CCNY Named One of Nation’s Most Green Colleges – And It Matters to Potential and Current Students
Words by Maria Magalhaes
Edited by Sarah Logan
Image Courtesy of ccny.cuny.edu
Two years ago, when Leah McBride was a senior at Forest Hills High School in Queens, she settled on CCNY because the college had always advertised a green environment for students and faculty. Now as a senior, McBride always notices the recycling bins throughout CCNY and appreciated the hydration stations that reduce plastic bottle waste. “A school’s values towards the environment was a big factor for me when determining where to attend college,” says McBride, who is majoring in Environmental Studies. “Climate change is upon us and it is up to my generation to start doing something about it.”
CCNY’s new status as one of the nation’s green colleges could also attract other students like McBride.
In August, the Princeton Review featured CCNY in its 2022 guide to green colleges, City joined 419 other colleges committed to protecting the environment. Some of the reasons CCNY made the list were, the Solar RoofPod built by Spitzer School of Architecture, the hydration stations installed in several buildings to reduce bottled water waste, and student/faculty interest in keeping the campus clean and green to combat climate change.
Attending a green institution matters to students and parents applying to college. The Princeton Review’s 2021 College Hopes & Worries Survey found that 78 percent of college applicants are looking to attend an institution that is committed to being green. “We are scouting right now and of course we are looking into colleges that pledge to stay green,” says Michael Wilens, a parent to a senior in high school who will begin college next fall.
CCNY’s green designation is also meaningful to alumni. Former student Karina Manor, class of 2019, explains that CCNY’s Solar RoofPod encouraged her interest in bees. While majoring in architecture at CCNY, she was quite excited to learn that The Spitzer School of Architecture building took on this special project. “I feel very proud that the architecture building where I attend class at is the one who built this environmentally friendly RoofPod that preserves bees,” she explains. “It is good to know that what I am majoring in serves a great purpose to the environment.”
Anna Machado, a 22-year-old undergrad majoring in psychology, hopes the college keeps up the good work. “It is a great honor to attend a college that takes initiative in saving the planet,” she says. “And we must not stop here with this recognition.”
