In honor of Green Week at CLU, CLU’s Interfaith Allies, a chapter of the national Interfaith Youth Core, handed out water consumption packets and challenged students to track their water consumption throughout the week.

The packets contained facts regarding typical water consumption in the U.S. and developing countries and included an Interfaith Allies Water Wise wristband.

Students were encouraged to drink only water for a week and were asked to donate the money that would otherwise be used to buy other beverages.

By the end of the week, students could donate the money by turning it in to the secretary’s office in Humanities or, if they didn’t have cash, by donating online.

All proceeds go toward the Interfaith Allies Green Week 2013 campaign for Water to Thrive, a faith-based nonprofit organization that works toward bringing clean water to places in rural Africa.

Senior and Interfaith Ally Jamie Morriss said that, through the campaign, the group wants to raise awareness of how much water we consume and how precious a resource it is.

“We have the ability to make a difference and to change our own actions to impact the world for good,” said Morriss.

In addition to raising money for developing countries, Morriss said she wants people to think about why faith matters in caring for the environment and how faith can positively affect the world.

“I care about the earth because of my religious tradition,” she said. “The pledge has really challenged me in order to change the way that I think and the way that I act in order to care for this earth.”

Another Interfaith Ally, junior Wes Tierney, said the pledge was a challenge for him. During the week, he cut back on wasting water while trying to drink more water.

“It’s definitely hard for me because I almost completely run on caffeine,” said Tierney.

Tierney said that he hopes to become more environmentally friendly.

“I’ve always liked the idea of trying to be more conservative of not using as many natural resources,” he said. “Lots of places don’t have clean water and it is a privilege [to have it].”

Sophomore Catalina Jaramillo also tries to limit her water consumption. She said that everyone wastes water occasionally and sometimes she’ll push her shower time a few extra minutes.

“But you have to also think about that there’s other people who do need the water and who are dying of thirst,” said Jaramillo.
Jaramillo said that it’s easier to conserve water when she thinks about people in different parts of the world who don’t have access to it.

“There’s such a shortage of water as we now know it,” she said.

Tierney said that he really liked this project because people don’t have to be religious to be a part of it.

Although students were encouraged to consider how their faith or philosophical traditions play into being water-wise, he said that people of different faiths and backgrounds can work together to make the world a better place.

Lauren Blachowiak
Staff Writer
Published May 1, 2013