NMU’s student sustainability group EcoReps hosted a number of events to celebrate Green Friday on Nov. 15. In the foyer of Jamrich Hall, students were greeted with an array of eco-friendly opportunities that are usually dispersed throughout campus.
Green Friday was hosted with the intention of bringing sustainable resources to students on campus. The event consisted of a few main components including a clothing swap, the NMU food pantry, ASNMU’s career closet and NMU’s Ripple Effects clothing. Another purpose of this event was to provide Northern’s students with a stronger understanding of the available resources.
“A lot of people don’t know about a lot of things like the career closet, where you can get a free professional outfit every single semester,” Director of EcoReps Grace Listopad said.
This was the organization’s first time hosting Green Friday, and Listopad says the event was a smashing success. EcoReps regularly hosts clothing swaps and other sustainability events around campus, but this was their first attempt at bringing it all together at one time in the same location.
“I love seeing people find an item that they love and will cherish, and even outside the clothing swap, just being able to make positive changes on campus and just having the power to do that. At a bigger university, these things may not be as feasible,” Listopad said.
The overarching idea of Green Friday is that it is the opposite of Black Friday. Confronting the idea of consumerism by offering free re-used items and products is more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
“In the clothing swap aspect there have been a lot of people who come and visit and take clothes, take bags full of clothes. Whereas, like the NMU food pantry and NMU Ripple Effect, people have been a little more skittish to come and chat and learn about the resources available,” Listopad said.
All of the organizations involved understand how it can be nerve-racking to take any level of help that is presented to students and are actively trying to break the stigma of taking food or clothing for free.
“There is no shame in asking for help even if you don’t particularly need it, if you are not starving but you do need a little bit of supplement, that is what the NMU food pantry is there for, just trying to make sure people know that it is accessible and people know it is for them,” Listopad said.
With high numbers of student and staff participation, the group has high hopes this will not be their last celebration of Green Friday.
If students could not make this event and would still like to get involved, EcoReps is doing a zero-waste gift giving event after Thanksgiving break. Students will be able to create zero-waste gifts such as lip balms, sugar scrubs and their own wrapping paper on Dec. 3 in Jamrich Hall.
