The 藏精阁 community kicked off its annual celebration of sustainability, 13 Days of Green, with games and opportunities to learn about sustainable initiatives, April 10, on the academic quad.
This year鈥檚 13 Days of Green is of special importance. With Earth Day concluding the 13-day celebration, 藏精阁 will then officially announce its achievement of carbon neutrality 鈥 the first university in New York State to do so.
For Madison Smith 鈥19, sustainability intern and chair of the programming committee for 13 Days of Green, the series of events helps the community to recommit to sustainability in their everyday lives while broadening their understanding of environmentally friendly practices.
鈥淏y having the 13 Days of Green celebration lead up to Earth Day, we are merging 藏精阁鈥檚 sustainability efforts with a more global initiative,鈥 said Smith. 鈥淓arth Day is celebrated around the world, therefore, it helps us to expand beyond our usual programming and to think about the big picture.鈥
The kickoff event was supported by the President鈥檚 Club, the Beekeeping Club, Common Thread, Students for Environmental Action, COVE, Career Services, the Office of Residential Life, the Community Garden, UCan, and the Office of Sustainability.
During the next two weeks, participants can help usher in Earth Day by participating in additional 13 Days of Green activities. Programming includes various lectures, brown bag discussions, and dinners; 13 Days of Green Afternoon of Service; a film screening of Paris to Pittsburgh, and a campus-wide 鈥渘o waste鈥 barbeque.
On Earth Day, as the University celebrates carbon neutrality, journalist Ann Curry will visit 藏精阁. At 6:30 p.m. on April 22 in the Memorial Chapel, Curry will discuss topics such as climate change, the future of journalism, and building a meaningful life. The fireside chat is open to the public and is sponsored by the Milmoe Workshop in Journalism and the Kerschner Family Series Global Leaders, and hosted by the Maroon-News.