On April 25, Students for Sustainability hosted a garden party next to the new native garden outside of Heckert-Wells. The event brought students together to celebrate sustainability, build community, and look ahead to the organization’s future. Serving food and mocktails from The Blue Spoon, the party was a relaxed setting that highlighted both the organization’s mission and its growth.
Charlie Judd, a senior in Elementary Education Unified K-6 and the organization’s outgoing president, reflected on his time in the role as he prepares to graduate. “My proudest accomplishment would have to be finally being able to remove the Bradford pear trees,” Judd said.
He also pointed to the growth of the organization’s community as something that stood out to him. “The organization has really found a core group that cares, and seeing those members connect with others and showcase how cool the org is nice,” Judd said.
As he passes leadership on, Judd encouraged future leaders to stay motivated even when things are not perfect. “Keep going, don’t feel discouraged or feel like everything has to be perfect because nothing ever is, so don’t let that stop you from trying,” he said.
Looking ahead, Judd said his biggest takeaway is recognizing how many meaningful experiences are still ahead. “There are so many great people and things that you will do in life, and just recognize that time is short, and you have to be able to enjoy life and not be stressed by it.”
Students at the event also emphasized the sense of community and opportunity the garden party created.
Arrhenius Reilly, a freshman majoring in mathematics, said he was drawn to the event through a personal connection. “Being honest, Lacy Merriman’s marketing to SGA is what brought me out. It was her event; she planned it, and it was important to her. As a friend of hers, I want to support her. Simultaneously it lets me see a little into S4S, an RSO that had piqued my interest,” Reilly said.
Reilly said the event also gave him a chance to get involved moving forward. “I’m very interested in sustainability; the event was a fun way for me to get my foot in the door for the upcoming semester. I definitely plan on joining and am interested to see what the org does further,” he said.
He added that the overall atmosphere impressed him. “The entire event stood out. It was well put together, had great catering, and great people all for the purpose to promote and enjoy the sustainability that the organization is actively building,” Reilly said.
Presley Schabel, a freshman nursing major, said events like the garden party play an important role in helping students find community. “Events like this add a sense of community within many students, and it’s especially important as a freshman to find people who support and nurture your growth in a positive way early on,” Schabel said.
Schabel added that the event inspired her in her role as Greeks Go Green director. “I feel motivated to use my position as Greeks Go Green director to further sustainable developments in our ‘party’ school environment and start clear partnerships between fraternities and sororities to help look out for our ecological wellbeing,” she said.