’Cat Tales: Students Practice Sustainability, Diversity, and Community Involvement

By Quinn Western, social media and photography intern

Sustainability on the Wall

The rock wall at the WREC has some new kicks, and no, I’m not referring to the new climbers.

The wall, which is run by Adventure Outings, received a new shipment of climbing shoes last month, which put the old ratty tatty pairs out of service.

Not wanting to just toss the shoes in the trash, Olivia VanDamme, a supervisor at the wall, took steps to secure an alternative fate for them.

VanDamme found an organization called MadRock that repairs and recycles old climbing shoes. The WREC donated about 25 pairs of shoes to the company and Adventure Outing‘s equipment room will also be donating out-of-service shoes, VanDamme said.

VanDamme wrote for the Adventure Outings blog about the process, check it out here.

A Celebration of Diversity

More than 1,000 people gathered last Thursday for Associated Students’ Multicultural Night. The event is a showcase of music, dance and poetry that promotes cultural education on campus and in the community.

“It was a celebration of the diversity on our campus and a way for students to be exposed to cultures they may be unfamiliar with,” said Jordan Walsh, A.S. commissioner of Diversity Affairs. “It was great to see how excited and engaged the crowd was throughout the performances.”

Performances were given by 14 organizations including the Diversity Affairs Council, Gender and Sexuality Equity Center, Afro Caribbean Dance Class, and Hmong Student Association.

“The night was one where I felt like students were able to connect with one another and unite as a student body,” Walsh said.

In case you missed it, check out the photos from the night’s events here.

Students, Administrators, and Community Members Collaborate on Policy Issues

The Town Hall meeting returns to campus this Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Bell Memorial Union. At the event, which happens every semester, students enrolled in the introductory political science class discuss current policy issues with administrators, community members, and other students.

After the introduction in the BMU, the 700 participants split off into different classrooms on campus to have large group discussions.

Here is an overview of the Town Hall experience:

More information here.