UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 21, Page 5
February 23, 1995
Earth Day; Student environmental group planning festival

     April 22 will mark the 25th anniversary of Earth Day, and a
campus/community celebration is planned with boott for all ages,
according to Anna White, president of the Student Environmental Action
Coalition (SEAC) at the University.
     Campus organizations have been invited to participate. The only
requirement is that there be some kind of environmental/global focus,
and that the activity be environmentally sound.
     In addition, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution marking April
16-23 as Earth Week to encourage focusing on the preservation of the
global environment in classroom presentations when appropriate.
     According to White, Earth Day '95 is the culmination of SEAC's
ongoing activities to improve the environment. The group participates
in outdoor clean-ups, encourages water and energy conservation,
attends conferences and also goes hiking and camping.
     Recently SEAC launched a campaign on waste reduction to remind
the campus community of the importance of the three Rs- reducing,
reusing and recycling.
     There are many small and easy  ways that individuals can
contribute to the environment, White pointed out, such as writing on
both sides of a sheet of paper, using e-mail or recycling paper
properly. Offices across campus are organized for recycling paper, and
students can recycle paper at Smith Hall or the Student Center.
     White also encourages bag recycling. "Take your own bag to the
store. Place bags from the University Bookstore in the recycling bin
so they can be used again," she said.
     "It used to be students all had mugs hanging from their book
bags, but you don't see many now. It really does cut down on waste and
costs if you don't use paper and plastic throwaways," she said.
     This month, SEAC created a sculpture of recyclable cans as a
visible reminder to recycle at the Perkins Student Center. Perched on
top was Sesame Street's Oscar the Grouch, whose home is a garbage can.
"Don't be a grouch-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," was his message.
     The group also adopted a Lorax (an environmental creature of Dr.
Seuss fame) as its mascot this year, a childhood creature familiar to
most students.
     "We know that people's intentions are good, but that it's easy to
forget and become careless. We think the University community can do a
lot better and this is our way of reminding them without preaching,"
White said.
     In March, SEAC members will visit area schools to talk about the
global environment.
     For further information, call White at 837-8676.
                                                   -Sue Swyers Moncure