Members of the Sustainable Students Organization and interior design students from Southeast Missouri State University gave presentations contributing to the sustainable leadership track at the Midwest Regional Sustainable Conference.

The three-day event was hosted by the U.S. Green Building Council Students of Region 7 on March 27-29 at the University of Cincinnati. USGBC Students is an affiliate group of the USGBC focused on interacting with student groups at the college and university level about making their communities and campuses more sustainable.

Anthony Offak, organizer of the conference and USGBC Students National Chair for Region 7, created the opportunity for students to gain the knowledge they need as emerging leaders to contribute to the sustainable movement. Offak is also an architect employed with the Albert Kahn Family of Companies located in Detroit, Michigan. There he works on the development of buildings and is a LEED administrator.

"I first created the conference knowing that students don't really have an opportunity to go to conferences like this, or other professional conferences, because of the cost," Offak said. "So I wanted to give students the opportunity to go to a conference they could afford. Next, I had to give a reason why they would want to go to it."

The conference was a networking opportunity that allowed students and professionals to interact with one another and share their personal experiences. Presentations were given and workshops were available to educate attendees about sustainability focused on human interaction with buildings and organizing sustainable leadership through campus and community outreach.

"I know being a student you are hungry for wanting to make a change," Offak said. "It depends on what are they passionate about. Something speaks to them. Is it about how something comes together? How you interact with the building? Is it about how you want to influence others and hopefully help people who don't even think about these things impacting them? Because they are never going to think about it and that is where the sustainable leadership aspect comes in. In the end it all does affect us, we just don't realize it."

The interior design students enrolled in the sustainable design studio course had the opportunity to introduce their mock LEED Platinum building project using the Mark F. Scully Building. They also mentioned the recent flooding at Scully and explained how the design aspects of a retention pond could be implemented as a solution for better water efficiency.

The SSO presented their experiences from starting the first sustainability group on Southeast's campus. During a banquet at the conference they were recognized and awarded a certificate of affiliation to honor their student chapter membership with the USGBC. Being a registered chapter of the USGBC means the SSO gains access to educational research about LEED, events and networking opportunities with recognized professionals in industries where sustainability is a priority.

Both student groups hope to push for more sustainable practices at Southeast to make the campus healthier and more energy efficient for students, faculty, staff and administrators. Jesse McElwain, a professional employed with the Center for Green Schools at USGBC in Washington, D.C., attended the SSO's presentation. The members talked with McElwain afterward about getting more accessible recycling in buildings on campus and how to increase membership through student outreach.

"We're still trying to get all the departments involved," James Grosch, vice president of the SSO, said. "It's just about educating to try to get the whole body and administration on our side."

The SSO is hosting its inaugural Earth Week at Southeast on the main campus and the River Campus to give students the opportunity to learn about sustainable lifestyles and participate in activities that will educate them about being green.

"What we're hoping with Earth Week is that we'll really just spark a conversation on campus about sustainability," Elaina Mensinger, the SSO Earth Week coordinator said. "Sustainability is more than recycling. It is making every day conscious decisions to live a life that doesn't lead to negative consequences for the Earth."

Earth Week will be held April 20-24 and will consist of activities and events through the week. Local vendors and businesses will be present to share information about sustainability and educational movies will be shown as well.

"One of the events we're hosting is a panel discussion on Earth Day," Mensinger said. "We invited a lot of faculty from different majors and departments so we're hoping they encourage other faculty members to invite their students. Hopefully we get a big show of various majors."

For more information about Earth Week contact Elaina Mensinger at sso_semo@outlook.com or visit the Earth Week event page on Facebook.