The Dixie State University Sustainability Committee took to the streets of St. George by bike in efforts to spread awareness about sustainability.
Committee officials and DSU Sustainability Club members led a group of over 20 individuals on a leisure bike ride through some of St. George’s most scenic communities, Nov.1.
Tracey O’Kelly, Advisor and committee chair for the Sustainability Club, was also in attendance, riding her own bike and greeting people who attended the event.
“[The purpose of this event was] to just get people to be aware of bike riding [as a way of conserving energy] and how to stay safe while riding,” O’Kelly said.
The bike ride began on East 100 S., making its way up toward South Main Street Riders were able to practice how to properly look for cars and making the correct hand signals.
The leisure ride ended at newly established Bicycle Collective, a non-profit community bike shop.
“The Bicycle Collective has been around for two years now [volunteer only]…I was hired a month ago to help find [connections] to Dixie State,” said Bicycle Collective Director Judith Rognli.
This local non-profit bike shop has a mission statement very similar to DSU’s Sustainability Club goals.
It states, “the mission of the Bicycle Collective is to promote cycling as an effective and sustainable form of transportation…and as a cornerstone of a cleaner, healthier, and safer society.”
Sophie George,committee member and assistant professor is an experienced bicyclist who conversed with Rognli in helping Bicycle Collective prominence on campus.
O’Kelly said this leisure bike ride is something the Sustainability Committee newly created, but because of the amount of attendees, they intend to continue the event. The plan is hold at least one leisure bike ride per semester.
Veronica Gonzales, a freshman sociology major from St. George, first heard about this event through the flyer advertisement around campus and then again through a university email.
Although Gonzales was more interested in the social aspect of the leisure bike ride, she said she should learn more about sustainability.
“I don’t have time in my schedule this semester [to join the Sustainability Club], but I would be interested in joining nest semester, “ said Gonzales. “I was nervous before we began…[but] I enjoyed it.”
The Sustainability Club is always accepting new members who are interested in learning about energy conservation and sharing that information with their communities.
