Jordan Davis

English 145

Professor Steven Marx

4 March 2008

Students Striving to ‘Empower Poly’

“I feel it’s necessary for anybody who has any interest in their future or their children’s future to make things better.” –Tylor Middlestadt

The Cal Poly motto, stressed to prospective students upon application to the university, is, “Learn by doing.” The school has had success with this message both in attracting new students and compelling current students to discover and implement changes within their particular fields of study.

The “Learn by doing” motto has transcended class work and has been adopted by one of Cal Poly’s newest but increasingly influential groups, the Empower Poly Coalition. The Empower Poly Coalition is a joint-coalition comprised of student clubs and groups, such as the BioDiesel Club and the Renewable Energy Club, that are interested in promoting sustainable practices (Small, 2006; Empower Poly Coalition website, 2008). Empower Poly brings these smaller clubs together and provides them with a stronger voice to reach the decision makers of both the school and the community (Sustainability T.V., 2007).

The roots of the Empower Poly Coalition date back to 2003, when Cal Poly announced its plans to construct “Poly Canyon,” the largest student housing project in the nation. When the university released the plans for the new development they failed to include measures of sustainable design. The plans were met by a huge uproar from the student community, and began a groundswell of support for an eco-friendly complex that would better represent the university’s increasing focus on sustainable practices. Led by Associated Students Incorporated President Tylor Middlestadt, students put pressure on Cal Poly president Warren Baker, and in the spring of 2004, Poly announced its plans favor the hiring of a contractor who could ensure the construction of a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) equivalent design. Following his work in rallying Poly behind the idea of making this development eco-friendly, Middlestadt joined a group of California State University leaders who petitioned the CSU system to adopt a Cal Poly student and faculty-developed policy that called for all CSU campuses to reduce their energy consumption while increasing on-site energy production by means of renewable energy sources (Churchill, 2006; Sustainability T.V., 2007).

Inspired by these student efforts to create sustainable practices taking place across the state, Middlestadt turned his attention back to the Poly campus, and helped found the Empower Poly Coalition in 2005. The Empower Poly Coalition was started to help involve students in conversations about providing for a sustainable future both at Cal Poly as well as in their future professions and communities. The idea was that if students lead, as Middlestadt did in challenging the Poly Canyon Development, the universities, who ultimately work for the students, would be forced to act (Worth, 2007).

With Middlestadt acting as vice-president, the Coalition got right to work, and in less than a year brought in alternative energy company Sun Edison, who installed a new photovoltaic energy system above Poly’s Engineering West building (Small, 2006). The agreement made with Sun Edison required only that Poly purchase energy generated from the photovoltaic system that is harnessed by Sun Edison, who in turn covered all costs of installation and all future maintenance costs (Sustainability T.V., 2007). Upon installation, the solar roof became the largest alternative energy project in San Luis Obispo County to date, and Poly became only the third CSU campus, along with Chico State and Dominguez Hills, to experiment with solar energy on such a level (Small, 2006).

The Empower Poly Coalition builds on student enthusiasm to implement alternative energy solutions and become stakeholders in their sustainable endeavors. As a Coalition comprised of students of a polytechnic university, EPC saw potential in bringing together multiple groups who can combine their expertise and work toward a common goal. In an interview for “The Sustainability Channel,” Middlestadt (Sustainability T.V., 2007) told one reporter, “The one thing that I’ve found out has been most beneficial for the [sustainability] movement as a whole, has been those moments when our interests have found a way to successfully align with those of our opposition...[those] have been the moments that have inspired me [to think] that this hope isn’t an empty idealism.”

