SOU students ban bottled-water sales on campus
ASHLAND — On May 3, the Associated Students of Southern Oregon University, the student government of SOU, passed legislation banning bottled-water sales on campus to make the university more environmentally friendly.
“Clean water is one of the most essential elements of human life,” said Isaac Taylor, a member of ASSOU, during a presentation before student government. “It shouldn’t be privatized. We’re hoping that SOU can become a leader in the fight against these corporations and bottled water.”
The bill is the brainchild of Rebekah Bergkoetter, an SOU student who’s been working on the issue for more than a year. Working with the Ecology Center of the Siskiyous, a student group dedicated to environmental sustainability, she managed to push the bill through student government.
“What we want to do is improve water quality and accessibility on campus,” said Bergkoetter. “I mean, the water in the science building comes out orange.”
Under the provisions of the bill, bottled water would be removed from vending machines and Sodexo operations on campus. Sodexo is the university’s food-service provider, responsible for the cafeterias and restaurants on campus.
In turn, the bill would give reusable water bottles to incoming freshmen at orientation, as well as install several spigots and water purifiers across campus.
The goal is to have the campus completely water-bottle free by June 2012.
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110508/NEWS/105080337/-1/NEWSMAP
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