Author: Eni Owoeye

March 17, 2021

What will we Sustain? Reflections After One Year in the Pandemic

by Eni Owoeye

This time last year, the NYU community felt a collective shock. For students, the shock may have been a buzz of excitement at the prospect of staying at home because “Zooming” into class actually sounded thrilling. But for most, the shock slowly creeped into a panic as more blue, green, and white masks started to pop up around the City. Whatever the feeling was, we are now grappling with it one year later. The following are a collection of student stories about what they learned about themselves, their connections to others, and their connections to the environment this past year.

September 22, 2020

Voting for a Green Future: Eco-consciousness in an Election Cycle

No matter how much we love Dr.Seuss’ The Lorax, let’s be clear: don’t be a Lorax. Speaking for the trees is a beautiful and noble thing. But speech without action is meaningless. One way to take action is through voting.

As we gear up for the 2020 election, a sense of urgency has emerged. Everyone from your favorite TV show actor to major corporations, even sports teams are making a plea for all eligible voters to see voting for what it really is: a privilege while also arguably the most non-violent form of protest.

September 8, 2020

#GreenGraduates: Featuring Yvonne Cuaresma

The Green Graduate series is a collective of interviews and conversations with environmentally-minded and eco-conscious NYU graduates. As these students move on to the workforce, graduate programs, and other opportunities, we are struck with how different the world seems today than it did a few months ago. Our hope with this series is to inspire, motivate and most importantly, honor our recent graduates.

In the mood for tips on greening the mind, body, and spirit? Look to Yvonne Cuaresma. As a Master’s student in Steinhart’s Food Studies department, Yvonne’s eco-consciousness is a driving force behind her daily choices.

Identifying as Filipina American, Yvonne has many rich childhood memories spent in the natural world. At seven years old, Yvonne’s family packed their bags to move to California, where her days were filled with adventures like camping, fishing, and trips to the lake or beach. While her love for these scenic landscapes grew, her parents made sure that love for the outdoors was coupled with something else.

May 18, 2020

#GreenGraduates – An Interview with BennuAube Amen

As a Brooklyn native, it would have been easy for BennuAube Amen to fall into a familiar routine at NYU. When she started college in 2016, her experience with both the city and environmentalism were well beyond many of her peers. Bennu had the opportunity to get her feet wet in high school, volunteering at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. She thinks back to her time in the Botanical Garden often, learning about horticulture and botany, teaching young kids, “that’s where I really learned to be a student,” she said.

March 25, 2020

Must Read: Environmental Edition

I, like many other house-bound folks during quarantine, have promised myself that I want to spend time doing something OTHER than Netflix: work out, maybe even start baking bread? One thing that’s definitely on the list is reading. For transparency sake, reading also made an appearance on my ‘new year resolution’ list, but trust me – this time, it’s different.

We’ve compiled a list of environmental must-reads. Some are fiction, some are fact, but all of them are fantastic. We’ve even included a few selections for kids, for the parents who are learning how to homeschool their kids for the first time. Read more