Environmental Club Celebrates Earth Week

By: Stephanie Turaj
Posted In: Campus News

Green Fever and Dancing Fever have hit Salve Regina. The Environmental Club celebrated Earth Week by hosting the Go Green Dance, screening of the film “Flow” and Earth Day celebrations in O’Hare.

Over 100 students attended the four hour dance at Ochre Court. The Environmental Club raised $300 for Surfrider, a nonprofit organization that helps protect the world’s beaches.

“The Environmental Club chose to donate to the Surfrider Foundation because they are an active group that advocates for the nation’s beaches and we wanted to support these positive actions,” said Environmental Club president Melissa Fromm in an

e-mail. “Surfrider has a local chapter which works towards cleaning the beaches right here in RI.”

Students danced in casual wear to songs DJed by WSRU radio. Most students were dressed in green. “Go Green” T-shirts were raffled off to students wearing green.

“The dance turned out better than I thought,” said environmental club member Ryan Hurley, a sophomore. “It was cool to see people environmentally aware.”

The Environmental Club also screened the movie, “Flow” to further raise environmental awareness.

“Flow was eye-opening, and it forced us to see the reality of how our habits using water affect the rest of the world,” said Sarah Tolman, a freshman. “I think everyone who saw it now thinks twice when we let the water run too long.”

“Flow: For Love of Water” discusses the water crisis that exists throughout the world. The film advocates water conservation, and addresses serious concerns about the water quality in developing nations, the United States and the bottled water industry.

“We take water for granted here,” said Ariana Stubbolo, a freshman, after seeing the film. “People in developing countries such as India live each day not knowing when, if ever, they will have access to clean water.”

The Environmental Club continued to raise awareness on April 22, 2009. The club set up informational tables with posters and T-Shirt raffles in O’Hare for Earth Day.

“The club was very satisfied with the planned events,” Fromm said in an e-mail. “The club raised awareness of environmental issues at hand, providing peers with helpful information regarding how even college students can decrease their carbon footprint and be more environmentally friendly.”