Thirty-three years ago today, former Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day. It has since become a national holiday celebrated by millions across the country and around the world, including Penn State.

Eco-Action, a campus organization that raises environmental awareness and organizes environmental projects, coordinates Earth Day festivities on campus each year.

Sarah Reinholt, president of Eco-Action, said that the importance of Earth Day is recognizing the connection between people and the Earth.

"It's up to us to think seriously and acknowledge our relationship to the living environment around us, but Earth Day is just one day to come together under a common agenda; it needs to be done every day," she said. "You don't just love your mother on Mother's Day."

When asked her opinions about Earth Day, Melissa Garay (junior-chemistry) said, "I think [Earth Day] is very important; it helps to raise awareness for environmental issues and the Earth."

Although Earth Day may not have prominent cultural symbols such as decorated trees, fireworks or candy, there are still many ways that people can recognize today's holiday.

Reinholt wants students to be more aware of their food choices and their consumptive habits. She explained that students should know where their food comes from and how it was produced. It is also our responsibility to choose food from producers who do not treat the environment poorly, she said.

Also, Reinholt said there are many things students can do every day to lessen our ecological impact. These include: opening windows instead of using air conditioning, turning off lights and water faucets when not in use, using reusable canvas bags for our groceries instead of paper or plastic bags, and filling up water bottles at home rather than buying bottled water.

While Earth Day may be an important holiday to many people, there are some students who don't plan on doing anything out of the ordinary. Ryan Corle (senior-English) explained some of the reasons for Earth Day apathy.

"There are lots of other things going on and it's not too well [publicized]," he said. "With only a few weeks left in the semester, there are a lot of things left to do academically that take my attention away from Earth Day."

A gathering will take place at noon today on the Old Main lawn to celebrate the holiday.

Explaining the effect every individual has on the environment, Reinholt said, "If we aren't part of the solution we are part of the problem. By this point we all know that problems exist, and by doing nothing you may be part of the problem. We must challenge ourselves to go beyond basic day-to-day ways of life to protect our environment."

Reinholt gave one final piece of advice to students at Penn State.

"Take responsibility for your connection to the environment and don't deny it. Do what you can for the environment where you are and try to tread more lightly. Don't let Earth Day come and go -- use it as an opportunity to reflect on our futures."