“Women of Mercy think globally and act locally – Stewardship of Earth”
Mount Mercy Academy Students Roll Out Recycling Program
Buffalo, New York: January 18, 2008 — Paper has been
stacking up around Mount Mercy Academy (MMA) lately all for a great cause as
students and faculty have enthusiastically embraced a new recycling program. The
theme of the program, Women of Mercy think globally and act locally—Stewardship
of Earth, grew out of Mount Mercy Academy’s Spirit of Mercy Committee of the
Board of Trustees.
The
Spirit of Mercy Committee, composed of Board members, faculty, staff, parents,
alumnae and students, having reflected on various expressions of the charism of
Mercy through Catherine McAuley’s (the Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy) life,
the Direction Statement of the Sisters of Mercy and the contemporary needs of
our society, have forged a new way of life for the school and the surrounding
“Mercy Neighborhood”, i.e. Mercy Center, Trocaire College and Mercy Hospital,
all in South Buffalo, through new strategies for recycling.
“We have something special happening here,” said Sister Mary Ellen Twist, RSM,
Chair of the Spirit of Mercy Committee. “The program has taken the school to a
new level of shared ministry based on the charism of Catherine McAuley. Our
focus this year is stewardship of the Earth and efforts will change over the
next few years to address other concerns such as care for the poor, and justice
issues.”
Student committee members, using power point, presented the Committee’s theme
proposal to school administration, faculty, staff, Student Government and Board
of Trustees, requesting integration of the theme into the curriculum of all
courses, as well as the policies and daily practices of the school. The
students’ enthusiasm and careful research, backed by the support of the whole
committee, won the enthusiastic support of all for the project which is now
growing beyond the school itself.
MMA students Meghan Hess and Meredith Graber, representatives on the Spirit of
Mercy Committee who presented the proposal, both said that students and teachers
alike have been very receptive. “All the teachers have found a way to integrate
the recycling project into their curriculum. For example, the science teachers
have formed a recycling club,” said Meredith Graber.
Meghan Hess commented on other ways the entire school is saving paper and
participating in the project. “We have been e-mailing homework to teachers
instead of printing it. We started a private blog for students so we can respond
to readings via the computer. Our business teacher taught us how to print on
both sides of the paper…every little thing helps,” she said.
“Everybody is using our three golden rules: Reduce First, Re-use, and Recycle,”
Meghan said.
Mindful that the civic community does not provide recycling for non-resident
institutions, Paulette Gaske, MMA principal, invited representatives of Mercy
Hospital, Trocaire College and Mercy Center to convene for a conversation with a
private company for recycling which offers remuneration for recycled materials.
All the Mercy institutions are either already signed on or in the process.
Networking with other institutions in the Buffalo area and beyond is now being
considered.
The Spirit of Mercy Committee, which was formed in 2002 to integrate the Mercy
mission into the school, has also developed a four-year program entitled “Meet
Catherine McAuley” for student orientation in the Mercy Charism as well as
several other projects which link the school community with the Sisters of Mercy
and their strong legacy for service to the poor, the sick and uneducated.