Spring Snapshots
In the spring of 2016 SSTF was involved in various projects, events, and outreach. We gathered new members of all ages, across various majors (including science, engineering, and architecture). Volunteering, event organizing, improving of spaces and resources of RPI to name a few of the tasks the Task Force took on.
We volunteered and help organize RPI’s Earth Week by participating in events, volunteering at the Kick-Off and Earthfest, and running our own events like Eco-Games with SEP & SSTF. At the kick off we educated parents, kids, and students of air-pollution prevention plants. The Nuclear Debate and Talk was a successful event organized by SSTF Chair, Kiani. All environmental clubs came together with STS Faculty, RPI students, and outside organizations to make Earth Week 2016 a success which genuinely highlights the theme of interconnections.
One particularly successful project SSTF worked on and will continue to work on is the Greening of Sodexo Project. This project is led by SSTF member, Erica Uhler. Early in the semester members of the Executive Board met with managers of Sodexo to propose several sustainable alternatives to specific issues in the dinning halls and sourcing of food. During this semester we built a better relationships with Sodexo, the hospitality services of RPI. We are planning to continue this relationship of improving sustainability on campus by collaborating with Sodexo in the future. We look forward to seeing our micro-green project take off in the fall in Commons!
The Environmental Education Center, located in the ’87 Gym is looking more like a space to work with other organizations as the days go by. There were several clean ups and workshops held in this space. Ecologic hosted a Pizza and Paint event during study days and completed a mural of the rain forest with the help of environmental club members. SSTF added air-pollution prevention plants (which was part of our Earth Week Kick-Off booth) to the space which created a better atmosphere in the room. We plan to utilize this space for collaboration in the fall with monthly meetings.
All members of SSTF look forward to another remarkable semester in the fall kicking off with Rescue, Recycle, and Grow an NRB event with Ecologic. We are excited to spend a jam packed August day at Capital Root, the Sanctuary for Independent Media, Protek Recycling, and Troy Bike Rescue!