University of Scranton Earth Week Events Aim to Leave Planet a Better Place

             The University of Scranton has planned a series of events for Earth Week 2013 to promote sustainability and encourage students, faculty, staff and area residents to “Leave Our Planet Better Than We Found It.”

            The University partnered with Pennsylvania American Water for an art contest for students in grades 4, 5 and 6, and for an essay exhibition for students in grades 7 to 12. The deadline for art submissions is Friday, March 29. The deadline for essay submissions is Friday, April 12. Submissions from northeast Pennsylvania students will be featured at a reception on Thursday evening, April 25.

            Earth Week events begin Thursday, April 18, with the opening of the Environmental Art Show featuring art and photography concerning environmental themes submitted by University students, faculty and staff. The exhibit will be on display through Thursday, April 25, free of charge, in the Heritage Room of the Weinberg Memorial Library during library hours.

            A reception for the Environmental Art Show will be held on Monday, April 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Weinberg Memorial Library. The reception is free of charge and open to the public.

            Students, faculty and staff will volunteer with the Library Green Team and University Ministries on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to noon to clean a section of the Lackawanna County Heritage Trail. This event is held in conjunction with Jesuit Heritage Week.   

            A 5K run/walk, called “A Celebration of our Beautiful Local Environment,” will take place on Sunday, April 21, at 8 a.m. The run/walk is free of charge and begins at the Olive Street trail entrance. T-shirts will be given to the first 75 participants registered. Lackawanna Heritage Valley is a major sponsor for this event.

            Dr. Seuss’ environmental film “The Lorax” will be shown for the University community on Monday, April 22, at 7 p.m. in the Loyola Science Center.

            Student presentations on “green” or sustainable topics will be held on Tuesday, April 23, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Loyola Science Center.

            Area businesses and students will provide interactive presentations and information related to the environment and sustainable practices at the Earth Week Fair on Thursday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the DeNaples Center patio. The fair is free of charge and open to the public.

            The University will host a public reception to showcase Earth Week essay submissions from area middle and high school students and to display artwork submitted by students in grades 4 to 6 from northeast Pennsylvania to the Pennsylvania American Water’s “Protect our Watersheds Art Contest.” The reception begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, in the DeNaples Center. Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” will be shown at 7 p.m. A ceremony for essay and art contest participants will immediately follow the film. The event is free of charge and open to the public.

            Earth Week events will conclude with the Weinberg Memorial Library’s annual book sale Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, April 28, from noon to 4 p.m.,in the Heritage Room. A variety of hardcover fiction, non-fiction, paperback books, how-to-books, children’s books, videos, cookbooks, and other items will be sold. Prices begin at $1. Proceeds benefit of The Friends of The Weinberg Memorial Library Endowment, which supports library collections and services.

            Partners for the Earth Week events are the city of Scranton and Scranton Tomorrow with media partners Electric City and the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal.

            For additional information, visit the University’s website at www.scranton.edu/earthweek or call 941-7520.