By LILLIAN EXFORD ’29
Updated 11:50 a.m. EDT, 18 Sept 2026
Houghton University’s (HU) Center for Sustainability closed their doors in 2024, ceasing efforts towards environmental friendliness around campus.
Discussions to renew a sustainability-focused group on campus emerged in October 2025 when a dumpster truck fire near the HU townhouses was later determined to be caused by improperly-disposed-of rechargeable electronic equipment that contained rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries.
Prompted by the incident, Gwenna Haas ’28 created the Sustainability Initiative Club (SIC), and now chairs as president. Within its first year, the club plans to meet monthly to discuss sustainable practices. Haas’s main goals are to increase awareness for practicing proper disposal methods for batteries and electronics and to have “facilities in place to take care of these batteries”, the lack of which she believes contributed to last fall’s infamous fire.
“So, awareness would be the first [goal]. The second one would be to connect the community to work together across the campus, to get people in different groups, administration too, to create avenues for pursuing better care of creation and community.”
Vice President of SIC, Wesley Anderson ’27, felt a fire lit underneath him, saying, “I felt like there was something lacking at Houghton that talked about sustainability and how to limit use of resources,” he says.
Rebekah Janes ’28 was drawn to the “endless opportunities” provided by SIC, and “building that sort of community where we are not only aware of the importance of sustainability but are also enthusiastic about it. Immediately when I heard that SIC was official, I jumped on the opportunity to get involved so that I could contribute to building a community of sustainability and stewardship!”
According to Haas, sustainability is defined according to each member’s perspective: it’s “a lifestyle,” not just occasionally recycling, but “looking into possibilities to improve… and staying on top of things that are going on in this world, because everything is connected.”
That improvement is exactly what Anderson seeks from promoting sustainability. “Change that brings a positive impact is what sustainability is trying to address,” he remarks. “It’s not easy giving up a hot shower for an energy efficient cold one. But it’s these small actions that make it count.”
Climate change cannot be stopped overnight, but SIC is doing their part by getting to the heart of what HU is all about: community and faithful stewardship. Janes looks forward to curating this within the cohort of the SIC, with a strong belief in providing “hope in the midst of a situation that at times feels hopeless.”
Anderson adds, “It might be a speck in the grand scheme of things, but I believe that every small deed focused on stewardship and care for God’s creation is immensely important to my calling.”
Looking forward, HU students can hope to feel the effects of having a strong push towards sustainable living right on campus. Haas is excited to see how students embrace what she calls the “intellectual involvement” that the club will be encouraging.
Hope for having an outlet to discuss sustainability on campus did not vanish when the Center for Sustainability closed; it grew significantly. The determination of the students in SIC to address the situation will bring a cleaner environment and safer future for the next generation of Houghton students. ★
