Naz Dining grows Earth Week events

While Nazareth Dining remains committed to sustainability on an everyday basis, they emphasized their environmental actions during this year’s Earth Week.

As part of Nazareth University’s Earth Week, Nazareth Dining hosted several activities that showcased initiatives such as composting, plant-based dining, and supporting local businesses.

The week kicked off on April 17 with a Hometown Eats event that allowed diners to enjoy local products and dishes.

“We had a ‘hometown plate’ with Zweigle’s hot dogs, and Boulevard Produce provided the produce for the meals,” Nazareth Dining Marketing Manager Kadijah Brack-Rowley said. “The Chicken Riggies were a hit, as was the Pesto Chicken Pizza, made using Babylon Micro Farm basil grown in our dining hall.”

The event also featured tofu from SoyBoy in Rochester, and apple pie and apple crisp made with New York State apples.

“We were highlighting a lot of the local products we already source and use every day,” Brack-Rowley said.

Naz Dining Marketing Intern Idalis “Dali” Torres, who is from the region, said the event felt like eating dinner at home with her family.

Torres orchestrated a Sustainability Jeopardy game during the Local Vendor Fair on April 21.

“I went through a lot of Nazareth and Sodexo resources on sustainability, and used that to create different questions,” she said. “I brought students over to play, and had the game on the big screen projector. It was very fun.”

In addition to the game, the fair included local vendors that Naz Dining frequently uses, such as SOHO Bagels, Finger Lakes Coffee, and Jenn’s Cookies, set up to share samples and information with the campus community.

A Freshtival was held April 22 at the plant-based station in the dining commons.

“We highlighted fun, sample-sized menu items to encourage people to taste new plant-based items without having to commit to a whole plate,” Brack-Rowley said.

District Dietitian Megan Dennis was at the station to encourage diners to try the items and learn more about the benefits of plant-based dining.

“Our goal was to offer comfort foods that students really like, and oftentimes want vegan or vegetarian versions of it,” she said. Menu items included jackfruit slides, cauliflower crust pizza with vegan cheese, and cauliflower buffalo wings.

Dennis said the population of students maintaining a plant-based diet is increasing, and she was happy to see them enjoying the new offerings at the station.

Brack-Rowley and Torres held a Weigh the Waste event on April 23 at the dining commons, collecting 20 pounds of compostable waste. A representative from Waste Management was on site as well to talk with students about composting and recycling.

“We closed off our usual composting bins so students could come to us for the event, and the Waste Management rep said he noticed a lot of students do compost on campus,” Brack-Rowley said. Torres added that they noticed many of the students had clean plates at the end of their meals with no food waste.

The final Earth Week event for dining was an Impossible Smashburger takeover at The Cab.

Torres said sustainability is something that is ingrained in the culture here at Naz.

“There’s a recycling bin in every classroom, and always a place to recycle everything, even in the dining hall, in addition to composting,” she said. “It's just a part of the culture, so when you come here as a freshman, you kind of adapt to it. It’s very nice that it’s a part of the culture.”

Brack-Rowley said it’s important for dining to keep sustainability in mind every day.

“We serve so many people every day, and food waste is something we see every day,” she said. “It’s important to create that awareness around it, making people more knowledgeable about sustainability and being more mindful overall about what and how they’re eating.”

Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.

Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.

• published: 2025 May
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