‘Same Veritas, More Lux’

Publication date
Monday, 15 Oct 2018
Authors
Body

Studying abroad certainly brings opportunities to learn both in and outside of the classroom. As part of my Bachelor of Environment and Sustainability, I had the privilege of studying ‘The Future of Food’ over the winter break at Yale University in the US. Yale’s official motto, ‘Lux et Veritas’ means ‘Light and Truth’ in Latin. The Yale Summer Session boasts a modified version: ‘Same Veritas, More Lux', meaning the same quality of learning with just more sunshine (or fun) - a motto that is certainly reflective of my time in the US!

Beyond academic course aspects, studying at Yale was an experience within itself. In my spare time I was able to explore the wider Yale community and New Haven region. I visited Yale’s urban farm, the environmental science building, the bioethics centre, toured the bell tower, and hiked to East Rock to get a bird’s eye view of the city. Being a Yale student certainly had its perks, including free entry to the MET, a tour of the United Nations Headquarters in New York, cheap movie ticket deals, and subsidised trips to Broadway shows – hello Wicked and School of Rock! Celebrating the 4th of July in the US was particularly special, giving my classmates and I a good way to reflect on, and share our own cultural traditions and celebrations.

In addition, I had the opportunity to visit Walt Disney World in Florida and explore Washington DC. It turns out that Disney isn’t just for kids. The highlight for me was a ‘behind the seeds’ tour at Disney’s greenhouse which was full of futuristic agriculture. I saw a whole range of unusual plants and agricultural techniques: giant lemons, rotating conveyor belt garden beds, vertical gardens, aquaculture, aquaponics, roof-hanging foods like pumpkins, and methods of biological pest control.

My favourite part of Washington was seeing the National Botanic Gardens, which was a three-storey greenhouse full of a range of climate-controlled rooms to suit different plant conditions. This was not only super cool, but it complemented my study experience, providing me with a visual understanding of how different environmental sectors in the US work.

The butterfly room at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum was also amazing with innumerable butterflies fluttering, and caterpillars preparing to cocoon. Similarly, one night my classmates and I went to a sustainable sushi restaurant and learned about the use of invasive species in food chains as a mechanism to promote conservation at the local level.

All of these experiences sparked discussion amongst my classmates, as we sought to apply our frameworks of academic thinking to our everyday lives.

This restaurant featured in sustainable Japanese food, with plant and invasive species–based sushi. With newly-made friends in my cohort, it was worthwhile checking out (and tasting!) how local food producers are doing their bit for the environment.

Prior to walking the Brooklyn Bridge, I visited the 9/11 memorial pools and Freedom Tower. In Brooklyn, there are so many hipster cafes, and I finally found somewhere that sells smashed avo!

Giant lemon variety at the Walt Disney World Epcot Greenhouses. I even got to taste-test hydroponically-grown cucumbers! Seeing elements of the ‘future of food’ within the tourism industry was an exciting experience. So often, it seems that agricultural techniques are limited to the farming and academic sectors. The ways that big industries like Disney World are getting involved in sustainability are super encouraging.

The excitement of seeing the city of New Haven from above after a long hike to the top of East Rock summit. I was astounded by the depth of green colouring in native US species during the walk up. It is unlike the dryer green colours we have in Australia.

‘Top of the Rock’ at the Rockefeller Centre. New York is not so big and intimidating from the skyline.

Many caterpillars at the Smithsonian were awaiting transformation to their next life as butterflies. The hundreds of butterflies flying around this room were pure magic to watch. Hearing from some of the ecologists about the changes in wing iridescence between species was also fascinating.