April 19, 2011
For Immediate Release
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| Amy Etherington, left, a senior from Versailles, Ky., and Sarah Fletcher, a freshman from Russell Springs, Ky., plant flowers together as part of the Earth Day celebration at CU April 18. Etherington is the mentor for the freshman class who organized the event. (Campbellsville University Photo by Alyssa Barker) |
By Elena Groholske, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Campbellsville University celebrated the 41st annual Earth Day celebration on April 18 with the planting of a serviceberry tree on campus near the newly-acquired log cabin at 503 North Columbia Ave., Campbellsville.
John Chowning, vice president for church and external relations and assistant to the president, and his wife, Cathy Pence Chowning, donated the tree that was planted. Two more serviceberry trees are to be planted on campus. Some flowers were also planted during the ceremony.
“Earth Day has taken on more of a meaning personally at Campbellsville University,” Chowning said. “There is an emphasis on stewardship from a Christian perspective. My father told me as a young boy a good farmer is a good steward of the land; you take care of the earth and what is given. All are called to be stewards of the earth.”
Tony Young, mayor of Campbellsville, encouraged everyone to remember the little things, like turning off the water when you are not using it and recycling. “As a child I always wanted my yard clean. We need to start young and make it an incentive for the next generation to find ways to go green,” Young said.
Young and Eddie Rogers, Taylor County judge/executive, thanked Chowning and everyone affiliated with Campbellsville who had a part in Earth Day and making the earth a cleaner place to live.
“Do one act of green every day,” Rogers said. “It’s not only a privilege, but a duty.”
Rogers and Young read a proclamation about Earth Day from the city and county.
Students from Campbellsville Elementary’s fourth grade class and their teacher Angie Russell were on hand to help plant the trees and flowers.
Chowning, Young and Rogers were joined in closing by Campbellsville Freshman Year Experience student leaders Steven Yospur of Friendswood, Texas and Mailey Young of Bowling Green, Ky., who helped organize the event, as well as Alyssa Barker of Frankfort, Ky., and Tanner Scott of Portland, Oregon, with their FYE mentor Amy Etherington of Lexington, Ky.; Brenda Tungate, associate professor of biology, and her FYE class, who helped with the first groundbreaking for the trees.
Spencer Adams of Marion, Ohio, student leader of the Green Minds Group, Otto Tennant, vice president for finance and administration, Benji Kelly, vice president for development, and Dr. Ralph Tessener, member of the Board of Trustees, were all in attendance and asked to help with the groundbreaking.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with over 3,000 students offering 63 undergraduate programs, 17 master’s degrees and five postgraduate areas. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.