 "Photo: JOHN LARSON, VOLANTE, 2010")
 "Photo: JOHN LARSON, VOLANTE, 2010")
 "Photo: JOHN LARSON, VOLANTE, 2010")
Members of USD’s IdEA program as well as the student group SERVE (Students Enhancing Resources for Vermillion Enrichment) helped coordinate Earth Day activities for the fifth consecutive year on campus. Hundreds of USD students took part in the festivities last Thursday to celebrate Earth Day and promote environmental awareness.
Student participation helped make USD’s recognition of the world’s largest secular holiday the most successful yet.
Not only did the day’s events promote environmental awareness, but IdEA Program Coordinator Terry Robertson said it raised more than $1,500 that will be donated to South Dakota Wildlife.
“It was our biggest year ever,” Robertson said. “Weather helped out and the location was better this time.”
The festivities included a 5K fun run, barbeque, live music and a scavenger hunt for trash.
Robertson said his class of 34 students was very involved with putting the event together. Along- side Robertson’s IdEA class was the student group SERVE. SERVE sponsored a recycle scavenger hunt and a table for tin can gardens. Alexandra VanderWeide, SERVE’s incoming president, said there were around 40 participants. In addition to the free activities, SERVE gave away a bike to winner Kevin Hanson and sold aluminum water bottles to promote the use of earth-friendly containers.
“Overall I would say that the event was a great success because the weather was beautiful, the food and music was great, and the events were fun,” VanderWeide said.
Freshman Shari Fischbach was working at the tin can garden table, and said participation among students was high because attending the event was worth Greek points.
Robertson said he also believed the music helped attract many visitors.
“We had some better bands this year. Cedar River Singers did a really great job and Jamie Lynn was wonderful with her singing and guitar playing,” Robertson said.
“It’s a sweet day,” sophomore Amy Feucht said as she sat at a table with friends and watched live music.
Feucht was one of hundreds of students that spent some time at the festivities that were located between the MUC and I.D. Weeks Library for the Earth Day event. The event featured six live bands as well as support from local businesses and organizations from around Vermillion.
Robertson said that Greek life was, “very helpful.”
“We take all the help we can get and we appreciate any fraternity or sorority that would help us out,” he said.
Members and vendors from the Vermillion community also attended the event and set up tables to advertise their products and services. In attendance were Jones Foods, PrairieSun Organics and the Clay County Extension Office.
The future of Earth Day is not endangered at USD, even though the IdEA program will no longer be available next semester. Robertson said he plans on being involved in the future, but that it will be interesting because he won’t have his IdEA class.
“I’m sure it will continue in some format,” Robertson said. “I think it’s a very important day to think about and reflect upon some things we can do to make a difference and conserve.”
Next year’s Earth Day will likely have some of the same activities. Robertson said the 5K run has grown from 15 runners when the event started out to 55 this year. Robertson said it was an event that he really wanted to keep around.
Robertson also wants to continue the event because it is a helpful fundraiser. The money that is raised is donated to South Dakota Wildlife which helps fund kids camps throughout the state.
Also Robertson plans on getting more student groups involved in the activities, as well as the possibility of involving more members of USD’s Greek community in the future.
U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson was an environmental activist as well as the founder of Earth Day, which was first observed in the United States April 22, 1970. Since then, Earth Day is celebrated annually in more than 175 different countries around the world and has become aglobal event that promotes environmental awareness as well as appreciation for the Earth.
Reach reporter Dylan Thibault at Dylan.Thibault@usd.edu.
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