The Enviro-Business Society has strived to make San Diego State more sustainable by implementing positive contributions and empowering students to become involved in their environment. Students can utilize e3’s resources and accomplishments as an avenue to make a difference in their community.
The members of e3 have dedicated their efforts to improve the campus through involvement in Earth Day, the farmers market, the bike lane and establishing recycling bins in the residence halls. The president of e3, finance senior Lenny Sczechowicz, has been at the forefront of these achievements and deserves credit for always aspiring to be sustainable.
E3 was founded in 2005 by three students and throughout the past few years, the organization has made great strides toward becoming a more interactive part of campus. Now e3 has expanded its reach via ecology, ethics and economics by hosting weekly events, meetings and trips to conferences throughout the state.
General member meetings are from 5 to 7 p.m. every Thursday at the Backdoor in Lower Aztec Center. With Sczechowicz’s help, e3 has found new ways to educate students using methods such as movies and documentaries.
“It’s not just a club where you go and listen to someone speak,” Sczechowicz said. “We’re interactive. The friends I’ve made have really had an impact on me. We’ve gone to a lot of fun events together. My favorite memory has to be the trip to San Francisco’s Green Fest. We got to see what others are doing in the field of sustainability, which was inspiring.”
E3 isn’t the only group making changes for SDSU. Associated Students’ Green Love sustainability advisory board proves this is a growing trend on campus. With the collaboration of both organizations, the school has a greater opportunity to advance the green movement.
Thanks to their efforts, the Aztec Aquaplex and Aztec Recreation Center have been modified to minimize waste and conserve energy. Also, Modern Space will give students a new perspective on how to live sustainably, and plenty more plans are in store for the future.
“Everyone brings something new to the table,” Sczechowicz said. “We’ve made a lot of progress together, and we’re really trying to incorporate business into it all. We have the opportunity to do what we want; it’s our campus.”
Sczechowicz plans to incorporate sustainability into his own business when he graduates and aspires to travel to places such as Indonesia with the goal of making a difference in various societies. Since becoming involved with e3 one year ago, he has become dedicated to sustainability in the pursuit of decreasing his carbon footprint. He rides his bike between school and work, and when the bike can’t transport him from A to B, the trolley system picks up the slack.
“It’s the little things that no one really notices but can really add up,” Sczechowicz said. “I recycle, and I just began composting, but most importantly, spreading the word to get everyone on board goes a long way.”
He does not use plastic or styrofoam, and he air dries his clothes, uses compact fluorescent light bulbs, buys organic food and is constantly aware of everything he puts into the environment.
“We have to think about every move we make, think of how long it takes for everything to biodegrade,” Sczechowicz said. “We keep pushing the fault line further back.”
Sczechowicz hopes his fellow students will take up his torch and help make their campus a more sustainable, environmentally friendly place to call home.
