I am ecstatic to see the initiative that the University is taking to prevent excessive printing by students. Perhaps I am not worried about the removal of free printing because I am graduating soon, but this change is an important step to improving sustainability at NIU. Sustainability is not just about “saving” the environment, but it also includes the ability for a system, such as a university, to be upheld for long-term balance. The change in printing practices along with other sustainability improvements on campus is essential to both increasing NIU’s awareness of our environmental impact and minimizing costs of the University and students. In response to the change in printing policy, I would like to ask students, faculty, and staff to re-examine their own printing practices. I encourage students to print on both sides of the paper, use smaller margins, and refrain from printing out lecture slides when possible. Many students have smart phones now, and apps such as Blackboard and PDF Reader can be used to save lectures, slides, and journal articles, and PDF Reader even allows you to highlight and take notes on the documents that you have saved. I would also like to request that faculty adapt their paper layout requirements by minimizing printing margins to 0.5” instead of 1”, using 1.5 spacing instead of double spacing, and encouraging students to print on both sides of the paper. I ask for the campus community to refrain from printing e-mails unless necessary, and to always recycle all paper. These requests I have for the University, students, faculty, and staff are small, but the collective actions by the University community will make a huge impact. Vision 2020, the new Institute for the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy, and the improving recycling program are all essential components that are helping drive the transition of NIU to a more sustainable University. You may only one person, but your individual compliance with the sustainability goals of the University will make a huge difference both today and in the future.