Why PitE is the best major at Michigan

You might be asked a thousand times, “You mean the frat?” when you say you’re a PitE major (no people, that would be Pike, and also that makes zero sense). I’m not gonna lie, most of the time I tell people my major is Environmental Science just to make it easier for everyone. Regardless of the strange naming of this major/program combo, you know that there is no other program you’d rather be in than the Program in the Environment at Michigan. It’s more than a major. It’s your people and your home, and here’s why:

There’s no stigma for caring about the planet

When you’re a PitE kid, you are free to go full-on hippie and be proud of it. People aren’t going to tease you and call you a tree hugger, or think that you’re crazy when you talk about your environmental experiments (like that one time you didn’t use shampoo for a few months or you went zero-waste for a year). Composting is an everyday conversation topic, and when you tell people you’re writing your thesis on algal blooms in the Great Lakes, they’ll think that’s pretty rad.

Students at the Bio Station, loving life and loving the planet

You DGAF that you look like Jane Goodall

Even when you’re not in the field, it is perfectly acceptable to wear hiking boots, and you will defend your side of the Chacos/Tevas war till you die. Looking like you just stepped out of an REI advertisement is nothing to be ashamed of. Zip-off hiking pants are making a comeback, okay?

Yes, I am #TeamTeva

You’re literally required to be in nature

PitE has a “Field Experience” requirement, which probably means you’re either going to the Bio Station in Michigan or Camp Davis out in Wyoming, or studying abroad in some of the coolest nature spots on the planet. Whether you go to New Zealand or Costa Rica, Iceland or Peru, you’ll get to stay in a place that will leave you awestruck every day. I mean, when your “class” for the day is swimming with a pod of over 400 dolphins, or hiking along the coast to look at bird conservation strategies, it’s hard to argue that life could get any better.

In the words of Bilbo Baggins, “I’m going on an adventure!”

You can study anything under the sun

Since you can choose your environmental specialization out of anything under the broad umbrella of “The Environment,” being a PitE major can mean so many different things. You can choose to specialize in anything from environmental writing to conservation ecology, from environmental policy to urban planning. Or you can create your own specialization, because we all know that every field of study could add a little sustainability to it. 

The advisors

The PitE advisors are seriously the coolest. It doesn’t even matter that you get approximately seven PitE-related emails a day from the homegirl, Jaime Langdon, because every single one of them is interesting, whether it’s about a cool event that you should go to or Michigan’s latest environmental club that you should definitely join. Seriously, if you haven’t met Jaime yet, just go into the PitE office to talk to her. It will make both her and your day.

Y’all are awesome

And whether they’re hosted by the lovely advisors or PitE club, PitE social events are never dull. From documentary-viewing parties to tiny terrarium workshops, from bar crawls to literally any excuse to supply free pizza, you’ll want to check those seven emails a day and hop on over to the Dana Building as soon as possible.

And of course there’s the Dana Building

What better place to study for that Geology exam than a Gold LEED-certified building filled with all your enviro-friends? Especially in the dreary winter months, sitting in a cushy armchair on the fourth floor under the all-glass ceiling is the best way to make studying a little brighter. Plus, you can be super water-efficient and use one of the composting toilets – just remember to close the lid when you’re done!

Being in PitE is inspirational AF

Recent PitE grad Libby O’Connell puts it best: “[PitE] is a community of people combining and sharing their talents, resources, and experiences to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges.” While classes are constantly teaching you ways to take better care of our planet, the PitE community helps turn those lessons into reality. 

If there’s a climate march, you go to the climate march

Whether you’re spending a day planting trees in Detroit, participating in the semesterly “No Impact” competition of how little trash you can make, or just bouncing ideas off each other on how to live more sustainably, the simple act of hanging around PitE kids inspires you to keep growing and improving every day. And I don’t think you can ask for much more than that.