TwocollegesinMinnesotahavebannedthesaleofplasticwaterbottles.

No, SaintCloud
State is not one of them, yet, but it mayfollowthestepsmadebyMacalesterandSaintBenedict
College,whichbothbannedplasticwaterbottlesontheircampusesfrombeingsold.
Advocates for Animals and the Environment is SCSUs organization that was formed
in 2008 by fellowstudents. Itsmaingoalistoraiseawarenessonvarioussocialissuesregarding
the environment, sustainability and the treatment of nonhuman animals. AAE is made up ofa
group of people who cares and wants to take action for so many different issues, animal
treatment being one of them, said Ken Nomura, a secretary of AAE. Ken used to be AAEs
President back in 2009 and its Treasurer in 2010. Currently, AAE is working on water bottle
campaign and brings the harm of plastic bottles to public eye. Ken says that this campaign is
very important to SCSUs community for so many reasons such as the environment, human
rights versus corporate privatization of water sources, over consumption and more. But it is
especially important for SCSU because the school's image will change. SCSU will look
progressive and become a rolemodel, a leader for a greener campus if the selling of bottled
watercanberemoved,saidKen.
As of today, water bottle campaign is not as concentrated on removing plastic bottles
from campus, but its focused on installing more hydration stations, or socalled, refilling
stations. One of them have been put on the first floor in Atwood Center and has been very
popular among students. I wish there were more of these stations in other buildings, so Idont
need to go to Atwood all the time to refill my bottle, said Alysia, a SCSU student, while
pouringwaterfromthehydrationstationinherreusablebottle.

 The problem is that building the refilling stations costs a lot of moneyandtherearenot
enough money that can bring it to life, since AAE is not funded by any other organisation or
government. What students can do is to educated each other aboutplasticbottleharm andavoid
using them. You can help the campaignbyspreadingthewordagainstusingbottledwater.Tell
yourfriendsthatwaterbottleisbad,saidKen.