By Jane Ma\nCavalier Daily Associate Editor\nStudent Council's Environmental Sustainability Committee announced a partnership Monday with GrandMarc apartment complex to provide one student with a year of free rent as compensation for working as the area conservation advocate.\n"We've decided that in order to up our sustainability efforts and increase our recycling program ... we wanted to invite someone to live in our community next year that would be our conservation advocate," GrandMarc Community Manager Frances Thompson said. "Their job would be to promote sustainable living at GrandMarc, educate our residents about current programs and help us as a team figure out new ways that GrandMarc can be more sustainable and environmentally friendly."\nCommittee Co-Chair Michelle Henry added that the role also will include efforts to educate residents about water and energy efficiency and enable the GrandMarc to encourage involvement among resident in a grassroots effort rather than a "top-down approach."\nMeanwhile, Off-Grounds Housing Manager Vicki Hawes said the idea first originated during the 2008-09 school year with Council's Building and Grounds Committee with then-Committee Chair Nikhil Panda.\n"The conversation started first around recycling on the Corner in general," Hawes said. "Then we got Michelle involved and we started talking about how we can improve recycling ... specifically at the GrandMarc."\nHenry noted that the program will begin at the GrandMarc because the complex was particularly receptive to implementing sustainable measures in its facilities, such as purchasing dumpsters and paying for and coordinating additional recycling pick-up dates throughout the week, composting and other initiatives.\n"Of all the landlords in Charlottesville, GrandMarc has been the one that's approached the Environmental Sustainability Committee looking for solutions to different elements of sustainability," Henry said.\nAdditionally, Hawes said though the Committee will have input in the application process, it ultimately will be up to Thompson to make the final selection.\n"The applicants have to have some type of involvement in a current program on campus or some kind of experience with sustainability," Thompson said. "Anyone can apply of course, but it's really going to be people who have experience and can bring a lot of new ideas and innovations to our site."\nBoth Henry and Hawes hope other area landlords will follow suit.\n"The reason our Committee got in contact with the landlords in the first place was because students ... didn't really know how to get in contact with their landlords to get recycling within their complexes," Henry said. "We really hope from this experience that some of the other landlords will take the initiative to start similar programs once they see that it's actually working in the GrandMarc."\nHawes noted, however, that it is up to the student residents to take advantage of the sustainable opportunities.\n"I'm very optimistic that this is going to be a very good program," Hawes said. "We hope this will expand to other facilities and other living complexes on the Corner because it's one thing for landlords with the where withal to do it, but it's another thing to get the students in the building to make good use of the facility.\nApplications are due March 17, said Nikhil Panda, current Council vice president of administration. The application is available on the Student Council Web site and is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.
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