Ariel Shaker

On Oct. 5th, 2009, Ariel Shaker passed away after a horse riding accident. However, her memory and her dedication to a sustainable future live on, and nowhere is this more tangible than in the bio she wrote for our website. She is and will always be missed.

If you're looking for Ariel, you'll probably find her working on a sculpture in the Carpenter Center, that is, when she isn't running study breaks in Cabot's dining hall. During the 2008-2009 school year, she held quite a variety of study breaks- from showing students how to make ornaments from recycled material around the Holiday season to creating "edible earths" out of Rice Krispy Treats at earth day.

Although Ariel would probably rather be riding her horses in California than cracking textbooks in Cambridge, that hasn't stopped her from from pursuing a secondary in English on top of her VES work, and as she enters her senior year, Ariel seems just as committed to continuing to bring fun, quirky study breaks to Cabot House.

Why are you interested in the Environment?

How could someone not be interested in the Environment, at least to some degree? The world we live in is a beautiful, fun-filled, well-equipped planet and I want to make sure it stays that way both for the rest of my life and for future generations!

What's your favorite part of being a REP?

I really enjoy two aspects of REP - I like that the activities I run as a REP generate a feeling of house community in Cabot, built upon a principle I care a lot about, and I also like the group of fellow student REPs - its a wonderful group to work with! The sense of community that this program generates on multiple levels is what helps Harvard students and other affiliates to recognize how worthwhile our environment is.

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

Oh man, as a senior this question freaks me out! Pushing a pretzel cart down fifth avenue? Though maybe popsicles are more my style...

When you hear the word sustainability, what do you think of?

I think of making something durable and long-lasting. I think of making the planet durable and long-lasting!

Least favorite chore?

All chores are my least favorite. The only chore I sort of like is cleaning the sink - I'm a freak about toothpaste globs and that sort of thing in sinks. Sinks should be pristine.