Global problems – local solutions: reviving repair skills for community cohesion and
sustainability
On Monday, November 11 th , 2019, the Graduate Student Society (GSS) held their
first Repair Cafe event to celebrate the 10 th anniversary of the College of
Environmental Studies (CES). As a sustainable, circular and local activity, the
Repair Café was an occasion for putting the 3R principles of “reduce, reuse, recycle”
into practice through sharing skills and coming together as one CES community.
Also, GSS students introduced their research interests and activities through a
poster session, as well as got to know each other better while enjoying the music,
drinks and snacks.
To start things off, Polina Karimova shared her method for mindful body exercise
(BalleCore), Jennifer Wilson followed this with an introduction to meditation.
Subsequently, until the end of the event at 1pm, other students also showcased their
skills. Christina Chook conducted a workshop on making tote bags from old t-shirts
and ran a documentary cinema. Timothy Seekings provided a felting kit, and a
sewing kit to fix clothes in addition to showing how the clips of broken rucksacks can
be used together with old inner bicycle tubes to make elastic straps for tying down
luggage or other things. Hui-Ling lead a soap-making workshop. Timothy Seekings
and Matt van Stone brightened up the event with their captivating live music, to
which attendees danced. Coffee, tea, fruit, and other home-made foods were served
throughout.
Among various faculty members who visited the event, were two former deans.
Professor Yue-Joe Hsia paid a visit and spoke a little about the history of the
Humanity and Environmental Science Master’s program. Professor Kurtis Jai-Chyi
Pei gave us an update on new pangolin conservation programs he is going to offer
soon as well as the progress of the planned Pangolin rescue center in Taitung.
Two dogs, Gai Yin and Bibi enjoyed the event as much as the students did, and
gave the younger attendees, Ken (15) and Maya (12) another way to have fun.
All in all, the Repair Café was welcomed with great enthusiasm and support from all
of its participants. Presented below are some testimonies shared with the GSS as a
follow-up of the event.
Testimonies - what people liked most about the event:
“music performance”
“foods and shows”
“atmosphere, desserts”
“吉他演唱”
“I like the upcycling of the shirts to make tote bags, the music was also great, the warmup
exercises, and being there with everyone”
“Meditation Session, the FOOD, music and making those bags with Christi”
“Everything”