The EPC has encountered its fair share of hurdles, the largest being the vast difference in student opinions. The Cal Poly community varies widely in its political and social viewpoints, and as a result, Empower Poly has had to deal with the fairly widespread belief that global warming does not exist, or poses a less than significant threat. Empower Poly does not attempt to convert these non-believers, but chooses rather to find the “middle-ground” on issues with “politically correct framing” and the promotion of green solutions (Sustainability T.V., 2007) that are economically viable in the business world. Many of the world's largest companies such as Wal-Mart and Toyota are being forced to answer consumer demand for greener technologies and preparing for increased government regulation (Worth, 2008). Empower Poly focuses on demonstrating how answering these demands makes financial sense, and that students at Cal Poly have a reason to focus on sustainable practices. As Middlestadt (Sustainability T.V., 2007) explained, it is the belief of the EPC that successful businesses, “Can’t afford not to do this.”

In January, Empower Poly played a large role in bringing “Focus the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America,” to Cal Poly in an attempt to further discussion on climate change. True to the coalition’s ideals, the January 31st event included presentations on sustainable solutions, panel discussions, and workshops that brought the Poly community together with representatives from industries on the cutting edge of sustainable technologies (Ford, 2008). Chad Worth, President of the Empower Poly Coalition said, "Climate change, more than any other issue, is going to be affecting our generation … It's up to us to put the proper public officials into office to make decisions to move us toward a clean, sustainable future (Ford, 2008)." The event concluded with a public workshop hosted by The Empower Poly Coalition, which featured speeches from Congresswoman Lois Capps and State Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee. Focus the Nation was a rousing success that has led to talks of creating an annual event (Ford, 2008).

Recently, Empower Poly led the effort for the adoption of “LEED-certified” building standards rather than “LEED-equivalent” standards for the proposed Cal Poly Recreation Center expansion (“LEED the Way,” 2008). “LEED-certified” standards force the university to comply with the rules of LEED design by bringing in an independent auditor who can ensure the building functions as efficiently as possible. This became an important issue for the EPC not only because it would help reduce the eco-footprint of the development, but also because LEED designs significantly lower the operating costs of a building over time -- operating costs that are paid for by Poly students. Though it was met with opposition due to the immediate increase in costs to students, the measure passed overwhelmingly, with close to 90% of voters favoring the adoption of LEED-certified standards (Empower Poly Coalition Blog, 2008).

Overall the Empower Poly Coalition has done remarkable work during its brief existence. The goals they have are huge, and the hurdles they face even larger. Yet, the Coalition members, true to the school’s motto, have “learned by doing,” and dealt with each obstacle that has confronted them and carried their message forward. Empower Poly has helped Cal Poly establish a complete sustainability curriculum with objectives to reduce the university’s ecological footprint by using the campus as a “living laboratory for sustainable technologies and processes (Worth, 2008).” However controversial some of the issues they tackle may be, the students involved in the movement are passionate about making Cal Poly into a flagship university for sustainable practices, not only within the CSU system, but in the nation.

References

• (2007, Nov. 22). Sustainability Channel. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from Energy Policy T.V. Web site: http://video.energypolicytv.com/displaypage.php?vkey=db8dc7382bde7419bb57 &channel=Sustainability

• (2008, Feb. 19). LEED the Way: Cal Poly. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from YouTube Web site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tTVgL3xrFk

• Ford, J. “Hey Poly, Got Climate Change?” (2008, Jan. 30). Mustang Daily, News.

• Group: Empower Poly Coalition. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from Wise Earth Web site: http://www.wiserearth.org/group/empowerpoly

• Small, N. “Campus leaders shed light on energy plans.” (2007, Nov. 9). Mustang Daily, Columns.

• Worth, C. “If the students lead, the leaders will follow.” (2007, Nov. 9). Mustang Daily, Columns.

• Worth, C. “What Cal Poly really needs...” (2008, Feb. 8). Mustang Daily, News.

• Retrieved February 27, 2008, from Empower Poly Coalition Web site: http://empowerpoly.calpoly.edu/Empower_Poly_Coalition.html

• Retrieved February 27, 2008, from Empower Poly Coalition Blog Web site: http://empowerpoly.blogspot.com/

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