Sustainability Decathlon

What does sustainability mean to you?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Molly Kagel) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:33:00 PST

Since working with the high school kids of HEART, my definition of sustainability hasnt really changed; however, my hope for the future of sustainability has. I have so much more hope for the future of sustainability having seen how much these students have invested in their cause of sustainability and sustainable practices.

What does sustainability mean to you?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Maribel Alvarez) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:31:00 PST

Reflecting on the sustainability quote meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future, it makes sense to consider the long term and short term effects of our actions. If you think about saving the environment now you also cant do everything and leave problems that will happen in the long run for future generations. Part of sustainability should include awareness about the long term effects and ideas to minimize the harmful long term effects and magnify the positive effects.

What does sustainability mean to you?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Kristin Sterling) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:30:00 PST

I think sustainability can really be applied to all aspects of society, and what seems most pressing to me at the moment is the need to incorporate it into our economic system. Sustainability can mean a lot of things, though we usually think of it in environmental terms. But its really much broader than that. We are in an economic crisis partly because they way we, as Americans, we living, consuming, and spending was not sustainable. And of course these factors can be related back to the environment (consumption with food, agriculture, material things, etc. which affects environment).

What does sustainability mean to you?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Lauren Romanazzi) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:25:00 PST

I feel that I am now better at explaining the concept of sustainability and sharing with others the importance of having a sustainable lifestyle. I have also learned so many new ways of being more sustainable and how to incorporate them into my own life.

What does sustainability mean to you?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Diana Tarantino) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:24:00 PST

After working on this project since February 1st, my definition of sustainability has changed. I originally characterized it has leaving enough resources for future generations to have the same opportunities as we do now. I still find truth in this definition. But now that I have worked closely with San Jose High School I realize sustainability is not as easy as it sounds.

What does sustainability mean to you?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Rose Saltalamacchia) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:21:00 PST

I think that trying to live a more sustainable life cannot be done in a few days or a week. I think it takes the commitment to make small adjustments that can be sustained (hehe) over time, rather than drastically changing the way you live for a week then reverting back to old ways. The small adjustments can add up over time, and after a while, become habit, not inconvenience. And like Keith says (I also said this in last weeks journal): If its not fun, its not sustainable.

What does sustainability mean to you?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Kaelin Holland) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:18:00 PST

sustainability is about taking into account the consequences our choices and actions have on the environment, recognizing that we are part of our environment rather than separate from it, and finding new ways to live without compromising what we consider to be our current needs and wants.

What does sustainability mean to you?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Katherine Quinn-Shea and Rose Saltalamacchia) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:12:00 PST

I think what has struck me most about this class is how big of a difference little changes can make. Last month, I made it my houses goal to reduce the amount of water we use each month because with 10 girls the water bill can be pretty high! We were able to reduce our bill by $15 this month and it was just because everyone tried to take shorter showers. We didnt do anything drastic, we just were more conscientious and it had huge results.

What does the sustainability mean to you now?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Kevin Sullivan) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:10:00 PST

This project has allowed me to see another side of sustainability. I think that beyond the physical actions one takes, the community aspect of sustainability plays just as important of the role.

How will you use your experiences after the Decathlon is over?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Maribel Alvarez) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:30:22 PST

For me learning is a life long process. There is always something new to learn and everyone has knowledge to share with others.

How will you use your experiences after the Decathlon is over?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Silas Strickland) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:11:00 PST

My goal is to go to Guatemala this summer, brush up on my Spanish, and spend a few weeks teaching the local kids about living sustainably and taking care of their environment. So to answer the question quite bluntly, I am already planning on using my experience with the Sustainability Decathlon to help me teach more people about sustainability.

How will you use your experiences after the Decathlon is over?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Diana Tarantino) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:09:44 PST

I will use my experience of mentoring as an example of my ability to mediate a group. I have been applying for many leadership positions and have been able to talk about the success of San Jose High School as an example of my role as a leader.

