Eco-Reps attend Southeastern Eco-Reps Conference

Three Elon students represent Elon at the annual conference that brings together sustainability student leaders in the region.

By Tori Ippolito, Taylor McFadden and Kate Pearce

On Friday, Feb. 16, Eco-Reps Taylor McFadden, Tori Ippolito, and Kate Pearce traveled to University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina for the seventh annual Southeastern Eco-Reps Conference.

The Southeastern Eco-Reps Conference is an annual program, planned by a committee of graduate and undergraduate students, that brings together like-minded students who are passionate about sustainability. While there, the students met with other Eco-Reps from 10 universities and colleges across the Southeast. This conference is designed to allow student leaders to discuss various sustainability initiatives that engage students on university campuses.

The keynote speaker of the weekend was Peterson Toscano, a performance artist who explores the intersectionality of LGBT rights, climate change, and biblical principles. For his Saturday night performance, he enacted scenes from his new film, "Everything is Connected – A Collation of Stories — Most Weird, Many True," and shed light on the connections between these three topics.

In addition to the keynote speaker, there were numerous breakout sessions and networking opportunities. In the breakout sessions, various students presented about sustainability programs at their respective schools and led discussions on topics such as zero waste, single use plastic reduction, and green custodial practices. The career center at USC also provided conference attendees with tips on applying their experience from the Eco-Rep program to future internships and jobs.

The Eco-Reps from Elon University gained knowledge and inspiration for future events and initiatives that will benefit both the environment and the Elon community.