Students Take Going Green Vertical

Students at UTA Libraries took the philosophy of going green vertically on April 20. With the help of library staff members, students built a vertical garden to grow plants at home. 

Milaun Murry, Community Engagement Assistant Director, who led the workshop, told students that this project could be done at home for around $10. All of the materials for the project, from a single piece of lumber to the paint, wood screws and galvanized metal plumbers' tape, are found at any local home improvement store. 

As the project started, students first painted the board outside on the patio, but Texas weather being what it is, the weather quickly changed, and the activity was rushed indoors. Once their art pieces were dry, they hand-tightened the wood screws securing the plumbers' tape to the board, bent in a horseshoe shape to hold potted plants. 

Before the workshop started, library staff drilled pilot holes into the wood to make the assembly process quicker. 

Rogelio Meixueiro, an environmental science major, stated that events like this encourage people to garden and eat healthier. 

"A project like this gives people access to growing their own food because you are making it with materials that you can buy at a store for a cheap price, which makes it accessible and affordable," Rogelio said. "I think I will start with some tomatoes and some greens. We are also going to be doing some mint so that we can make some tea this week." 

Sagar Dharman, a computer science major, stated that eating food you grow yourself is a healthier choice. 

"You can eat a big bowl of salad and you're good for the day. But that is not the case with processed food," Sagar said. "With processed food, I had an issue with high blood pressure. Now with the green food I am cooking, I had a healthy drop in my blood pressure and the doctors were happy." 

Sagar stated that he feels eating healthy impacts your physical health as well as your mental health. 

For upcoming events at UTA Libraries, go online to https://libraries.uta.edu. People can also follow the libraries' social media pages on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.