| ISU Celebrates Earth Week '09 |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Chelsea Peck, Daily Vidette Assignment Editor |
| Monday, 20 April 2009 00:00 |
|
Students and faculty on-campus will experience Earth Week to its full potential beginning Monday and going through Friday, April 24. Two RSOs, the Environmental Concerns Organization and the Student Environmental Health Association, combined their efforts to make Earth Day a larger celebration. "We've never done it this big before. The previous years they did smaller things, but this is a really good year to go green," Tina Parisi, intern to ISU's Sustainability Coordinator Enid Cardinal, said. "We've been planning it since the end of last semester and we've been getting different registered organizations to come. "We decided to stretch it to Earth Week because Arbor Day is Friday." Not only will there be events featured all week, but beginning Saturday, April 18, SEHA has been collecting recyclable materials at the recycling drop box at the 306 W. Locust St. parking lot across from the Bone Student Center. They will be collecting the recyclables through today. SEHA will then take all recycled materials collected and put them on the Quad. "All that we collect will make a statement; first of all that drop box is there and then [students will] be aware of how Normal does their recycling through drop boxes. We will bring that on Tuesday and put it on the Quad to see what we are recycling and raise awareness about recycling," Parisi said. Earth Day will be celebrated Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Quad with booths representing how different RSOs support the celebration. There will also be acoustic music, a solar car and animals from Miller Park Zoo if the weather permits. The event will wrap up with a performance by Jack Kaufmann at 8 p.m. in Schroeder 138. "There will be a chance [for students] to win a 'green' iPod. There will be 'green' trivia in the dining centers. You'll get the information [during Earth Day] and then do the trivia on the TVs," Parisi added. "The iPods are refurbished, making them 'green.'" Earth Week will continue on Thursday with information on how students can reduce their carbon footprint by applying sustainable living to their lives. An environmental documentary, Heat, will then be featured at 7 p.m. in Capen Auditorium. Friday will feature a 2 p.m. tree walk around campus. ISU's environmental organizations are not the only groups participating in Earth Week. The Cage II in the Bone Student Center will be featuring Fair Trade Coffee all week in support of Earth Day. The establishment features at least one Fair Trade flavor a week now. "We feature [Fair Trade] everyday, but don't have awareness. We are going to do five Fair Trade [flavors] and there will be flyers and information so people know what Fair Trade is," Tracy Widergren, marketing coordinator for Campus Dining Services, said. "There is a common misconception that Fair Trade is a flavor, but it has to do with the purchasing." Fair Trade refers to any good that is purchased through farmers throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia. Purchasing coffee from communities in these countries helps to improve the quality of life in those regions. Widergren explained the Cage II would like to carry more Fair Trade flavors, but getting the product is difficult. "It's a lot to do with availability. We have been using Fair Trade since early 2000, it's nothing new but we want to bring more information. We want to bring more awareness to it," she said. "I can see it becoming a regular thing, but they will continue to feature one a day. I don't think that would change at all." According to Widergren, the Fair Trade flavors are one-third of the Cage II's profits now. "Students and guests are using it. Hopefully they will become more educated on what they are choosing and what it means in the global economy," she said. Along with ECO Club and SEHA, environmental students are trying to create a student-run Green Team to connect with the faculty Green Team, and to get students in non-sustainability majors involved. Students interested can put their name on a sign-up sheet during Earth Day. Monday 4/20: 5:00 p.m. A Woman in a Strange World Sylvia Earle Prairie Room Admission is $15.25 Tuesday 4/21: Recycle the Quad (all day) Wednesday 4/22: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Events on the Quad: various student organizations will be represented 12:00 p.m. Tree Walk, tour the Fell Arboretum in the Quad and see every species of trees in Illinois 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The true cost of coal: Mountaintop removal and the fight for our future Bowling and Billiards Center 7:30 p.m. Musical performance Jack Kaufmann Schroeder Hall 138 Thursday 4/23: 7:00 p.m. Environmental Documentary Capen Auditorium Friday 2:00 p.m. Arbor Day tree planting in the Quad 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Celebration of service: Bone Student Center (tree saplings will be given away) For more information and to see a more reformed schedules, see greenteam.ilstu.edu |
