Drury University’s environmental organization known as ‘Think Green’ is starting a new and captivating project on campus. They also recently held elections for President and Vice President positions within their organization for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Before divulging Think Green’s new plans, Dr. Ioana Popescu, a biology professor at Drury and the faculty advisor for this club, summarizes how she and the club impact Drury’s campus.

“Think Green is involved in several activities to bring being green, environmentally friendly and enthusiastic into focus. After more than a year of [being] physically distant and putting events on hold, they are excited to resume their annual Plant Potting Party where they give away pots to decorate on the spot, together with potting soil, seeds or seedlings for anyone interested to plant and enjoy.”

With the recent election within Think Green, there are two outgoing officers. These are president Claire Utley, and vice president Ashley Gilland. Utley, who is a senior graduating with a double major in arts administration and fine arts reflected on her time as president of Think Green.

“My favorite memories from my presidency mostly revolve around getting to participate in in-depth discussions with other students about the environment. For some meetings, we have had a topic to talk about, I present some facts, and then we would all discuss our thoughts and opinions. Think Green has done a great job of creating a space for individuals who are passionate about the environment to get involved and help make a difference at Drury.”

Think Green’s election recently took place and two new officers were appointed. The new president is Daniel Behlman, and the new vice president is Matthew Dalton. Corbin Tarr remained treasurer and Gwen Sloan remained secretary within the council. Behlman is the main leader for the new project Think Green is currently starting.

This project is taking over the TSC garden, which is on the south side of the building and has become overgrown. And with no plans in sight for it, Think Green has decided to take action.

Sophomore Daniel Behlmann is an intercultural studies major and a Middle Eastern studies minor with a foreign language focus. Behlmann has already taken the initiative to help this garden reach its full potential. In an interview, Behlmann recalls how the plans for the garden started and have already evolved.

“In March, a group of students who came to the greenhouse and I realized that there was a garden on the south side of the TSC. After Joe Fearn left, the garden became overgrown and it was clear there were no plans for it. Simply put, we want to revive the garden, give students an opportunity to gain experience with gardening, give out volunteer hours and provide fresh produce for those who are willing to work.”

Behlmann is also currently forming plans for Think Green for the upcoming academic year. In an interview, he hinted at a few ideas he was hoping to accomplish, “Next year I plan to install a plastic bag recycling point in College Park to reduce plastic waste, reorganize recycling on campus, bring local farmer’s markets to campus, hold litter collection competitions for prizes and a handful of other fun events!”

If interested in Think Green or volunteering in the TSC Garden, be sure to contact Popescu, Utley, or Behlmann for information.

Article by Gabriella Wuller