Practice What You Preach

LettersIain Jessop — Published February 7, 2012

As a longtime resident of Mackay St., and as an elementary school teacher who tries his best to teach the younger generation about the values of recycling and taking pride in one’s community, I found your recent issue on sustainability [Special Issue, Vol. 32, Iss. 19] quite laughable.

How can you preach the virtues of protecting our planet when some Concordia students treat this neighbourhood as a dumping ground?  

The streets surrounding Concordia are constantly littered with trash that I can only presume primarily come from the thousands of students who visit campus every school day. I’ve even seen student organizations which purport to be left-leaning and liberal visually pollute the campus’s lampposts and private properties with posters advertising their events.

I do recognize that there are some hints of change afoot. I appreciate the efforts of student organizations to promote the “Greening of Mackay,” by planting herbs in planters each spring, and trying to lobby the city to make Mackay St. more pedestrian-friendly.

Every little bit helps.

Perhaps your sustainability issue will get students talking about how to take pride in their university community, whether they live in the neighbourhood or not. I can only hope.

—Iain Jessop