Student organizations and departments host a full week of events from April 15-22 to commemorate Earth Day.
Every member of the campus community depends on a healthy planet to support our quality of life but sometimes this is easy to forget.
As a reminder that healthy people depend on a healthy planet, a number of campus organizations have partnered together to organize an entire week’s worth of events April 15 through April 22. Events range from free movie screenings to a clothing swap. See below for the full calendar of events including “The Business Case for Implementing Sustainability” presented by Hunter Lovins on April 22.
Leading up to Earth Week, Elon Students can enter photos into two different photo contests: Campus Dining’s Earth Week Photo Contest and Mac-Gray’s 2013 Earth Day Photo Contest. Photos should depict interesting, fun and inspiring portrayals of sustainability on campus. Students who enter photos are eligible to win a new bike (Dining Services) or up to $500 (Mac-Gray). The deadline for both contests is April 12.
Monday, April 15
The Island President film screening
7 p.m. in Lakeside Meeting Rooms
The Island President is a documentary about previous Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed’s first year in office and his efforts to democratically address climate change, an issue that threatens the literal survival of his country and all its inhabitants. Two days (April 17) after Elon’s screening there will be a related online National Conversation on Democracy and Climate at 9pm. The Conversation is sponsored by The C2C Fellows Network and the The Bard Center for Environmental Policy, and can be viewed by going to the C2CFellows You Tube channel.
Tuesday, April 16
Sustainable College Coffee
9:40–10:20 a.m. at Phi Beta Kappa Commons (Rain Location: McKinnon Hall)
See what activities the Office of Sustainability and other sustainability related student groups are up to during this zero landfill college coffee.
S’mores with Outdoors
10 p.m. at Beck Pool Patio
The Office of Sustainability is partnering with Elon Outdoors to feature more sustainably produced s’mores ingredients like organic or fair trade chocolate.
Wednesday, April 17
Landfill on the Lawn
12-1 p.m. at Speaker’s Corner in front of Moseley Center
Elon students will be sorting through trash to raise awareness about all the items we throw away, which could be recycled.
Thursday, April 18
Swap Shop
12-3 p.m. at Speaker’s Corner in front of Moseley Center
Swap out your gently used clothing and small housewares for new-to-you items instead of throwing them away! You do not have to contribute an item in order to take one but contributions are encouraged.
Elon Community Church Farmers’ Market Opening Day
3-6:30 p.m. at the lawn next to Elon Community Church, corner of W. College and Williamson avenues
Celebrate the first market of the season with fresh local produce, baked goods including gluten free items made with local chestnuts, and a cooking demo from the chef at a new restaurant in Burlington. Campus Kitchen at Elon University will be baking cookies in a solar oven provided by Elon Dining Services. Plus, the Office of Sustainability will be handing out free reusable shopping bags to carry all your Farmers’ Market purchases.
Survival Bingo and Midnight Meals
10:10 p.m. in McKinnon Hall
Elon RSA and the Office of Sustainability are co-sponsoring a Thrift Shop-themed Survival Bingo on April 18th. Prizes such as a bicycle and energy star appliances will be offered. An extra board will be given to participants who bring items to donate to Goodwill or dress up in a particularly crazy, Macklemore-esque outfit.
Saturday, April 20
SUBCinema: Promised Land
8 p.m. in Irazu
SUB will be showing Promised Land, a film about farming communities and controversy around natural gas extraction starring Matt Damon and John Krasinski
Sunday, April 21
Campus Cleanup with Sierra Club
12:30–3:30 p.m. at Boney Fountain (meeting point)
Sierra Club invites all members of the campus community to help clean up litter around campus.
Monday, April 22
Hunter Lovins, “The Business Case for Implementing Sustainability”
7:30 p.m. in McKinnon Hall
An author, sociologist, lawyer and sustainability advocate, Lovins will discuss how companies and communities are implementing genuine sustainability to create a more prosperous future. She is the founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions and has received a number of honors, including Time Magazine’s 2000 Hero of the Planet, a Newsweek 2009 “Green Business Icon” and the Rachel Carson Award in 2012. Lovins has co-authored 10 books including Natural Capitalism and The Way Out: Kick-Starting Capitalism to Save our Economic Ass.
Can’t remember it all? Connect with the Office of Sustainability on Facebook and Twitter for event reminders!