1. A Green History of the Orange and Blue
A Brief History of Sustainability at Hope College
By Kyle Funk
Summer 2016

2. Abstract:
The historyof life onEarthhas beena historyof interactionbetweenlivingthingsandtheir
surroundings.Toa large extent,the physical formandthe habitsof the earth'svegetationanditsanimal
life have beenmoldedbythe environment.Considering the wholespanof earthlytime,the opposite
effect,inwhichlife actuallymodifiesitssurroundings,hasbeenrelativelyslight.Onlywithinthe moment
of time representedbythe presentcenturyhasone species,man, acquiredsignificantpowertoalterthe
nature of his world. -Rachel Carson,"SilentSpring" (Whatisthisreferringto?)
Ecosystemmanagementisnotjustaboutscience noris itsimplyanextensionof traditional resource
management;itoffersafundamental reframingof how humansmay workwithnature. -Grumbine
(1994) (Whatis thisabout?)
'We are not borrowingfromthe future;we are simplystealingfromthe heritage of future generations.'
The historyof sustainabilityatHope Collegeismixed.Whilemuchprogresshasbeenrecently made,
care for creationhasnot beenahighpriority.How didwe get to where we are today?Why aren't
ChristianLiberal Artsschoolsleadingthe sustainableeffortworldwide?Where doesthe voice of Godsit
inHis owncreation?By tellingthe storyof sustainabilityandthe relationshipbetweenecosystemsand
Hope College,we hope toanswerthisquestion.Thisnarrative istoldthrough integratingmanysources:
interviewswiththe moversand shakersof EarthCare at Hope College;the College Catalogwhich shows
the evolutionof classesandeffortsdone bydepartmentstoeducate generationsof students
aboutstewardship management;andarchival researchinthe Anchor, alumni newspapers,and
yearbooks.While itiseasytolookonlyat the eventsthattranspiredatHope College,aliberal arts
educationdemandsthatwe alsokeepthe whole globaltimeline inmindasoff-campuseventscan
influenceasmall communitysuchasours. What comestogetherwhenall the thingsabove unite isan
image of Hope College inwhich EarthCare notat the forefrontof itsplanning,education,andmission,
but there isa humble and small movementrichindepthwhose growthcontinuestoreachnew heights.
To quote a recentanchor article,“itisnot that Hope is goinggreenasmuch as it isgrowinggreener”.
Hope College hasthe leadershippotentialtomake a large impacton not onlyWestMichiganbutthe
world.We shouldbe showingothers how tobe stewardsof the Earth through the sciences,arts,social
sciences,andhumanities.
Pre-History:The Age of Independence (1800-1866)
 Science breaksawayfromthe Church.
 At the same time,the Churchwas being fragmented.
 The founderof Hollandand co-founderof Hope College was AlbertusVanRaalte who ledagroup
of Dutchimmigrants toAmericainorder to find economicopportunityand freedomfromthe
Dutch Church.
 Beginningsof romanticismandthe Transcendental movement,e.g.,Emerson,Thoreau,which
influencedlaterwriters.
Thishistorical journeybeginswitha lookatglobal eventsthatleadtothe foundingof Hope
College. Thistime of historywouldbringabouthuge societal upheavals,includingthe Renaissance,
Reformation,Revolutions(bothscientificandpolitical),endingwiththe Enlightenment. Atthe endof
thistime periodthere wasthe rise of Romanticismandthe Transcendentalismmovement

3. Importantto the environmental historyof Hope Collegeisthe ScientificRevolutionwhichbegan
withCopernicusandlaterexplodedunderRobertHooke andIsaacNewton.Thisseta scientificjourney
that cultivated curiosityasto howthe natural worldworksand itsimportance tothe relationship
betweenhumansand the earth.Italsohelpedcreate thatfirstenvironmental movement,whose later
movementswouldimpactcampus.
A secondimportantsocietal change wasthe Reformation.Asreligiousupheavalspreadacross
Europe,ReverendAlbertusVanRaalte founded the Dutchcolonyof Hollandonthe swampyshoresof
Lake Macatawa and co-founded withDr.PhillipPhelpsJr. the school thatbecome Hope College in1866.