How will you use your experiences after the Decathlon is over?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Molly Kagel) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:06:38 PST

When I attended high school a mere two years ago, I don?t think we even had a green or environment club on campus at all. All I remember about the environment is telling my friends to recycle all their stuff leftover from lunch.

How will you use your experiences after the Decathlon is over?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Lauren Romanazzi) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:04:52 PST

I have talked about the Sustainability Decathlon and the Sustainability Outreach class with a lot of my friends and they all thought it was an interesting project. I have shared with them some of my experiences, how I enjoy mentoring the high school students, and the importance of teaching others about sustainability.

How will you use your experiences after the Decathlon is over?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Stoney Strickland) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:03:30 PST

I am considering using the experience I?ve had to go back to my high school in Seattle and talk to the faculty to see if something similar would be applicable.

How will you use your experiences after the Decathlon is over?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Tracey Mangin) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:02:20 PST

I have more experience working with younger children, so this has given me more experience with an older age group.

How will you use your experiences after the Decathlon is over?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Rose Saltalamacchia) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:01:31 PST

I think I will be able to use the experience that I have had mentoring the St. Lawrence students after the Decathlon is over in other areas of my life that I have to work with peers. I have a lot of experience working with younger kids in a leadership position, from being a nanny to teaching music lessons, but the only other experience I’ve had with peers was working with freshman in high school as a Peer Leader. It was a different experience because there was no common goal we were working for, so there was not a need for collaboration the way that the Decathlon requires. Working with students that are closer in age to me, and maintaining a relationship that is equal in sharing ideas and giving feedback is at times a challenge, because I do not ever want to seem condescending, but at the same time, I want to be thought of as a mentor. I think educating my peers about sustainability can be done in a way that does not have to make them feel as though they are being preached to. Keith Warner always quotes someone (I forget who) by saying, “if it’s not fun, it’s not sustainable,” and I think that is a good mantra to have when trying to reach a group of people that may have mixed behaviors and ideas about the importance of sustainability.

Ideas for next year's Sustainability Decathlon

lcromwell@scu.edu (Kevin Sullivan) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:59:36 PST

I unfortunately have been unable to meet with my team yet this quarter. We really didn’t have much time when you factor in spring break for them and other scheduling issues. For next year however maybe there are a few things we could try to help prevent similar situations. Perhaps on the first day when we decide which mentor teams the newbies are going to join we could do it in a slightly more organized fashion. We could have all of the mentor teams write what day they currently meet with their group. Then the new folks could choose accordingly. I know we tried that a little this year but I think we need to remember that the groups might not be able to change the date they are currently meet because they have scheduling issues of their own. Other than that I think it is just going to have to be an obstacle that the new folks are going to have to deal with. Maybe there could be some additional roles for the new folks that are having trouble getting with the groups. For example helping organize some more of the Santa Clara side of the decathlon. Either way, I still feel like it is great experience.

How will you use your experiences after the Decathlon is over?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Katherine Qiunn-Shea) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:57:30 PST

Something else that Rose and I talked about is neither of us has ever really worked with kids closer to our age. We both have worked with very little kids often but have never worked with people within two or three years of our age.

How will you use your experiences after the Decathlon is over?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Kate Bradley) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:55:55 PST

I'd definitely like to apply my experiences to help get my friends involved in sustainability. I'm mostly interested in finding ways to get them motivated, which wasn't really a problem with the students at Wilcox.

How will you use your experiences after the Decathlon is over?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Kristin Sterling) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:28:00 PST

I think any situation in which you have to work with a diverse group of people will be a really valuable experience, especially for working in the real world. In life you have to figure out how to motivate people, how to help others to open their minds to new ideas, thats a big part of what being a leader is about (not just delegating and having power).

How will you use your experiences after the Decathlon is over?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Kaelin Holland) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:16:00 PST

One of the most important aspects of this process is staying positive and offering constructive criticism, rather than shutting down ideas or adamantly enforcing a certain attitude or lifestyle.

