Tuck Sustains

Itamar Goldminz T'10 was fresh off participating in a sustainable-living project in Fiji when he arrived at Tuck. He quickly put his passion for environmental issues into action by starting a sign-up list for like-minded students on Tuckstreams, the school's intranet. Around the same time, Carey Schwaber T'10 created a similar list for students interested in sustainable food. The two joined forces and by winter, with the help of the MBA Program Office and the school's blessing, Tuck Sustains was born.

The student-run program now promotes three broad subjects—community, environment, and wellbeing—through student brainstorming sessions, events, surveys, campaigns to reduce waste, and extracurricular classes. Unlike the popular global-focused Net Impact Club, Tuck Sustains tackles issues closer to home, such as greening Byrne Hall, which now proffers recycled napkins, fair trade coffee, and organic yogurt and apples.

The program is designed to promote a healthy work-life balance among students and to minimize Tuck's environmental footprint. But it also offers leadership positions for the growing number of students interested in environmental issues in preparation for a business world increasingly focused on sustainability. "The solid membership of students in the Net Impact Club and the fact that about 5 percent of my classmates, including myself, are looking for job opportunities in the renewable energy industry are just some of the indicators of this growing concern," says Goldminz.

Ongoing Tuck Sustains projects will include working with facilities managers to promote more sustainable operations, developing activities and events centered on wellness, and reaching out to community farmers to supply fresh foods to students and employees.

The program's leaders have also found homes for old furniture and appliances from Buchanan Hall at local charities like Listen Center and The Upper Valley Haven. Through their biweekly newsletter, they've spread the word about new fitness classes at the McKane Fitness Center, such as adrenalzen, a combination of kickboxing and yoga, and the Afro-Brazilian martial art, capoeira.

"I think there is room for growth, and with such an energetic and motivated group of students, along with an incredibly supportive administration and faculty and strong alumni base, we can make a big impact here," says Carolyn Maezes, T'10, a founding member of Tuck Sustains. "My hope is that the changes in behavior will stay with us beyond our time at Tuck, both in our lifestyle and business decisions."