To celebrate Southern UniversityEarth Day 2004 activities, students and faculty participated in environmentalaudits and campus clean up on Friday, April 16.
This year’s theme for activitieswas, One Environment, No Borders!
“Every year is something new andwonderful,” said Nustrat H. Naqvi, Earth Day coordinator and professor ofbiology. “Everyday is Earth Day.”
Groups of students had theopportunity to look and Southern with a critical eye, research, and presenttheir findings on campus litter and other environmental concerns.
Students studied classrooms, theravine and wooden areas behind the residence halls in the back of thecampus. Various trash items suchas bottles, paper, plastic, glass, signs, a mattress, and tires werediscovered.
“I was very surprised at ourfindings,” said Donuell Lilly, a sophomore elementary education major fromRichmond and Earth Day participant. ”I want to get involved to clean the campus.”
Such items in the environmentcontribute to pollution of the air, water, and soil. Animals are also affected as the result of garbage. Individuals are encouraged to throwaway his or her trash, invest in a recycling bin, and/or volunteer to clean upthe campus.
“As a student body, we need to pickup our trash,” said Anthony Jones, a junior secondary education and biologymajor from Baton Rouge and Earth Day participant. “We need to come together.”
The first Earth Day celebration atSouthern occurred in 1990. Theevent did not return to campus until 1992 and has been successful since thattime.
Events began on Monday, April 12with a speak out session in which students had a chance voice their opinion onthe environment. On Tuesday, April13 there was an Environmental Quiz Bowl. An Environmental Symposium was held on Wednesday, April 14 and onThursday, April 15, students and faculty participated in Campus Greening
On Sunday, April 18, the city of Baton Rouge celebrated thelast activity of Earth Week 2004 from noon to 8:30 p.m. downtown on NorthBoulevard.
According to The Advocate newswriter, Lisa Tramontana, Mayor Bobby Simpson was grand marshal, and wasfollowed by several high school marching bands and the award-winning ROTC ColorGuard. Food, music, and exhibitswere all free and open to the public.
According to Naqvi, if we take forgranted that it is someone else’s job, nothing will get done. “We must become more conscious,” shesaid.
