University Housing will host its fourth annual Sustain-A-Bash on Thursday, September 28th from 12:00 pm to 3:00pm at the Gordon Dining and Event Center lawn.
Breana Nehls, the Residence Hall Facilities Sustainability and Communications Coordinator, says that Sustain-A-Bash provides meaningful and tangible ways for students to practice sustainability in their daily lives.
“Sustain-A-Bash gives a well-rounded, holistic look at sustainability. It showcases a variety of ways that students can get involved on campus and by volunteering in the greater Madison community,” Nehls explains. “This is the main goal of the event—but also to showcase University Housing’s sustainable initiatives and our commitment to the mission of Badgers Living Sustainably.”
Students also learn about sustainability by participating in fun (and delicious!) activities like creating their own bike-powered milkshakes and inking their commitment to sustainability by signing an inflated Earth. In addition, Sustain-A-Bash will feature over 20 other groups, ranging from student organizations, academic advisors, and University Housing representatives to various campus departments focused on sustainability. The Office of Sustainability student intern program and Green Fund will also host tables at the event.
Plus, any University Housing resident who brings their refillable water bottle to the event will be entered in a raffle to win a plant party for their residence hall floor.
A variety of groups from the community will also be involved, such as SustainDane, Allen Centennial Gardens, and the Bicycle Resource Center. Each organization will host a table and lead an interactive activity focused a particular theme—such as waste, water, energy, food, education, recreation, activism, and service educating—to inform attendees about sustainable behavior in a fun way. WSUM 91.7 FM Madison Student Radio will also provide music for the event.
“Coming to campus, not all students know what sustainability is. We hope that bringing all of these entities together shows students the diverse ways they can engage with sustainability while at UW-Madison, and that their individual actions make a difference,” says Nehls.
For more information about the different organizations and activities available at Sustain-A-Bash, check out the Facebook event page and the digital flyer.
By: Trina La Susa