On Saturday, April 19, from 1 to 6 p.m. on the Cornell Arts Quad, more than 50 student groups will take part in a celebration of Earth and culture for Earth Day '97.

This year's celebration combines the traditional Earth Day elements with an emphasis on cultural diversity and has been named "Many Voices, One Earth."

The Cornell Student Assembly Environmental Committee and the campus group United Progressives have organized -- under the leadership of students Gwen Mills, Daivati Bharadvaj, Joanna Kalb, Jessica Nowillo and Keisha Hudson -- a lineup and theme for Saturday's event.

"Earth Day has historically been a time to celebrate the Earth, embrace environmental victories and raise awareness of what needs to be done," Mills said.

"Suddenly we saw the link," Bharadvaj said. "The environment shapes culture. I see it as a combination between environmental awareness and cultural awareness."

"We see a lot of sense in putting the two together because they relate so much," Hudson said. "When we said we would have Earth Day and a multicultural festival on the same day, there was a lot of support."

As of April 14, 56 campus organizations had confirmed their participation in the Earth Day festival.

"I think it's really important to make the connection between the environment, social activism, cultural awareness and diversity," Kalb said. Like other organizers of the event, Kalb sees the festival as an opportunity for participants to engage in a multifaceted exchange with each other, as well as with their audience for the day.

Participating groups may choose different forms of expression, organizers say. As of now, there are four general areas set aside for presentation and participation. Some groups have volunteered to operate booths and tables with food, displays and models. Others plan to address the community from the steps of Goldwin Smith Hall; throughout the day this space is being set aside so that people can exchange different viewpoints through poetry, prose, personal statements and other forms of expression. Other groups plan on presenting demonstrations and other forms of performance art on the Arts Quad. Finally, some participating groups will perform throughout the day on an outdoor stage set up on the quad. These performances will involve social-action and culturally based entertainment, organizers say.

Reflecting on her expectations for this year's Earth Day events, Erin Bauta of the Cornell Greens said, "Many Voices, One Earth promises to be a good time -- food, music, dance and lots of cool information."