Innovations in the Arts - Newark Academy

20
Making a Difference
Student and Alumni Sustainability Initiatives
Newark Academy Participates in a
Nationwide Discussion on Global Warming
by Sam Huber
The conversation has begun, and Newark Academy’s Sustainability Initiative is working hard to make sure that it continues.
Last January, in the company of more than 1,300 institutions across the country, Newark Academy joined in a national
conversation about global warming and energy alternatives. These “Focus the Nation” discussions stirred up all sorts
of reactions to questions about the sustainability implications of our everyday life choices. The concerns that surfaced
seem to fall into two broad categories: how do we know what we need to know in order to make good choices; and how
can we be sure that anything we might do would have any real effects?
These are, of course, difficult questions, and there are no easy answers. And we are not alone in looking for answers:
the organizers of “Focus the Nation” estimated that as many as one million people in 1,800 universities, colleges,
school, and community groups were involved in the national discussion about global warming, U.S. energy policy, and
a host of other issues focusing on the future of the world.
Here at Newark Academy, working groups have formed around specific objectives that emerged from our “Focus the
Nation” discussions.
• We have begun the process of researching and writing a Sustainability Master Plan that would outline goals and
suggest timelines for a broad range of school operations;
• We are working toward the design and launch of a Newark Academy sustainability website that will become the
primary portal for information about initiatives underway at the school, and about resources available for further
research and action;
• We are designing a carpooling clearinghouse to try to connect people who drive with others from their communities;
• We are initiating discussions with the Community Service Council to investigate possible opportunities for involving
students in on-campus service projects;
• We are designing programs and presentations to reach out to the NA community to encourage dialogue, reflection,
and engagement.
As Corinne Almquist ’05 confirmed in addressing our “Focus the Nation” assembly, a new activism is alive and growing
on campuses all across the nation. We live in exciting and challenging times, and Newark Academy is looking eagerly
to the road ahead.
Corinne Almquist ’05, a student at Middlebury College who was active in the “Focus the Nation” initiative, brought
the program to the Academy’s attention. Addressing the Newark Academy student community, Almquist delivered a
passionate introduction citing her own experiences in both Tibet and India as examples of worldwide awareness of
the changing climate.
Following Almquist’s introduction, students and faculty watched movie clips from “The End of Suburbia” which inspired
heated debate and discussion. Both faculty members and students expressed their experiences and concerns. The
whole school then divided into small groups in which student facilitators led discussions, encouraging participants to
debate not only issues and challenges, but also to brainstorm solutions.