Yesterday morning, I received the shocking news that SUNY Stony Brook officials had decided to shut down residence halls and sustainability programs on the Southampton campus. My first instinct was to organize plan to stop this from happening.

Students Organize a Rally to Protest the Campus Closure
I only found out later that (by 7:00 a.m.) hundreds of students were already teaming up to rally against this abrupt decision to destroy a valuable community resource. I was invited to attend the rally they organized, as well as a meeting with the Southampton Campus Dean Mary Pearl, and Stony Brook President Samuel Stanley that afternoon.

Angry Students Let Officials Know Their Decision is Unacceptable
Stony Brook officials were greeted by angry students who felt betrayed by the promise of a bright future as “trailblazers,” who would change the World through their sustainability studies at the young campus. I find it much too ironic that students who are being trained to solve the World’s problems were never given the chance to try and solve this one. I know they would agree.

Show Your Support of the Southampton Campus and Students
Stony Brook Southampton students need our help to save the campus from yet another large institution that does not recognize its value to both the local community and the World. Students studying sustainability will no doubt eventually be charged with planning the future of our communities and creating solutions for the energy crisis we all know is coming. Click here to take action.

Kate Schertel, Director of Community Outreach

Yesterday, Stony Brook University’s new President Samuel Stanley stunned several hundred confused and saddened students by announcing his plan to essentially shut down the State University’s brand new environmental campus in Southampton. In the face of pending state budget cuts, Stony Brook’s new leadership claims it cannot sustain the campus that, ironically, hosted the university’s Sustainability Studies programs. Click here for a video of the rally.

Campus Dedicated to Sustainability Never Given a Chance
Just a few years ago, the East End community rallied behind Stony Brook University to save Southampton College from closure. Under its prior President Shirley Strum Kenny, Stony Brook agreed to take the campus over and invested $35 million in renovations and began a courageous effort to create a campus curriculum with heavy focus on conservation and sustainability. Students feel they were never given a chance to build the campus to its full potential. Click here for the Southampton Press coverage.

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