Category: Campus Viewpoint

Elgin Hours

As the eastern side of Austin Community College’s zoning district explodes in population, some students state that ACC’s Elgin campus hours do not adequately service student needs.

By Tiara Allen

Photos By Jaime Bajanero

This article was featured in the Fall 2023 issue of ACCENT Magazine

ACC’s Elgin campus is the district’s easternmost campus and services students in Elgin ISD, Bastrop County and eastern Travis County. It is also the home base for ACC’s Veterinary Technician and Sustainable Agriculture Entrepreneurship programs, and has 17 acres of student-run farmland. However, the campus, alongside services such as the library, the counseling center, and the Learning Lab, is only open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday, and has no weekend hours. 

In contrast, most other ACC campuses open at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, with more limited hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. San Gabriel Campus is the only other exception; it closes at 8 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, which still offers a three hour increase for students – one that some students believe would make a significant difference.  

Elisha MacGregor, an ACC student and Elgin resident, is displeased with the limited campus hours and course selections at the Elgin campus, and states that it does not adequately address the growth of the Elgin population, as well as the increased immigrant population in the area.

As a student, she has had firsthand experience with the campus’ limited hours. She has noticed that students will come to campus as early as 7:00 am and sleep outside while they wait for the campus to open, and she and her peers have experienced what she describes as a “rush” to leave the building before it closes at 5:00 pm each evening, which she strongly dislikes. 

“I pay taxes [in Elgin]. I also pay my tuition out of my pocket, because I don’t use any scholarships, nothing. So I’m basically an investor, and I’m being kicked out at 5:00 pm,” MacGregor said.

Elisha MacGregor, an ACC student displeased with the library’s early
closing time, tours the Elgin Campus. Photos taken by Jaime Bajanero on
Nov. 8, 2023

If a student is interested in using campus services such as the library or the Learning Lab after the campus closes, they will need to travel to the nearest campus, Highland Campus. The Highland Campus is close to 20 miles away, and travel time can often be extended by traffic. However, MacGregor states that this drive may not be accessible at all to some students.

“A lot of those high school kids, they don’t have a car to come to the city,” MacGregor said. ACC Elgin is home to Elgin’s Early College High School, where Elgin ISD students can earn an associate’s degree alongside their high school diploma.

Places for students to study within greater Elgin are also limited. Elgin has a public library, which closes at 6:00 p.m or 7:00 p.m on weeknights and at 2:00 p.m on Saturdays. Additionally, the public library does not open on Sundays or Mondays. There are also a few coffee shops in the area; however, dissidents believe that the early closure of the Elgin campus has much more far-reaching consequences than a lack of study space.

“It’s not just ‘we’re closing at five,’ but [there are] consequences that [are brought] not just to the students, but to the community,” MacGregor said. 

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Elgin is one of the fastest growing communities in Texas. According to the Austin Chamber of Commerce, Elgin has experienced a population growth rate of 72 percent from 2000 to 2020 – for scale, Texas’s growth rate was cited to be 40 percent. Elgin has achieved such large growth in part due to its location – Elgin’s economic development website boasts that it is 20 miles from downtown Austin and 10 miles from State Highway 130. The ACC Elgin campus is also close to Highway 290. 

This proximity to several highways and a major metropolitan area, paired with its rural location and charm, has made Elgin a popular site for relocation for those moving to the Austin area. It is also a community of many different ethnicities, races, and cultures. According to the 2020 US Census, Elgin’s population was 48.56 percent Hispanic or Latino origin; 31.69 percent of Elgin’s non-Hispanic White, making Elgin a majority minority community. The increased growth and change in demographics has led to a new set of needs that ACC Elgin’s limited hours leave it unable to meet.

MacGregor states that ACC’s free English as a Second Language classes used to be offered at the Elgin campus, but with the shorter opening hours, they are no longer offered there. The program does offer distance learning classes that can be taken online, but MacGregor believes that the lack of in-person classes in Elgin leaves a deficit in the community.

“How many immigrants are coming to Texas every day?” MacGregor asks. “Elgin is growing rapidly right now. Even in front of my ranch, there [are] five hundred houses that are going to be built….we are not adapting to the rapid [growth] of the city, and, unfortunately, we’re going to be left behind because we’re not adapting.”

