By Emily Pesquera
The Environmental Protection Coalition held its monthly Sustainable Spartan Market on Friday, March 15. The Sykes Lawn was filled with vendors ranging from permanent jewelry to pot-your-own plants; the University of Tampa students could make purchases and had the opportunity to hear from local speakers regarding the environment and being environment-friendly.
EPC is an “organization focused on promoting environmental awareness, stewardship, and sustainability on campus and in the Tampa Bay community.” This organization is not only an on-campus organization but also one recognized by News Channel 8 and FOX 13. Today’s event entailed President Alex Carson getting interviewed by FOX 13 for her event.
The market has been a fan favorite of the University of Tampa since October 2022, and today’s event had 15 vendors; dogs, students, and even bunnies attended this event.
“My favorite part of the market is the excitement that all the students have each time,” said Alex Carson, President of E.P.C. “ I thought that over time, that may fade, but it’s so refreshing to see how excited all the students are for market day and to talk about sustainability.”
Being a part of E.P.C since freshman year, Carson includes EPC in her college life, hoping to benefit the environment one market at a time.
Markets include vendors of all types, but one of the most popular ones includes custom cups from Jalex Designs.
All the money the vendors raise goes directly back to the vendors; since they are all small businesses, they love attending the market and making UT students happy with their merchandise.
Rachel Giaquinto, Social Media Manager of EPC, loves seeing the turnout of the markets.
“ E.P.C. creating the Sustainable Spartan Market has been an incredible opportunity to bring the importance of daily sustainability to students,” said Giaquinto. “Using the market, E.P.C. can positively impact campus as students come together to celebrate local businesses and shop sustainably.”
Creating the market benefits students, faculty, and staff, who love coming out and making purchases. The market is convenient for all times of the year, and vendors change up their products to match the season or holidays.
For this market specifically, Tampa Parks and Recreation made an appearance to teach students how to be wise, safe, and eco-friendly in the outdoors.
Besides Carson and Giaquinto, Alex Larson plays a good part in planning all the markets. As Market Coordinator, Larson loves to plan and attend different markets to determine which vendors fit E.P.C. ‘s criteria, the biggest being sustainability.
“My favorite thing about the markets is bringing together so many local vendors and students to promote sustainability and environmentalism,” said Larson.
To support small businesses and shop locally, visit the next Spartan Sustainable Market on March 15, from 10 to 2 p.m. at the Sykes Lawn. Each market has a different color shirt, so attend the next one to see what color that market is!