On what was arguably the first day of spring weather this year, Boston University students snacked on free nutrition bars and gathered for five hours of giveaways, live music and festive atmosphere for the third annual Earth Day Celebration at Marsh Plaza on Friday.
Co-sponsored by the Environmental Health and Safety Office and the Environmental Student Organization, along with several other student groups, Earth Day sought to raise awareness about environmental sustainability at BU.
For the third year in a row, they held a trash audit to promote recycling on campus. Five bags of trash were collected Thursday night from the African Studies Center, the CAS building, the George Sherman Union, Mugar Memorial Library and a Bay State dormitory.
The bags were opened Friday morning and sorted for recyclables. The contents were examined to see if students were actually recycling.
A report of the findings will be sent to President Robert Brown and other members of the BU administration, because the university does not conduct its own inspection.
ESO Secretary Rachel Leone, a College of Arts and Sciences junior, said environmental awareness is growing every day, and student involvement in the environment is vital in helping bring issues to the attention of the administration.
“If the administration won’t do something, we have to show them that we are willing to work from the ground up,” she said.
Environmental Health and Safety Office Director Peter Schneider said student initiatives are necessary for change.
“There are millions of things students can do — even just the little things like turning off lights, recycling their cans and taking shorter showers,” he said.
Students participated in a water taste test, ate food cooked by Dining Services and sampled an all-natural nutrition bar from Japan called Soyjoy, which has not yet reached the U.S. market.
The BU College Democrats distributed bumper stickers and sold T-shirts. Massbike.com, an organization that promotes bicycles as an alternative form of transportation, repaired bicycles free of charge to students.
“There is definitely a festive feel to this event,” Leone said. “People are way more enthusiastic than last year.”
Melodeego, an improvisational soul and funk group, returned to perform after debuting at the festival last year.
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