Students represent Ripon College at Powershift 2007

With the latest national trend pushing for environmental awarness and energy conservation, it is not surprising that Ripon's environmental group is once again surging. After going to Powershift, a national youth summit in Washington, D.C. held Nov. 2-5, the Environmental Group of Ripon (EGOR) plans to make Ripon College more environmentally friendly.

"Just seeing the students and how active they are was amazing," says senior Ryan Luedtke, who went on the trip. "Looking at Ripon students, we're much more docile. It was much more heightened there in terms of activism."

As a student organization, EGOR nearly fell by the wayside last year, but a renewed sense of activism resurrected it. One of the main messages Powershift provided for the nine EGOR students who attended was to get more involved.

In order to make the changes that EGOR hopes to precipitate, President of EGOR senior Ryan Gustafson says student activism is essential. Although Gustafson was unable to attend the conference, he took the initative to make the trip possible.

Gustafson first heard about the summit in early October and had to one-fund for $2,500 in order to make the trip affordable. When ticket prices changed for airlines, it appeared as though the trip would have to be cancelled but Gustafson persisted.

After meeting with Dean of Students Chris Ogle and agreeing to share their experience with members of the Board of Trustees, they were able to get the necessary funding from the Pickard student scholarship travel fund.

The students who were able to attend the summit believe they learned a lot about the same activism that Gustafson displayed.

"The summit essentially taught us all to be activists," says senior Chelsea Dwyer, who also attended the event.

Equipped with even more knowledge regarding environmental issues and activism training behind them, EGOR is now looking to make a difference at Ripon College.

"It was a big step in terms of giving us ideas and getting things started at Ripon College," says Dwyer.

As part of the summit, students had the opportunity to listen to panels with distinguished speakers, such as Ralph Nader. They were also able to attend breakout groups that allowed them to interact with students from different schools with environmental programs.

"[Other schools' environmental programs] are much farther along, because they actually do things, instead of just talking," says Dwyer.

Luedtke says the workshops were one of the the most beneficial aspects of the summit, because they allowed the EGOR participants to see how things are getting done on other campuses across the nation.

He also says he enjoyed the speakers who presented during the conference and believes that their messages made a real impact on how EGOR will function in the future.

"That's what we're going to do with EGOR - come up with one mission and focus on it until we realize it," says Luedtke.

Both Luedtke and Dwyer say they feel as though Ripon College is doing a good job keeping up on environmental issues, but could do an even better job if EGOR starts campaigning like other universities and colleges are doing.

As for their newest primary goal, EGOR would like President David Joyce to sign off on a policy that many higher education presidents are signing to help keep campuses more green. Gustafson sees this as a real possibility, since Joyce is already a huge proponent of the green campus idea that is currently taking the nation by storm.

EGOR hopes that with Joyce on board, the students can follow an example and start making a difference themselves. After what the EGOR students saw in Washington, D.C, they know it is possible.

"There were 5,000 people there excited about it," says Luedtke. "Hopefully they all went back home and spread the word.