The Centenary Environmental Association and Centenary's Chemistry Club Have Teamed Up to Make Centenary a Greener Place to Live!

The two organizations submitted a proposal to the Student Government Association in January which will help raise money for a project that will bring solar power to Centenary. SGA generously agreed to match up to the $1,200 that CEA and Chemistry Club hope to raise through a big fundraising campaign, Chains for Change.

Chains for Change is designed to raise funds to purchase an array of solar panels which will be installed on the roof of Magale Library. These panels will help power the building, save money, decrease Centenary's impact on the environment, encourage more sustainable living practices, and promote scholarship. Professors from multiple disciplines, including English, Sociology, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Mathematics, will use the solar panels to develop and enhance curriculum.

The 720-watt array will be able to produce 1117 kilowatts per year (93.1 kw/month). This is enough energy to power 16 20-watt fluorescent lights (120 watt incandescent equivalent) for 10 hours and 5.5 Desktop computers with printers for 10 hours. The solar energy generated from a 720-watt solar array prevents 1,469 pounds of coal from being burned each year, prevents 2,592 pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year, and conserves 924 gallons of water each year. However, this array is simply an initial set-up. Once this is in place, additional panels can be added to the array, which will produce even more energy and continue to decrease Centenary's impact on the environment.

In order to help raise the $1,200 for SGA to match, four of Centenary's campus leaders have agreed chain themselves to trees.

Who are these treehuggers? College President Schwab, Biology Professor and SGA Advisor Dr. Chirhart, English Professor and CEA Advisor Dr. Hamming, and Residence Life Advisor Kevin Wagner will all participate in the treehugging.

What's the catch? Each treehugger must raise $300 to chain themselves to the tree. So if there's anyone you want to see chained to a tree, be sure to put money in their boxes!

Where are these boxes? Each treehugger has a box outside of their office. Larger containers will be passed around and can be seen at various campus events. Also be on the lookout for a flier in your campus mailbox with more information on how you can give to Chains for Change!

When is the big event? On Earth Day, April 22. As an added bonus, students, staff and faculty will have the opportunity to have their pictures taken with the treehuggers!

So, help bring solar power to Centenary! This will help establish Centenary in the Shreveport-Bossier area as a greener place to live, encourage similar actions on the Centenary campus in the future, and encourage the community around us to do the same. Don't be blue, go GREEN!

For more information, contact Jeanne Hamming at email.