Photo by: Charles Ng
More than 100 students representing some 15 organizations gathered at the DU law school building to celebrate the 34th annual national Earth Day and promote environmental awareness last Wednesday.
The DU Environmental Team and the law school’s Environmental Club hosted the all-day celebration. The event was moved from the Driscoll Lawn due to the coming snowstorm. The organizations set up tables in the lobby of the law school and offered information about their organizations.
There was a mix of student run-organizations and nonprofit environmentally focused organizations at the event. The organizations included DU Amnesty International, Center for Biological Diversity, and the Sierra Club. In addition the Department of Physics had two tables that provided information on research on light pollution and turning recycled tires into playground material.
Drinking-age students could purchase beer at another table.
The event also featured a speaker, Kevin Hannon, a lawyer who works with neighborhoods that have been polluted by factories located there. Captain Planet and the Planeteers provided entertainment.
Tracy Vlnicka, president of the Environmental Team, said, “I think that we had an awesome component this year that we did not have last year.”
The event might have attracted more undergraduates had the event been held on the Driscoll Lawn, she said.
This year’s event also had an interactive component absent in prior years. Participants could make their own Earth Day buttons or decorate a re-usable shopping bag with the DU Environmental Team slogan, “Know it. Love it. Protect it.”
More than 30 first-and-second graders from the Rick James Center learned more about how they can protect the environment. They made buttons and decorated the reusable bags, which they took back to their school as community bags. They also talked to Captain Planet about why Earth Day is important and why it should not be just a one-day event.
Three children, Brad Boller a second grader; Claire Stirdivant, a first grader, and Riley Jones, a second grader, had their own perspectives on Earth Day.
“On Earth Day you should respect the Earth well, and all other days too, but most respected on Earth Day,” said Brad.
“I think it is the Earth’s birthday,” said Stirdivant when asked the same question.
“I think the Earth should be respected,” added Riley. The three children said they recycle regularly and are studying the ecosystems ponds and rivers in school.
“The thing that we learned is that when you have a six-pack of soda to cut the rings so they don’t get stuck on birds feet and necks,” they said in unison.
Three other first graders, Max Geise, Winston Howard and Cameron Davison, made resolutions to help the environment daily.
“I sometimes recycle but I want to start recycling all the time,” said Max.
“I sometimes pick up trash in the park but I want to start recycling,” said Cameron.
“I recycle a lot of stuff but I am going to pick up three pieces of trash a day,” said Winston.
“The feelings of Earth Day should last all year,” said Environmental Team secretary Joseph Peha. “That is the reason that Environmental Team exists at DU. To make sure that the feelings last all year but also to have educational programs.”
The two groups combined to make one event so they did not compete against each other, said Christian Valerio the president of the law school group.
“Our focus is on activism with people participating in environmental cases, also we focus on how to gear your career toward environmental activism,” Valerio elaborated.
The DU Environmental club estimated 200 people passed by throughout the day.
