No Impact Week

No Impact Week image
Posted on by Larry Bartel

Join the Hesston College community for a fun and challenging one week carbon cleanse experiment, and discover how lowering your impact can benefit not only the planet, but your own quality of life! Each day will focus on a different theme, from consumption to eating locally, and we’ve got a great lineup of activities and events for you to join in on.

Register online

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Saturday, Sept. 24: KICK-OFF!

  • No Impact Week Information and Registration Booth: 1:30-2 p.m. and 4-5 p.m., Hesston Mennonite Church lobby (Registration allows you to gain access to all the event information and helpful resources for No Impact Week, such as “How To Guide,” daily email reminders, before/after surveys.)
  • Campus Screenings of “No Impact Man”: 2-4 p.m., Hesston Mennonite Church – No Impact Man follows Colin Beavan as he attempts to live for one year in Manhattan making “zero environmental impact” with his shopaholic wife and two year old daughter.

Sunday, Sept. 25: CONSUMPTION

  • No Impact Week Information Booth: 6:30-7 p.m., Hesston Mennonite Church lobby
  • First Year Seminar screening of “The Story of Stuff” and “Trashed”: 7-9 p.m., Hesston Mennonite Church
    • “The Story of Stuff” is a 20 min. video that lays out the problems in our consumption of “stuff” and shows how everything is linked: environmental problems with social justice issues with declining happiness.
    • “Trashed” is a look into the American waste stream fast approaching a half billion tons annually. What are the effects all this waste will have natural resources? Why is so much of it produced? And who wants America to make more?

Monday, Sept. 26: TRASH

  • Chapel: Student Public Service Announcements on No Impact Week themes followed by a message to Hesston College from No Impact Man Colin Beavan and a meditation by Michele Hershberger, 11 a.m., Hesston Mennonite Church
  • The Trash Nest: Join the campus as we gather to view and reflect on our trash. 3-3:30 p.m., Smith Center courtyard
  • First Year Seminar Screening of “Wasteland”: 7-9 p.m., Hesston Mennonite Church (“Wasteland” is an exploration of an artist’s creative process as he makes treasure out of trash; using cast-offs he finds at garbage dumps. It also profiles the people who live near Jardim Gramacho, a Brazilian landfill that’s said to be the largest refuse dump in the world.)

Tuesday, Sept. 27: TRANSPORTATION

  • Transportation Expo and Bicycle Tune-ups: Check out the good, the bad and the ugliest of transportation as students, faculty and staff talk about their choices and the cost of getting from A to B. Also, don’t miss the free bike maintenance and sign-ups for carpooling opportunities. 4:30-6 p.m., Larks Nest (inside and outside)
  • First Year Seminar Screening of “Fuel”: 7-9 p.m., Hesston Mennonite Church (“Fuel”: Biofuel advocate Josh Tickell explores the origins of America’s dependence on fossil fuels, detailing the road trip that he took campaigning for more sustainable fuel.)
  • CAB Game Night: Instead of driving somewhere else tonight, go to the Campus Activity Board’s game night. 9 p.m.- 12 a.m., Larks Nest

Wednesday, Sept. 28: FOOD

  • Chapel, Luke Gascho, Director of Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center: “Overstepping the Boundaries: Global and Biblical Realities of Creation Care,” 11 a.m. Hesston Mennonite Church
  • Local food options: Experience some local food provided for lunch and dinner today, dining hall
  • Community Gardening: Join several student leaders as they prep the Hesston College community garden for spring planting. 1-3 p.m., Hesston Community Garden (east of Bontrager Center parking lot)
  • Compost Bin Construction: The Hesston College garden needs composting bins. Help us construct them out of salvaged materials. 3-4:30 p.m., Hesston Community Garden (east of Bontrager Center parking lot)
  • First Year Seminar Screening of “Food, Inc.” with talk-back led by Luke Gascho and guests: 7-9 p.m., Hesston Mennonite Church (“Food, Inc.” exposes the highly mechanized, often concealed underbelly of the American food industry.)

Thursday, Sept. 29: ENERGY

  • Luke Gascho presentation/discussion in First-Year Seminar, “Intersections: Faith Journey Meets Sustainable Living,” 3-4 p.m., Hesston Mennonite Church
  • “Sustainapalooza” Join us for a variety of student activities including Ultimate Frisbee, an “Upcycling” project, lawn and board games, live music and charades. 7-8:30 p.m., Larks Nest
  • Mod challenge: Go without electricity—together. 9-10 p.m. Facilities will measure and announce the difference between today and Thursday of last week.

Friday, Sept. 30: WATER

  • Forum: A Focus on Water: 11-11:30 a.m., Kropf 150
  • Rain Gardening: Don’t miss your chance to dig in the dirt when you assist the Environmental Biology class with their rain garden lab. 2-3:30 p.m., Dyck Arboretum of the Plains
  • First Year Seminar Screening of “Water on the Table”: 7-9 p.m., Kropf 150 (“Water on the Table” follows Canadian author and activist Maude Barlow as she travels the world campaigning for recognition of access to fresh water as an essential human right. )
  • Mod challenge: Get your mod to limit water use all day. Facilities will measure the difference.

Saturday, Oct. 1: SERVICE

  • Numana Service Project: 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Campus Activities Center
  • Hesston College Service Day Meal: Join us for informal table discussion of the week’s activities. 5:15 p.m., dining hall

Sunday, Oct. 2: ECO-SABBATH

  • Walk to the arboretum and relish the outdoors
  • Take a bike ride and enjoy moving
  • Relax and visit with friends—face to face
  • Sing, read, dance, play instruments, write
  • Listen
  • Practice silence
  • Limit consumption, waste and energy/water use
  • Be grateful and know that you are loved