Ithaca College

After the success of January’s energy audit, Ithaca Dining Services will continue to strive towards sustainability by making Earth Week 2009 an unforgettable event.

The themes during Earth Week are compost, energy, water, and sustainable food. Highlights include a light bulb collection and exchange in the IC Square food court Monday through Friday, more vegetarian options in all dining halls, and a specialty menu on Friday created by the IC Vegetarian Club.

At all events throughout the week, students can receive giveaways and enjoy delicious deserts such as "worms and dirt" (gummy worms and crushed chocolate cookies)!

Events for Earth Week 2009

Monday
Weigh the Waste -- Dinner, Terraces

Resource and Environmental Management Program (REMP) will be teaching students how much food is wasted in the dining halls. They will be scraping and weighing food scraps to educate students on how much food must be composted in hopes to change wasteful habits.

Tuesday
Energy Extravaganza -- Dinner, Campus Center Dining Hall

Ithaca Dining Services interns Sofia Johnson and Stephanie Piech will be in Campus Center educating students about energy use in the dining halls. There will be information about the recent completion of dining services energy audit and helpful information so students know how to decrease their total energy use.

Wednesday
Earth Day Fair -- Late Night, Towers

A student organization fair will feature engaging visuals and information about each club. The sustainability interns will be giving away over 200 reusable bags for students to use at In the Bag and Grab and Go instead of using paper bags. In addition, the free earth-friendly reusable bags will give students and employees the initiative to decrease the amount of plastic bags that are used on campus.

Thursday
Water Challenge -- Dinner, Terraces

At this event, students will have the opportunity to taste-test water. They will compare Ithaca College tap water with bottled water. This activity will engage students and demonstrate how bottled water is not a necessity.

Friday
Farm to Fork -- Lunch, Towers

Students will enjoy a vegetarian menu made by the Vegetarian Club. There will be a teach-in hosted by the Vegetarian Club where students can learn more about the food they eat and the environmental effects it has.

Monday-Friday
Light Bulb Collection and Exchange
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., IC Square Food Court

The exchange will give students, faculty, and staff the ability to trade light bulbs that are not energy efficient for more sustainable, efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

For more information, please visit www.ithacadiningservices.com.