Singing karaoke, enjoying ice-cream, harnessed jumping on a giant trampoline and learning more information about how to save the Earth highlighted Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Springfest 2014.
Springfest, organized by SIUE’s Campus Activity Board (CAB), offered a Student Organization Fair today. The fair, which continues Thursday, allows SIUE students to learn more about campus organizations along with dancing, eating and celebrating a great school year.
The Student Organization for Sustainability (SOS) manned one of the many informational booths. The student group passed out free water bottles as part of SIUE’s Earth Week. SOS will also be on the Quad Thursday. Earth Day was April 22.
“We are trying to increase SIUE’s recycling rate,” said Wolf-Mark Veverka, outgoing SOS president. “With the large amount of grounds and large number of students we have, we potentially could be number one in the Midwest region for recycling.”
SOS was also at Springfest Wednesday to help boost the amount of signatures on a petition calling for students to commit to the cause of sustainability and to encourage the University to do the same.
“. . . In particular, I commit to the practice of recycling – to doing all I can to reduce the amount of materials entering the landfill and to increase the amount of material being re-used and recycled,” read the petition. “I hereby call on the administration at SIUE to take bold steps toward achieving specific measurable goals in recycling, and for all students, faculty and staff to support recycling efforts.”
The goal is to obtain signatures from approximately10 percent of the SIUE student body or 1,500 names, according to Veverka.
In the last two months, SOS has collected more than 500 signatures, said Kaytlin Patterson, incoming SOS president as of the summer 2014 semester. Wednesday morning netted 100 of the 500 names.
“We hope to present 1,500 names to Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe on Earth Day 2015,” Veverka said. “She has been working with our group and other students regarding sustainability since she has been here. She has been wonderful in helping us.”
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is home to a diverse student body of nearly 14,000.
Photo Information:
Wolf-Mark Veverka, outgoing Students for Sustainability (SOS) president, and Kaytlin Patterson, incoming SOS president, give away a water bottle to Jessica Patterson.
Rachael Albert spins the wheel for a prize at Wednesday’s Springfest.
Brittany Pangelinan jumps rope at the SIUE School of Pharmacy’s station. Students were on hand to test people’s heart health.
Destinee Mieure is eating ice cream with Tyler Agnew.