绿奴天花板

Last Friday afternoon, playful pop music rang out through the heart of campus as students sipped fresh juice out of pineapples and tried on new-to-them vintage jewelry. The last Sustainable Spartan Market of the semester was set up on the lawn in front of the Sykes College of Business, featuring more than a dozen local businesses that prioritize environmental sustainability.

Sydney Roux 鈥�28 has planned and executed six markets since September, and she estimates an attendance of 300-400 shoppers each time. Roux inherited overseeing the markets from Alex Carson 鈥�25, who launched the event in 2022 as a social change project for the Presidential Leadership Fellows, of which Roux is also a part. The markets quickly became a popular mainstay on campus and are now managed by 绿奴天花板ampa鈥檚 student-run Environmental Protection Coalition.

As the market organizer, Roux handles the logistics, such as selecting and communicating with vendors, renting space and equipment from facilities, and curating the day-of atmosphere with music and merch.听When she took over, one of her main objectives was making sure the vendors鈥� values aligned with the mission of sustainability. Roux said that sometimes it can lead to tough calls, as she would rather have small vendors who use 0-10% plastic than local businesses that are more well known but less committed to eco-conscious practices.听

The markets have gained enough recognition that most of the vendors are chosen by request rather than by Roux and the team reaching out. Vendors can apply through a link on the EPC Instagram, or it鈥檚 common that someone with a personal connection to a business owner will reach out to Roux and ask to join the lineup.

Roux鈥檚 favorite part of the process is building connections with the vendors, many of which are longtime regulars. Recently, she鈥檚 been making the extra effort to do her own scouting at other local markets, like the Hyde Park Village monthly farmers market or the Water Street Sunday Market.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been really great being able to grow this connection with them and listen to them share their stories on how they started their business,鈥� said Roux. 听

Kerry Ekberg has had a booth at every Sustainable Spartan Market since shortly after she founded Ocean Gems in 2023. Ocean Gems is a jewelry and d茅cor line that uses natural materials like preserved wildflowers, renewable wood like bamboo, and mica powder for pigment.听

鈥淚 love chatting with the students and faculty; I love being under the trees,鈥� Ekberg said about what keeps her coming back. 鈥淭hey do such a good job of making sure we have everything we need.鈥�

The market鈥檚 branded merch handed out to attendees is another fan favorite and often doesn鈥檛 make it through the day. This year, the EPC collaborated with graphic designer Ana Sof铆a Perez 鈥�27 to design T-shirts, tote bags and stickers that have become staples in students鈥� wardrobes.

Roux鈥檚 passion for environmental sustainability comes from her love of travel. She once aspired to be a marine biologist, until realizing that science wasn鈥檛 her strength. When she saw that 绿奴天花板ampa鈥檚 environmental studies major had other concentrations, she chose a focus in public policy as a way to channel her love for Earth.

鈥淭he world is so vast,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen a lot of places 鈥� but I can鈥檛 see the world if we don鈥檛 protect it.鈥