At Loyola, our athletes are integral participants in the important issues being addressed as a community. Athletic programs, competitions and events have an important role to play regarding our environmental impact and how we engage and communicate with the community.
Here are just a few of the activities Loyola Athletics have spearheaded in order to be more sustainable:
- No-Impact Game – The United Student Government Alliance and Student Environmental Alliance partnered with the Men’s Basketball Team to host a ‘Zero-Waste Game’. All waste from this game was either recycled or composted assisted by student volunteers and staff.
- Energy and Greenhouse Gas Impacts – Student-led projects have analyzed the environmental impacts from energy use and travel associated with athletic programs. The ‘footprint’ of athletics is relatively small compared to other programs but is actively growing with the future expansion plans of our teams and opportunities to play more sustainably are being considered by the Athletics Department. Read more in our 2012 Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
- Norville Athletics Center – Norville is the home to Loyola Athletics and is a LEED Silver Certified green building (77,000 sq.ft). It has a number of innovative features including greenroofs, locker rooms, weight training facilities, coach's offices, tutoring spaces and study lounge, physical therapy and rehabilitation facilities, and medal room for the varsity athletic programs at Loyola's Lake Shore Campus. A project with environmental science students identified this building as a risk to migratory birds and operations are modified each migration season to reduce hazards to the tens of thousands of birds that fly past the Loyola campus each spring and fall. Read more about SOAR.
- Athletes in Service – Loyola’s athletes are leaders on the field, in the classroom and also in the community. Volunteer service opportunities help our neighboring communities through service projects and work days.