ESPN’s College GameDay came to the University of Oregon Memorial Quad on Saturday, October 26, and Environmental Studies students were here to meet it. Undergraduates Ashley Adelman and Aaron Rourke teamed up with graduate students in Oregon Leadership in Sustainability to provide education about waste management through a game, wherein visitors were challenged to “dispose” of marked beanbags by tossing them into their proper bins (representing landfill waste, recycling, and compost). All the volunteers involved agreed that the booth attracted quite a bit of attention and engaged UO students throughout the day.

“I feel like we educated many people on the importance of putting things in the proper waste stream,” remarked Adelman. “We encouraged people to begin composting if they haven’t yet, as it’s a great way to save on your trash bill and build great soil!”

Student volunteers at GameDay. ENVS undergraduates Aaron Rourke and Ashley Adelman are pictured on the right.

Choose your bin!