Minutes for 10/20 and 10/21 Meetings

Whoa there! It's already fifth week. Well, no matter, here are the minutes from the most recent meetings. Also, stay tuned for updates from pods about their projects. Nice!

Minutes from 10/20 and 10/21 Meetings

Pod presentations

• Pod 4: November 13 6-8pm, Vegetarian Potluck. RSVP
• Information on vegetarianism and vegetarian pledge
• South lounge Reynolds club
• Only invite members from GCI and pod members’ houses. don’t want too big of an event
• Have them bring their own silverware? What to do after eating (games, music, other events?)
• Event should have something about composting, waste, and recycling
• Have people bring recipes so people can be aware of any potential allergies. Also, we can start a GCI cookbook!
• Pod 1: Community Outreach—my pod
• ISEC Conference—November 6th
• Reaching out to groups on campus
• Come up with lists
• Clean-up days that will include other groups on campus, aiming for an event in November
• Contacted Washington Park Conservancy but their last event is this week
• Other organizations include Friends of the Chicago River, Chicago Park District, and a CEPA event
• Pod 5: Introduce composting to dorms
• At dorms that have most kitchen waste and at dorms where we have a presence
• Everything depends on the dorms’ enthusiasm for composting
• Questions include which dorms, what kinds of composting for each dorm, partner with the Uncommon Garden project
• Also, a question came up for who will compost at food events this year? pods or eco-consulting?
• Education about composting will also be important
• Pod 2: Phasing out Plastic Water Bottles
• Working on the tag line. “Friends don’t let friends drink from plastic water bottles”?
• awareness is one part (tap water challenge) but the other part is to actually phase out water bottles by contacting vendors and providers
• Director of ISEC wants to have tapwater challenge at the Fall Conference
• Maybe compromise by having vendors letting us put signs next to refrigerators or getting the environmental facts out there
• Pod 3: Gardening (Alba)
• 62nd street garden with organic vegetables and other empty lots nearby
• Pod member Lindsey has numerous connections with the surrounding community
• Meredith knows a school who wants GCI to come and teach about gardening and plants
• Talk to facilities managers’ about using flat roofs to host pots
• Use gardens to teach university community about environment, earth, and plants

Networking

• We got everybody’s contact info for future listhost advertisement
• We will be sending out a Google docs form soon for those who couldn’t make it to the meeting

Woodlawn Collaborative

• Website
• Offshoot of university to increase community engagement
• We determined that nobody at the meetings could come up with a program or event currently, but that we are aware of the space we can use
• Perhaps we can have an event in the future there

Meatless Monday

• Tabling for ‘Meatless Monday’ for Veg Society
• Amjones@uchicago.edu Anna Jones

Cobb Composting

• More information here
• They need help tabling to spread information. The contamination rate is currently too high.

No Trash Bash

• 8th week: Wednesday, the 17th
• Purpose: showcase environmental initiatives on and off campus
• Goals: GCI publicity, 20 people added to the listhost, talk and make connections with event attendees
• 1. Environmental intiatives on campus—each at a table: 5 pods, 2 GCI divisions, Sustainability Council, OAC, SDS, a Roots and Shoots chapter?,
• 2. Environmental Stations— showcase and educate about environmental issues on campus (recycling in dorms, simplicity of composting in dining halls, interesting and/or interactive activities)
• 3. Businesses—Washington Park Conservatory, etc…
• Music- acapella groups and loud, exciting music
• Food- whatever we can get with our annual allocations and Guy’s organic food production
• We will be sending out a sign-up for how you can help

Just chillin in 65 degrees in October,

Willy