Ecochallenge.org

Campus Ecochallenge

Savannah Samano

EJ and Ecospirituality, Spring 2026

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
841 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

93

miles

traveled by bus
UP TO

93

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

186

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

604

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

745

minutes

of additional sleep
UP TO

1,551

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

1.0

conversation

with a person
UP TO

23

neighbors

met
UP TO

1.0

community event

hosted or attended
UP TO

40

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

90

minutes

spent learning

Savannah's actions

Health

Exercise Daily

Daily movement supports our physical and mental health. I will spend 23 minutes each day exercising in a way that feels good to me, such as walking, running, stretching, or dancing.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Make Sure You are Registered to Vote

I will make sure I'm registered to vote. While I'm at it, I’ll sign up to help others register too!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Use Public Transit Instead of Driving

I will use public transit 3 miles each day and avoid sending CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Meet My Neighbors

Strong neighborhoods are built on connection and trust. I will introduce myself to 1 neighbors or spend time getting to know people in my community.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Prioritize Getting Enough Sleep

Good sleep is essential for a healthy body and mind. I will prioritize getting 8 hours of quality sleep each night and develop a bedtime routine that supports rest and relaxation.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Brush My Teeth Without Running Water

I will save up to 4 gallons (15 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Switch To Cold Water for Laundry

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a walk each day to clear my mind, get some fresh air, and support my physical and mental health as a student.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Buy Used Clothes Instead of New

I will spend 30 minutes learning about the perils of fast fashion and will choose thrift stores, clothing swaps, or second-hand options when I shop for clothes.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Fix Leaky Faucets

I will report or fix leaking faucets in my dorm, apartment, or shared space to prevent water waste—up to 9 gallons (34 L) per day per faucet.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Explore a New Trail or Nature Walk

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Share Rides with Others

I will sign up for a car-sharing service or coordinate ride shares with roommates, classmates, or campus peers to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Try a New Way to Prepare Food

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Research Restorative Justice

I will spend 1 minutes learning about restorative justice and conflict resolution opportunities in my own community or state.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Host A Watch Party

I will host a watch party to screen a documentary about an issue that matters to me.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Engage In Active Listening

I will practice actively listening to a friend, family member, classmate, acquaintance, or someone who I may disagree with in at least 1 conversations.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

What did you learn about in the documentary you watched? How did it make you feel?
Savannah Samano 2/27/2026 5:43 PM
I ended up watching the State of the Union a few days after it was given, and I learned a lot about Donald Trump's objectives for the United States. I think it's extremely important to listen to and watch your conflicting party, even if they don't express your ideals and beliefs, because you don't want to consistently read second-hand information without first listening to the source. A lot of words by politicians get misconstrued, and most people form their political opinions on this second-hand information. Honestly, I believe Trump had good grounds on some of his talking points during the address, like "giving back to the people," it's just the way he goes about them that's unjust and immoral. It's always better to listen and understand than to reject and hate.

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Savannah Samano 2/27/2026 5:26 PM
I just went in to vote in today's Texas Primary Election, and I'm a bit disappointed that people aren't able to select Independent. But good voting experience overall, I just wish we could have the liberation of voting outside of our party, considering that some candidates aren't fully representative of their party

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Savannah Samano 2/26/2026 6:54 PM
Today, I had my flight home for Spring Break, and usually I take an Uber because I have a checked luggage with me and it's just too much to travel on the metro with a checked luggage, a carry on, and my cat. However, today, since I'll only be home for a few days, I was able to take the metro to the airport. :)

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water

Do you know where your campus or community gets its water? If not, how could you find out?
Savannah Samano 2/25/2026 8:12 AM
Georgetown University's water is provided by DC Water, which in the DC Water service obtains its water from the Potomac River. The Washington Aqueduct runs the water through a water filtration system, which treats the water to make it drinkable before dispersion. I just had to look this up on the internet, and I got my information directly from the Georgetown University website. So, it really is that easy to aquire and learn information.

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Savannah Samano 2/24/2026 6:56 PM
So I was trying to go to the Target in Rosslyn today, and I accidentally took the Capitol Campus Shuttle instead, so I had to take the Metro back down. I was on a time crunch. I was rushing. But i love that public transportation is so easy to use and Georgetown does a really good job of facilitating transportation to Metro hotspots so that students are less likley to get an Uber.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

Consider how many hours of sleep you get now. How would you like to shift your sleep patterns? What changes did you make to improve your sleep, and how did they affect your day?
Savannah Samano 2/24/2026 7:37 AM
I really try to get at least 8 hours of sleep per day now, and just seeing how much extra time I get to sleep is so rewarding. Currently, I'm trying to keep my bed a phone-free zone, so I try to avoid scrolling on any socials—like TikTok or Instagram—before I go to bed. However, this does not include my laptop. So, I can watch movies and shows in bed, but the laptop aspect of it promotes healthy watch times and not putting the screen too close to my face.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

Why is voting important to creating a just, sustainable, and thriving world? In what other ways can you actively participate in important decision-making?
Savannah Samano 2/22/2026 5:33 PM
During the 2024 presidential election, I was extremely heartbroken that I would not be able to vote for my preferred candidate. I was a few years off from turning 18, and one of my closest friends had already turned. She had told me that she did want to vote in the election because both candidates had their down sides. Hearing this really made me realize how important voting is, especially because not making a choice is ultimately choosing a result. Voting is such a key concept in our government because it takes into account the will of the people and fosters community involvement.

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Savannah Samano 2/22/2026 5:29 PM
I usually never take the MetroBuses because of the GUTS bus that we have on campus, but today I used it because of the limited amount of shuttles going out on the weekends. I took the bus from M street (walked to M St) to the metro and then to my destination and the same route back. I love that I have the time to think things over on the way to and from my destination. Since I was going with a friend, we had lots of conversations that ranged from different topics and were even able to plan other outings this week. Overall, I really love how I'm able to experience public transportation in a relatively clean, safe, and prosperous environment.

Read More
- Angelina Zhao 2/22/2026 7:31 PM
  Reading this post made me reflect on my experiences with public transit as well. I feel like living in Georgetown, MetroBuses are usually my "last resort" when it comes to traveling. With the limited experiences I had with the bus systems here, they were not the most reliable. However, living in NYC I commuted everyday without fail on the public buses and train systems. I think I was more used to accounting for delays in NYC, meanwhile not being used to the public systems at DC makes me more skeptical of taking them. Still, I love how much quicker the WMATA trains are compared to the MTA ones. Every train comes in at most 10 minutes, not 30.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity

Fresh air and movement are good for our entire being and can help us think more clearly and creatively. How does taking a walk each day affect yourself and/or your work?
Savannah Samano 2/21/2026 2:18 PM
Well first off, walking for just 30 minuets helps my digestive system kick off so that i can de-bloat and digest my food better. It also helps me think about some of the things that I want to do today and what I've already completed. Just taking a simple walk also boosts my motivation to become more productive because throughout the walk I'm actively thinking about how I'm going to complete many of my tasks.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy

What do you plan to do with the money you save from making more energy efficient choices?
Savannah Samano 2/20/2026 7:29 AM
I have to use cold water to wash my gi's for BJJ, so this is not really something new for me. When I was back home, we'd use the extra money to buy food for us and our cats and dogs.

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