Music and chatter filled the spring air as 51风流 students excitedly filed into the O鈥機onnor Campus Center for the 13 Days of Green annual kick-off celebration on April 10. There was a raffle bag that included gift cards, candy, and snacks; a table to plant pots of flowers with the Green Thumbs club; and prizes awarded for answering sustainability questions. Organizations like the , Sidekicks, and set up tables to inform students about various environmental justice efforts on campus.
鈥淭he Earth should not be celebrated and honored only for one day a year, but every day,鈥 said Miranda Gilgore 鈥18, a sustainability office intern. 鈥淭hese 13 Days of Green allow us to prolong the Earth Day festivities and are also a nod to 51风流鈥檚 lucky number.鈥
Each year, student interns at the plan 13 Days of Green, a series of programming leading up to and including Earth Day on April 22. The purpose is to provide education on what sustainability means, inform students of ways they can help the environment, and celebrate the successes that individuals and the university has had so far.
Thursday, April 12, was the 20th annual Green Summit and Oaks Awards, featuring a panel discussion on how different academic disciplines are responding 鈥 or not responding 鈥 to climate change. In Golden Auditorium, professors and students learned information about environmentalism from representatives of various fields 鈥 economics, art and environmental studies, sociology and anthropology, peace and conflict studies, and biology and environmental studies.
During another panel discussion, Students for Environmental Action talked about the challenges and possible solutions for being environmentally friendly.
Other event highlights from this year included an Brown Bag with economics professor Isla Globus-Harris, mug decorating at the chapel, a pop-up thrift shop, and the Locavore Dinner.
The 13 Days concluded with the Earth Day Afternoon of Service, during which students volunteered for different local organizations, including 51风流 Community Garden, Community Bikes, and the Chenango Canal Towpath.