E-Protors Lead Dorm Composting Effort

By: Will Durawa, Sheala Iacobucci, Sage Murthy

In conjunction with the campus Environmental Proctors (E-Proctors), Green Umbrella Learning Lab (GULL) launched a composting initiative in dormitories on Monday, Jan. 20. The initiative seeks to promote environmental responsibility on campus by giving the dorms the option to begin composting within their dorms. After a conversation between residents, faculty and the dorms’ E-Proctors, individual dorms decided whether or not to implement the composting program. 

The environmental initiative was first conceived in GULL, a project-based class focused on green innovation and environmental sustainability. According to upper and project co-founder Bea Burack, the composting initiative was focused on “giving students an opportunity to compost the waste they may produce in their dorms.” The composting initiative was piloted in McConnell Hall, Main Street Hall and Will House by GULL before campus-wide implementation by the E-Proctors.

Due to their shared goals, GULL and E-proctors joined forces to implement the composting program. “The E-Proctor co-heads were super kind to us, were willing to work with us to implement this and have the E-Proctors in the dorm run it,” Burack said.

E-Proctors have placed composting bins in the hallways and around common spaces in dorms that agreed to participate. Every week, E-Proctors will collect all composting bins and bring them to either Elm Street of Wetherell Dining Hall to compost. 

Some students have been active in composting. “Whenever I have spare scraps of food, I walk outside and throw it in the composting bins that are next to the recycling bins,” Cilley prep Aubrey Zhang said. 

While mostly successful, the project has experienced a few setbacks primarily due to the option for dorms to reject the voluntary composting initiative. “A major roadblock for us was just trying to get everyone to talk to their dorm heads—trying to make sure that we had participation and enthusiasm from both the faculty and the students who are going to be implementing [the project],” Burack said. 

Community members voiced objections to the project. “I’m sure composting has its benefits, but there are some cons, such as insects and pests entering our living space, and that’s not very hygienic” upper and Soule Hall resident Nam Nguyen said. Certain dorm heads noted that maggots were a potential hygiene hazard. 

Students also questioned whether composting would be worth the work. “From my experience, my dorm doesn’t have a lot of stuff to compost,” upper and Ewald Hall resident Jeffery Cui said. 

Senior and E-Proctors co-head Erin Ahern noted that fewer boys’ dorms were participating in the project, attributing it to a lack of male E-Proctors. “A lot of people will join clubs because of friends, and there just [weren’t] really any boys to start out with. If someone does try to join a club, then they really don't feel like they fit in,” she said. “Out of the five E-Proctor co-heads, only one of them is a boy, and most of the co-heads of environmental clubs are girls.”Though composting constitutes an important part of their work, the E-Proctors hope to promote environmental awareness across campus beyond this project. Upper Anneliese Cowles noted that the goal behind all E-Proctors initiatives is to establish an environmentally friendly campus. “While all of the initiatives on campus are good, I think the biggest goal is to educate people about environmental issues so that as we go off into the world we will be more environmentally conscious people,” she said.