VGCC celebrates Earth Day
Vance-Granville Community College’s fifth annual Earth Day festival was held on April 22 on the college’s main campus in Vance County. The event was organized by the VGCC Ecology Club and science instructor Dr. Dan Settles to educate the college and community about conservation in a fun, informative setting. This year’s celebration marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. VGCC students, staff, faculty and visitors enjoyed information and demonstrations related to nature, environmental sustainability and alternative energy. A variety of live animals were on hand, and the more adventurous attendees even enjoyed holding snakes and other creatures. Students also provided music, art, games and activities to add to the festive atmosphere.
Several VGCC curriculum programs employed their particular areas of expertise as part of the event. Biology instructors set up booths on subjects such as bluebirds and rain barrels. Fred Brewer, head of the Automotive Systems Technology program, demonstrated wind, solar and hydrogen fuel cell energy technologies, and showed off a completely electric car, courtesy of Northern Vance High School. Festival-goers enjoyed barbecue pork, which was produced by an energy efficient solar-controlled pig cooker, designed and built by Electronics Engineering Technology students. Chef Ross Ragonese, head of VGCC’s Culinary Technology program, prepared organic coleslaw and sweet potato salad as side dishes. Meanwhile, Bioprocess Technology students informed visitors about their ethanol fuel experiments. Carpentry program head Keith Tunstall’s students built a cross-section model to demonstrate residential building techniques, including insulation, retrofitting, weatherization and energy efficiency. To make it even “greener,” students in the Industrial Systems and Electrical/Electronics Technology programs under the direction of Robert Hudson built and wired solar panels to power the model’s lights and fan. The VGCC Print Shop created recycled jewelry and office supplies.
Several other organizations and individuals joined VGCC in making the event larger than ever. These included the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island, American Wildlife Refuge, Tar River Land Conservancy, Progress Energy, Granville Greenways, Faith Animal Rescue, Cooperative Extension agencies from Vance and Granville counties, and Jimmy Chalmers of Oxford, offering information on honeybees.
“This was one of the best Earth Day celebrations we’ve had at VGCC,” Dr. Angela Ballentine, the college’s vice president of instruction, said. “The leadership and hard work of the faculty and staff who organized and executed such a wonderful learning experience for the college and the community is greatly appreciated.”
Above: Among the displays by VGCC curriculum departments at the Earth Day festival was the Carpentry program’s cross-section model demonstrating residential building techniques (left), which was powered by solar panels built and wired by students in the Industrial Systems and Electrical/Electronics Technology programs. (VGCC photo)
