Volume 31, Issue 17
February 23, 2006
www.elon.edu/pendulum
'If it matters to you, it matters to The Pendulum/”
More local organic food options coming to Elon
■ lii
■!»
Brandon Hughes
Reporter
Elon’s support
for an eco-friendly
campus continues,
as SGA voted to
promote the use of
local organic foods
in dining facilities at
no additional cost to
students.
The SGA meet
ing took place Feb.
16, with 35 initia
tive collaborators
present. The vote
represents the latest
step in the LOC-OR
Initiative, which
stands for local-
organic. The initia
tive is a campus
movement pushing
for local and organ- I
ic food on campus.
The resolution
states “We, the
Student Government Association of
Elon University, strongly encourage
using organic, locally produced food
in our dining halls and campus facili
ties whenever possible.”
The movement began after seeing
the success of past Fall Environmental
Forum luncheons.
“We knew we were onto some
thing when people requested take-out
from Harden Dining Hall,” said senior
Mike Neely, Students for Peace and
Justice (SfPJ) co-organizer.
To meet the growing interest
among students, the LOC-OR
Initiative formed in February through
the Green Elon Committee in SfPJ.
“We were amazed with the amount of
contact we received from students,
faculty, staff and community mem-
Seniors Steve
Brandon Hughes/ Photographer
Sypole and Mike Neeley worked together to pass the initiative.
bers, asking how they could get
involved or support the movement,”
senior SGA Senator Steve Sypole
said. “We haven’t spoken to anyone
who hasn’t supported it.”
To help build support, Sypole
brought the issue up before SGA. At
the meeting, LOC-OR members Neely
and Nicole Dvorak, junior, spoke
about the resolution they had come up
with.
“This resolution will be imple
mented slowly and carefully to make
sure the student’s interests are repre
sented,” Neely said. “The local and
organic movement is rapidly growing
on a regional, national and interna
tional scale. Elon is in a position to
join the leaders on this.”
Dvorak talked about the benefits of
organic food, including no growth
hormones, synthetic pesticides, herbi
cides or fertilizers being used and
ecosystems and farmland being pre
served and nurtured.
“Local food supports local strug
gling communities, more efficient
resource use and shorter transit time
from farm to plate,” Dvorak said.
“Don’t you want to know your food is
grown property, on healthy land and
comes to the table fresher, tastier and
healthier?”
Local organic foods could be intro
duced in two to three weeks. Aramark
is talking with United Natural Foods
Inc. to bring local organic food to
Danieley Center and is also discussing
opening an organic deli on campus.
The .Initiative’s short-term goal is
to have five days this semester as
local organic food days in
Harden. The Initiative’s long
term task is to have local and
organic food thoroughly
used across campus, on
the standard meal plan
with little increased
cost to students.
“The world is
changing rapidly in
this direction,
Neely said. “One
of my dreams is
for the Elon
community to
really take
on and
embody
our own
trans- '
forma
tive eco-cul-
tural vision
Contact Braitdon Hughes at pen
dulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.
This flyer
was made by
Nicole Dvorak
and was passed out
during the SGA
meeting on Thursday.
Anna Joiner/ Assistant Photo Editor
Aramark could have local organic foods within the next two weeks.
FEATURES
p. 15
Senior Mary Caruso
wins a trip to Turkey.
ENTERTAINMENT
p. 18
NASCAR and Harlequin
romance novels team up.
SPORTS
p. 23
Tennis kicks off con
ference play Saturday.