The Student Office of Sustainability opened a new resource center on April 22, Earth Day, to serve as a location for sustainability assets for students. 

Speakers at the event included Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Grace Crickette, Student Body President Jaden Mikoulinskii and members of the SOS team.

Current director of SOS and fourth-year environmental geography student, Maddie Loeffler laid out three overarching goals of the resource center during the Student Sustainability Resource Center (SSRC) ribbon cutting. 

This included “accessibility to sustainability, amplifying student voices and providing sustainable resources when needed.”

With these goals in mind, Loeffler said how the idea came to be.

“The idea began with the previous SOS director Lauren Becker,” Loeffler said. “With immeasurable support from the SOS Commission and Executive Board and Student Body President, it came to fruition this year.”

The SOS has also had a surplus of help from committees and commissions from UW-Eau Claire for this project according to Loeffler.

“Student body President Jaden Mikoulinskii was crucial to getting the space for the SSRC,” Loeffler said. “The space allocation committee was extremely helpful and supported us as well.”

In terms of its purpose, students will be granted access to a multitude of sustainable amenities as well as the ability to host forums and meetings in the space.

“Students will be able to access resources like energy-saving kits and proposal-writing for Green Fund projects,” Loeffler said.

The space will be meant to act as a “hub for campus sustainability” as well, Loeffler said. The benefits that students can access are also not fully accessible right now because the location is being set up for next semester.

“We will not be active this semester, since it’s entirely student-run and the Student Senate as well as the Student Office of Sustainability session ends on May 2,” Loeffler said.

The project has been a “long time coming,” said Loeffler. With the turnout on the Earth Day ribbon cutting unclear, there were still many press, students and administrators present to document the day.

Loeffler also said the space could increase student engagement, especially organizations that promote sustainable practice.

“The SSRC will contribute to our initiatives and efforts to the SOS, the Administrative Office of Sustainability and student organizations as well,” Loeffler said.

As Loeffler is a fourth-year student, she will be passing down her directorship to another student for the fall semester. However, she offered points of contact as well as SOS resources for students interested in either a more sustainable lifestyle or the organization itself.

“The SOS Executive Board is hired at the end of summer and five positions will be available,” Loeffler said. “If folks would like to get involved with the Student Office of Sustainability, there are a number of ways to do so.”

More details and contact information are available on the SOS Instagram (@sustain_uwec) through their email for more specific questions ([email protected].) or the SOS website for all things eco-friendly.

Smith can be reached at [email protected]