Students crammed into SSC Room 104 Monday morning to attend the EMU Climate Town Hall. Some stood in the back, others lined the walls as the last seats were filled. Senior Emma Yoder, President of Earthkeepers, Professor Doug Graber Neufeld, and President Susan Schultz Huxman all participated as panel members to share perspectives from the student body, faculty, and administration.

The panel, organized by senior Emerson Brubaker and working with the Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions (CSCS), was designed to begin honest conversations between the student body and administration about addressing climate change at EMU.

The town hall “showed the necessity of dialogue needing to be achieved,” Brubaker said following the event. “The fact that it was a Monday morning, it was poorly advertised, and yet at least 70 people showed up, I think makes it pretty obvious that there needs to be a channel of communication between administration and students.”

Though not the first conversation with administration, it was one of the first instances where students could speak directly with President Huxman. Students voiced concerns about past, current and future sustainability efforts at EMU. 

One major topic of conversation was the natural gas-powered microgrid EMU installed in 2018, and differing opinions on the costs and benefits of the installation. The absence of an appointed Sustainability Coordinator was another area of concern, as student leaders have expressed frustration about a lack of true support from administration for sustainability projects.

Coverage of the EMU Climate Town Hall event will appear in next week’s issue as the Weather Vane seeks to connect with additional sources and individuals involved.