Written by Amaya Henderson
Edited by Nicolas Francis
League of Storytellers
This year, from sundown on Friday, September 25th to nightfall on October 2nd, the Jewish holiday of Sukkot was celebrated. Sukkot is a holiday that celebrates several things, mainly expressing thanks for an abundant harvest. In an interview with us, Charlotte Coker, co-president of Geneseo Hillel described the holiday as something that’s “…really rooted in nature and harvest and prayers…” Any way it’s celebrated, the holiday is a particularly important and joyous time for Jewish communities, and on Monday, September 28th, our very own Jewish community on campus, Hillel, shared their celebration with all of us.
As the Sukkot holiday is so intrinsically linked with celebrating the Earth and the natural wonders it provides, Hillel partnered with Foodlink Curbside Market and many on-campus organizations to put on the Sukkot Sustainability Fest. The event featured live music from Geneseo student band Clambo and fresh produce from Foodlink Curbside Market outside on the Union Patio, and tabling inside the union from on-campus organizations such as CAS, Model United Nations, Knight’s Harvest Food Pantry, WGSU, and students from the SUST: 385 class. Our reporter in attendance, Chitoo, was able to get some exclusive interviews with a few members of these groups, explaining how sustainability shapes their groups practices. Malachy Jensen, a member of Model UN, described how the organization runs simulations that focus on global issues. His favorite of these simulations focused on “clean water rights…and who controls water resources that sometimes are cut across national borders…”. This issue is extremely pertinent for global sustainability causes, and having these kinds of serious discussions on a college campus is a step towards progress.
Another student, Sean Novak of SUST: 385 talked to Chitoo about his experience working in the E Garden. He described the E Garden as “…a student run organization where we grow plants…that are donated to the local food pantry.” This tackles the issue of sustainability on a more micro-level, handling food access and insecurity for the Geneseo community, by the Geneseo community. Members from all of these different groups were happy to share their sustainability goals and celebrate the holiday with every attendee, which truly displayed just how passionate and connected the Geneseo campus community is.
This community connection could be felt even more so outside on the Union Patio. As students enjoyed live music from Clambo, a crowd quickly gathered around the Foodlink produce truck. Displayed much like a farmers market, Foodlink set up crates filled with fresh produce, including potatoes, corn, grapes, apples, eggs, and much, much, more. The colorful array of food was eye-catching enough for any passersby, but was made even more attractive by the fact that the Foodlink workers were happily handing out five-dollar vouchers to anyone who would accept one. Free food will always get college students to line up, but fresh fall produce sweetens the deal even more. Students happily walked out of line carrying bags full of fruit and cartons of apple cider. Foodlink is a charity based out of Rochester, with a mission focused on providing affordable and accessible food to lower income individuals. They write on their website, “We believe that the fight against hunger and the fight against poverty are one and the same. We envision a future in which food is recognized as a human right and every person is able to feed themselves and their families in dignity.” Their mission statement is very much in line with all of the other Geneseo organizations that were present at the Sustainability fest, and their positive impact could certainly be felt.
Overall, the Hillel Sustainability fest was a wonderful opportunity for all students, Jewish or otherwise, to share culture with one another, learn about organizations on campus, and understand how Geneseo practices sustainability.
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