Nearly 20 bikers strong, the group faced challenges of gravel roads, shrunken bike lanes and impatient drivers. The biking trek covered more than seven miles of campus, beginning at Brody Neighborhood and concluding at the T.B. Simon Power Plant .
Environmental studies and agriscience junior Sean Martin said he organized the tour to show the university’s production and consumption of energy on campus, as well as to give students the opportunity to examine their own energy practices.
“This is part of the campus — this is your dairy farm, this is your power plant, come in and learn about them,” Martin said.
The tour included Brody Complex Neighborhood , the MSU Bikes Service Center, a geothermal field near the MSU Clinical Center, the Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center, the MSU Anaerobic Digestion and Research and Education Center, the MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center and the T. B. Simon Power Plant.
At each of the seven locations, bikers dismounted for brief informational sessions on the functions of each site and how the operations meet university energy needs in a sustainable way.
Apparel and textiles junior Kelsey Craig said touring the sites made her realize she can have an impact on the university’s overall energy consumption through everyday actions.
“It changed my view,” Craig said. “It put a perspective on what a large scale operation it is and how I use energy personally. I just want to be more conscious of turning lights off and taking shorter showers.”
Along with learning about the energy sites, bikers also had an opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of spring and to witness parts of campus they hadn’t prior.
Craig mainly bikes around the dorms and classroom portion of campus. She said visiting the cows at the Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center was her favorite location because one of the cows licked her as she attempted to pet it.
Zoology sophomore Jamie McGowan said biking around MSU is an effective way of orienting oneself on such a large campus.
“It’d be great if there was more of these every fall and spring,” McGowan said. “It’s a chance to explore MSU and it would be great for freshman.”
