Earth Week
Allison Osredker
Hi everyone! As the semester dwindles down, the Green Student Alliance (GSA) has some great events to get your mind off of the grind and engage with your peers for a good cause. We will be hosting couple of events each day of Earth Week, kicking off Monday, April 22 with Earth Day on the Square at 12pm! This event is a passing of the torch from the older generation of environmentalists to youth environmentalists. If you’re interested in volunteering, contact Kane Sheek @ kane.sheek@sierraclub.org We will also be hosting Ecopalooza on the North Mall @ 1pm-3pm. This event is the kick off for MSU events. We’ll have food, music, and local vendors all with sustainability missions and practices. The GSA will unveil a public art piece and give a welcoming address. Lastly, there will be Green Games on BS Lawn @ 3:30pm-4:30pm. This event is meant to get students outside and moving around. Unplug and hang out with the Live Life Green committee on the Blair Shannon Lawn!
Tuesday, April 23, we will be having the Sustainability Club Expo in the PSU from 11am-3pm. All kinds of clubs will be tabling and talking about their sustainability related missions. Come learn a thing or two and meet some like-minded students. There will be a Clean Energy Event in Carrington Hall @ 5pm. At this event, you can come and learn about the global transition from coal and oil to wind and solar energy. There will be models made by an MSU sculptor and a documentary called Reinventing Energy that will be provided by the Sierra Club. To top it all off, there will be a giveaway for a solar powered bluetooth speaker!
Wednesday, April 24, there will be an Environmental Activism Seminar (time/location pending) If you’re an environmentalist looking for a rundown on grassroots organizing, pull up a chair and hang out with Sierra Club reps. Another fun event will be the How to Dumpster Dive (time/location pending). The Dickerson Park Zoo will be hosting an event on Campus @ 1pm-4pm. Come see some of the animals! Finally, there will be a Poster Party for the Earth Strike @ 7pm. If you want to come demonstrate with Earth Strike on the 27th, come to Hurts downtown on the 24th to prepare. Materials will be provided to make signs for the protest.
Thursday, April 25, This event will be a full day of service opportunities at places like The Campus Garden, Dickerson Zoo, Sequiota Park, and many more. If you’re interested in servicing the environment or just need a few more hours to fulfill a scholarship requirement, take our interest survey to get emails about the day of service and sign up for something you’re interested in.
Friday, April 26, Come hang out with us and have a fun movie night! We will be watching Trashed: Plastic Waste Documentary in Carrington @ 5:30pm. Watch the trailer here and then come watch the full thing with us Friday night!
Lastly, the entire city of Springfield is partaking in the Earth strike on the Square downtown Saturday, April 27 @ 11pm-4pm!
If you are a student interested on how to get involved with local environmentalism, or just looking for some time to kill, your friends at GSA would love to have you at any of these events. We won’t ask you to commit anything, just show up and have fun! Thanks for your time and we will see you soon!