Howard Group Working for a Cleaner Campus, World

Where can you find V.I.P passes and club special promotional cards, fliers, candy and gum wrappers?

The answer: at your feet as you cross Howard University's campus.

It can be difficult to ignore the debris dancing with the wind in front of the Human Ecology Building. Fortunately, for the Howard University community, we adapt and overcome with ease.

However, in all fairness, this apathy is not shared by all Howard students. Some concerned students have authored pieces in The Hilltop addressing this very issue. But beyond man-made environmental concerns, what about the state of the natural world around us?

Many of us may remember, within the last three weeks, walking outdoors in the afternoon bundled up against the elements, and finding that the weather was mild and almost balmy. The reprieve from the cold was embraced around campus as some students were seen sporting thinner jackets instead of their winter coats.

This break from the frosty winter scene, though brief, was long enough to offer a stark contrast to the weather of recent days. Classes were officially cancelled and businesses city-wide shut down as the inches of snow turned into feet.

Hopefully the extremes of weather and climate will not be all that we take notice of in relation to the environment. Though the weather can be observed just by turning on the television, looking out of the window, or stepping outside, becoming aware of our community and the global environment may need to be a more active pursuit.

Beginning with this column, the Howard University Environmental Society (H.U.E.S.) would like to encourage campus-wide awareness of environmental issues, and to offer a broader view of what is happening to the air, water, plant and animal life around the world that each of us depends on for our survival.

Taking an interest in the environment might not seem as exciting as hitting the club on a Saturday night, but it may prove to be a huge mistake for us to belittle the importance of being environmentally conscious here on Howard University`s campus.