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Earth Day focuses on community, education
By: ROBERT HAWKINS / DN Staff Writer
Issue date: 4/21/04 Section: News
On Thursday, University of Nebraska-Lincoln student groups, local
businesses and campus political organizations will congregate on the
Nebraska Union Plaza to celebrate Earth Day.
Chelsea Phillippe, a senior environmental studies major and member
of Ecology Now, organized UNL's events for the third year in a row.
The theme of this year's festivities is "local community and
educating students about what's in the Lincoln community," she said.
About 40 participating groups will be set up at booths during the
day starting at 9 a.m. and will feature activities such as a
climbing wall, free haircuts by a local salon and a paper-making
machine in which visitors can see the process by which pulp is
reconstituted into recycled paper.
Linda Witfoth, a manager at Eyes of the World Imports, said she will
have jewelry, decor for residence hall rooms, bamboo plants and
wooden sculptures at her booth.
"Eyes of the World has always been earth-conscious," Witfoth said.
"Half of us have children and we want them to have renewable
resources in the future."
John Ellis, a manager and co-owner of Centerville Farmer's Market, a
cooperative that features the produce of local family farms, said he
decided to join in the Earth Day celebration to promote local
products.
He said he wanted to teach people to "make that connection from
rural to urban."
"So much of the food we eat is produced far away," Ellis said.
From 8 to 11 p.m, SPECTRUM, Mexican American Students Association
and Amnesty International will be selling "Pancakes for Peace." A
plate of pancakes will cost $3, and proceeds will go toward the
education of young women in Afghanistan.
Ryan Fette, a junior Spanish major, said the groups wanted to do
something constructive, rather than protest the war.
The Earth Day Film Festival will be tonight from 6:30 to 11:30 in
the union auditorium and will feature five films, including "Winged
Migration."
Phillippe said students should take a minute to reflect on what
Earth Day is about. Students also should actively participate in
Earth Day, she said, by doing something like recycling.
To her, Earth Day is about "respecting our environment and doing
what you can to make it better."
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