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MacGregor is also an active member of the Student Government Association, which has been researching the impacts of Elgin’s open hours on the student body. A survey distributed by Student Government Association (SGA) in collaboration with ACCENT Media to Elgin campus students also shed some light on how students’ habits have adapted to the closing times. Out of 66 respondents, 60.6 percent stated that they would like for campus to open later, with 8:00 pm as the most popular suggested time 37.1 percent. 

Respondents had the opportunity to share where they go to study in lieu of campus. Many students stated that they returned to their home. Some mentioned that they went to other campuses, such as Round Rock or South Austin, and others mentioned visiting nearby public libraries, including Bastrop Public Library. A few mentioned visiting a local McDonald’s or coffee shop, and one student said that they studied “on the street somewhere that’s safe enough.”

The survey allowed space for students to share what they believed to be the benefits of keeping campus open later than 5:00 pm. Many students stated that they would appreciate a safe space to study after hours; however, other students suggested that campus could provide access to Wi-Fi and printers to those who did not have access to them, as well as take more classes and provide more schedule flexibility, especially for dual credit students or students who worked 9:00 to 5:00 jobs. One student even mentioned that later hours would allow for a “safe space to be a student.”

Outside of study space, many students were interested in expanded access to ACC campus services. 90.8 percent of respondents stated that they would like to have after-hours access to the library; 63.1 percent wanted more time with the Learning Lab, and 38.5 percent craved more cafeteria or dining options. 

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MacGregor believes that extending the hours and increasing class options for Elgin students is not only the right thing to do, but will also financially benefit ACC and the City of Elgin as it pushes to expand financially. 

“Having access in the community [to classes] will help to…integrate [into] the community, but also get better salaries…that will help them,” says MacGregor. “[They] will be paying more taxes and will be contributing more to ACC.” 

This increased investment, MacGregor posits, also has the potential to make ACC Elgin a more attractive option for potential students. As college costs have risen across the country, affordable, accessible education for people of all walks of life becomes a priority to many families. MacGregor says that expanded hours and more class options will allow for Elgin-area students to consider attending Austin Community College.

“It is a win. It will be more appealing to people there because then they won’t have to come to Highland,” MacGregor said. 

While MacGregor has been displeased with the direction Elgin’s campus has taken, she has faith that a potential change will be supported by the community at large. 

* Since written, the Administration responded to the Elgin Community’s request, and the campus hours were extended. Offering English as a Second Language classes is still an ongoing discussion.

ACC Students and COVID-19

Story by Duncan McIntyre

Edited by Pete Ramirez

We are all still living through one of the most significant periods in human history. Each person you encounter has likely experienced an unexpected change in their own story because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The virus has affected each of us in a unique and perhaps fundamental way.

COVID-19 precautions have forced students and educators to adapt to a novel form of learning dominated by virtual meetings, webcams and Wi-Fi. Students who were already facing the challenges of higher education have had their decisions strained even more by COVID-19 and it’s ripple effects. 

Whether it be financially, mentally, emotionally or even spiritually, the past couple of years have significantly affected us all and as a society we will be recovering from this for years to come.

A decade ago, Michelle McKown was a student at Austin Community College. Ten years later during the fall semester of 2019, McKown returned to complete her undergraduate psychology degree. 

A few months later in March of 2020, ACC shut its doors to in-person learning for the first time and began the transition to online education.

“I started the semester before the world turned upside down,” McKown said.

We can all remember the beginning of quarantine where life became simpler and vastly more complicated all at once. 

For some students, this time away from the hustle and bustle of the world allowed a moment to pause and reflect.

Andres Rodriguez, a high school student taking dual-credit courses at ACC, says he’s not the same person he was when the pandemic began. For some people, Rodriguez said, “it gave them an opportunity to reassess themselves, and figure out where they needed to go and what they needed to do.”

McKown also saw this as an opportunity to do some reassessing of her own. 

“The pandemic forced a restart on me, so I wanted to take advantage of that and not waste this opportunity,” McKown said.

McKown’s restart included decisions on what and who to keep in her life, and what to change. These decisions affected her spirituality and sense of self. 

“What all those choices boil down to is the fact that we, as human beings, are not good at letting go of things that are no longer what they once were,” McKown said.

The new COVID-19 world is a place of contrasts. In some ways it seems some good came out of this period of self-reflection. However, it is undeniable that many experienced great difficulties and losses as well.

