“Troubled Waters: Seeking Ethical and Sustainable Solutions” is the theme for the 2009 Earth Days celebration at Salem State College. Once again, as part of the celebration, the college will sponsor a poster competition that features students’ research on a wide range of environmental topics on Monday, April 13, 2009, 11am - 12:15pm. Deadline for poster registration is Friday, APRIL 10, 2009.

Instructors please consider integrating the poster competition into your Spring 2009 course assignments.

Issues may include (but are certainly not limited to) such topics as:

• climate change impacts on water resources
• sustainability and water
• the globalization of food and its relationship to the availability of water
• water and food security
• water and the poor - analyses of the privatization of water and its impacts on the people's access to clean water
• water and human rights - social justice aspects of access to water resources
• water and public health
• water and environmental security (water wars)
• the politics of water
• water and culture
• the philosophy of water in different cultures
• water in poetry and prose
• water and urbanization in developing countries
• urban versus agriculture conflict over water
• environmental justice issues and water
• the social and environmental impacts of big dams
• sea level rise and salt water contamination of freshwater supplies
• agricultural pollution of streams
• aquaculture and coastal water quality
• treaties or compacts about Great Lakes water
• invasive species and freshwater supplies
• the impacts of projected increases in urban population and the availability of water

We can easily imagine relevant environmental topics emerging from any major discipline at the college.

• Some suggestions on ways to integrate the poster into a course

Posters are not required to follow this year’s theme as long as the topic of the poster relates to the environment

This year’s Earth Days celebration will include an indoor and outdoor exhibition of environmentally-related student artwork. A miniature golf installation by students will be exhibited in the outdoor central courtyard, John L. George Garden, of Meier Hall. The installation can be viewed and played from April 13 through April 24. Click on the image to the right to see a short video clip of the art installations (RealMedia player - 8mins).

 

The Earth Day Planning Committee would like to invite the entire SSC community to participate in this celebration by submitting a visual response to an environmental issue for the art exhibition and competition. Any two-dimensional media is eligible, including drawing, painting, collage, photography, printmaking and graphic design. Submitted artwork will be juried by art department and science department faculty. Selected two dimensional works will be displayed during the Earth Day Program on April 13 then exhibited throughout Meier Hall for two weeks. Awards in prize money will be announced, including some which will be awarded to art that responds to this year’s theme.

Artwork submitted should be professionally presented with a brief statement of intent and registration form. Registration forms can be picked up from Barbara Millea in the Art Department office in Meier Hall, Room 309. Deadline for the submission of artworks is Thursday, APRIL 9, 2009 at 3:00PM.

See photos of last year's winning art entries!

 

Contact Ken Reker (x7202 or kreker@salemstate.edu) in the Art Department for submission guidelines and inquiries. Prof. Reker is a member of the Earth Day Planning Committee and is coordinator of this Environmental Art Competition and Exhibit. Faculty please announce this opportunity to your classes.

 

Cash prizes will be awarded to winning art and posters.

 

During the celebration posters will be on display in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Room, Ellison Campus Center, on Monday, April 13, from 11:00 am until 12:15 pm, for students, faculty, staff and members of the local community to review. Students who design a poster must stand by their poster during this time period for judging. Winning posters will be on display during the Earth Day Awards Ceremony (TBA).

 

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED in acting as a poster judge, please contact Professor Marcos Luna, Earth Day Poster Event Coordinator (978-542-6487 or mluna@salemstate.edu) as soon as possible for information about the competition itself.

 

Questions about Earth Days 2009 should be directed to the Earth Day Planning Committee, co-chaired by John Hayes, Geography, and Hope Benne, History. Please contact John at jhayes@salemstate.edu or at 978-542-6922 for further info about Earth Days at SSC.