On Thursday, Sept. 5, the Wake Forest University Office of Sustainability held its ninth annual “Let’s Taco-Bout Sustainability” event — inviting students to the third floor of Benson University Center for cuisine and conversation.
The open rotunda was the perfect space for students to move between nine stations and discuss different facets of sustainability with student representatives. Not only did the stations cover a wide range of sustainability-related topics, they also provided students with information and opportunities to get involved.
The “Independent Organization” station encouraged students to get involved with dEaCOfriendly, the only student-led sustainability organization on campus. At the “Composting and Waste Minimization” station, representatives like Olivia Delgado, a Wake Forest junior and the office’s composting intern, explained how and where composting happens on campus. She explained how the on-campus dining halls, namely North Pit, do an excellent job composting throughout the cooking process, and that most buildings on campus have at least one compost bin.
Delgado expressed appreciation for the event and explained that the Office of Sustainability and participating environmental organizations hope to get students involved on campus.
“We want to be friends!” Delgado said.
Alongside its primary focus of increasing involvement in sustainability initiatives, the event featured a bountiful plant-based taco and burrito bar.
The fire alarms went off about halfway through the event’s scheduled time, but once the building was confirmed safe, attendees and staff returned for food and conversation. The event ran longer than expected due to the interruption, which gave staff and students more time to meet and connect.
“I was just super impressed by the turnout and how there are different aspects of sustainability that students can get involved with,” said Kryschelle Fakir, a Wake Forest graduate student who attended the event. “It’s really good to have access to peer education and peer leadership opportunities, and the food was delicious.”
In addition to the composting and independent organizations stations mentioned earlier, Let’s Taco-Bout Sustainability also hosted representatives from Wakerspace, who talked about upcycling and the Wake Forest Office of Civic and Community Engagement (OCCE). Other stations included peer leadership, sustainability in business, outdoor recreation, dining and the Campus Garden.
The event highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability, especially at Wake Forest, and demonstrated that students of all ages and experience levels can get involved.
Office of Sustainability staff member and Campus Garden intern Jaylyn Walters expressed her hope that the event would reach anyone interested in sustainability at Wake Forest.
Walters offered advice to students interested in on-campus environmental groups: “It’s not as scary as it might seem to get involved in all the different niche interests [within sustainability].”
