Royal Purple

Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Brad McAllister Members of the Campus Greens rally in Fort Atkinson to promote a cleaner Earth.

The Campus Greens took part in a nation-wide rally called Step It Up. The area's "Step It Up" took place in downtown Fort Atkinson, with Heart of the City, a citizen group in Fort Atkinson, and Sustain Jefferson joining in the effort along with Campus Greens.

"Step It Up" began April 14. According to the "Step It Up" 2007 Web site, "Step It Up" is only a piece of a national climate movement.

"This is only the second event of 'Step It Up,' so we're still catching it at an early time," Patrick Broderick, president of UW-Whitewater's Campus Greens said. "It's definitely the biggest event we have for the semester."

Campus Greens offered carpooling to the event, and about five people took advantage of the carpool from UW-Whitewater.

The three participating groups met and signed in at Café Carpe in Fort Atkinson at about noon. Everyone who took part in "Step It Up" had their thumb stamped green, and they raised their green thumbs for the group photograph down by the Rock River.

"We want to raise awareness in a way that will connect us with a national scene," Broderick said. "It's a way to kind of identify with people all over the country who feel the same way as we do, and we want to lend our support, and give our energy and momentum to what we see as kind of a historic movement."

The rally proceeded to the Verlo Mattress Store, where the three groups presented the city of Fort Atkinson with a gift of $1,200, which will be put towards the purchase of LED bulbs for traffic lights.

The rally lasted for about 30 minutes, and the groups met back at Café Carpe afterwards. About 50 people participated in the rally.

"I think it's incredible that this many people came out," Ashley Petry, junior and Campus Greens member, said.

"The weather is great, we got to go for a walk, and it's a chance to be involved in the community," Michele Hull, senior and Campus Greens member, said.

After the rally, everyone was invited back to the UW-Whitewater campus to watch the documentary "Everything's Cool" in Upham Hall. Refreshments were donated by Chartwells during the film.

Interim Chancellor Richard Telfer spoke briefly before the showing of the documentary.

"I too looked at the Web site and saw how many people across the country are involved in this effort, and I think it's a very important event," Telfer said.

The documentary showed how the perceptions of the general public about global warming differ from what experts and scientists know about global warming.

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