At the intersection of Earth Week and Diversity Week, Sierra Club and senior Emilio Rodriguez, a Culture House Coordinator, partnered to expand the gardens of the three cultural houses on campus. On April 22, students planted flowers that hold significance for each house’s culture and celebrated Earth Day.

Niah Tyler, Sierra Club’s vice president, spent time researching different flowers to symbolize each house. He said this event was a great way for students to enjoy time outside, reconnect with the earth and appreciate the freshness that spring brings to campus.

“The flowers we got are a great way to symbolize life, and that spring is here,” Tyler said. “We got tiger lilies for APIDA, marigolds for Casa [Latina] and sunflowers for Black Culture House.”

To attract the whole community, Rodriguez ended the event with a bonfire where students could enjoy s’mores and hot dogs. At the bonfire, students from all across the community came and learned about the cultural houses, which are open to all students from Monday to Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. 

“All the houses have updated furniture, including couches, end tables, new seating arrangements (like the hanging chair in Casa [Latina]), new porch furniture for the Black Culture House, blankets for all the houses and hygiene products for all the bathrooms,” Rodriguez said. 

This collaboration will leave a lasting impact, continuing to help students connect with nature and reminding them of the important role nature plays in their heritage, as the plants hold direct meaning for each of the house cultures.

Sophomore Amiyah Woods felt that this opportunity allowed her to become more familiar with the Culture Houses. She usually spends a lot of time with her friends at Black Culture House, but said that this event helped her realize that the other houses also provide great places for her and her friends to hang out and relax.

“Nature and plants are a big part of culture,” Woods said. “Everywhere you go, there are native and local flowers, each with different symbolism depending on the culture tied to the landscape. That’s why adding them to the Culture Houses on campus is a fun way to engage students with the houses’ culture. They’re also beautiful to see, making the Culture Houses something to be proud of.”

Rodriguez brought back a core memory for many attendees by serving his favorite Earth Day dessert, mud pies with Oreo crumbles and gummy worms. His goal was to share the special feeling he always experiences when celebrating Earth.

“When I was growing up, many other students and I would go to our school’s cafeteria on Earth Day and have Earth Day-themed snacks,” Rodriguez said. “My favorite was mud pie, so I decided to introduce it last year, and within the first hour, all the pies were gone because everyone loved them.”