UNLV SSC Vice President Monica Garcia is also the intern for the Food and Water Watch campaign, Take Back the Tap. She attended a meeting with the President's Advisory Council to go over a few sustainability goals for UNLV. Monica wrote a write up their successful meeting and is featured below:
"The meeting was held on March 21st, 2012 at 1pm in FDH 780. Dr. Rainier Spencer, the chair of the PAC, and other distinguished individuals from the UNLV PAC were present, here's a link with the PAC individuals: http://unlv.edu/president/advisory-council
The individuals that accompanied me to the meeting were: Tara Pike, UNLV Sustainability director, Sheila Bray, UNLV Conference & Event Coordinator, Jeri Taylor, ARAMARK Sustainability Intern, and Eddie Montejo, SSC President.
The Take Back the Tap (TBTT) campaign was the first item on the agenda, but before I spoke, President Smatresk acknowledged TBTT and stated that in an effort to collaborate with TBTT, he has come up with an idea of sending a Brita filter to every Dean's office across campus along with a set of biodegradable cups. This would be done in an effort to change office culture, from having water pitchers and cups present at meetings (these items were actually at the meeting table yesterday haha). Smatresk stated that he would send these items in a form of a gift box and that he would like me to generate a paragraph explaining the reasoning behind President Smatresk's gesture, to endorse his efforts in helping with TBTT's cause. My paragraph would be included in every gift box to spread TBTT awareness across UNLV. This was definitely pleasant news because it demonstrates a conscious effort by Smatresk as an effort in straying various departments across UNLV away from the continued dependency on plastic bottle consumption. The obvious point is that a reduction in plastic bottle dependency will not disappear over night, it is a gradual transition and that is another point President Smatresk noted which I completely agree with. People are so accustomed and so comfortable with the idea of buying bottled water that to them, it is an engraved part of life. Which is why gradual awareness throughout the campus is crucial to create. Through the staff/faculty offices of UNLV, it is detrimental for them to realize the importance of becoming independent from plastic bottle use.
After President Smatresk shared his ideas, Dr. Spencer, the chair of the PAC, acknowledged me and asked me what other items or thoughts we had to share with the council. That's when I spoke about the proposal we generated with Tara Pike's efforts in uncovering funding for special event hydration stations at UNLV. I expressed to Smatresk that Pike has received funding for four special event hydration stations, Water Monters, thus far from the kind generosity from the Vice President of Business and Finance, Dr. Bomotti. Here is thewebsite on the Water Monter water stations: http://www.thewatermonster.com/
In the proposal we asked for 6 Water Monter water stations and 2 flexi fountain water stations: http://www.flexidrinkingfountain.com/
However, although President Smatresk embraced the ideas, he stated that he would like to see how popular these water stations become before investing in more, which is completely understandable. Therefore, our mission now is to see the demand of the Water Monster stations at Walk-a-thons in April at UNLV and specifically at the UNLV Festival of Communities on April 21st.
Along with these points, President Smatresk expressed a great amount of interest in getting composting bins specifically for the biodegradable cups, he voiced that directly to Pike to uncover the best way possible to have the in offices. Then, Smatresk noted that he'd really like myself to be present at Premier this fall semester, to get stage time and tell everyone at the event the TBTT initiative that I'm headlining, he stated "I want to brag about you". haha. That was great! Because it shows that Smatresk is indeed interested in supporting this campaign on a long term basis. Then I spoke about Festival of Communities to Sheila Bray, UNLV Conference & Event Coordinator, if I could be present at Festival of Communities with a TBTT booth and possibly get stage time. Bray stated that she thinks that will definitely be okay and stated that she will give me the individuals I need to contact to make that a possibility."
If you have any further questions about Monica's meeting with the PAC, please email her at monica.garcia.89@hotmail.com
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