On Tuesday, October 23rd the Department of Residence Life hosted their 5th Annual Sustainability Dinner. The Sustainability Dinner is a relaxed event where students have the chance to network with faculty and staff who teach, research, or live sustainably. These individuals, who come from a multitude of colleges and departments, demonstrate how all-encompassing sustainability is to everyday life.
This year’s dinner was a great success. Over 80 students, faculty, and staff gathered over a delicious meal and had the chance to learn more about what sustainability means to each other. Representatives from the Aggie Eco Reps and Residential Housing Association were present as part of the student attendees.
The dinner is the brainchild of Residence Life’s Executive Director, Mrs. Chareny Rydl. Chartwells catered the event using locally-sourced ingredients to exemplify sustainability by reducing the distance the food had to travel thereby reducing the carbon footprint. Almost the entire meal was vegan, keeping in line with a more sustainable diet. Residence Life is hoping to move to an all-vegan meal for future Sustainability Dinners. Dinnerware for the event was compostable and any food scraps were collected in a compost bin so no food or dinnerware made it into a trashcan, resulting in zero waste for the entire event.
Dinner ended with the announcement of the 2018 Sustainability Award winners, outlined below. These outstanding individuals embody making sustainability an Aggie tradition. Their hard work and dedication to educating students and staff in our residence halls is something that must be celebrated. Congratulations to all of the award winners.
2018 Sustainability Award Winners
Green Tradition Award – Briana Moreno-Maldonado
Friend of Sustainability Award – Brandon Carlson
Waste Reduction Award – Ashley Yzaguirre
Green Custodial Award – Alma Villarreal
More information about Residence Life - Sustainability's resources, programs, and events can be found on our Sustainability page. Any questions, comments, or concerns can be directed to the Graduate Assistant Sustainability Coordinator, Kristianna Bowles, at sustainability@housing.tamu.edu.