The Office of Sustainability prepares for Campus Sustainability Day at Rider

By Tara Towson

October is National Campus Sustainability Month, and Campus Sustainability Day on Oct. 21 is one of the most anticipated events of the year for the Office of Sustainability: a day dedicated to celebrating the earth and learning how to live and maintain a sustainable lifestyle. This event allows students to learn about how we as a community impact the environment every day and how we can work together to preserve Mother Earth in fun and creative ways.

On Campus Sustainability Day, the eco-reps, with the help of the Green Team, offer dynamic programming such as a clothing swap, an outdoor yoga session, eco trivia for prizes and sustainable crafts all accompanied by music from 107.7 The Bronc. The Office of Sustainability aims to encourage and gain the support of the student body through this event.

In addition to Campus Sustainability Day, the eco-reps will be keeping the spirit of Campus Sustainability Month at Rider’s Scream Screen on Oct. 22 with a decked-out Trunk-or-Treat car illuminating the horrors of climate change. The eco-reps will educate fellow students on the effects of plastic and waste through a creative Halloween scene while giving out lollipops and offering knowledge on sustainability.

Many students on campus have been excited for the opportunity to learn more about the environment. Oftentimes students want to become educated on the topic of sustainability but do not know where to start. Lucky for them, Campus Sustainability Month is the perfect time for their knowledge of environmentalism and sustainable living to grow.

Senior psychology major Lauren Farley shared that she is anticipating having open conversations with her peers and campus eco-reps at Campus Sustainability Day to get answers to the questions she has on her environmental impact. Farley mentioned she has been questioning her environmental impact but cannot seem to navigate through all the information on sustainability.

Farley said, “I hope I can learn more about my lifestyle and how I personally am impacting the land we live on. I hope to engage with my peers to gain more knowledge on how to better align my lifestyle so it is not only beneficial for me, but for the Earth as well.”

An event happening at Campus Sustainability Day for which Farley is extremely excited is community yoga. Farley said she used to love yoga but fell out of it, so she is appreciative of the opportunity to get back into it while being surrounded by her peers.

While Farley is most excited about participating in yoga and the conversations to be had at Campus Sustainability Day, junior global supply chain management major Brandon Rios is ecstatic about the eco-rep’s Trunk-or-Treat car at Rider’s Scream Screen event. Rios said Halloween is one of his favorite holidays and is anticipating seeing the twist put on the topic of sustainability.

“I am thrilled to learn about the impact plastic has on the Earth. The theme sounds interesting and I cannot wait to check out the eco-rep’s Trunk-or-Treat car,” Rios said.

One other anticipated event organized by the eco-reps is the annual beach sweep taking place on Oct. 23 at Belmar Beach. It is a day filled with community service and caring for the planet by picking up trash left by beachgoers throughout the summer season. The month of October has many opportunities to get involved on campus.

Join the Green Team to help organize events or simply sign up for the events previously stated to grow your knowledge on sustainability. Rider can better its environmental impact through the student body being educated and willing to come together to make a difference.