Tree huggers, environmentalists, and ordinary earth-conscious people alike, gathered at Burt Kahn Court on April 19 to learn how to help the environment in an early Earth Day celebration.
Burt Kahn was filled with tables and posters teaching event-goers how to help the environment, specifically by going green. Some tables sold eco-friendly jewelry while others gave away apples, flowers and freshly cooked pasta with herbs and vegetables.
Outside, the Farmer’s Market helped to attract passers-by to the event.
Inside, the air of the room was upbeat and cheerful as many table representatives seemed genuinely happy to be there, excited to answer questions about their presentation.
Khristina Catarineau, who is in the master’s program for occupational therapy, ran a table featuring a poster entitled “20 Things College Students Can Do to Go Green.”
The list included things such as double-sided printing, donating and buying used furniture, line drying laundry, and using reusable cloths to clean with instead of paper towels.
“Students take some initiative but they’re not as conscious at they should be,” Catarineau said. “A lot of eco-friendly products are better publicized and it’s more common now to have these products than it was 5 years ago.”
Jayme Petronchak, a sophomore, represented a table about genetically-modified foods.
“Most people don’t even know it exists, let alone the risks associated with consuming these kinds of foods,” Petronchak said.
The event specifically aimed to educate students on topics they would not normally think about on a daily basis. Genetically-modified foods are often overlooked, and so is the material used to make clothing.
Jen Pirello, a graduate student in the OT program, had a table warning viewers of harmful products used in the clothing making process.
Even eco-friendly fabrics like cotton can be altered to something not so eco-friendly, according to Pirello.
“Cotton is better for the environment, but it depends if there are chemicals or if the product was bleached or dyed,” Pirello said.
Even though a lot of students attended this celebration of Earth Day, senior Jillian Moruzzi, one of the planners for the event, felt those who attended were in the minority.
“Most students don’t care. They do whatever they want. You just have to look at the QU recycling bins to know that,” Moruzzi said.
Attendees were encouraged to visit as many tables as possible. After reviewing posters and talking to table representatives, students received red tickets that were later entered in a raffle to win numerous prizes.