Leslie Tejeda, a general studies student at ACC, said she experienced difficulties grasping the material in some classes due to the nature of online learning. Tejeda also said that she experienced, “a lot of isolation, I didn’t even go outside.”

Rodriguez says he is fortunate that he did not personally lose any family members because of the virus. 

“I know a lot of people that lost family – aunts, uncles, grandparents,” Rodriguez said.

From elementary school to graduate university, students have also been learning to adapt to a changing educational environment. This has been easier for some compared to others.

Rodriguez is someone who found classes harder because of the switch to online learning. 

“I took a couple classes online, it was alright, but some of them were more difficult because of their workload,” Rodriguez said. “The cameras in my opinion, aren’t as effective as in-person learning.”

Tejeda was in the same boat and said that not being able to go to class in-person made grasping the concepts taught in class difficult.

On the other hand, there are students, myself included, that think online learning was easier. McKown said that during the pandemic she discovered that she actually preferred taking classes online.

“I love the freedom that online asynchronous learning affords me,” McKown said. “Now I get to work on things in a way that works with my schedule, and I have to say that I really love it, which was a huge surprise for me.”

The past few years have been tough and the end of the pandemic has yet to be seen. We can’t forget that we are in this together. 

McKown offered words of encouragement for those who may still be struggling.

“You are not struggling right now because you aren’t enough, things aren’t hard right now because you’re somehow not strong enough to handle it,” McKown said. “If things feel hard right now, it’s because they’re hard… We have to be kinder to ourselves.”
ACC offers mental health resources to any students who need them. Students can find them at https://www.austincc.edu/students/mental-health-counseling. If you need more immediate help, you can call 512-472-HELP (4357)

How Students Stay Active

Knowing that COVID-19 restrictions would push people towards the couch, Partin found a way to continue to inspire ACC students to work on their fitness.

By: Pete Ramirez

One of the most significant ways the pandemic has affected Austin Community College is by the cancellation of in-person intramural sports. Losing these extracurricular events placed a hold on what is normally a fun way for students to stay active and socialize with their classmates.

No one has felt this loss greater than Tracy Partin, intramurals coordinator and health & kinesiology professor at ACC.

“It’s been kind of tough, the last year, not being able to see my students or get out on the court with them,” Partin said.

Knowing that COVID-19 restrictions would push people towards the couch, Partin found a way to continue to inspire ACC students to work on their fitness. Last March, Partin began sending an email with workouts and health tips to his subscribers every Tuesday and Thursday during the semester.

Partin’s email fitness program hasn’t missed a semester since it began a year ago.

“Tracy’s emails have been great,” said Brienz Edwards, a student at ACC studying peace and conflict within the interdisciplinary studies program. “I used to think that a gym was a pretty necessary part of working out and it has been quite the revelation for me that that’s not what I really need.”

Edwards mentioned underestimating a workout Tracy sent earlier this semester that only called for using a kitchen chair for the movements. 

“I was like, ‘oh I can do a chair workout, that’s no problem’ and I was immediately sweating,” Edwards said. “It sounds ridiculous that you can sit in a chair for ten minutes and sweat but I promise you.”

Partin’s fitness emails not only include workouts for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels but they also touch on mental health and wellness advice.

“I send them suggested YouTube workout videos,” Partin said. “And on Thursdays I touch upon mental health a little bit. Stress relief. Things that you can do mentally to help your mindset.”

For Jeshika Lamsal, a prospective ACC student and subscriber to Tracy’s fitness emails, staying active means being conscious about what you are doing.

“My favorite way to stay active is first meditation and second is working out,” Lamsal said. “I think everyone should try to meditate.”

Lamsal encouraged ACC students to adopt a meditation practice a few times a week at first and then slowly increase the frequency as time progresses. 

Lamsal also compared starting a meditation practice to going to kindergarten and learning the alphabet. When you first begin, you may not know anything about the subject but as you continue to practice, you learn and grow to have a better grasp of the practice.

Regardless of the route Partin’s students take to stay active, his ultimate goal is to get his subscribers to reconnect with their bodies and improve their mental and physical health.

“It gets those endorphins going and it does make you feel better so anything you can do – whether it’s taking a walk, whether it’s doing some exercises at the house – it helps”, Partin said.

Edwards said her favorite way to stay active is by taking walks at her own pace through her neighborhood.