Alreadyinthe firstAnchor,a studentrunnewspaper,studentsnotedthe janitors,“workingdiligentlyto
improve the campusgrounds”.
The Darwinian Revolution(1859-1900)
 Lamarck and Darwinbothdiscoverthe role the environmentplaysinspeciesevolution,evenif
theyneverunderstoodhowitworked(genesandDNA).
 Thoughquicklyacceptedbythe scientificcommunity, thisnewscience still tookawhile toreach
the Americancolonies,especiallyanewlyfoundedHolland.
 An AnchorArticle byMalusdomus occursbefore the 20th century.Itquotesthe relationship
between manandhisenvironment.Thoughitdoesn’tuse modernlanguage,itnotesclimate
change and humanity'simpactonspecieshabitats.Itdefinesthisrelationshipwiththe old
phrase "A manis knownbythe companyhe keeps".
 As Earth-keepers,we needtokeep goodcompanyandshouldwanttobecause thatiswhat God
callsus too.
Almostten yearsbefore the College wasfounded, in1859 Darwinand Lamarck publishedtheirideas
on natural selection whichseemedtoreachthe college adecade or solater.But once it reachedcampus
it seemstohave made an impact.AnAnchor article publishedin1894 includesathoughtprovokingidea
withthe phrase “A man isknownbythe companyhe keeps”.Thisproverbisusedtowarn usto wisely
choose whomwe associate with.Butthe wisdomthisauthoroffersuptoall of us ishow we shouldview
our relationshipwiththe environment.All organismsare affectedbytheirenvironmentandhumanityis
no different.He notesatmosphericimpurityandhabitatchangesthatorganismsface.Thoughthe terms
for environmental problemsare differentfromthe time thisarticle waswritten,the impacthumans
continue tomake on the environmentremainthe same.The author,one Malusdomus fromthe classof
1895, endsbysayingthat “Environmentoftenshapesthe destinyof many;itshould,therefore,be
favorable,noble,elevating,sothatitsinfluence maybe,asfar as possible,forthe goodof humanity”.As
an institutionof higherChristianlearning,Icannotthinkof a betterwayto describe anethical reasonto
establishecological stewardshipaspartof ourmission.
The GreenAwakening(1910-1969)
 Mainstreamisall about industrial capital andclassical economictheoryasa wayof life
(Theories=living).
 Worldevents suchas WW I, the Great Depression,WWII, showsthe failure of the traditional
wayof doingthings.
 ‘SilentSpring,”publishedbyRachel Carsonin1962, isa wake-upcall tomanyaboutthe effects
of variouskindsof pollution.

4.  Hope College experiencesthischange slowlyinthe 1960s withthe foundingof the Geology
Departmentandthe start of early“ecology” classes.
 One majorturningpointwas the iconicphotonamedEarthrise,takenby astronautWilliam
Andersin1968.
WorldWar I wasan atrocity ona scale no one wasexpecting.Asaresponse, manylookedto
industrial capitalismtosolve problems.Thisbroughtthe Roaring20s and a time of apparentpeace and
prosperity. Butinside,the yellowcore wasrootingsince asocietyaswe see todaycannot be builton
justone kindof capitalism.Industrial Capitalism, asithadcenturiesbefore allowedforquickrecoveryof
marketsbutnot sustainable ones.The worldthuswasonce againshockedfollowingthe eventsof black
Tuesday. Somany people lookedtopowertocurbtheirfears whichonlyfueledthe rise of WWIIandthe
deadlypotentialof nuclearweapons.Thisspiralingdownaftercenturiesof greatadvancementended
witha few havingthe powertodestroyall of the Earth multiple timesoverinatime knownas the Cold
War.
Thiswas, however,atime of greatadvancement inscience, withthe emergence of independence
and democracyworldwidebroughttogetherbythe UnitedNations.A Greenawakeningbeganslightly
before the release of Rachel Carson’s“SilentSpring” in1962 but quicklyacceleratedafterthe harmful
effectsof DDT were made known. The Environmental Movementwasforsome one partof the
countercultural movementwhichhasstainedthe name of environmentalismandsustainabilityever
since.
