With the passing of Apr. 22, comes the end of Earth Day! Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 to put an environmental policy on the national agenda, especially with the increase of factories. Ever since then, there has been the annual Earth Day celebration.
Millikan did a couple of things to celebrate Earth Day. On Apr. 22, an Earth Day celebration was held on the rally stage during lunch. Millikan’s Environmental Club had a booth with the intention of teaching students how to properly sort waste into trash, recycling, and compost bins. Those who sorted correctly got entered into a raffle for a chance to win a prize.
The second event celebrating Earth Day was the Earth Day Gallery, “Artivism”. The art featured themes of Earth Day and optimism. The gallery was open Apr. 26 and 29 during lunch in room 419 and also on Apr. 25 from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
“Art teachers gave their students the opportunity to pick a social or environmental issue that they resonate
with, that they feel strongly about. Then they create their artwork around that theme,” says Mrs. Gardea, the teacher of Art 1-2. “The Gallery selects pieces that go in.”
Art included in this gallery includes 2D and 3D art, as well as photography. The purpose of this gallery is to create a stronger sense of community and to spark inspiration within our Millikan students.
“[Our purpose] is sharing different perspectives of a bunch of different artists who come from different backgrounds, and they each get to show what they think of important issues around the world, and that we get to express those views through their art to the rest of the community,” says Jack Towne, a junior in PEACE who helped build the gallery. “It’s important to really spread awareness of issues that people might not know about.”
The Aquarium of the Pacific also held an Earth Day Teen Climate Fest on Apr. 27. During this event there were multiple booths speaking on sustainability and the importance of our planet and what families can do to make a difference.
All these events may have passed, but all of them are annual and you can always look out for them next year. And though Earth Day may have ended, you can still do things that celebrate and take care of the Earth. For example, you can join Millikan’s Environmental Club, volunteer at the Aquarium of the Pacific, or even recycle or compost.
