Eco-Friendly Commencement: May 25-28
Oberlin College Hosts Its First Eco-friendly Commencement Weekend
OBERLIN, OHIO -- Oberlin College will take another step toward climate neutrality by hosting its first eco-friendly Commencement/Reunion weekend, May 25-28, 2007.
Proposed by a group of students led by Andrew DeCoriolis '07 and Maria Stamas '07, and with support from the Office of Sustainability, the “green commencement” initiative will provide more than 5,000 alumni, family members, and friends a variety of ways to reduce their carbon footprint during the four-day event.
During the weekend, guests may attend any of 17 receptions, three breakfasts, four lunches, 10 plate-waited dinners, and 28 open houses and consume nearly 1,500 boxed lunches. In an effort to reduce the amount of waste generated by these events, Campus Dining Services, managed by Bon Appétit Management Company, will replace all plasticware with bio-ware. While the bio-ware will still be placed in a land fill, it will break down in a way that is less harmful to the environment. Also, because the bio-ware is lighter in weight, it will add 165 fewer pounds of waste to landfills.
In addition, 20 to 35 percent of the food provided by Dining Services will be purchased from local farmers and producers. The list of local items includes perishables such as mesclun mix and asparagus, wine, honey, salt, herbs, vegan pasta, vegan beet sugar, mushrooms, bottled water, breads, and desserts. Local meat and dairy products will include antibiotic-free, vegetarian-fed chicken; antibiotic-free turkey; hormone-free milk; and cheese.
Throughout the weekend, guests will be encouraged to visit the Green Education booth set up by the Office of Sustainability, where they can purchase an offset for the carbon emissions used to travel to and from Oberlin. Proceeds will go to CarbonFund.org, which supports viable initiatives focused on turning back the clock on global climate change.
Graduating students who attend the annual Senior Dinner will be asked to sign a pledge to adopt a model of sustainability in their lifestyles and careers. Signers will receive green ribbons to wear during the commencement ceremony on Memorial Day.
Students and visitors also will be encouraged to place recyclable items in campus receptacles around campus, walk to events instead of drive, and review the saving of energy in residence halls with Oberlin's real-time Campus Resource Monitoring System
Media Contact:
Scott Wargo, Director of Media Relations
Oberlin College
440-775-5197 / Scott.Wargo@oberlin.edu