Hope College wasnotleftunaffected bythese events. The Geology Departmentbeganin1966 and
EldonGreij of the BiologyDept. remembersteachingthe firstHumanEcologycourse at Hope in1968.
The firstPrinciplesof Ecology course wastaughtin 1970. Accordingto Dr. Greij “at that time Hope was
interestedinteachingmore classesthatdealtwithenvironmentalintegration.The importance of
ecology asa fieldof science wasknown,butthe problemwasthatatthe time of manyearlyclasses
there wasonlyone ecologytextbook.Andyoucan’tteachmultipleclasseswithone book.Everything
wouldbe repeated.”Seriousstudyof the earthandecology hadnow begunat Hope,aheadof many
schoolsevenif itwasa humble beginning.
Humble Beginnings(1970-1979)
 FirstEarth Day newpoliciesare made e.g. the CleanWaterAct andCleanAirActs 1970
 UN conference in Stockholmin1972 whichgave usthe commonly usedbutpoorlydefined
definitionof sustainability.
 Hope surveysslowthe rise andfall of the importance of the environmentinthe mindsof
students.The 1960s saw the biggestboom ininterestinsustainability, butthe next
generation showslessinterest.
 Classboomof ecologyandenvironmental classes(seemore detailincase study)
 Environmental clusterbegins butdisappears afew yearslater
 Environmental Healthstudiesalsobegins.
 Hope purchasesitsFieldStationin1972 in LaketownTownship
The beginningof the 1970s opened withgreatinterestin caringforthe Earth, inpart due to an
iconicimage the astronautstookof the earthfrom space. Thisimage wouldagainbe repeatedduring
the Apollo17 space missionin 1972 withthe photo The Blue Marble.It put humansinan astronomical
perspective.Environmentalismwasnolongeraliberal cause;itbecame everyone’sresponsibilitytocare
for the Earth. These twoimageshelpedtopassenvironmental lawsinthe USsuch as the ClearWater

5. Act (1972) and revisionstothe CleanAirAct(1973). Internationally,the UnitedNations metin
Stockholmin1987 to discuss environmental issuesand write the traditional definitionof sustainable
development: developmentthatmeetsthe needsof the presentwithoutcompromisingthe abilityof
future generationstomeettheirownneeds.
At Hope College newenvironmental courseswere appearing,suchasPrinciplesof Ecologyand
Environmental Psychology.In1974, Hope College alsopurchased74acres of landin LaketownTownship
to use as a field stationnevertobe developedorsold.New course trackswere beingofferedaswell,
such as Environmental PublicHealthand “clustertracks”that includedanenvironmental trackalong
withtracks in withAmerican,urban,andminoritystudies.These tracksappearedinthe 1972-1973
school yearbut had disappearedbythe 1976-1977 school year.The worldwas changing rapidly and
Hope was bothusingitstraditionof listeningtoGod’scalling andbeingsweptintothe ever-changing
worldculture.
Surveysadministered bythe AmericanCouncil onEducation(ACE) beganwiththe classof 1975
(sogivenin1971 to childrenof the 1950s and teenagersof the 1960s) andprovide interestingevidence
of howthe attitudesof Hope studentscomparedtocollege studentsmore generally. About97% of the
classof 1975 agreedwith the statement“The governmentis notstronglycontrollingpollution”.Bythe
time the classof 1977 arrives only 90% agreed.Incontrast 88% of the studentsat Protestantcolleges
agreedandthe national average was88.5%. The classof 1978 saw a majordrop with only 84.1%
agreeing. Only58%of the classof 1975 agreedwiththe statement “The Governmentisnotprotecting
the consumer”while 70%of the classof 1978 agreed.
Only30% of the Hope class of 1977 agreedthat one should “be involvedinenvironmental
cleanup”while 38%of studentsat Protestantcolleges agreedandthe national average was38.7%.All in
all, the attitudesof Hope studentswere behindthe timeswhenitcame tocaring for the earth. By the
time Hope integratedearth-care intothe curriculuminthe late 1970’s and early tothe mid-1980’s,
studentdemandhaddiminished.As aChristianInstitutionHope shouldhave continuedto providemore
opportunitiesforstudentstobecome goodstewardsof the Earth.