Ideas for next year's Sustainability Decathlon

lcromwell@scu.edu (Maribel Alvarez) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:46:39 PST

For the toolkit, I would make the connection between the solar decathlon and sustainability decathlon more clear and recruit more people from the solar decathlon team.

Are you seeing any ripple effect from your actions?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Molly Kagel) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:44:58 PST

Even though I was in high school a mere two years ago, I don?t think an environment club existed on my campus. The force at which the eco-movement has spread is mind boggling and to be witness to such devotion to the environment at a high school level is very impressive, if not a little humbling.

Are you seeing any ripple effect from your actions?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Lauren Romanazzi) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:43:38 PST

This competition has given these students the opportunity to experience something new that they probably would not have experienced at their school and hopefully has had a significant effect on their lives.

Are you seeing any ripple effect from your actions?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Tracey Mangin) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:42:00 PST

I hope that on the day of the Exhibition these students, as well as all of the other students participating in the Sustainability Decathlon will be able to inspire other people with the work they have done.

Are you seeing any ripple effect from your actions?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Kevin Sullivan) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:39:41 PST

Yes, the teams are competing and thus are going to be compared, but to an extent they shouldn?t compare themselves to some of the more established teams. Personally I think it is almost more impressive to start something from nothing without much guidance or structure.

Are you seeing any ripple effect from your actions?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Kaelin Holland) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:38:42 PST

I think if we were able to go to more of the club meetings I might see more of an effect, but so far it has been inspiring to see how motivated the girls are at Presentation and how diligently they work to get things done.

Are you seeing any ripple effect from your actions?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Rose Saltalamacchia) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:37:26 PST

I see a ripple effect in the support that the club gets from their school, which indicates that they have an influence on making their campus more sustainable, little by little.

Are you seeing any ripple effect from your actions?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Laura Farley) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:35:45 PST

The Decathlon has helped them channel their efforts toward planning on-campus events that will educate other students who don?t know as much about sustainability.

Are you seeing any ripple effect from your actions?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Stoney Strickland) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:33:16 PST

I was able to talk a little about Solar Decathlon with one of the students and my involvement in it. When I started talking about some of the things that we going on in the house, it was as if something clicked.

Are you seeing any ripple effect from your actions?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Silas Strickland) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:25:46 PST

Although these kids had a lot going for them before Tracey and I entered the picture, there was also a noticeable effect of our presence upon their views of being environmentally friendly and how to make change in the environment around them.

Are you seeing any ripple effect from your actions?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Kate Bradley) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:54:24 PST

I think that our team has been a little frustrated about our inability to really inspire our students and be more involved with helping to plan their projects and foster their ideas. We're meeting with them on Friday, and hopefully will be able to interact with them in ways that better portray our genuine interest in their ideas.

Are you seeing any ripple effect from your actions?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Kaelin Holland) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:14:00 PST

Personally, this class has made me wonder what I can do to help at my old high school, as there was no green club or environmental science class.

Mid-point reflections

lcromwell@scu.edu (Silas Strickland) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:28:03 PST

Once we laid out everything in front of them in a more manageable fashion, they began to get their motivation back and some of the feelings of being overwhelmed seemed to subside.

An interview with Amanda, senior at Presentation High School

lcromwell@scu.edu (Laura Farley) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:17:42 PST

Interview by Laura Farley, Mentor for Presentation High School

Why are you participating in the Sustainability Decathlon?
Our school is involved in the Decathlon because our environmental club (SEAS) moderator, Ms. Rahmig, told us that Santa Clara was interested in entering us in an environmental challenge, and it would be a good idea if our club got involved to represent our school. I am participating because I try to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle and I want others on campus to have a reason to as well. To me, a lot of it has to do with attitude and awareness and I want to improve both of these on my school campus. We are the people of the future, and I want to share the opportunities we have to make it a cleaner future with the rest of my school.

What is your favorite decathlon category? Why?
I think my favorite categories are those that fall under "Communication". To me, communication/education is a very important part, and often the most influential step, in making change for the better. Our projects for the decathlon under these categories, such as our school Earth Day celebration and our Garbage Clean-Up Day, are just some of the many ways in which we are trying to communicate to the rest of the school and bring awareness to our goals for a better future.

