While most students were beginning to tailgate for the Navy game, members of GreeND gathered by Stonehenge early Saturday morning for a "Climate Change Flash Mob," where students posed in various positions for five minutes to help raise awareness about environmental issues.
"The goal of the event was to make people more aware of how important climate change and energy independence is for America," event coordinator and junior Claire Brosnihan said.
The group posed in front of LaFortune Student Center, on South Quad and next to the Hesburgh Library. Students collected petition signatures from interested passers-by. The petitions are going to be sent to each signer's respective U.S. Senator to urge the legislators to support environmental initiatives.
"Climate change affects most those who have contributed least to the issue. It is a human solidarity issue," Brosnihan said. "This is the greatest social justice issue of our time."
Brosnihan said the group was able to collect over 500 signatures.
"It went really well," she said.
Colleen Kelly, senior and president of GreeND, said much of the event's success was due to Brosnihan's leadership and the efforts of the students involved.
"GreeND is lucky to have a good network of people to rely on," she said. "My goal was to see a great student leader [Brosnihan] run with an idea she had."
Kelly said meeting people and hearing their views on environmental issues was definitely one of the highlights of the event.
"It's always interesting to converse with different people because it's such a complex issue and everyone comes at it from different angles," she said. "Some welcomed discussion, others had already made up their mind, but it was a great event."
Patrick McCormick, who manages policy for GreeND, said another goal for the event alongside raising awareness was to "bring Notre Dame students together to be part of an issue that's greater than themselves."
"Climate change has been called the ultimate collective action problem," he said. "What's needed is a solution that works for the common good. Notre Dame's voice is needed and can contribute to this debate."