Case Study #1: The Processof Transformation of Liberal Arts Education
 General timeline outline
 Word count of the numberof timesenvironmentisused
 The importance of outdooreducationbyDr. Greij,Dr. Murray, and Dr. Winnett-Murray.
The use of the word ‘environment’ increasedexponentiallyoverthe years. Usedonlyonce inthe
1960-61 catalog, intoday’scatalog(2015-16) the wordenvironmentisused245 times.Growthof the
wordbecame more prevalentinthe 1980s withthe addition of several new classesandthenagaininthe
2000’s withthe additionof Environmental Science inthe Geology Department.In2004 the
Environmental Studiesminorwasofferedtostudentsforthe firsttime thusprovidinganothernew
batch of environmentallyorientedcourses.There are now (2016) over40 coursesfromovera dozen
differentdepartments thatdeal insome waywithsustainability.
Dr. Greij reportsthat studentsinthe 1970s were superinterestedinlearningoutsidethe classroom
on theirowntime. Learningoutdoorswas their(andhis) favoritepartof learning,especiallyalongthe
WestMichigan lakeshore.A large partof this, he believes,wasmotivatedby the role of the space
program andthe Peace Corpsduring thistime.Bythe 1980s he and otherprofessorsnotedachange
withthe students-theyceasedshowingupforoutdoorclasslearning.Tohim, itseemedthattheywere

6. onlyinterestedin gettingajob,startinga family,andmakingmoney.Theyappearedtobe trulyfeeding
intoReagan’spresidential cultureatthe time.
Biology professorsGregMurrayand KathyWinnett-Murraycame to Hope inthe mid 1980’s and
required studentstogooutside forclass. Theymade learningoutside anintegral partof IntroBiology.
Theybelievedthistobe especiallyimportanttopre-healthstudentswhomaynotsee the lightof day
againin theirprofessional careers.Theystressedthe beautythatisinWestMichiganandhow little
studentsknowaboutit.So theymade sure that all of theirIntroto Biologystudents wentoutside during
the semester. Especiallygiventhatmanystudentsgrow upincitiesandwill latersettle downincities.
Outside the Biology Department,the ChemistryandGeologydepartmentswere alsotackling
environmental problems.Environmental chemistrywas taughtbyDr. Don Williamswhowouldlater
focushisexpertise onchemical clean-upof lakes, whicheventuallyleadtocurrentwatershedcleanup
effortssuchas ProjectClarity.While the Geology Departmentearlyonbroughtthe environmentintothe
classroomthrough variouscourses, Environmental Geologybeganasacourse inthe 1973-74 school
yearand was taughtby Dr. CotterTharin.This classwas mostlyfornon-sciencemajorsandwas
extremelypopularuntilitsdisappearance withthe GEMScoursesthat were createdinthe late 1990s.
The Geology Departmentwouldlateraddaminorin environmental science.
As environmentalcourses expandedintothe sciences,soalsoecological stewardship beganto
extendintothe humanities andsocial sciences. The creationof the Environmental Studies minorin2004
wouldbringtogethercoursesinReligion,Economics/Management,Political Science,English,Philosophy,
History,andthe Natural Sciences.Butsadlymanyof these course isnotrequiredformajorsintheir
departmentandwhenprofessorsleave the departmenttheirclassescease toexist.The nextstepinthe
transformationof Liberal ArtsEducation atHope is to developamore ecologicallysoundcurriculumfor
future generationsof students.,e.g.,by requiringcertain numberof creditsinenvironmental
sustainability.
Cyclesof Expansionand Stagnation (1978-today)
 Oil Crisisof 1972 puteconomicsoneveryone’smindonce again.
 Reaganera 1980-88
 Plasticwearreplacessilverware atKletz 1981
 Economiccyclescontinue afterthe stagnationof late 1970’s intoalmostall of the 1980’s; and
againin the late 1990’s early2000’s; leadingtothe Financial Crisisof 2008.
