Spring 2010 graduates to wear 'green' gowns

SRU will be the first university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education to have its graduating seniors wear gowns made out of plastic bottles during the Spring 2010 commencement.According to Oak Hill Cap and Gown, the company that makes the GreenWeaver fabric, for every gown made, about 23 plastic bottles are saved from going to a landfill.

If 100,000 people wore the GreenWeaver robes, the company stated that 2.3 million plastic bottles would be saved.

Aside from the zippers and the hoods, the gowns are made out of 100 percent GreenWeaver fabric. The caps are also made out of recycled material, aside from the tack that holds the tassel in place.

The company is trying to find an alternative so the hood can be made out of recycled material, too.

Joe Flynn, manager of the Student Government Association Bookstore, said that Oak Hill Cap and Gown suggested the gowns during a regularly scheduled sales visit.

"Our representative was aware that we were moving into a new building that was LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certified, and that the bookstore and entire university had a sincere interest in going green," he said.

Flynn said that at the same time, Rita Abent, SRU's director of public relations, received information concerning the caps and gowns and thought it would fit well with the university's desire to move toward a green campus.

He said that the gowns are a step toward improving the environment.

"College students and campuses are at the forefront of environmental conscience and green habits," Flynn said.

"And SRU is trying to be a leader in this movement. By selling environmentally friendly regalia, we feel it is the right thing to do and is making a small difference in improving the environment."

There is a price difference between the polyester and GreenWeaver gowns.

"The old gowns cost $26, and the new ones will probably cost $29," Flynn said.

According to Flynn, the gowns made of the GreenWeaver fabric will be identical to the polyester gowns.

The university over the past couple of years has made a commitment to going green and being more environmentally friendly in any way possible.

Some members of the Spring 2010 graduating class said that they'd be happy to wear the gowns.

Danielle Scott, a 21-year-old professional writing major, said she supports the idea because the gowns will only be worn on graduation day.

"The recycled gowns are a really great idea," she said. "For something that we only wear once, it makes a lot of sense to be as green as possible when it comes to our graduation gowns."

Angela Rimmel, a 22-year-old dance major, said she's willing to wear the gown as long as it doesn't look too different from the traditional graduation gowns.

"I just wouldn't want to wear something that looks ridiculous and unprofessional," she said. "After four years of hard work, I want to wear that graduation gown with pride.