Broncs Go Green for Earth Day
Mother’s Day won’t be observed for a few more weeks, but the Rider community is getting ready to do right by her – Mother Earth, that is. Earth Day will be celebrated worldwide on Wednesday, April 22, and students on the University’s Lawrenceville and Westminster campuses will both be able to enjoy an afternoon of environmentally friendly activities, games and presentations designed to advance Rider’s commitment to sustainability.
“It’s a great way to kick off the spring, while raising awareness about the earth and its resources,” said Melissa Greenberg, Rider’s sustainability coordination manager. “We want people to turn their minds toward saving energy, so this is a fun, free event that’s meant to be educational.”
In Lawrenceville, Rider’s Energy and Sustainability Steering Committee (ESSC), Eco-Reps and Greeks Go Green will be stationed at a variety of information booths where visitors can take home fun giveaways, spin the quiz wheel, test their knowledge of sustainability and win prizes.
Think green outside on the Cranberry’s patio (rain location is the SRC Lobby), where from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., everyone can trade up, exchanging their plastic bags of any type for a reusable Broncs Go Green tote bag made with 100 percent recycled materials. Attendees can also trade in non-reusable plastic water bottles for a sturdy Broncs Go Green BPA-free bottle, which have caught on to hold chilled filtered water from one of the 15 Quench water stations on the two campuses.
Those who attend will also have the opportunity to visit the Leadership table to learn more about Earth Day, Power Shift 2009 and Climate Ride 2009. Power Shift 2009 saw some 12,000 college students converge upon Washington, D.C, to hold elected officials accountable for rebuilding the economy and reclaiming their future through bold climate and clean energy policy, while Climate Ride, a 3,000-mile bike ride, aims to promote awareness of climate issues.
“The Science department donated the use of a van and gas card to send five Rider students to Power Shift 2009,” Greenberg said.
Students, faculty and staff are also invited to donate gently used clothing to Greeks Go Green, for the benefit of the Lupus Foundation, or pot their own plants. The Latin American Student Organization will assist with soil and flower seeds, which may then be planted in the container you provide.
“You can bring a yogurt cup, a coffee mug, an empty aluminum can – really anything that will hold the soil and seeds,” Greenberg suggested.
Disc jockeys from 107.7 The Bronc will be on hand to spin your favorites, and Joe Bronc, the affable Rider mascot, will make an appearance as well.
Besides gaining a heightened awareness of sustainability issues, students have plenty of incentive to visit as many information displays as they can, according to Greenberg. “They’ll receive bingo cards, which will be stamped each time they visit a booth or station,” she explained. “At the end of the day, they’ll hand in the cards, and the ones with the most stamps will be entered into a drawing to receive a free bicycle.”
One student from the Westminster campus will also win a bicycle, Greenberg said, but that will be determined by essays they have written about Earth Day and sustainability.
At Westminster, visit the Great Plain (rain location is Thayer Lounge) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to participate in many of the same activities planned for Lawrenceville, such as pot your own plant, and the bag and bottle trade-up. However, students will also be able to sign the Pledge Tree, at which they will sign their names to a green “leaf,” made of recycled paper that affirms their support to Rider’s commitment to become a more sustainable community. The leaves will then be affixed to the trunk of the Pledge Tree. World music will provide a festive ambience for Earth Day revelers on the Great Plain.
Greenberg says that the Rider community’s early response to Earth Day planning has been enthusiastic. For example, she cites an idea conceived by Larry Toth of Facilities Management.
“Larry asked if he could have the grounds crew display all the litter they have collected from the Lawrenceville campus over the course of a week as a means of showing just how much is actually discarded,” explained Greenberg, who said the collection will be on view at Earth Day in Lawrenceville. “So far, in just a few days, they’ve already got more than five barrels filled with soda bottles, magazines and other paper. When people see how much litter actually accumulates, by showing it all together, they’ll think twice before just dropping something on the ground.”
Those who want to know more about sustainability activities and organizations at Rider are encouraged to join the Broncs Go Green group on Facebook.