Early onin the 1970s the oil crisisoccurred.This had botha positive andnegative impactforthe
environmental movement. The oil crisiscausedpeople topause andthinkaboutthe role energyplaysin
theirlives.Itwasnolongera nice commoditytohave but actuallysomethingthatcreatedaneed to
understand global events.Forsome reasonthoughitsparkedthe realist worldview thatwouldstifle
ecosystemcare foralmosta whole decade. A realistview inpoliticsseesnosupranationalauthorityto
enforce rules inthe international political arena whichcausesstatestoact intheirownself-interestand
preservation. Thiswouldcause the electionof worldleaders,manyof whomfailedtoaddressthe
growingnumbersof ecological problems.There isnotany single worldleadertoblame forsuchlittle
interestinearthcare duringthese years, butas leaderstheirviewsimpactedmanyother people.As
mentionedabove,however, there were somepositive changesatHope duringthe 1980s especiallyin
the Biology Department,butingeneral itwasstill atime of little positive ecological action.

7. At thispointinHope history there wasthe switch fromsilverware andchinatofoamand plastic
utensils. There werenoeconomicreasonsforthisswitchotherthanthatit waseasiertothrow things
away thanpay someone tocleandishes. There was,however,some dissent,asone personputit: “Asan
institutionof highereducationitseemswe shouldalsobe apeople of higherawareness”. Thisstory
doeshave a more positive ending,since Hope eventually switchedtoabio-recyclableorbiodegradable
utensilsand supplies.
The 1980’s was notthe onlytime there was a lossof interestamongHope students incaringforthe
earth.In the late 1990’s and early2000’s. The reasonforthisis unclearbutit ismost likely hadtodo
withstudentturn-over.Anotherperiodinwhichstudentinterestshrunk occurredafterthe Great
Recessionof 2008, whichisquite disappointingsince itseemedlikeWestMichiganandHollandhada lot
goingon intermsof ecological importancerightbefore this.Inthiscase the economyonce again
trumpedecologyeventhough manyof the problemsare linked, andyouneedbothtobuilda
community.
CleaningHouse (1988-1999)
 RioEarth SummitandKyotoProtocol
 EIG group begins
 Recyclingoncampusbegins
 The start of majorinfrastructure changesoncampus
 Course curriculumoverhaul
The 1990s broughta newmessage forthe worldwiththe RioEarth Summitand the Kyoto
Protocol. Worldleaderswere committingtoclimate policyandaction. Thismirrored the changesHope
was makingevenif the large oneswere behindthe scenes. Duringthisdecade there weremanychanges
withinfrastructure,e.g., printing,grounds-keeping,anddining.These changes happened because
leaderssimplysawthe benefitsthe changeswouldbring.Itwasaboutsavingmoney, butthisleadtoa
more Earth-friendlyHope College,showing thatsmartchange can be ecologicallyfriendly.
Recyclingoncampusbeganin Januaryof 1988. It was small atfirstand wouldnottake off till the
1990s thanksto the Environmental IssuesGroup (EIG).The EIG began when4-5 studentswhotraveled
withDr. Stephen Hemenwayinthe summerof 1989 to the ViennaSummerSchool heard aboutall the
EuropeanUnion was doingtodeal withenvironmental issues. These studentssaw the GreenMovement
inaction.Once back oncampus they beganthe EIG. In theirfirstyearthey grew to 40-50 students
whose mainfocuswasimprovingthe recycling oncampussince the physical plantstaff hadnottaken
overthe removal of recyclable goodseventhoughitbeganthree years before. The EIGalsostarted
Earth Weekand Earth Jam oncampus duringApril.
(There issome textmissinghere,comparedwiththe writtenversion)
In 1990 Hope organized the firstof fourCritical IssuesSymposiaontopicsthatrelate to
ecological awareness.Curriculumchanges were alsomade to addmanycoursesthat dealtinsome way
withsustainability.Butmembership inEIGwaxedandwanedoverthe comingyears. In2010 the EIG
joinedwithseveral othergroups tocreate Hope UnitedforJustice. In2014 the Eco Agentstudentgroup
was formedbythe GreenTeamand in 2015 a studentgroupnamedGreenHope wasformedtoreplace
the EIG.

