella group called ECO – to provide wall-to-wall green ideas.

“The ideas generated need to be implemented and we need to recognize that the brainstorming session is just the first step of many to come,” said Samsuda Khem-Nugad '17, ECO’s vice president of initiatives. “At the very least, I hope that the activity gave everyone in the environmental community a sense of ownership of Cornell's environmental plans and show them that their input is valued.”

The summit, “What Now? Adjusting to Change in an Uncertain Future,” featured a panel discussion with Anna Kelles, lecturer in nutrition; Bruce Monger, lecturer in earth and atmospheric sciences; and Sam George, a sachem chief of the Cayuga Nation.

Chistina Yin ’18 and Allison Considine ’17 reported on their weeklong trip to attend the 22nd Conference of the Parties, COP22, in Marrakech Nov. 7-18. As student delegates, Yin attended greenhouse gas emissions, sustainability and smart agriculture sessions. Considine attended meetings related to development justice in a fossil fuel-free future and global employment.

- Blaine Friedlander