Campus Sustainability Week at W&L Kicks Off with Concert
Campus Sustainability Week at Washington and Lee University, Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, is an educational and awareness event to bring sustainability to the forefront of the consciousness of W&L students, faculty and staff and the Lexington/Rockbridge community. All events are open to the public.
Sustainability is one of the six institutional priorities of W&L for this academic year. According to W&L President Ken Ruscio, “Our effort begins with an awareness of how we can do better-with our use of energy, with minimizing our carbon footprint, and with treading gently on our local environment, such as Woods Creek. This year we will be looking for meaningful steps beyond those we have already taken.
“Like the commitment to strengthening our community, our commitment to sustainable practices is part of our educational mission. We must align what we preach to our students about their duties as responsible citizens and their obligations to future generations with our own institutional practices.”
The events were planned and organized by W&L’s Dining Services, Facilities Management, Biology Department and Program in Environmental Studies.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 6:30 p.m. – Campus Sustainability Week Kickoff Concert. The concert will feature the Adrienne Young Band in the Cohen Family Amphitheater near the Commons.
Monday, Sept. 29 – Water Awareness Day. The following forums, which are open to the public, will be held in the Elrod Commons, room 114.
- Robert Humston, W&L assistant professor of biology will talk on “Why Chesapeake Bay? A Look at its Past, Present and Future” from 11:30 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. Tamim Younos, associate director of the Water Center and research professor of water resources, Virginia Tech, will speak on “Interdependency and Sustainability of Energy & Water Production Systems” from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. (brown bag lunch).
- David Harbor, W&L professor of geology, will speak on “Your Water-What Is the Source of the Maury River and How Clean Is It?” from 1:20 to 1:50 p.m.
- Mark Carey, W&L assistant professor of history, will speak on “Water and Society: When the Glaciers Melt” from 1:55 to 2:25 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Climate Action / Community Service Day. Campus Efforts to help reduce our carbon footprint will be highlighted and shown on Stemmons Plaza. There will be displays on water and energy conservation, solar energy, biodiesel, the Blue Bike Program, the Presidents Climate Commitment / Tallories Declaration, W&L’s green house gas inventory and waste minimization, among other things.
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 5-7 p.m. – Local Food Stewardship Day. The second annual Local Harvest Dinner will be served in the Marketplace in the University Commons. About 95% of the food served during this meal will be locally sourced. The charge to the public is $13.
The concert is being sponsored by the University Sustainability Committee, the General Activities Board, the W&L Geology department and Rockbridge Vineyards.
For more information about the Sustainability Week or the Local Harvest Dinner, contact Chris Wise at jwise@wlu.edu or 458-8253, or Christopher Carpenter at ccarpenter@wlu.edu or 458-8636.
