After the implementation of a water bottle ban on campus in the beginning of the 2015-16 academic year, Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS) Board of Directors met to discuss the possibility of repealing the institution.
On Wednesday May 10, CAS invited all of those interested in participating in the discussion to convene in the Student Union Building at 10:30 a.m. where a public forum was relayed in the hopes of hearing both sides to the argument.
Fourth-year environmental contracting major Billie Golan argued that repealing the ban would set the university back, seeing as it is the only SUNY to have proposed and utilized a rule like this.
“Repealing the ban wouldn’t do us any good because right now we are one of the only universities who have upheld something like this and that is incredibly important,” she said. “It is essential that we continue to look forward in being sustainable and educating people on how to do just that.”
Arguments in accordance with the repeal circled around the controversy that while the sale of water bottles is banned, the campus still has vending machines that dispense plastic soda bottles.
This led to a line of questioning from multiple members in the discussion on whether the campus really is producing less plastic waste.
Second year communications disorder major Franchesca Cole spoke about her experience as an orientation leader for the university this previous summer.
“Many of the incoming students get here for orientation and don’t know about the ban so they struggle with finding a source for hydrating themselves,” Cole said. “It’s a health issue; why do we serve soda, but not water?”
Cole leveled that while she understands the reasoning behind the ban, it is flawed.
“I understand why the ban is in place, however, if we are trying to reduce the amount of plastic waste then we should get rid of all the plastic bottles on campus,” she said.
The ban remains up for discussion and its repeal will be voted on at a later date.