“It’s a really good way for me to get back into my body and be able to think clearly”, said Edwards. “It helps me organize my thoughts for whatever I need to do next and reconnect with myself but also with the world outside.”

With his fitness emails, Partin wants ACC students to realize that there are simple yet effective things they can do to be active while staying within and nearby your home. 

“Most importantly, try to keep a consistent time when you are going to workout”, Partin said. “There’s going to be those days where you are tired and want to blow it off, but you’ve got to push through.”

Partin said he will begin to send out his summer semester fitness emails on June 8 and students will be able to sign up via Student Life.

“I would just like for the students to know they can contact me at any time,” Partin said. “I want them to know that there is somebody out there, that we do care about them.”

Signing Up with a Study Group

The Study Session I attended has introduced me to an additional resource on my academic journey, one that I will be heavily utilizing in the future. I recommend that any student struggling with a class or requiring a place to review take advantage of all the Learning Lab has to offer.

By: Jaxon Williams

In this time of remote learning, Austin Community College resources have found ways to support students in challenges that come with virtual classrooms. Shortly before the pandemic, the Learning Lab began offering study group sessions where students could easily register for a wide array of online tutoring sessions with their ACC Gmail accounts, held through services like Zoom and Google Meet. As more and more students transitioned to remote learning the attendance numbers for all Learning Lab online sessions shot up. So much so that the Learning Lab made the effort to hire full time online instructors to help meet the new demand. Wondering myself exactly what benefits students were receiving from participating in these sessions, I decided to register for one myself.  

After attending my first online session, it was clear to me that the Learning Lab at ACC is one of the most valuable resources available to students. A resource that I myself have not been taking advantage of. My experience with the Learning Lab and with their online methods of instruction was nothing short of insightful as well as convenient. From the process of registering to the actual delivery of the instruction, the Learning Lab has definitely managed to make something that could be difficult to navigate and plan out so streamlined and quick. All students need to do is visit ACC’s website and register for a session under the ‘Tutoring’ tab. There, students will find a calendar with a list of future sessions in a variety of different subjects. It only takes registering with an ACC ID and email to reserve a space for you in the session held through Google Meet. The session that I attended was centered around Redox Reactions in Chemistry. I myself am not majoring in science, but surprisingly I was still able to keep up and participate in the session. The instructor took the time to answer any questions I had while also making sure that what was being reviewed was being fully understood. No stone was left unturned. No question unanswered. The experience as a whole was surprising and incredibly insightful. It made me wonder how I had gone for so long without taking advantage of such a useful service. 

After having such a positive experience, I decided to reach out to José Resendez, a tutor at the Learning Lab, to discuss what benefits students saw after participating in online study groups. Resendez shared that students who participated in these study groups on a regular basis saw an improvement in their class performance. Not only that, Resendez also reported that the majority of students who attended the Learning Lab sessions were successful in both graduating and transferring to other institutions. He credits these figures to the fact that by attending sessions on a regular basis. Resendez said that “Students begin building the good study habits that are the foundation for success.”. 

The study session I attended has introduced me to an additional resource on my academic journey, one that I will be heavily utilizing in the future. I recommend that any student struggling with a class or requiring a place to review take advantage of all the Learning Lab has to offer.  Getting started with these good study habits is as easy as going to ACC’s website. There, you will find the option to sign up for online study sessions under the Tutoring tab of the Student Support section of the website. All available upcoming sessions will be shown in the list of Learning Lab Virtual Events. 

ACC Students Take on Virtual Events

Three students of Austin Community College share their perspectives on how virtual events have impacted their life, and what they believe could be done better; a guide for officials to consider, and implement into the academic format we now consider our new normal.

By: Renata Salazar

Austin Community College has continued virtual learning during the global pandemic for over an academic year, as of now. As we approach another semester of online education, it is easy to become overwhelmed during the school year when navigating online classes and might often feel discouraged from the lack of every day interaction  with classmates and staff. ACC provides more than education, as students continue to develop relationships and interact with each other through student organizations and events. From Arts and Crafts with April Seabourn, to online advising, ACC continues to provide several virtual events and resources that allow students to unwind between classwork, and tips to stay on track with  online courses. 

ACCENT spoke with student Katheryn Pharr, an active member in the Student Life community, Vice President of ACCess Autism Iva Millsap, and Todd Snow, a student pursuing studies to qualify for a bachelor’s in software development at ACC to learn how student organization can be another resource for peer support. Three students with varying perspectives share their take on the perks and disadvantages of ACC’s online presence and what the school and student organizations can do to improve them.

