The flu is not the only thing infecting the campus.
A recycling fever is spreading across the campus, creeping into dormitories, classrooms and offices.
The side effects of this fever include blue recycling bins in almost every classroom, signs reminding people to turn the lights off and three Waste Management recycling receptacles behind the Baugh Center, MRC and WRC.
Members of the Recycling Committee are largely responsible for these improvements.
Dr. Tom Kennedy, chair of the committee and associate professor of psychology, said the mission of the committee ties in with Pillar Six of Dr. Robert B. Sloan Jr.'s Ten Pillars vision for the University - to renew the campus and community.
"Colleges are taking recycling seriously, and so should the University as a whole," Kennedy said.
Last year, the committee met with several student organizations to discuss different ways to develop a recycling culture on campus. The University's chapter of Students in Free Enterprise was one of those groups.
Dr. Marty Bressler, SIFE faculty adviser and professor in marketing and entrepreneurship, said the organization conducted a survey last year on the amount of disposable beverage containers used daily at the University. They discovered an estimated 4,400 plastic bottles, cans and other beverage containers are thrown away each day.
This discovery is partially responsible for the organization's inspiration to raise more than $800 to fund the purchase of 80 blue recycling bins, Bressler said.
On Sept. 10, SIFE placed these bins in nearly every classroom on campus along with posters detailing facts about recycling and waste management.
Sophomore Ronald Ramsey, SIFE president and member of the committee, said the response to SIFE's latest project has been positive. He added SIFE plans to purchase additional bins and implement a ink cartridge recycling program.
Kennedy said the committee is proud of SIFE for prioritizing recycling and working to develop a recycling culture.
Benjamin Ventura, custodial manager and member of the committee, said his staff is working on learning where the recycling bins are located.
"We need to know where they are so we can handle them," Ventura said.
Ventura's staff will dispose of all collected recyclable materials in the new WM Recycle America dumpster. These materials are limited to aluminum cans, cardboard, paper and plastic beverage containers.
The new dumpster, which is for all recyclables, and two additional dumpsters exclusively for cardboard are located behind the Baugh.
The committee is working to initiate more projects, including some to lower electrical costs and others to promote environmental sustainability.
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