Highlights from Earth Day Campus Festival
A mild spring day on the Chapel Green set the scene for the combined Whole World Festival and Earth Day event last month. The sharing of cultural perspectives and experiences from all corners of the globe underscored the benefits of an internationally diverse campus community.
The Friendship Around the World and Sustainability Clubs teamed up with Sylvester House’s Homegrown Festival and social assistants to sponsor a variety of activities, including music and poetry performances and food and craft booths. International and domestic students worked together on all aspects of the festival from planning and logistics to advertising.
One of the booths promoted the International Perspectives Conference in September titled “Limitless.” Students serving on the conference’s executive board took photos of people holding signs explaining what makes them feel limitless, and all the images were displayed. Attendees also learned about the speakers and activities that will take place at the fall conference.
As part of the nationwide recognition of Earth Day, the Sustainability Club and house-elected eco-heads celebrated highlights of campus-wide sustainability efforts, including waste reduction, native pollinator conservation, beekeeping, maple syrup production, student-led green roofs, and more. A Sierra Club booth offered the opportunity to make “butterfly puddles” from Frisbees, sand, salt, and nectar.
A highlight was the international fashion show—a colorful display of traditional clothing from around the world modeled by domestic and international students alike. And, of course, sampling foods from around the globe was a hit. The Friendship Around the World Club also displayed a collection of masks and gifts from all over the world.
“It is so heartwarming to see how this event feeds the soul of people far from home,” says College International Student Program Manager Kathryn Thompson (US’85, C’89), noting that the Whole World Festival has taken place each year since 1982. “All who attend start to feel ‘international’ in some way and want to join in,” she adds.