Sustainability Fair brings in over 100 students

by Josh Giaquinto
edited by Tyler Comeau

(Photo: Josh Giaquinto)

Over 100 students showed up to the Sustainability Fair on Thursday, October 17th in Spagnuolo hall put on by Senior Laurel Branco.

The fair, which ran from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., was full of different tables that had things to buy, such as food, artwork, handmade pillows, pottery, and glass. Seventeen different vendors arrived to sell their products which included food that was all naturally made and from local communities. The fruit was from White’s Farm Stand in Rindge, the vegetables were from a farm in Keene, and the baked goods were made in Rindge with local ingredients.

The fair also had activities, including a raffle to win a
reusable water bottle, sticky notes with different sustainability quotations on them, a paper, on which students could write down ways to combat climate change, a survey that people could fill out about the on-campus garden, and live music performed by Peter Borzellino and Shane Duquette. Borzellino said, “It was a good experience and I was honored to be asked to participate in it with my music.”

Branco, who is graduating in December, put on the event as her Senior project. She put the fair together by going to the Rindge and Keene farmers’ market every week for the past month. She then got some of her classmates to create paintings, pottery, and glass. Then, she worked with Professor Laura Christoph and Professor Catherine Koning to help organize the event.

Branco said, “I’m thrilled with the turnout. All vendors sold things. There was strong attendance. Good vibrations, good music, interesting things and foods being sold. All in all, it was an amazing time for all involved.”

Branco’s project focused on the interest of health and wellness of the environment and humans.

“This fair encompassed environmental health by bringing people of the community who grow food and bake bread and make crafts together to sell to students and faculty,” Branco said. “This is good for the environment because buying local decreases ones carbon footprint by reducing transportation miles also small farms are good for replenishing the earth and do less damage than huge scale farms.”

Transparency Statement: To get this story I went to the sustainability fair on October 17th from 3pm to 4pm. I then interview Laurel Branco through email.