Many PC students, in their day-to-day routine, do not regularly hear about the EcoHub; in fact, many do not know what the PC EcoHub is. However, if they were to pay attention, they’d quickly realize how often they pass by it. The EcoHub is the composting bins placed just next to the greenhouse within the black metal gate. A long line of trashcans, or so they seem, the EcoHub is the powerhouse for PC’s composting success. They hold cardboard, dirt, vegetable bits, and other compostable pieces donated to the EcoHub in the name of environmental activism and awareness. It’s a small step forward towards a future of reusing what the Earth gives us.

That’s what this previous Saturday was all about. From 11-2, numerous volunteers from the Ecology Club, alongside their professors, welcomed both PC students and community members to their EcoHub. A welcome table with a t-shirt raffle, a booth selling homegrown plants for cheap, a booth with information about the chemistry behind compositing, a cook making mouthwatering smash burgers right in front of you, and the hit of them all… the pumpkin smashing station. Auden Uhl-Banks and Ezra Marks, Vice President and President of the Ecology Club, worked tirelessly advertising to both PC students and the community to donate their pumpkins so that they could be used in the composting bins, but there was a critical step before using it: splitting the large pumpkin into smaller bits. Pumpkins break down much faster if they’re already split into bits. This is why, from the welcome booth, you could see both PC students and community members taking a bat to the pumpkins that had been donated. This served as a fun way to rid a household of old, rotting pumpkins while releasing energy, creating a family-friendly environment, and celebrating taking part in eco-friendly activities. Another huge plus to this grand event? A reminder of community. Numerous volunteers, students and professors alike worked hand-in-hand to bring ecofriendliness to the front of our Clinton community – and make it fun too. Athletes, chemistry majors, teachers, and faculty families all gathered to enjoy an event that had taken months of planning.

However, the joy of the EcoHub didn’t end when the gathering did. Lucky for everyone on campus, the EcoHub is an ongoing project that has so far taken in 1,400 pounds of compost. It is the EcoHub’s mission, and therefore PC’s, to compost as much waste as possible so that the Earth may reuse it once again. The EcoHub takes in but is not limited to: Food scraps, shredded cardboard, cut up paper, and coffee grounds. Unbeknownst to most students, lots of the compostable waste comes from Springs, showing that everyday life hides ways to contribute to our planet. The EcoHub grand opening reminded us that eco-friendly activism is hiding right under our noses, and that we can always make a difference in the world, no matter what that might look like.