Is Kent State "environment friendly?"

The Princeton Review recently named Kent State University as one of the most environmentally friendly "green" colleges. What the Princeton Review and Melanie Knowles, Kent State sustainability manager, are apparently unaware of, is that Kent State, after a year of allowing dust and dirt to blow across a city street affecting the health and welfare of twenty-five student residents of my roominghouse, was this past May cited by the Akron Regional Air Quality Management District for violating the Ohio Administrative Code with regard to "fugitive dust."

Immediately after the citation stating that the University was responsible for the actions of its contractor and subcontractors regarding this issue, the contractor began a program of dust control using water a means to keep it in hand. Why did it take a year and a citation for a big-name building contractor to discover air quality laws? How can it be that the University was unaware of them when it is mentioned in the contract between the contractor and the University? Rather strange, wouldn't you say? Who benefitted by thumbing the nose at the law? How did they benefit?

So here it is, six months later, a year-and-a-half after the dust began to fly, and the University will not acknowledge responsibility. The University's School of Public Health taught courses on air quality at the same time the administration knowingly and illegally allowed the befouling of the air. If this isn't hypocrisy in action, I don't know what is.

The University person in charge of the construction and a community relations guy want to talk to me about "building a relationship" and "rebuilding bridges." Well, I am eighty years old and I already have a lifelong excellent relationship with Kent State. A lot of my friends work or are retired from there. I don't need schmoozed by a PR guy. PR guys will hold dog feces in front of your nose and insist that it is Chanel No. 5. Furthermore, I spoke with both of them within the last month and if you want to hear someone evade or deny the issue, go talk to them. How quickly some people forget. But as the old saying goes, everybody in prison is innocent.

They saved a lot of money by ignoring the law of the land. Amazing what some people will do to save thirty pieces of silver. They knew! They have sold their souls.

This is a civil as I can be given the enormity of what they have done, and to their own students. You disagree? What if one of them had been your child or grandchild having to breathe god knows what contaminants from the construction site, having to put up with clogged window screens, being unable to enjoy the front porch, and having to clean a layer of dust off the car every day? EVERY DAY! Think about it.

Am I angry? Not really. I am saddened that Kent State, once an institution with the highest ethical standards, standards of integrity, has evolved into something that sees the need to have a vice-president in charge of improving the reputation of the University. They hired one. Really. What more need be said.

I am asking that responsible citizens with an interest in the environment and justice for the "Innocent 25" affected students speak up and join me in my search for integrity in the community. I must warn you that the mayor and city council are a tough nut to crack. It's like talking to stones. Maybe you'll have better luck with them. They are complicit because they know and are covering up tor the University illegal behavior.

Thank you.

Christopher M. Myers,

BA, MA, Kent State University