Students in the business honors program participated in the second annual Sustainability Day to educate students about the University’s sustainable efforts and how students can contribute.
Beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, students participated in a series of events throughout the day including setting up tables on the Quad and in the Ferguson Center where students could learn more information about recycling and alternative energy, among other related concepts.
“We are using a wheel for students to spin in efforts to educate them more about sustainable efforts,” said Lauren Hammonds, a junior majoring in accounting and participant in Sustainability Day.
Students in the Ferguson Center showcased a slide show at their table with similar information as the students on the Quad with the wheel. Later in the day, students were able to answer questions at the table on the Quad and receive a green snow cone.
Alagasco provided a Compressed Natural Gas vehicle in front of Morgan Hall to raise awareness about alternative fuels and “green” transportation.
The “Clean Your Plate Campaign” is a waste audit where students were asked to separate the food at Fresh Food Company they didn’t eat into various containers to show them how much food they waste.
“The senior class is assisting with the campaign in Fresh Food that seeks to raise awareness to students about how much food they waste,” Hammonds said.
Leslie Parrish, a junior majoring in marketing and a participant in Sustainability Day, said students should be aware that about 27 percent of the food in the United States goes to waste.
She said the University already does a lot to promote recycling efforts, and they have also found ways to be efficient financially when funding recycling efforts.
Various organizations assisted with Sustainability Day, including students from the MBA program, Net Impact and students from Phi Upsilon Omicron.
Hammonds said the thought for Sustainability Day came from a class project within the business honors program where the students work in groups.
Mark Rubino, acting director of the Green Jobs Alliance, worked outside at Sustainability Day for his second year in an effort to assist the students to increase awareness about sustainable efforts.
“It is my hope that students are able to find one thing to connect to themselves about sustainability,” he said. “It is more than just about being green, it is about a better community.”
He said he wants students to realize that agriculture and the economics behind this issue are very important.
“It all is about getting together to learn more about the issue,” he said.
