Charlotte Kerrigan ‘29
News Editor
Throughout the past week, there has been a Halloween donation collection organized through the Office of Sustainability. The costume collection started Friday, Oct. 30, and ends on Friday, Nov. 6. There are four costume collection boxes at Hogan 1 near the mailroom, the lobby of the Jo, in Smith Hall on the 3rd floor near the Rehm Library, and the Chaplain’s offices.
At the College of the Holy Cross, the Office of Sustainability strives to live up to the college’s Jesuit mission by its commitment to safeguard the environment for future generations. Holy Cross has become more environmentally friendly starting in 2007 when former college president Rev. Michael C. Farland signed the Second Nature Carbon Commitment, which agreed to work towards carbon neutrality. Through the years, Holy Cross has worked to reduce its carbon emissions by over 50% with the goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. The college actively looks for ways to conserve energy, reduce waste, and raise awareness for the environment. Across campus, 88 faculty and student volunteers are a part of the inaugural Holy Cross Clean-Out initiative, and nearly 3,000 Holy Cross employees engage with sustainability events annually.
Holy Cross has received a list of accolades for its environmental sustainability, such as a silver rating from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System and LEED Certification. Some of the ways Holy Cross strives to be environmentally friendly include having high energy efficiency standards in all phases of construction of the Integrated Science Complex, keeping sustainability as the top priority in the construction of Figge Hall, providing alternative transportation, having electric vehicle charging stations, and providing recycling bins in all dorms.
Students can also see sustainability around campus at Kimball Dining Hall. The use of reusable plates and silverware contributes to the reduction of waste as well as completely eliminating the use of Styrofoam. Dining at Holy Cross also purchases 20% of all products from local companies. Another sustainability feature is the Oscar AI Waste Sort Technology, which can be found in Crossroads. This device helps educate people on campus about how to properly sort waste. Holy Cross also has an Energy Conservation Policy in which the college purchases renewable energy certificates annually, meaning Holy Cross has 100% clean electricity. In addition, Holy Cross has created the Green Fund with the goal of creating an overall more sustainable campus.
Holy Cross also has a large outreach on sustainability and supports seven different community solar projects. The campus also tries to keep a green campus and is home to over 6000 trees and over 115 species. There are also many clubs on campus that allow students to get involved in sustainability. Some of these clubs include EcoAction, Outdoors Club, Gardening Club, and SGA’s Director of Sustainability. Students can also get involved in sustainability projects such as Sunday neighborhood cleanups, a campus Community Supported Agriculture farm share, and April’s Purple Goes Green Week.
The Office of Sustainability provides encouragement and coordination to foster a community in which our campus cares for our environment and a space we all share through its programs like costume donation. Students interested in supporting the office’s mission and gaining interactive experience helping create an impact on the environment can apply for the office’s student jobs.
Copy edited by Claire Flynn ‘29 11/3/26
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