On Earth Day the Texas A&M College of Architecture is going green. And, if the three environmentally conscious student groups who are spearheading the Maroon is Green Sustainable College Initiative have their way, the college will grow greener and greener.
The students are launching the Maroon is Green initiative on Earth Day, April 22, 2008, with a college-wide celebration that includes an environmental fair, live music, sustainable living demonstrations, guest speakers and even green cuisine.
Leading the Maroon is Green effort are the Texas A&M student chapters of the American Institute of Architecture Students, the American Society of Landscape Architects and Emerging Green Builders. These student groups are collaborating to promote and establish green, sustainable practices throughout the college, and most importantly, throughout the year.
“Environmental stewardship has long been a central component of the curricula taught at the Texas A&M College of Architecture,” said Charles Graham, the college’s executive associate dean. “We’ve talked the talk for years, and now it’s time we walk the walk. With the launch of the Maroon is Green Sustainable College Initiative and the support of our students we are demonstrating a college-wide commitment to do exactly that. Though we may be starting small,” he continued, “in the months and years ahead we will strive to make our college a model of sustainable living.”
To that end, the participating student groups have already helped the college pick out new recycling bins that will be distributed throughout the Langford Architecture Center. They are also developing a strategy for sustaining the college recycling effort and are planning an awareness campaign that will kick off with the Earth Day celebration.
The Maroon as Green launch begins at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 22 and continues throughout the afternoon. So far, more than 20 student and community organizations have reserved booth space to promote environmental consciousness throughout the college and the number is expected to grow. Several participating groups will demonstrate sustainable practices, such as composting, and representatives from the Maroon Bike Project are bringing their tools to work on students’ bicycles. Also, Atkinson Toyota is bringing a few hybrid vehicles to the fair, and other local dealerships have been invited to showcase their hybrid vehicle lines.
Organizations interested in setting up a booth or demonstrations at the Maroon is Green environmental fair are urged to contact Lindsay Trussell at 979.862.8332 or ltrussell@archmail.tamu.edu. Anyone interested in working at the event or assisting with the set-up should do likewise.
The Flyers, a homegrown band with several members currently enrolled in Texas A&M College of Architecture degree programs, will help kick off the Earth Day celebration at 1:15 p.m. with a short set. Lead singer Bob Turek and percussionist Seth Brunner are both environmental design students. Keaton Tucker, the Flyers’ bassist, is a landscape architecture student. The band was featured in the Feb. 21 issue of “Spotlight,” the entertainment supplement of the Bryan-College Station Eagle. They were also the focus of a Nov. 7, 2007 story in The Battalion
To herald the Earth Day celebration, approximately 100 giant green helium balloons will be inflated and creatively arranged at the south entrance of the Langford Architecture Center. Volunteers are urged to show up at Langford on Monday evening, April 21, to assist with inflating, tying and arranging the balloons for the Maroon is Green kickoff.
Throughout the afternoon, several short presentations featuring speakers from local environmental groups will address Earth Day celebrants.
The morning prior to the Maroon is Green kickoff, the College of Architecture is sponsoring van trips to Peckerwood Garden in Hempstead, Texas. The 20-acre garden, established in 1971 by Texas A&M architecture professor John Fairey, is a living repository of rare and unusual plants from the southern United States and Mexico. Fairey recently announced his intentions to donate the garden and its collection of rare plants to Texas A&M University. Anyone interested visiting Peckerwood can reserve a seat on the van by contacting Dawn Trog at 979.458.0539 or dtrog@archmail.tamu.edu. There is no cost for the round trip from the Texas A&M campus, but seating is limited. The first van leaves the Langford Architecture Center at 8:30 a.m. and returns at noon. The second van will depart at 10 a.m. and return at 1:30 p.m.
The Maroon is Green launch will culminate with a 4 p.m. feast featuring green cuisine — low-carbon footprint appetizers made from local organically grown vegetables. Though the menu will ultimately be determined by availability, the chef’s suggestions include: sweet potato and quinoa salad, Israeli cous cous salad, gruyere and roasted onion grilled on gluten-free bread, soba noodle salad, baba ghanoush with toasted pita and more.
The students participating in the Maroon is Green sustainable college initiative have launched a Facebook group to provide up-to-date details as the event takes shape. For additional information or to learn how you can get involved with the greening of the Texas A&M College of Architecture, contact Lindsay Trussell in the dean’s office at 979.862.8332.
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