8. Case Study #2: The Powerof Groups
 Storyof EGI and GreenTeam
 Recyclingefforts
 Earth Week, Eco-Olympicsandothereventsoncampus
 Educational research andthe Integrationof science
Groups have playedalarge role on campus givenhow difficultitisforone personto tackle all of the
ecological problemsthat confrontthe campusletalone come upwitha planthat movesthe college ina
sustainable directionandencouragesanEarth-friendlycurriculum. Groupscanmake real change by
givingvoice tomembersof the community, butinorderforthe transformationtobe resilientitmust
gainthe backingof the community. If suchchange is successful, education canmake communitiessafe,
smart,and strategic.Asan educational institution withastrongreligiousidentityand moral mission,
Hope College isinagreat positiontouse the powerof groupsto make positive change happen.
A fewgroupsoncampus that playintothe historyof Hope’s historyof sustainability are the
Environmental IssuesGroupandthe GreenTeam.The EIG’shistorywas mentionedabove.A take-away
fromthis the historyof this groupis that studentturnovercancause groupsto be unstainableovertime.
The Green Team has so far showntobe more sustainable since itcontainslong-termemployees aswell
as students.The historyof the GreenTeamarisesoutthe ‘green’wave thatwassweepingthe first
decade of the 21st
century. Some environmental groups were doingresearchintowhatcollegecampuses
were doingthatwas sustainable.Whenthese groupslooked onlinetodiscoverhow sustainable Hope
was, theyfound that little wasbeingdone. Butasthe storytoldso far makesclear, thiswasclearlynot
true.So whenThe Sustainable EndowmentInitiative (SEI) gave Hope the D-,thatgot the attentionof
PresidentJamesBultman.Hope isnota school that getsbelow average onanything. OFcourse the real
reasonfor the lowratingwas that virtuallynothingthatHope wasdoingwasdiscoverable onHope’s
website,whichwasthe meansof researchbythe researchersatSEI.
In 2008 President Bultmancreatedatask force that wasto investigate and compile all sustainability
effortsatHope andmake such informationavailablenotonlyforthose inthe Hope communitybutfor
outside environmental ratingagencies.InApril of 2009, afterone year of work,the Task Force made 8
recommendations.One recommendationwasthataCampus SustainabilityAdvisoryCommittee(akathe
GreenTeam) be created to replace the Task Force as a more permanentsolution.Sinceitscreation The
GreenTeam hasgrown innumbers toinclude faculty, administrators,staff,andstudents. It has
continued toinitiate andpromote varioussustainability effortsoncampus,andnow conductsitsown
research.Otherinitiativesoncampusthatthe grouphas help create with studentgroupshave been
TraylessTuesdays,Eco-Olympics,Eco-House, andEarthWeek.
The powerof groups isevidentwhenone looksatthe range of issuesaddressedbythe GreenTeam
underthe termsustainabilityorideaof Earth Care. Every issue isinterdisciplinary.Thusplanning
sustainability,conductingenvironmental research,andcreatingreliant policyare neverdone wellby
employingonly one discipline. Suchactivities mustuse andintegrate manydisciplinesandfieldsof
study.Anexample of thisisthe summerresearchthatishappeningoncampus rightnow, in the summer
of 2016. The Green Teamcreated5 positionsthatbroughtstudentsfrommultiple backgroundsto
conduct researchthathas neverbeendone oncampusbefore.The Chemistry,Geology,andBiology
departmentsare all conductingresearchthatinsome wayhas a verystrong environmental focus.Butin
the past there hasbeentoo little talkorawarenessbetweengroupsoncampuseventhougheach
studentresearcherhassomethingstrongtobringtothe table of Earth stewardship. Scientists
sometimes forgettocrossdisciplines,butinthiscase theydon’thave to!The environmentisalreadyin
theirfield.All theyneedistocommunicate withone another.Imagine if this kindof interdisciplinary

9. research spilledoverintothe artsand humanitiesdisciplines.The potentialcouldexpandlike crazyand
wordwouldquicklyreachmore people,especiallythroughthe arts.We all have benefitedfromthe
strongenvironmentalresearchthatHope hasconducted soall that remainsisto educate those who
knownothingaboutitspotential.
