At an innovative party on Friday night, students can aid the environmental effort while gulping Vermont beer from their eco-mugs. Combining Earth Week and the Greek scene, Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority is hosting Earth Fest 2005, a "green frat party" complete with kegs and a live band.
This unique party will be stocked full of recyclable cups and support local business with kegs from Vermont brewery Magic Hat. However, the rather large size of the eco-mugs creates a mild predicament.
The eco-mugs, which hold 20 oz., contradict the strict Social Event Management Procedures regulation where one serving equals 12 ounces of beer. Director of Student Activities Linda Kennedy, however, was not the least bit apprehensive.
"I don't have a concern. All they need to do is figure out where 12 ounces is in the mug and not fill it up past that," Kennedy said. "You have to be a lot more blunt than that for us to take interest."
Theta service chair Cayelan Carey '06 confirmed that only 12 ounces would be dispersed into the eco-mugs, but made sure to note a free refills option.
Furthermore, to combat problems of underage drinking caused by the hidden nature of an eco-mug's contents, non-alcoholic beverages will only be served in recyclable, clear plastic cups.
Carey noted that Theta chose to undertake the event due to the sorority's strong emphasis on environmental conservation.
"Essentially, the whole theory of the party is that everything involved, which you would find in a typical frat party, has been altered to make it eco-friendly," Carey said. "At Theta we genuinely feel like we're making a difference in the environment. We think the concept [of the party] is a great one."
Originally, Theta offered eco-mugs to students who did not previously own them in exchange for a dollar donation at the door. However, Kennedy pointed out that New Hampshire liquor laws might view this as students paying for alcohol, so the plans were discontinued.
Instead, the sorority decided, in conjunction with the Environmental Conservation Organization, to offer a myriad of "retro" eco-mugs -- free for party attendants.
The money raised by selling eco-mugs was intended as a donation to Vital Communities, a local organization that focuses on supporting local farms. But Theta will instead sustain the idea of supporting local business by providing kegs from a community business in Burlington, Vt.
"The microbrewery will help local industry rather than importing cans from Colorado that will most likely get thrown out," Carey said in reference to the popular Keystone Light.
On the topic of pong, students won't have to worry about adjusting their skills to the height of eco-mugs, because the same recyclable plastic cups for non-alcoholic beverages will be used for the popular game.
"I feel like anybody that comes to the event will see that you can have an environmentally-conscious Greek party at Dartmouth," Carey said.
