DU’s Environmental Team sponsored the Sunflower Festival to raise awareness about local issues and sustainability on Driscoll Green on Oct. 23.

Vendors set up booths and talked to students in hopes ofproviding education on environmental problems and eating healthy.

“I’ve been coming to the Farmer’s Markets [held at DU] during the summer, so I came here today to talk to more students about GrowHaus and our drop off program,” said Lindsay Smith, a food distribution volunteer with the GrowHaus. The company has a fresh, organic food box pick up program on DU’s campus.

Some of the other vendors included Zipcar, Students for Sustainability, Citizen’s Climate Lobby, US Bank and DU Vegan and Vegetarian Society (DUVVS).

Students for Sustainability worked to educate listeners about local and sustainable dining options offered at DU at their booth. Representatives also talked about the Real Food Challenge, a national movement that was introduced to DU and put into effect by Chancellor Coombe.

According to Clarion article published on June 17, 2013, the Real Food Challenge is a movement signed by colleges pledging to have 20 percent of its food meet certain criteria, such as locality and organic.

DUVVS offered vegan snacks as well as reading material on the benefits of going vegan or vegetarian.

“We are always trying to promote learning more about your impact on the environment, as well as learning more about being vegan or vegetarian,” said Libby Leutenegger, a freshman studying Gender and Women’s Studies from Denver, Colorado and DUVVS’s animal outreach coordinator.

“We just want to raise awareness,” added Becka Black, a sophomore chemistry major from Aurora, Colorado.

Not all of the vendors were concerned about food. Others focused more on the environment and our impact on nature.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby, for example, asked students to help pass a revenue-neutral carbon tax. This means that a tax would be placed on fossil fuels, and the money collected would eventually be given back to American households.

Another group present was GlobeMed. This group encouraged students to think about human rights, and had an art project where students could voice their opinion on what human rights were important to them.

“GlobeMed is encouraging the UN to focus on Article 25 for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is the belief that everyone has the right to healthy living,” said Rhianna Fairchild, a senior studying music from Arvada, Colorado.

Food was also severed at the event, including free coffee, caramel apples that students would make themselves and grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches being sold from a food truck.

“I am enjoying myself,” said Erin Orsley, a sophomore studying Spanish, religion and international studies from San Jose, California. “I love the free food and the student-run organizations. It’s nice to see students out here.”