The Associated Students Environmental Affairs Committee will be screening the first film in the Eco-film series. “Food Inc.” on Feb. 9 in the Armer Theater in the Manzanita Hall.
The film will start at 12:30 and no food or drinks will be allowed in the theater.
“The film is an Oscar-nominated film that examined food choices we eat,” said Sheela Bhongir, director of CSUN’s Environmental Affairs committee.
The A.S. department is funding the minimal advertising for this event and CSUN’s Institute of Sustainability is also providing funding to the theater said Bhongir.
Bhongir said “Food Inc.” brings awareness about the production and transportation of the food we put in our systems. The showing of the film is a collaborative effort put together by the A.S. environmental affairs committee, Dr. Erica Wohldmann, a psychology professor who suggested the film and the Institute of Sustainability of CSUN.
“We’re hoping students will walk away with mindfulness and thought of what they put in their body,” Bhongir said.
Bhongir said films like “Food Inc.” help to inspire students to participate in more environmental issues here on campus. She said this will help to motivate change in the foods that are served here on campus to more organic foods from local vendors; foods that are produced in a working environment where employees are happy.
Elizabeth M. Corrigan, associate director of campus dining, said the environmental affairs committee does a great job bringing issues like these to life and they really take the time to focus on them.
Corrigan said films like these make students and faculty as consumers think about what they are eating.
The campus offers organic foods that are convenient for students like Organic-to-Go’s pre-packaged salads. Corrigan said.
“The greens used in our salads are organic as are a few selected items that change depending on the season,” Corrigan said.
Organic-to-Go is just one of the many things CSUN is doing to be more eco-friendly.
“We try to do as much local buying as we can,” Corrigan said.
She said the University Corporation’s (TUC) focus is to provide safe food and work with as many local food companies as they can.
“TUCs responsibility is to provide safe healthy food at a reasonable cost to the consumer,” Corrigan said. “TUC will ask of its prime, produce and dairy vendors to help in this effort and support companies that have your/our best health at heart.”
After reading a brief synopsis of the film, Corrigan said she is even more concerned and interested because providing safe food for the students is in her best interest.
“I will call my vendors because I want to know where my meat comes from,” she said.
Corrigan said she knows we can’t change what’s been happening for so many years but subtle changes now can be made.
“Films like this gets inside the dirt of these companies and exposes them,” she said.
Junior Lauren Lefkowitz, business marketing major, said she feels if there were more organic products offered and they were cheaper then students will probably buy more of it.
“I remember I purchased a organic sandwich for six dollars one time,” Lefkowitz said.
Lefkowitz said she has heard so many great things about “Food Inc.” and she definitely will be attending the screening for her own pleasure as well as to fulfill a class assignment in one of her other classes.
“I’ve heard so many great things about the film,” Lefkowitz said. “My boyfriend said it was a good film. He now looks at nutritional facts after having seeing the film.”
