WSSU, student benefit from 'Go Green' project

The Go Green ambassador has been invited to attend the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Conference to present  his campus  recycling project.

Daniel Crudup, a junior healthcare management major from Concord, N.C., will be in Tennessee Oct. 6-9 for the conference.

Along with his recycling project, Crudup persuaded more than 500 students to pledge to go green. 

Winston-Salem State placed second among  28 HBCUs in the pledging contest. 

  Crudup said he recycled a lot at home and realized there weren't enough opportunities in the dorms. 

A resident assistant for Rams Commons, he said some of the buildings didn't have recycling bins, and students asked where they could dispose their bottles.

"I feel like it's a good first step. Just opening up people's eyes that it's not hard to recycle or go green," Crudup said.

Crudup was given a $500 grant from the United Negro College Fund and the Toyota Green Initiative to fund his sustainability project. 

Crudup and another resident assistant Britney Beamon, coordinated a battle of the buildings competition among the four  Rams Commons' buildings. 

Rams Commons Building 4 won.

Beamon, a senior rehabilitation studies major from Wilson, N.C., said, "I didn't know you could recycle so much."

When Beamon heard about Crudup's proposal, she said she decided to get involved and pledged to go green.

"I think recycling is really cool," she said.

Crudup hosted events and worked with campus organizations to raise awareness and give students the opportunity to pledge.

"It was a collaborative effort. I had the initial idea, but then I worked with other people to get it done," he said.

Crudup said although he is WSSU's ambassador, for the 2012-13 year, he will continue to get the school involved in sustainability. 

He said he plans to expand his efforts to other dorms.