What has been your biggest challenge in the Sustainability Decathlon so far?
I think the biggest challenge is probably staying organized with all the different categories we are involved in. We have a good number of people involved in the Decathlon with all their good ideas for how we can contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable environment. I think another challenge we have is narrowing down the ideas we have into feasible plans of action. It is a good challenge, as it’s awesome that we have a surplus of ideas and participation.

What have you learned from participating in the Sustainability Decathlon?
As President of our environmental club, I am very impressed with the dedication of our members to the decathlon. I have learned that this is just the beginning. I am a senior this year, and I wish that I had more time to work on the more long-term projects we are starting for the Sustainability Decathlon. I am quite proud of all of us, as I think the Sustainability Decathlon has furthered us as a club, and has given us a challenge and a means of focus for our ideas. I think that from here, our club will just be moving forward, and hopefully have more influence in our school community on creating a greener campus.

What career paths are you exploring?
Next year, I will be attending UC Davis. (Yay! My top choice!) I have determined that I will not be satisfied in life if I do not have a career that is "environmentally friendly.” I am intrigued by biology and the way in which we as humans interact with the rest of our world. Over the summer, I interned at the San Mateo Mosquito Abatement District, and I was so impressed and inspired by the way in which the biologists work. They get to interact with people, their pests, and the environment, and find solutions in which all of them can stay balanced. I think I might have a future in vector biology, public health or epidemiology, with focus on how our environment affects us as humans, how humans affect the environment, and the consequences of such.

What do you do for fun?
Well, if I have spare time on the weekends, I hang out with my family, friends, or boyfriend. I like going to the movies, or just hanging out at home and watching one...I can't wait for the Harry Potter movie! I'm most excited for X-MEN ORIGINS (I am obsessed with the X-men movies, but more importantly, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine). I also LOVE swimming. Yes, practice can sometimes be a drag at the end of a long school day, but in reality, swimming and swim team is SO FUN, and is definitely the highlight of my high school career.

What have you learned?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Natasha Chavez) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:41:25 PST

In terms of what I have learned in this class, I will definitely take with me all the ideas of being more environmentally conscious and living a more sustainable lifestyle.

Additionally, I will also take with me what I have learned about communication skills as well as the complexities of staring a project. In terms of communication skills, I felt that I learned a lot, even just with initially emailing my school and talking in front of the class, something I’ve always struggled a little bit with.

In terms of starting a project, I think what I’ve seen and learned just by being a part of a generally new project was just showed my the challenges that any new project will face.

I’m sure I will experience many more types of these challenges in the future, but hopefully the rewards as well!

What have you learned?

lcromwell@scu.edu (Natasha Chavez) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:37:41 PST

Throughout this quarter I learned so much, from being able to really understand and experience what “sustainability” is, to how to communicate effectively. Through the readings and the speakers that came to the class, I was able to get new ideas and perspectives on what sustainable living really is. Even though I consider myself to be considerably environmentally conscious, I initially struggled with coming up with a good definition of what “sustainability” is, for example. I think that what I’ve learned can be reflected in how my ideas concerning sustainability have changed, and how I’ve applied what I’ve learned outside the classroom.

SCU Visit

lcromwell@scu.edu (Quentin Orem) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:23:28 PST

Headed by Jordan Brown, one group from Wilcox planned a field trip to SCU so the class could tour the Solar Decathlon house and Kennedy Commons. Jordan and I were in close contact for a couple of weeks, and his group filled out all of the necessary paperwork for busses and permission slips, and on Thursday of last week the trip happened.

Allison Kopf, the project coordinator of this year’s Solar House, gave the tour. I went to meet them when they arrived and joined them on the tour. They got here at 8 am, which is an ungodly hour in the middle of dead week, so we were all incredibly grateful to Allison for giving the tour.