Pharr feels that in-person events are more casual and provide a sense of community that virtual events lack. 

“Student life is doing a great job making sure we can still connect with each other even though we’re all isolated and spread out” Pharr says. 

Pharr attended Arts and Crafts with April Seabourn, a recurring event within Student Life. One thing Pharr appreciates from virtual events is the ability to go back and review the event with recordings. Pharr is open to the potential virtual events possess with the fact that abilities such as recordings and screen grabs, allow students to utilize the information from events at any given time.  Regarding school resources, Pharr primarily takes advantage of online advising and the ASL IT Lab online. 

“I appreciate that even though we are not able to be in-person on our respective campuses, that these services are still available. Although helpful, there is something lost by not physically occupying the same space,” Pharr says. 

She added that it is easy to become distracted during online advising, whereas “in-person the advisor can probably tell when the student loses focus.”

The increase of virtual events in student life has made some student organizations get creative and implement new perspectives into their events.  Vice president of student organization ACCess Autism, Iva Millsap believes the new virtual platform has driven them to find new ways to make events more interactive by implementing new concepts. 

“We had an event where our members would create artwork on how their autism affected them in sensory ways.,” Millsap says.

Though Millsap feels she has been equally involved during the pandemic similarly to in-person events. She still prefers attending events in person due to the sense of community that in-person events can bring to some students. 

Virtual events may seem more complicated than a casual in-person event, but ACC’s online platform has encouraged some students to give Student Life a try. Snow shared that his involvement with Student Life became more frequent once Student Life events began going virtual. What kept Snow from getting involved with in-person events prior were factors such as commutes and personal obligations, which can be the case for many other students.  

“Virtual events have been great for me. These events have allowed me to explore aspects of SL and ACC that wouldn’t normally pique my interest or just would not have been a priority,” Snow says. 

Proving virtual events do present advantages towards students thanks to their accessibility. Snow aforementioned the knowledge they have provided him and how much more understanding he is of what ACC offers to students. Adding he believes the benefits are definitely there when contrasting to in-person events, hoping that “any events in the future conducted in-person maintain a virtual component.

Virtual events and resources prove to have both pros and cons. Though students seem to prefer in-person events as they present a sense of community that can’t be rendered through a screen,  they have managed to adapt and make amends with the pandemic and restrictions we abide by during this era. 

Some students are even benefiting from this  virtual environment and are becoming more  involved with Student Life at ACC for the first time, just like Snow.  

“I have a much broader understanding of campus operations and the ACC mission.  Virtual events have shown me great opportunities for apprenticeships, internships, and have fundamentally altered how I look at my career and academic choices.”

I Tried Pomodoro Studying

By: Pete Ramirez

I’ll admit it, managing my time has never been easy for me. At times, I have felt as if my to-do list is a never-ending tower that enjoys piling onto my anxiety. Luckily, I received an assignment that has given me an effective tool to combat that pesky to-do list. I have a feeling it can help you too.

My task was to learn about the pomodoro technique. Then, adopt pomodoro into my studying methods for a couple of weeks. Finally, create a vlog along with a companion opinion piece. I had never heard of this technique but after speaking to Jordan Easley, an Austin Community College academic coach, I was ready to go. If you haven’t watched the vlog yet, here is a quick explainer:

  • The pomodoro technique is a time management strategy that uses intervals of time to focus the mind on one task at a time.
  • Begin by choosing a task to complete, limiting distractions, and setting a timer for 25 minutes.
  • After working for the allotted time, take a five-minute break.
  • After four rounds of this, take a longer break.

I had a few issues at first, but it did not take long for me to get used to using this technique. During the first few rounds, I would get frustrated when my timer would ring because I did not want to be pulled away from my work. But I soon learned to enjoy those precious five minutes. Those breaks are great moments for you to assess how your work is going.  During one of those breaks, I realized that putting my phone on silent was not enough for me to overcome the hypnosis of my little black mirror. I learned that airplane mode is a much better solution.

Another realization I had is that I needed a notebook and a pen nearby so I can write down random ideas I have while working that threaten to pull me away from my task. From time to time, my dogs would also interrupt my studies but I was always happy to take a pet break for a minute or two before jumping back into work.

