Collegiate Times

Virginia Tech’s Campus Climate Challenge hosted their campaign kick-off event, ‘The Challenge Concert,’ Friday night in Squires Commonwealth Ballroom.

The concert, open to the community, included sets from three local bands: 5th Generation, Murphy’s Kids and Stars Fell On, and the turnout showed success for the mission, as over 200 people showed up to rock out and learn about the goals of the Campus Climate Challenge.

"The campus climate challenge is a nationwide campaign that’s being run on over 500 college campuses to address the issue of global warming," said Angie De Soto, a junior majoring in environmental policy and planning, and one of the coordinators of the Virginia Tech Campus Climate Challenge.

There are two overall goals the Challenge is working to meet. First, the Campus Climate Challenge members are working to educate the Tech community, as well as the community of Blacksburg, on what global warming is, the effects it is having on our planet today, and what action people can take today to see solutions in the future. The second goal of Tech’s Campus Climate Challenge is to work with the school administration to develop a plan that will make the campus carbon neutral.

Aside from the Campus Climate Challenge leaders, many students in attendance also had something to say about the goals of the campaign.

"One of the biggest things about this challenge is that we have a really tough time getting everyone to understand global warming and the impact its going to have," said Ryan Betzler, vice president of the Environmental Coalition and junior chemistry major. "And we’re going to be the biggest ones effected. What we’re going to do with this challenge is to get everyone educated and put in some perspective of what it’s going to be like for people in the future if we don’t do anything now. It all starts with us, so we have to get things going."

This kick-off concert should lead to more action by the campaign and other environmental groups on campus and in the Blacksburg community, therefore achieving many of the coalition’s goals.

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