Letter to the Editor

The theme for our UW-L campus this year is sustainability, and as a campus we have made great strides to make this university more eco-friendly. For example, the two new buildings on campus this year (Eagle and Centennial) are currently being reviewed for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for their green accomplishments and benefits to the environment. We now have another opportunity to showcase our sustainable practices and stick to the theme we have been promoting all year: the restoration of Drake Hall.

Being a Drake resident and a student at this campus, the restoration of Drake Hall is an important issue to me, and one that should be handled with a sustainable mind set. There are a few actions our campus administration could take to create a more sustainable Drake Hall. The furniture in Drake Hall, that was damaged in the fire, could be cleaned and re-used,  the furniture that was too damaged to restore could be replaced with new furniture made from recycled products to reduce the amount of energy wasted on new materials. Another effect of the fire was damage to the mechanical systems in the building, and many of these systems and components need to be replaced or cleaned. These systems could be replaced with Energy Star certified products that will save energy for the building in its future use.

As students, and members of this campus community, speak up for the future of Drake Hall and let our administration know that it should reflect our campus's theme: sustainability. Email or write the Office of Residence Life or Chancellor Joe Gow and let them know that we would like our future students living in Drake Hall, and our environment, to look a little greener.