Orange and Blue LeadingGreen?(2000-Today)
 9/11, Great Recession,ObamaElected
 Environmental Studies/Science becomeminors
 Hope College goes traylessin2009
 GreenTeam andBultmanYears
 Lake Clean-upevents
 OutdoorDiscoveryCenter
 Hope-HollandSustainable Institute
 Environmental DashboardandResearch
In 1996-97 the GeologyDept.createdandhad approveda minorin Environmental Science.The
markedthe beginningof official majorsandminorsinacademicfields associatedwithsustainability. In
2000 Dr. StevenBouma-Predigerattendedaworkshop atMacalesterCollege forcollegefaculty onhow
to buildanEnvironmental Studiesprogramandthatis exactlywhathe did inthe nextfew years, by2004
Hope College hadboth an EnvironmentalScienceminorandan Environmental Studies minor. Foreach
of these programsonlyafewnewcourseswere created, thusshowingthatthere were already enough
Earth friendlycourses beingtaughtoncampus.Since 2004 thisnumberhastripled toover40.
The nextpart of Hope’s historyoccursin2008. Thisyear wasa bigyearnot onlyWestMichiganbut
the world.The recessionbynowwasin full swingandBarackObama was setto become the 44th
presidentof the UnitedStates.AtHope the EnvironmentalStudiesminorreceivedchangesthatmade it
easierformore studentstotake and complete the coursesrequired. Inthe fall,asmentionedpreviously,
Hope received aD- minusreportcard fromthe SEI and thisappearedonthe front page of the Anchor.
Thisspurredthe creationof the Task Force that wouldassessthe College’seffortstobe sustainable.
Alongwiththiscame the creation by a studentof the Sustainable Hope websitesothatall the good
thingsHope wasalreadydoing wouldbe more accessible toboththose insidethe Hope communityand
to those onthe outside.The TaskForce recommended the creationof whatbecame the GreenTeam.
Some of the firstwork of the Green Teamincludeddetermininghow greenHope Collegereallywas
at the time of the D- minusreport.Once the data was compiledand sentbackin we receivedaB-.How
accurate thiswasup in the air,but it wasa far more accurate estimate of whatHope was doingat the
time.Everyyearsince 2009 the Green Teamhas providedinternshipsforstudents.Thesestudentshave
accomplishedmany thingsforthe campus,suchas energycompetitionsbetweencottages,a‘Caught
BeingGreen’campaign,andEarth Weekevents.Internshave alsoeducatedstudentsthroughstickers
and mostnotablythe RAson campus.Internswere alsoresponsible for figuringoutHope’scarbon
footprint.The Green Teamhas evenhelpedstarta GreenCottage where studentstrytolive inamore
environmentallysensitiveway. All andall,the GreenTeamhascreateda real transformationoncampus.
Duringthese yearstwoof the annual Critical IssuesSymposiawere devotedtoenvironmentaltopics:
waterin 2009and food in2010. Bothof these helpedchange the studentbodyculture andinform
students aboutimportantglobal issues. Evidence fromthisisthatmanyprojects began, e.g., Green
Cottage, andsome groupsgot involvedin sustainabilityactivities.

10. Thiscenturyso far has seen muchprogress at Hope whenitcomesto caring forthe Earth. Many
clean-upeventswiththe lakesandduneshave gainedpopularity.A large piece of landwassetaside to
become the OutdoorDiscoveryCenter(ODC).The ODCisrunby a Hope alumnusTravisWilliams and
doesmanyprojectswithHope studentsalongwitheducatinganew generationwhowill hopefully
searchfor schoolsthat matchtheirlove forthe environment.Hope canbe one of those schoolsif it
continuesto promote caringfor the Earth. Hope’smostrecenteffortwasto partnerwiththe Cityof
Hollandandthe local Board of PublicWorksto create in 2014 the Holland-HopeCollegeSustainability
Institute (HHCSI).The HHCSI isworkingtocreate smart energyanda resilientcommunity.The firstLEED
certified goldbuildingoncampuswill be completedin2017.
