Many have called the twenty-something members of Generation X apathetic.

But the 2000-plus students who participated in last weekend's ECOnference 2000 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia were far from that. The event has been noted as one of the largest environmental activist gatherings in history. Students from 50 states and three other countries attended, and the energy was intense.

The conference launched the environmental movement into the next millennium. It introduced the Dirty Jobs Boycott to the Midwest, which targets corporate polluters that are accused of hurting the environment. The campaign urges students not to work for the firms, said Heather Kunst, co-conference media coordinator.

Ohio University students Chris Crews and Jadey Berger and local environmentalist Chad Kister attended the conference.

Crews led a workshop at the conference, titled "Non-Violence Training and Conflict Resolution," and coordinated the Peace Keepers, who marched in a parade that ran from the university's campus to Philadelphia City Hall. The main duty was to make sure no hostile situations arose and to provide first aid, Crews said.

At the workshop, he talked about using non-violence as a campaign strategy and as conflict resolution. The Peace Keepers used Crews' ideas to ensure a peaceful march. They wore hand-made signs pinned on their backs that read "P+K."

"It's important to let people know that there really is a growing student movement in this country," Crews said. "This was a good showing that there are a lot more students that want to make a difference."

Before the environmentalists took to the streets, corporate responsibility advocate Michael Moore spoke to a crowded auditorium.

Moore asked the audience to vote, noting that fewer than 50 percent of those eligible are expected vote this November.

"A democracy is a participatory event," Moore said. "In effect we no longer live in a democracy."

Moore also said activism does not have to be a full time job.

"It's been my experience that you can get a lot done with little effort," he said.

Moore illustrated this point by describing an episode of his television show, "The Awful Truth." In the show, he staged a funeral for the client of a health maintenance organization, Humana, that he said has denied coverage for a life-saving operation. Moore asked a company executive to help him select a coffin for the soon-to-be dead client and invited the company's CEO to speak at a "funeral rehearsal" on the lawn of Humana's corporate headquarters.

Humana changed its policy regarding the operation because of the protest, Moore said.

"There isn't that much work to do - you just have to do a little," he said.

Moore concluded the lecture with thoughts on how environmental activists can advance their cause. His advice ranged from asking environmental clubs to reach out to other campus interest groups, to reading the Wall Street Journal.

Moore also challenged students to implement what they learned at ECOnference 2000 on their own campuses.

"We really need to leave here today and get something done," he said. "We want a victory this year."

And that is exactly what Crews and Berger plan to do. Both agreed the conference gave them a positive vision for OU.

"Hopefully (the conference will bring) a continued vision of student empowerment and student leadership toward creating progressive social change in this country and internationally," he said.

Although local representation was small, its students are well known for affecting pro-environment changes, and Terri Swearinger of Chester, W. Va recognized this.

"I knew Athens would be represented here because they always have had a strong voice in the environmental movement," she said.