News Detail
Loyola Celebrates Earth Day
Loyola’s annual Earth Day Fair, hosted by Student Against Violating the Earth (S.A.V.E.), took place on Friday, April 27. This year’s theme—Let’s Get Active!—presented Ramblers with new ways of approaching the environmental challenges that exist today. Faculty, staff and students enjoyed a sunny afternoon on the quad with interactive projects, educational displays and more.
The Earth Day Fair has become an important part of spring activities at Loyola and aligns with the Academy’s Jesuit values. “In his environmental encyclical Laudato Si' (June 2015), Pope Francis calls us all to approach the care of our common home and the protection of God's creation as an expression of our faith,” says S.A.V.E. Moderator Shelby Walchuk ’05. “The Earth Day Fair is a celebration of the beauty of creation and a reminder that it can't be taken for granted.”
Some highlights of the fair included a community art project titled “Hands up for the Earth,” which asked students to trace their hands and write a message in support of environmentalism; a “Do One Thing” (D.O.T.) bracelet pledge, which encouraged Ramblers to make pledges such as “eat less meat” or “conserve energy” and wear bracelets as a visual reminder of their promise; and a repurposing project which saw scraps of old t-shirts, donated by the Loyola community, transformed into dog toys for a local shelter.
“The Earth Day Fair is hosted by the S.A.V.E. Club, but in many ways it's a community wide event,” says Walchuk ’05. “When we asked parents, students, faculty and staff to donate their old t-shirts for our repurposing project, we were overwhelmed by how many families answered the call and by the volume of t-shirts we received—and soon learned that our collection bins weren't large enough! This is such a wonderful example of the support and generosity of the Loyola community.”
In collaboration with the fair, honors dance students performed Earth Anthem, a 30-minute program that explored the forces of nature such as fire, wind, snow, ice, water and storms through movement and dance.
“I hope students and faculty are reminded that collective small changes DO make a difference. There are challenges—big challenges—that we face, but action, creativity and forward momentum go a long way,” Walchuk ’05 says.
S.A.V.E. Club has promoted water conservation, organic farming, eco-friendly cosmetics, awareness of CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder of bees), industrial hemp, recycling, zero waste, energy efficiency, composting and many other topics related to the environment for over twenty years.
Loyola Academy
1100 Laramie Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091-1089 | 847-256-1100
Loyola Academy admits students of any race, color and national origin or ethnic origin.
© Copyright 2020 Loyola Academy