Green Week for the Oxford and University of Mississippi community kicks off tomorrow. The week is composed of multiple events and activities with the goal of educating students, staff and Oxford residents about sustainability.
According to Kendall McDonald, junior public policy leadership major and Green Week intern, sustainability refers to responsible use of our resources.
“A sustainable society functions in a way that future generations can prosper and the global environment can thrive,” McDonald said.
Anne McCauley, assistant director for the Office of Sustainability, said she hopes Green Week will enhance students’ understanding of issues related to sustainability.
“We prepare for Green Week by trying to engage many different students, groups and organizations with the planning and implementation of events,” McCauley said. “It is such a big program, and we like to find new ways to involve more people every year.”
The events start Tuesday with a panel entitled “Business in the Green” at the Oxford Conference Center from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Foundation will host the panel. Representatives from International Paper, Project Green Fork and Toyota will be sharing information about their sustainable tactics and how they are used within their organizations.
According to McDonald, the panel will give students and the community members the chance to see how companies take on sustainability.
“These measures are not simply “green-washing” tactics,” McDonald said. “They are deeply systematic changes that reflect the core values of these organizations.”
Tuesday will also include an Earth Day keynote lecture given by Rob Nixon, author of “Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor,” at 7 p.m. in the Overby Center.
According to Ann Fisher-Wirth, lecture host and faculty sponsor for Students for a Green Campus, the lecture is based on Nixon’s book.
“Professor Nixon’s talk will address ways in which artists of all sorts can help raise world environmental awareness to fight against this ‘slow violence,’” Fisher-Wirth said.
Fisher-Wirth said she wants all students to participate in Green Week and be aware of the state of our environment.
“We are in a global situation of environmental crisis, but it is still too easy to ignore it because we personally have everything we need,” she said. “Green Week provides a lot of opportunities for learning and reflection and, I hope, for meaningful action.”
Wednesday, a sustainability fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Union Plaza. The fair will allow students and the community to interact with local vendors, farmers, businesses, students and departments at the university.
The annual Eco-Fashion Gala, which combines fashion, art and sustainability, will also take place Wednesday. The gala will start at 7:30 p.m. in Bryant Hall.
A workshop on the Udall scholarship, which is for students dedicated to careers related to the environment, will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday in Honors College Room 311.
The events will conclude Friday with an Arbor Day tree planting and celebration in the Grove at 11:30 a.m.
— Maggie McDaniel
mhmcdani@go.olemiss.edu
