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Captain Planet and his Planeteers, Samantha Joseph ’09 and Arun Lamba ’09
Imagine 200 hundred people cheering in Walker Memorial while ten of their classmates are running back and forth...recycling.
Though the C-function is a long standing tradition at MIT Sloan, this year marked the first annual Sustainability C-function. Due to the hard work of Arun Lamba ’09, Samantha Joseph ’09, the leadership teams of Net Impact, Energy and Environment, Sloan Entrepreneurs for International Development (SEID) and many dedicated volunteers, the Sustainability C-Function debuted to rave reviews on April 24th and set a new standard at MIT Sloan for all C-functions to come.
Realizing that this was a unique opportunity to reach a widespread audience who may not normally self-select into a sustainability event, the organizing team felt that it was time to show their friends and classmates that acting sustainably can actually be simple, cost-effective, and pretty entertaining. With only a few hours to leave guests with both a great impression and an interest in learning how their choices impact the environment, the pressure was on. Since C-functions are typically themed around a country/culture, organizers chose to show that ‘sustainability’ and ‘zero-waste’ are a culture in their own right.
The MIT Sloan Net Impact leadership team. View larger version >>
This departure from the norm included a recycling relay race, a Project Runway-style competition highlighting recycled clothing, a video on what Sustainability means to the MIT Sloan community, the musical styling's of DJ Mike LaRosa, and a very special guest...Captain Planet himself. In addition, t-shirts and old clothes were collected and donated in a special ‘UN-t-shirt sale’. Students also drank organic beer and wine out of their biodegradable plastic mugs and ate locally grown food with corn utensils.
Creativity as well as passion for the environment and social change motivated the organizers to plan an exciting, high impact evening with a remarkably small environmental impact. While most C-Functions produce 40 bags of trash, by recycling and composting, the Sustainability C-function ended the night with only ONE. With a budget smaller than most C-functions, Samantha and Arun proved that passion and hard work are enough fuel to make a difference in the community.
By writing a handbook on planning a sustainable event, the organizers have committed to helping every C-function at MIT Sloan reduce its environmental footprint. We can't wait to see what they have in store for us next year!
© 2009 MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT