Club Highlight: Planet ECU
East Carolina University’s newest Sustainability Club has made tremendous breakthroughs this semester. You may have seen them at this year’s homecoming parade or at one of their collaboration events with other organizations on campus. To learn more about Planet ECU, I sat down with Giuliana Roccisano, the President and Founder of Planet ECU.
Giuliana is a Senior student studying Geology and Ecology with a focus on environmental climate crises. She states, “I started the club to spread more information about [geology], allow more people to see how diverse it is, and educate more people passively.” This goal is perfectly encompassed through the club’s motto: “Action Starts with Knowledge.”
She points out how vital the field of geology is to environmentalism. It seeks answers to questions like how much damage is being caused, how we can reduce it, how we can fix it, and more. By incorporating geology into the club, she hopes to bridge the gap between action and knowledge. She argues that the more people are aware of these issues and why they occur, the more people will want to (and know how to) get involved.
Additionally, the President wanted to create a club that was accessible and welcoming to all students. “There was a geology club more like an honors society called SGE. You had to have a certain GPA and pay a fee, and that wasn’t accessible and all-encompassing of what I would say the Geology Department is.” Following the dissipation of SGE post covid, Giuliana felt inspired to start Planet ECU: a social club open to everybody.
“Let’s start a social club that’s for everyone. Not just Geology Majors, people with a good enough GPA or who can afford to pay for a club like that. Geology is everywhere around us and for everybody”, she states.
“In general, for whatever reason, sustainability, seems closed off,” Giuliana adds. “A lot of people don’t feel welcome to come into the sustainability world because there are those few people that are extreme: If you aren’t doing everything waste-free, don’t bother. I think that stereotype makes people not want to consider looking into sustainability”.
To counteract this, Planet ECU has focused on pushing for openness and inclusivity. The club has partnered with other organizations on campus, such as the French Club, and recently participated in homecoming, which the President states felt so out of their wheelhouse.
“It helps us reach out to other people who otherwise would never think about joining a sustainability club on campus. Doing this helps break down the stereotype that sustainability is pretentious and non-inclusive,” she states.
Lastly, Giuliana adds, “The biggest thing I want people to see the name of my club and associate that with somewhere they are welcome to come to regardless of their education level of science, representation outside of school or identity.”