Texas State Students Recycle Ideas of Leaving No Impact

Some Texas State students do everything they can to remove their carbon footprint, while others are just not concerned.
“It is shocking and scary how much garbage we dump into the environment,” Adelien Fresch, a senior international major, said. Fresch recycles both on and off campus, and rides the bus to campus to be more “environmentally friendly.”
Russel booth, a senior philosophy and finance double major also does what he can to help. When he sees trash on the ground, he’ll pick it up, and he rides to the bus to campus.
"I recycle because if we reuse, then we don't have to create, and we lessen our carbon footprint," Graduate Stephanie Pridgen said. Pridgen was motivated to recycle in order to remove her carbon footprint, while other students were motivated directly by Texas State.
Lindsey Futrell, a freshman nursing major, said she recycles water bottles because her dorm brought recycling containers in and said, "You have to do this!" When asked if she cared about the environment she said not really. She doesn’t pay attention to that stuff.
Booth said he isn’t greatly concerned about the environment, because it doesn’t affect him immediately. He recycles on campus because it’s convenient, but at home it’s harder.
"I care about the environment, but it's a mid-level priority," Pridgen said. "I recycle plastic, glass and paper. I reuse my plastic bags... instead of [using] the fabric grocery bags."
Others said they concerned about the environment because it could end up killing animals. Tammy Erwin, a junior French major, said she is concerned because she doesn’t want to use all the world’s resources.
Every student has their opinion about the environment, and their concern is made for different reasons. Because Texas State’s theme is sustainability this year, we thought that professors would be talking about it in classes.
"Unfortunately, we have not talked about sustainability in any of my classes,” Fresch said. While Booth said, “Unfortunately yes. We talk about this a lot in my philosophy [classes].”
Jesus Garcia said they talk about sustainability in his University Seminar class. Another student said they not only talk about leaving less of an impact on earth in class, they’re currently reading “No Impact Man” by Colin Beavan.