Things are looking a little greener around Boston College this year thanks to EcoPledge. Though the environmentally conscious group is not new, its current officers have recently taken great strides to spread the word about a sustainable campus in the school's future. Group leaders Jess Young, Katherine Walsh, Peggy Fox, and Katie Cava, all A&S '08, have played host to a number of on-campus activities in the past three years.
Most recent was the annual Harvest Fest, an all-day event open to anyone passing through the Dustbowl on Oct. 26. Just in time for Halloween, Harvest Fest offered pumpkin painting and T-shirt making while informing the student body about environmental issues. "It's our Earth Day celebration of the fall," said Young, president of EcoPledge, whose own shirt bore the slogan, "Don't be trashy - recycle!" The Boston Vegetarian Society joined the festivities, while students from Tufts University helped run a water-tasting activity, where tap water proved to be just as tasty as the packaged varieties.
Environmental issues have gained prominence in the media as global warming fears continue to grow. A few weeks ago, EcoPledge sponsored a two-night screening of CNN's Planet in Peril with Anderson Cooper, Jeff Corwin, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who explored the present state of the environments, ecosystems, and organism populations around the world. Last year, they showed former Vice President Al Gore's popular documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. If Gore's Nobel Prize is not proof enough of the environmental dangers, the turnout at BC should be."The signs had just gone up that day, and we still had over 300 people," Young said. "Devlin was overflowing. The fact that people care is a great thing, but that they want to know more is a really great thing."
A few years ago, EcoPledge was not necessarily able to satisfy this thirst for information. When Young joined, there were about five active members. Now, the more members that join, the more dynamic the group becomes. Buki Oni, A&S '10, has had an increased interest in the environment lately and found EcoPledge to be her perfect outlet. "In terms of my involvement in school, it's definitely an interesting club to get involved with," she said. "Not only are the people amazing and open to talk about anything, but the club dynamic is very understanding and energetic. It's a wonderful thing to be a part of at BC. It's definitely a place that fosters anyone's interest in the environment, the sciences, or anything that has to do with bettering the world. It is the place to start off."
Spring Break