The kids seemed genuinely interested in all of the minor marvels that contribute to the house. They were surprised that there was actually electricity, that the solar panels were really doing their thing. Another thing that we all found interesting was the window film that changed color according to how much light was coming into the room. I think the students were very impressed that college students had built this house from scratch. I couldn’t believe that those skinny bamboo I-beams were supporting all of the solar panels, which Allison said weighed several thousands pounds.

I hope the trip stimulates further ideas and exploration as the project continues. Jordan’s group will now have to find some other way to fill their time as the class continues working on the decathlon.

Mid-Point Reflections

lcromwell@scu.edu (Silas Strickland) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:59:21 PST

They want to set up an e-waste recycling program together for their school as well as the surrounding community, but they were getting weighed down by how difficult that task may be to accomplish. I told them that they should take one step at a time and simply find out if there are companies around the area that will take e-waste, if they pick up, what they pick up, how much it costs (if at all), etc. Simply ask questions and see where it takes them.

We decided that we might as well try it right then and see how it goes. They all elected one of the students to make the call—he said that he was not good at communicating, but he went ahead and did it anyway. He made the call, asked the questions and found out, quite immediately, that not only would they pick up anything, anytime, anyplace, but also that it was free!

First of all, the student did a great job communicating and acted as mature as any adult would have been, if not more. As soon as he hung up the phone, everyone started clapping and cheering and the excitement in the room was invigorating. The immediate shift from skepticism and doubt to sheer ecstasy and hope in what they were doing was heart-warming and put me in an amazing mood that I am still on as I write this…and probably still when you read this!

Mid-point reflections

lcromwell@scu.edu (Rose Saltalamacchia) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:01:51 PST

Because I came into the class this quarter as an environmental studies student, I felt that I was pretty knowledgeable in the area of sustainability. What I did not expect what that the students I was going to be working with would be so knowledgeable as well. Not only were they the winners of the 2007 Decathalon, but they also are self-motivated and have a humorous group dynamic that allows for creativity to flow, even though they are extremely modest.

There is an aspect now in my mind when I think of sustainability that includes a community working together, as opposed to individual efforts that are combined. I think I underestimated the ability of a group with motivation to not only make big plans, but also to demonstrate the actions needed to accomplish the plans.

I received an e-mail on Tuesday from Brian, a member of the team, giving us an update of what they’ve done since the past meeting, and not only have they accomplished the smaller tasks, but they also created a comprehensive list of what is needed for their large project. All I can say is that I cannot wait to continue working with this group of students next quarter.

Mid-point reflections

lcromwell@scu.edu (Tracey Mangin) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:00:18 PST

It has been rewarding to participate in the Sustainability Decathlon this quarter. There have been ups and downs, but everything has been a useful learning experience. My experiences working with Saint Ignatius and Silver Creek High School have been unique and challenging in different ways. Both schools have some really exciting projects planned for the Sustainability Decathlon. It seems to me that if I were to sum up this quarter in one sentence, it would be that the majority of the time it has been spent preparing for the implementation of project ideas.

I am especially excited for spring quarter to start so we can start to see projects happen! Also, I cannot wait to see the final presentations in May, especially because I did not get to see them the last time I participated in the Sustainability Decathlon! It seems to me that it is very important for these students to have the opportunity to showcase all of their hard work.

Mid-point reflections

lcromwell@scu.edu (Kristin Sterling) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:00:07 PST

The freshmen and sophomores in Mr. Dowling’s first period biology class have proven to be true Chargers (Wilcox’s beloved mascots) since the beginning of the Sustainability Decathlon competition. Intrigued by challenges and proactive in their actions, the students have developed ideas, plans, and projects through independent collaboration and hard work to meet the requirements of the 10 Sustainability categories.

Divided into six teams, yet united by goals, the students have focused their efforts on a few key areas for the decathlon. Needless to say they have not only blown away their mentors, but it is likely the will blow away the competition as well! Some of the work done on their respective projects has been done during class time, thanks to the generosity of Mr. Dowling, but much of it has been done independently and outside of class as well. The students have been very aggressive in setting goals and coming up with a variety of projects, and so far have followed through on the majority of their plans, all with much support from their teacher, mentors, faculty/staff, and fellow peers.