Case Study #3: DiningServices
 Change fromSilverandChina ->PlasticandFoam -> biodegradable andrecyclableproducts
(thoughstill notsure where toputthese products).
 Storyof Trayless Tuesdays
As mentionedabove the storyof how Hope College switchedtousingplasticandfoamis not happy.
Redemptionhassince occurredandthe lessonhasbeenlearned.Butthere isstill muchtobe done to
improve the environmental impactof campus activities.One of these initiativesthatreducedthe
environmental impactwhile savingmoneyalongthe wayisthe storyof how Hope went trayless.
The ideafor Trayless Tuesdays came aboutfromBob VanHeukelomandSteve Bouma-Prediger.Bob
had the ideafora while butwasunsure of how to start it.Steve,while ataconference ata college in
NorthCarolina, noticedthathislunchhe ate didnotallow himto take a tray. Thisgot himthinkingasto
whyHope didnot do awaywithtrays. AftermeetingwithBob,the GreenTeam, andthe EIG came up
the ideaof TraylessTuesdaysforthe startof the new year.Each Tuesdaytheywouldencourage
studentstogo traylessandthentheywouldcompare how muchwater,energy, detergent, andfood
waste wassaved.
The resultswere astonishing.Inasingle semesteralone theycutwaterby60,000 gallons,reduced
chemical detergentsandrisingagentsby1,500 pounds,reducedfoodwaste inlandfillsby38 tons,and
conserved532 kilowattof energy.The numbersprovedwithoutadoubtthat Hope shouldgo trayless. In
2009-2010 Hope wenttraylessandithas remainedthatwayeversince.
At firstthere wassome resistance fromthe studentbody,butthe savingswere worththe few
voicedcomplaints.Now nocurrentstudentatHope knowsthe difference betweentrayorno tray. For
them,there isonlytraylessdiningandawell-designeddininghall aroundthe conceptof nothaving
trays.
Concludingthoughts:
Thishumble storyof Hope College’s sustainability historyhasbeenajoyto researchand tell.As
we have seen,ecological sustainability isnotexplicitly includedinthe College’smission statementbutit
has beenanintegral partof campusthroughoutitshistory. Itis time forthe story of the greeningof
Hope College tobe toldand embraced so that we maycontinue togrow inthisarea and somedaybe a
leadingexample of aChristian liberalartscollege thatpromotes care forthe Earth, whetherin the
Hollandcommunity,WestMichigan, ourfine state of Michigan,ournation, orthe world.

11. As withanystory,thisis justone view anda veryincomplete one too.Itcapturesalmostall of
the mainelementsof Hope College’sgreenhistory,butthere are piecesmissing,suchas environmental
care earlyon inthe historyof the college,eventsthathappenedfromthe openingof the 20th
centuryto
the 1960s, andsome keyvoicesthatI was unable toreach.Some modernpiecesof the historymayhave
beenlosttoo since I didnot make itthroughevery editionof the Anchorandmy keywordsearchesdid
not bringup every eventthatincludedelementsof Earth-care.Despitethese shortcomings, otherscan
expanduponthis history forthere are manyvoicesinthisnarrative butonlyone story; the storyof
sustainability atHope College.
In conclusion,tisclearlyevidentthatHope College hasthe potential tobe a Christianleaderin
Earth stewardship. WheneverHope’shistoryislookedat,leadershippotential isalwaysthere. We can
smartlycreate a communitythatthinksbefore acting,communicatesandeducatesgenerations,and
leadsWestMichiganto be a bright greenspotonthe map.I cannot thinkof a greaterambitionfor this
resilientconservativecommunity thantolookwhatwe can do withsmartand strategicplanningwhen
we come together. So, Hope College,are youreadytoanswerthiscall?