Colleges and universities around the country are reminding students to prioritize “sustainability” and “environmentalism” this Christmas.
According to a report by The College Fix, colleges and universities around the country are encouraging students to engage in “sustainable” practices this Christmas season.
Some of the suggestions are truly bizarre. Furman University encouraged students to regift their own old items to friends instead of purchasing them new gifts.
“Going to a white elephant party? Don’t buy something new,” Furman University wrote in one post. “Gifts are just as fun, and sometimes funnier, when they’re re-gifted from last year or come from the attic.”
“Go digital. Plastic gift cards aren’t recyclable; make these easy gifts easier by emailing them. Sending e-cards is faster, easier and safer than licking envelopes,” Furman added. “Digital advent calendars are fun, interactive alternatives, and you can still eat chocolate.”
Activists at Gonzaga University are concerned about a giant Christmas tree display on campus. Why? They claim that the tree and its dazzling lights consume too much energy.
“It’s hard because a lot of what sustainability is, is pretty inconvenient to a person,” one Gonzaga activist, Ellen Bradley, said. “It goes against tradition but I think it opens up this huge realm for creativity and the way we celebrate and honor these traditions.”
“Energy-wise, powering the tree is not sustainable at all,” Bradley added. “I think that it’s hard because it’s associated with the university, being a Catholic holiday, that it makes sense that they would want to celebrate Christmas in this way.”
The director of sustainability at the College of William & Mary also encouraged students to regift old items instead of purchasing new ones. She even encouraged students to hide gifts in the home instead of wrapping them to avoid using wrapping paper.
“Think first does the item even need to be wrapped? One suggestion is a scavenger hunt to find gifts hidden around the house,” the director said.
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