Assumption Celebrates Earth Day with Full Slate of Events for Education and Awareness

The Assumption University Eco-Action Committee held their second-annual Earth Fest event on Earth Day to officially recognize the day and engage the Assumption community in an afternoon of sustainability education and activities. Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated around the world on April 22 as an international day for raising awareness and action of environmental sustainability efforts around the globe. 

“The main goal of the Eco-Action Committee is to enact change on campus,” said Kathryn Cannistraro ’24, chair of the Eco-Action Committee. “As we strive toward creating this change, it is incredibly important that we are always finding ways to engage with the Assumption community. By holding events like EarthFest, we can connect with Assumption students in a way that not only raises awareness, but also helps gain their support for our group and the work we do.”

Cannistraro’s Eco-Action Committee led the Earth Day festivities by transforming the Charlie’s Patio into an exhibit of sustainability-themed activities, demonstrations, and food trucks. Interactive tables run by the Committee included a DIY Sustainable Alternatives station where students could make their own natural lip scrub using sustainable ingredients and a stand to paint and plant a potted plant. 

Additionally, the event featured a pop-up shop by Second Hand Hounds, an Assumption club created by the Eco-Action Committee dedicated to promoting second-hand fashion practices such as thrifting, repurposing, or reusing clothing items. Students purchased or traded in their unwanted clothing items at the pop-up shop for a piece of second-hand clothing or make a tote bag out of an old T-shirt at a DIY project station. 

“Having an event on campus that raises awareness for sustainability is important because environmental degradation is one of the biggest problems of our generation,” Second Hand Hounds club president Shayla DeGeorge ’22 said. “Our pop-up shop was designed to both educate the student body about sustainability and give them the opportunity to take action.”

“It’s important for us as students to understand what we can do to improve our environment and the role we play in the overall sustainability of our planet,” said Brendan Lawrence ’22, who attended Earth Fest.

Throughout the afternoon, students demonstrated their talents and passion for sustainability with various pertinent performances. Mia Murray ’22 sang musical covers of popular songs with sustainability themes and Julia Tardugno ’24 led several groups of students in multiple rounds of ‘Civil Discobedience,’ a dance trend to the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” that Tardugno used as a medium to engage students in educational facts about the environmental challenges the Earth currently faces. 

“I felt that pairing a dance with an educational component would inspire others to take action on our campus and would be a memorable way to help Assumption become more eco-friendly,” Tardugno said. “As an education major, I have learned that people best remember information that is presented in new ways, and the way I see it, ‘Civil Discobedience’ educates individuals on how we can be more eco-friendly in a fun and relaxing social outlet.”

“In order for us to be able to become more eco-friendly people and help keep the earth healthy, we need to educate each other and encourage sustainability tactics,” Tardugno continued. 

The Eco-Action Committee was established in 2021 by a group of Assumption students to advocate for greater campus environmental awareness and action. The club is dedicated to creating events and campaigns, such as Earth Fest, designed to address environmental challenges faced by the University and the world, and to inspire action.

Learn more about Eco-Action Committee, Second Hand Hounds, and all of Assumption’s student clubs and organizations. Complete descriptions of the University’s clubs and organizations can be found on the AU Mobile App.