Zipping by the bright red tent, USC freshman Mark Lin abruptly stopped his electric scooter with a look of curiosity as he noticed the cardboard sign and volunteers at the Sustainability Hub’s Tune-Up Tuesday.
Volunteers sprayed WD-40 into the wheels, and Lin raced off to his next class, joining the fight against carbon emissions one mode of alternative transportation at a time.
“When we prioritize making money or prioritize what’s beneficial for us humans, those avenues of the environment often get displaced and pushed under the rug,” Lin said. “For a generation like us, it’s important to prioritize [sustainability], because Earth is the only thing we have.”
Tune-Up Tuesday, put on by USC’s Sustainability Hub, helps students repair their bikes, skateboards and scooters, just like Lin’s.
The hub, in the university’s student union, advocates for sustainable solutions for students and faculty, from replacing single-use plastics campus-wide to free Metro cards for greater use of Los Angeles’ public transportation system.
“The baseline of participating as a Trojan in this community is to be a sustainable Trojan,” said the hub’s Associate Director Ellen Dux.
As the city maintains a spot among the top 15 most-polluted cities across the globe, resources such as the Sustainability Hub try to make a difference. To promote their practices, the hub kicks off the fall semester with Green Week, from September 15 to 19, giving students a glance into the monthly events held throughout the school year in preparation for Earth Month in the spring semester.
By holding events early in the school year, Dux hopes to create eco-friendly habits in the USC community. She says behavioral research shows a new environment forces the brain to adopt new habits.
Evan Morris, the hub’s digital design and media lead, used his knowledge and experience with skateboards to help him fix students’ bikes, scooters and skateboards as a volunteer at the event.
“I think a lot of the work that the office of sustainability does, it’s very effective here and now,” Morris said. “But, I’m also thinking long term. We’re shaping public opinion, molding young minds, if you will.”
This week’s Green Week events will continue through Friday afternoon.
Many of these events will return during the third week of each month, including Tune-Up Tuesdays, E-Waste Wednesdays for electronic waste drop-offs, Sustainable Stroll Thursdays and FreeSCycle Fridays to receive one piece of fixed-up lost and found items.
To learn more about sustainability and ways to get involved in the USC community, visit the Sustainability Hub website for upcoming events and information.