Team Wilcox has big plans for making sustainability a central aspect of their campus life, first by winning this competition!

Mid-point reflections

lcromwell@scu.edu (Lauren Romanazzi) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:59:11 PST

I had a great time participating in the Sustainability Outreach project this past quarter. My partner, Diana Tarantino, and I were mentors at San Jose High School and enjoyed going to visit and work with the Environmental Club on campus and their instructor, Alex Rudnick.

The school just recently started their Environmental Club and the students in the club were very eager to start making sustainable changes on their campus. It appeared that the students had a general understanding of what sustainability is and what they needed to do to be more sustainable on their campus. They also felt it was important to educate others in the community about living sustainably. Diana and I realized any projects and changes these students made would be very rewarding and would have a great impact on their school.

I am very excited with the club’s progress so far and I look forward to working with them next quarter! I am anxious to see the results and impacts of their hard work and efforts to implement a recycling program and become a more sustainable campus.

Mid-point reflections

lcromwell@scu.edu (Laura Farley) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:55:15 PST

Participating in the Sustainability Decathlon has been a really cool experience for me so far. At the start of the quarter I was new to the program and I didn’t really know what to expect. But as we started to explore the toolkit and learn what the Sustainability Decathlon is all about, I realized what a good idea this program is. It provides momentum for high school students who care about sustainability to get started on projects, and it’s meaningful for everyone involved—the students, faculty moderators, and the SCU student mentors, of course!

Mid-point reflections

lcromwell@scu.edu (Natasha Chavez) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:39:04 PST

I was extremely impressed with the progress that my peers talked about during their presentations. It’s great to hear the pride in their voices when they talk about the enthusiasm they see at their meetings. The ideas that they have all presented have been very diverse, and since some kids are more knowledgeable than many of us are, their ideas of fascinating and very creative.

It’s also interesting to see the challenges they face. According to some of the presentations, some schools didn’t even have recycling programs due to, for example, budget cuts. Yet those mentors seem to be even more persistent and are incredibly motivated by the progress their students make.

First Meeting: Highlights and Lowlights

lcromwell@scu.edu (Tracey Mangin) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:53:41 PST

First of all, the team at Silver Creek High School is comprised of a school club that has already made a number of achievements on their campus. They have already started a recycling program, which is completely self-run by the club. Club members pick up cans, bottles and paper at a particular time every week. They have also successfully planned hikes that, although occur less frequently than they want, occur on a somewhat regular basis.

First Meeting: Highlights and Lowlights

lcromwell@scu.edu (Katherine Qiunn-Shea) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:51:55 PST

I want these projects to be realistic so they are actually possible and will start to make a difference. Two years ago St. Lawrence got waterless urinals installed at their school and this is a great idea of a realistic project that was implemented.

First Meeting: Highlights and Lowlights

lcromwell@scu.edu (Lauren Rommanazi and Diane Tarantino) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:50:22 PST

San Jose High School is still energized about getting their Environmental Club started. They have contacted the City of San Jose to get recycling bins for around their campus. The goal is to have 10 recycling bins around the campus for alminum and plastic. There are also getting paper-recycling containers for every room. The club has set up a system where two students will collect from a different hall each day.

The school has announcements over a loud speaker, but they are neither heard or paid attention to. Also, the principle wants a written proposal of how the club is actually going to get the recycling program running. Apparently the school already has recycling picked up by the garbage company but nobody collects is from the classrooms.

First Meeting: Highlights and Lowlights

lcromwell@scu.edu (Silas Strickland) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:43:35 PST

What was really cool was that Tracey and I didn’t even have to give them many suggestions at all—they came up with a list of great ideas on their own and were actually getting pretty excited about accomplishing their goals. The group as a whole has an incredible sense of responsibility to do their part in helping make the human race more sustainable and they are fully aware that their small actions can help to have a great impact on the larger systems around them—the city, the state, etc.