Tag: incoming students

Tips for a Sustainable Move-In

With August fast approaching, it is getting to be that time of year when students start thinking about moving in to their Tufts residence for the upcoming school year!

Whether you are a returning student or a incoming first-year student, the Office of Sustainability has a few tips to make your move-in a greener one! Read on for details, and some PSAs from our Recycling Fellow.

Only Bring What You Need

This one is self-explanatory, but it’s an important one! The less you bring, the less packaging you’ll waste. In addition, it may be one less box to ship if you’re moving in from far away.

At the end of the year, so many items are left behind during move-out, which may signify that students are bringing/purchasing too many unnecessary items.

Wait On Big Purchases

Definitely wait to check-in with your room/house-mates about bringing large items to campus. If you wait to discuss logistics, you may be able to split the costs for many purchases and save a lot of money.

Additionally, you may be able to find more affordable options for some dorm room items once you get to campus (see below).

Buy Used

Don’t miss out on the second annual Blue and Brown Pass It Down Sale hosted by Tufts Green House! Many items collected during the Spring Move-Out will be available to purchase at the lowest prices around. This is a great place to get lamps, rugs, hangers, and other items you might need for your dorm room.

Additionally, Tufts Buy/Sell/Trade is a private Facebook Group for those with tufts.edu email addresses to exchange items, where many useful items are often posted.

Ditch Cardboard Boxes

Why use a cardboard box when you could use items you need to bring with you anyways, such as backpacks, duffel bags, suitcases, laundry bins and other containers. Not only will you reduce waste, you’ll also save space!

If you need to use cardboard boxes (if you are shipping items, for example), consider breaking them down and storing them under your bed until move-out. View the Recycling Fellow PSA below about cardboard box recycling for more reasons to ditch the boxes.

Replace Your Lightbulbs

Bring any incandescent lightbulbs to the Office of Sustainability at 550 Boston Ave and we will replace them with LED light bulbs, free of charge.

This is a part of an effort to reduce energy emissions from Tufts campuses. LED lights last much longer than incandescent lightbulbs, but are often much pricier. Definitely take advantage of this sweet deal!

Recycling Fellow PSAs:

Please bring any recyclables associated with your move-in to a recycling dumpster. There will be signs indicating the locations of the nearest dumpster to each dorm. You can also view our online Eco-Map for outdoor recycling locations.

If you have any questions about what can or can’t be recycled, please ask one of the Eco-Reps who will be walking around the dorms.

Please do not discard cardboard boxes in any location in the dorms. You must bring broken down cardboard boxes to the nearest recycling dumpster (locations will be indicated on signs posted in each dorm). If you don’t bring or discard cardboard boxes you won’t have to make this trek, as an added incentive to follow our tips above!

Plastic bags and film cannot be recycled through the regular recycling stream. Please do not place these in the recycling dumpsters. Look out for signage regarding designated bins for plastic film recycling.

 

Aug 07: Deadline for Story of Stuff Essays for Incoming Students

All entering students are invited to submit an essay answering one of the following questions about the Common Reading book The Story of Stuff. $300 worth of gift certificates to the Tufts Book Store will be awarded, and winning essays will be posted online. Essays must be submitted by Tuesday, August 7.

Submission instructions

  • Please put the question you are answering at the top of your essay, along with your name, email, and telephone number.
  • Email your essay- with the subject “Story of Stuff Essay” to TischCollegeSubmissions@tufts.edu
  • Please limit your essay to no more than 500 words.

Essay questions

You must respond to one of these four questions:

  1. The Story of Stuff not only educates us about the effects of mass consumption on our society, but also offers suggestions for change: the essence of active citizenship. Is there an action you are committing to taking after the reading this book, either one directly suggested by the author or something of your own inspired by the book? Please describe your reasoning (including specifically how The Story of Stuff inspired you), the action you intent to take, and its expected impact.
  2. As an environmental activist, Annie Leonard criticizes a few initiatives — such as biofuels, recycling programs, and “green” consumerism — that may be a little surprising, given that they are presented as being good for the environment. Choose a surprising criticism Leonard makes and analyze what her critique is and why she makes this critique. Do you agree or disagree with her points?
  3. Leonard looks at our everyday items and discusses what went into producing them. Depending on each reader’s background, some of this information might be familiar, but other parts will be much more shocking. Choose a specific story or piece of information from the book that really affected you. What about it made an impression? Did it affect your perspective on the everyday items around you, and if so, how?
  4. After reading the book, watch the original animated video, “The Story of Stuff,” that led to the creation of the book, or watch the latest video from Leonard, “The Story of Change” (due out on July 19). Consider the impact of each of these distinct media on your own learning and on societal change. What are the differences between reading a book and watching a short film in this context? How do they work together? Is one more effective than the other? You might also consider Leonard’s own perspective on writing and publishing the book — what are her own concerns and justifications?

 

For information on the contest, go to the Tisch College webpage.

For more information on the book, go to the Tisch Library webpage.