Minds aren’t the only thing being tended to in the Honors College.

Students socialized while shoveling soil and planting seeds as part of the Honors College Halloween party.

Every year the Honors College has a theme based on a book given to all of the honors freshmen. Three years ago, students read “”Ishmael”” by Daniel Quinn and focused on sustainability. To embody the theme, students planted a small garden behind Slonaker House that they have continued to cultivate.

According to David Scott Allen, director of development at the Honors College, students learned through Native Seeds Southwestern Endangered Aridland Resource Clearing House (Native Seeds SEARCH) what would have grown in the region originally.

“”I think it’s really good to show students that they can grow their own food. We get food from all over the place and we don’t think about where it comes from and if you don’t buy local then you have a lot of issues with wasting gas and it’s usually not made to conserve water,”” said Honors Student Council President Natalie Lucas, a sophomore majoring in political science and environmental science. “”All the seeds that we buy are bought from the Native Seeds Search and they are adapted to use less water … it’s always water-saving, a demonstration to students. And it’s something fun for them to get involved with sustainability in a really good way.””

The Honors Student Council hosts a reception supplied with only food grown from the garden at the end of the year.

This year, honors students are planting garlic, lima beans, two types of lettuce, garbanzo beans, peas, a lemon and a lime tree.

Because there were fewer students over the summer, students were able to share food from the garden.

“”I had organic tomatoes all summer and it was amazing and delicious,”” Lucas said.

Students enjoyed the physical activity involved with the garden.

“”I like working with my hands,”” said honors college member and music junior Brenden Shultz. “”It’s good to feel that sense of accomplishment and to see the process of gardening and how you can turn something that’s just new and fresh and you plant seedlings and you nurture them and it all starts here.””

The Honors College is also aiming to go green in other ways; they plan to enhance their composting efforts both in the garden and in the honors residence halls, according to Lucas. Lucas also said they are raising funds to give student reusable mugs and have them sign a pledge to use their mug in order to cut waste.