Easley mentioned that you can make this technique as flexible as you like so I also tried various work-time to break-time ratios. Most things fit nicely into twenty-five-minute increments but with some tasks, like writing, I get into a flow and refuse to stop working when the timer rings. The pomodoro technique helped me prioritize and hone in on one task at a time instead of doing twenty tasks all at once.

Give it a try. Play around with the work-to-break ratios and find what works for you. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you break the rules (I broke plenty.) Sometimes the hardest part is getting started and this technique will help you take the first step.

Another realization I had is that I needed a notebook and a pen nearby so I can write down random ideas I have while working that threaten to pull me away from my task. From time to time, my dogs would also interrupt my studies but I was always happy to take a pet break for a minute or two before jumping back into work.

How to Be Sustainable Through the Holiday Season

This is a large amount of trash that is being produced during a small period of time and that can be easily avoided if more sustainable choices are made.

By: Angela Murillo-Martinez

close up of Christmas tree with ornaments and lights

The holiday season is finally here! It’s time to bring out the gingerbread cookies, play Mariah Carey on repeat, and watch Home Alone every day until Christmas. Although the holidays are going to be a little different this year it won’t ruin the holiday spirit that we all love so much and look forward to each year. That being said, it’s important that through this season, we keep in mind the harms that our habits can have on the environment. 

The holiday season is the perfect time to spend with friends and family, however, a lot of waste may be caused because of it. The United States alone produces 25 million tons of garbage Thanksgiving all the way through New Year’s, according to Stanford University.

This is a large amount of trash that is being produced during a small period of time and that can be easily avoided if more sustainable choices are made. From changing the way we wrap our gifts or changing the kinds of lights we use to decorate our house. Every change, big or small has an impact towards our community and our planet. Here are some ways you can continue to have a fun Christmas while being sustainable. 

close up of a tree wrapped in LED lights next to two light up reindeer

Decorate with LED Lights

Not only are they more environmentally friendly, but they also last longer than incandescent bulbs. This saves you time and money by not having to be changing light bulbs every time one stops working. 

LED lights also use much less energy than incandescent bulbs. So not only will your house look great with all the colorful LED lights you put on, it will be using much less energy than the regular bulbs you use. Since they generate light without producing too much heat, they also help reduce the risk of burning yourself with the bulb. 

Using LED lights leads to a more sustainable and economical choice to decorate your home this year that will not only have the planet thanking you but also your wallet. 

local magazine shops

Shop Local and Small

Buying your gifts at local shops helps reduce the amount of packaging that is used to package and ship online orders. Although ordering online can seem more convenient and fast, especially during these times. It can be harming the environment much more than we realize. 

Many times, the package that you ordered online, will have to travel many miles to get to you. Which produces more CO2 emissions and harms our environment even more. 

When you buy local and support small businesses, you are supporting those who live in the same community as you. Instead of investing in big businesses such as Amazon, you are investing in your community. 

Many of these small businesses are what make our community so unique and fun, and without them, it wouldn’t be the same. So not only would you be reducing the amount of CO2 emissions and packaging waste, you would be supporting your neighbors, by shopping at their small, local businesses. 

layered reusable bags

Get Creative with Wrapping Gifts

Many of us look forward to unwrapping gifts each year, but we don’t realize how much waste we are producing by doing this. Using conventional wrapping paper often leads to all of it being thrown away and is left unrecyclable. Especially if they have glitter on them or are made of foil. Each year, Americans throw away tons of wrapping paper and only create more harmful waste. But look no further to find ways that opening gifts can still be exciting yet sustainable. 

As we move towards a more sustainable future, many online shops are beginning to sell eco-friendly paper that is not only recyclable but biodegradable. Many of them offer many different kinds of decorated wrapping paper that will continue to support your holiday spirit and will also create a cleaner community. You can also get creative and recycle old maps and newspapers to wrap your gifts. This makes your gifts look truly unique, but it will be giving another purpose to that newspaper you were going to throw away. You can also use one of the many tote bags you may have. Not only will there be a nice gift inside the bag, but they will be able to reuse the bag for their own use. 

It’s changes like this, that can truly make a positive impact in the long run. As much fun as the holiday season can be, one should always be conscious of what the impact of their decisions and habits are. Even though this year, holidays will look a little different and we’re going to be physically apart from each other, we are still able to continue our traditions while making sustainable decisions.