What does civic engagement mean to me? Well, for starters, it means a step in the right direction for our community as we address the global issue of our environment. It means being aware and helping others become aware of our place in the world as environmental stewards. It means taking responsibility for our actions and being a responsible global citizen. Maybe, most importantly, it means that we’re joining in a worldwide initiative to clean up our act and take care of the beautiful world God gave us.
Bluffton’s civic engagement theme this year offers an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to really dig into the topic of environmental stewardship and find out what it means for an institution like ours. We’ve heard a plethora of speakers on topics ranging from overpopulation to climate change to sustainability. We’ve been challenged to see ourselves as part of a larger community instead of being independent and having no impact on the outside world.
Perhaps the biggest dent we can put into these issues is to make others aware of the problems we face. After all, we’re pretty small fish in a pretty big ocean. As president of Bluffton’s Student Senate, I have the opportunity to research and propose programs that will help promote environmental awareness. Attending conferences such as Greening of the Campus at Ball State University in September 2007, and being a member of a recycling task force, I’ve been exposed to what other institutions are working on and what programs may be most viable at Bluffton.
Our generation has an incredible opportunity to change the course of human activity and make life sustainable for generations to come. The importance of accepting this challenge cannot be overstated, and we must start at places like Bluffton. It must be talked about seriously and carefully planned out. Unfortunately, there are no quick and easy solutions, and it’ll take a lot of hard work and dedication if we hope to get it right.
There are things that we can get started on now. Simple actions such as implementing a sustainable recycling program and cutting down on energy use and waste in general are great ways to start. We might not be able to stop the trend of global climate change today, but we can work for tomorrow.
What does civic engagement mean to me? It means that we’re not giving up on finding solutions to the issues that face our planet; we’re hitting problems head on and setting an example.
