Monday, April 20, 2009
Several hundred students and community members gathered Sunday in the Kansas Union for free food, live music and lessons in sustainable living.
The event “Potter Lake Unplugged”, originally planned to take place next to Potter Lake, was held in the ballroom of the Kansas Union because of forecasted rain. The Student Union Activities-sponsored event promoted awareness of environmental issues.
The event is part of “From Blue to Green: Conserve KU,” an umbrella organization for the University’s environmental groups. Tyler Enders, Leawood sophomore, led the effort of collaborating with several campus environmental groups. Enders said the organization was able to orchestrate 26 different events in the 12 days leading up to Earth Day on April 22.
“We sat down and started throwing out every idea possible, and didn’t say no to anything,” Enders said.
Enders said many KU students wanted to be more environmentally conscious, but either didn’t know how to or were sometimes deterred by inconvenience.
“A lot of people want to recycle their can of Coke, but they don’t see a recycling bin around. So, their intentions are right, but you’re still confined by the infrastructure,” Enders said. “So we want to address that at the policy level and fix the infrastructure.”
Doug Brady, Tecumseh sophomore and SUA member, said members of SUA planned the event several months ago to showcase ways that individuals could make less of an environmental impact. Brady said SUA was working with the Unions and KU Dining Services to operate more efficiently.
“The whole event is really pushing buying locally and sustainability,” Brady said.
In addition to free live music, about a dozen student groups and companies were present to tell students how to make less of an environmental impact. SUA gave away potted plants, canvas grocery bags and energy-efficient light bulbs.
“It’s a great opportunity to learn what’s going on and see how to get involved,” Brady said.
Brylie Oxley, Overland Park freshman, said he heard about the event through his roommates and came to learn how to live a greener life.
“I appreciate the diversity of groups that are out teaching different way to live efficiently and with a smaller impact,” Oxley said.
Local artists Truckstop Honeymoon, Rusty Scott and Hidden Pictures performed at the event. SUA used a biodiesel generator to power the bands’ amplifiers. Brady said the bands were supportive of the cause.
“I think they were willing to accept less money than normal because it’s something they care about,” Brady said.
Melinda Dreesman, Kansas City, Mo., freshman, attended the event for all the free giveaways. She said it was worthwhile because she learned ways to reduce her environmental impact.
“I was surprised that so many people showed up. It was really cool,” Dreesman said.
Neil Steiner, Tulsa, Okla., senior, showcased the work of the Student Rain Garden, currently under construction at the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center. The group built a collection system to capture and move rain water from the roof to the garden surrounding the recreation center. The group will plant 22 species of native plants, 2500 plants total.
Steiner said the group hoped to build more collection systems at local restaurants and community buildings. The garden will officially open April 22, with volunteers planting from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“It’s kind of an unprecedented thing with student involvement and sustainability on campus,” Steiner said.
Enders said that environmental issues would still be important after Earth Day and that environmental groups would continue to promote awareness and education.
“I think this is best described as a movement,” Enders said.
— — Edited by Sonya English
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