The Office of Sustainability celebrated Earth Week in their own fashion this week, with tabling to promote different campaigns to encourage students to participate in sustainable behaviors.

Monday was Meatless Monday which showed the environmental benefits of a primarily vegetable diet. Tuesday was Transpo Tuesday promoting the BikeShare program and the launch of the new BusShare webpage. Wednesday was Wake Up Wednesday promoting the Perk Up campaign with reusable hot drink cups. Thursday was Thirsty Thursday promoting the Tap In campaign with reusable water bottles. Friday was Food Waste Friday with the celebration of the participation of students involved in the Clean Plate Club.

According to Jamie Adams, the sustainability program coordinator, Earth Day officially began in 1970.

“Since then, there have been so many new topics, environmental issues and sustainable behaviors we can all learn more about and participate in,” Adams said. “One day can’t manage it all, so our office celebrates Earth Week.”

On Wednesday, students who stopped by the table received free reusable cups for hot drinks and free coffee, while supplies lasted, and on Thursday a limited number of reusable metal water bottles were given away.

The BikeShare program, run by the Office of Sustainability, gives students access to bikes each semester, free of charge. The bike is theirs for the semester and they are responsible for any loss or damage. Adams said the office provides free maintenance for all bikes on campus, even personally owned bikes not affiliated with the program, as well as storage and upkeep.

The goal of the program is to reduce the use of automobiles on campus by helping students get around by bicycle, Adams said. The program is partially funded through the Student Association.

BikeShare is a program that not many students know about, according to Brielle Jodeit, an intern for the Office of Sustainability.

“It’s a really awesome program,” Jodeit said. “Everyone is super interested in it, but we only have 50 bikes so it’s hard to supply for the entire campus.”

A new mobile friendly website, BusShare, was also launched to simplify the use of the Centro Bus system, both on campus and around the City of Oswego. The app has easy-to-follow instructions and requires only the location the student is leaving from and going to, Adams said.

“Our office hopes to reduce the amount of commuter traffic off and on campus by making it easier for students to use the provided Centro Bus services,” Adams said.

Jodeit said the Centro app is hard to use. Two interns with the Office of Sustainability, Alex Monachino and Cassandra Kaiser, are making an interface that is more user friendly.

“It isn’t just an app,” Jodeit said. “It’s an actual website that has really good global formatting, so people who can’t download the app can still use it.”

Senior Aiyana Huger stopped by the table to participate in the events throughout the week.

“I love ‘Earth Week,’” Huger said. “I think it’s great that the campus is doing something to try to preserve our planet.”