How many deadly items can impact animals in the ocean?

• Fishing gear
• Plastic bags and utensils
• Balloons
• Cigarette butts
• Bottle caps

On Tuesday, April 17, the Center for Leadership and Service (CLS) hosted the ReInvent, ReUse, ReCycle Art Show from 1 to 4:30 p.m in the Miron Student Center (MSC) where students and faculty could be seen examining the maze of artwork.

The MSC Atrium was also filled with various art pieces to get the message of environmental sustainability out there. Art pieces were made of paper, wrappers, cardboard, Post-It notes and anything that has been used was turned into sea of creativity. 

Some of the concepts were flowers, trees, collages of wrappers and a mountain of Post-It notes to which students where amazed by the creativity of each piece which was crafted by recycled material. 

Additionally, the art show showcased the abilities of students by expressing the concern with negative byproducts of human intervention in the environment. 

It also serves as a means for students, guests and faculty to be mindful of the issues such as:

• Air pollution
• Water pollution
• Climate change
• Global warming 

Students who made art pieces are as follows:

• Julie Queiruga
• Marcus Blanc
• Andrea Gutierrez
• Angelica Kays
• Gabriella Lapointe
• Michael Huber
• Emely Hernandez
• Victoria Failla
• Natasha Revolsky
• Nathelie Bernier
• Ashley Albarracin
• Kenya Silas
• Jordan Conway
• DJ Arnold
• Megan Campesi

Accompanying the art pieces there where also facts which bordered around each piece spewing facts such as:

• Americans throw away over 35 million plastic water bottles every year
• 500,000 plastic straws are used daily contributing to the eight million tons of plastic found in the ocean each year

• Over 100 million marine animals are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean
• Recycling one aluminum can save enough energy to listen to a full music album on your phone
• To produce each weeks Sunday newspapers, 500,000 trees must be cut down
• Each ton (2,000 pounds) of recycled paper can save 17 trees
• Animals of all kinds often mistake trash for food or shelter which can be fatal to them
• Each year Americans use 1 billion plastic shopping bags creating 300,000 tons of landfill waste
• 91% of plastic is not recycled

Aside from facts, guests and students could walk by and spin a wheel which consists of trivia questions for a chance to win candy and prizes.

Following the game, students were then encouraged to vote for the art piece they liked the most. The pieces of art with the most votes will be centerpieces at the "Uniting Jersey for the Global Goals" Sustainability Symposium hosted by Kean University's Earth Science Club. 

Kristen Failla, a junior studying sociology and psychology, spoke on the importance of this event and how beneficial the experience was.

"This event was important to have because I believe college campuses are a great place to make a change. This event sparked a conversation campuswide regarding the beneficial actions we take for our environment and how we can transform these actions into life-long habits," said Failla. 

The main goal of this event was to visually portray how we impact the environment while emphasizing that conserving resources can create beautiful things.

"By reusing the materials the art was composed of, we are keeping them out of landfills, avoiding their toxic exposure to the environment, and protecting wildlife," said Failla. "I definitely believe our goal was reached. We showcased over 30 pieces of art, all varying in form. We successfully celebrated Earth Day, which is observed on April 22, and created a presence on campus that encouraged students to live a little greener."

Failla mentioned the many students who were shocked at some of the facts about environmental sustainability and were amazed at the creativity behind each art piece exhibited

"I was so excited to see so many students and even professors stop by the event to take pictures, vote on their favorite pieces, and just take some time out of their day to learn about our roles in protecting the environment," Failla explained.

If students could get one thing out of this event it is that recycling is important because waste has a very negative impact that harms the planet and living beings as well.

"The most motivating factor for me to recycle is the reality that I am saving animals. When someone leaves a plastic bag at the beach, animals becoming entangled in that bag or mistaking that bag for food is not what comes to that person's mind. We need to stop making convenience a priority over the well being of wildlife and I am hoping this event was able to make people, particularly students, more mindful of their actions and what they can do to help."

Kristen was so happy and proud of all of the students who participated in the ReInvent, ReUse, ReCycle Art Show. 

They all helped make the event what it was and it could not have been accomplished without their creativity and talent.  

Don't just celebrate Earth Day on Sunday, April 22. Make it a habit to protect and provide for our environment!