Published: February 01, 2008 11:57 am      

Trash To Treasure

FSU students focus on global warming

FROSTBURG - Garbage bags of tin cans, soda bottles and other thrown-out items were transformed into tastefully trashy sculptures at the Frostburg State University Lane Center on Thursday.

"It shows that everything has a use, and nothing ever has to be just trash," FSU junior liberal arts major Kim Brown said as she and her teammates planned their project. "We're thinking about making our trash into a tree or maybe a bird."

Participants had to use the piles of discarded items to create a piece of art with a nature theme.

"Teams can bring in more trash if they want, but they have to use all the trash that is at their tables," explained Trish Limbaugh of the FSU visual arts department.

The trash sculpture competition was one of the many activities that took place at FSU during Focus the Nation, an educational initiative on global warming solutions for America that took place at more than 1,500 campuses, faith and civic organizations Thursday.

"Today you are part of the largest teach-in in United States history," FSU Provost Steve Simpson told students, faculty, staff and community members at the beginning of the day's events, which included 32 presentations, four panel discussions and nine booth displays.

"The purpose is to engage in rational discussion of all aspects of global warming," said Jim Limbaugh, associate vice president for instructional effectiveness and chair of FSU's sustainability initiative.

Focus on the Nation included presentations on a wide variety of topics such as eating green, wind power, business impacts on climate change, raising green children and the media's manipulation of evidence in the case of global warming.

"I hope everyone will be able to get something out of today's events," said Jeff Sellers, FSU Sierra Student Coalition president.

"I think it is great that everyone is getting together and informing the public about global warming," said Michael Harden, a Mountain Ridge High School sophomore in Tom Kozikowski's advanced placement environmental science class.

For more information on Focus the Nation, log onto www.focusthenation.org.

Contact Jennifer Raley at jraley@times-news.com.