The Student Sustainability Center is holding a fair to get more University of Oregon students involved in the community’s “earth-loving” sustainability scene.
The Student Sustainability Fair will be located in the Crater Lake North and South rooms of the ERB Memorial Union on Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event has been held annually by the SSC in an effort to get UO students to learn and talk more about local sustainability practices, issues and initiatives, such as the UO Zero Waste program and the UO Outdoor program.
Selena Blick is a fourth-year environmental studies student and one of the SSC’s event coordinators for the fair. She says that the fair doesn’t include just UO environmental groups.
“We have a bunch of different groups from the Eugene area that come in and table,” she said, adding that the SSC wants UO students to also get involved with environmental and social justice groups outside of the campus community and not just ones on campus.
The fair also aims to start conversations between interested students and organizations that “aim to promote sustainable practices in the Eugene community and beyond,” according to the University of Oregon website.
Tabling student groups will offer a variety of games and activities in addition to information; last year, students played recycling basketball and enjoyed “dank food,” according to the SSC website.
This year, the SSC is partnering with the UO Craft Center to make screen-printed reusable shopping bags that will be free to students. There will also be a raffle drawing.
The SSC is a space where students collaborate to lead initiatives in the areas of human equity and environmental sustainability, according to the University of Oregon website. It is located in the EMU, and it manages other initiatives, such as the Grove Community Garden, “Bottles Up,” the free seed library and UO Greeks Go Green.
“Just seeing all the [sustainability] groups on campus together is my favorite part,” said Blick.
Correction: This article previously stated the incorrect date and time of the event.