By Kipling Klimas
Staff Writer
Pleasant chatter wafted out of the open shutters of the Green House and into the cool summer night. Walking in I was immediately greeted with piles of sorted recyclables that tipped me off as to why this theme house is called the “Green House” – because it certainly had nothing to do with the color of the place.
Wandering into the living room I conversed with geology major Anna Thor-son (C’16) about life at the Green House and their mission on campus. The Green House is dedicated to sustainability and reducing their impact on the local environment. Anna, along with nine other residents, calls the Green House home – and life at the Green House is a little bit different than life in a dorm. Resident James Dun-away (C’17) spoke highly of the close-knit community of the Green House fostered by the various chores each of the residents is responsible for. The ten residents are responsible for cleaning, maintaining and making sure the Green House stays… well, green. They have weekly meetings with all the residents to make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to duties around the house. They make sacrifices such as not using air conditioning, taking shorter showers and letting the yellow mellow in order to conserve water. All these efforts culminate to make the Green House one of the greenest houses on campus, environmentally speaking. Bowls of chips and homemade salsa invited tasting and the open doors and beautiful night air made the perfect environment for making new connections. Residents of the Green House have a variety of planned events for the rest of the semester, so if you missed this one, don’t feel bad – there will be plenty of other opportunities to engage with the sustainable side of Sewanee themed housing. At press time David Prehn (C’16) was heard saying, “I’ve enjoyed myself and learned about sustainability and what it means to live intentionally.”