On Thursday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 a.m. around 20 people, both students and faculty met in the library classroom with the hope of making a difference at the first Green School meeting. Principal Madelyn Ball organized the meeting in order to keep JC certified as a Green School.
Junior Alexa DiPeso was one of the students who gathered with friends and headed to the library classroom that morning. DiPeso was accompanied by many other students from JC, who all share one common goal, help the environment.
“I joined the group because John Carroll has so many opportunities to be green and help the environment. I’m not a nature fanatic, however, I do think that little changes here and there can really make a difference,” junior Alexa DiPeso said.
“Several students have expressed interest in the green movement and I’m hoping for a group of people to share responsibility,” Ball said.
Although JC currently holds a Green School status, the school will have to reapply for this title in 2012.
Students and faculty shared ideas on how to remain a Green School. With the greenhouse sitting untouched for several years, students wish to restore it back to its original state. One of the requirements is that parents and community workers help make these changes possible.
The green movement’s goal is to educate students and staff about saving the environment. Social studies teacher Paul Lazor has expressed numerous ideas on how to reach this goal. “I would like to consider having a compost pile at school and maybe a garden. These are hobbies of mine, so I would be interested in seeing if some of these projects could be started at JC,” Lazor said.
According to the online certification process, water conservation and water pollution prevention, energy conservation, solid waste reduction, habitat restoration, building structures for learning about the environment, responsible transportation, and a healthy school environment are the seven areas of qualification.
In order to be certified as a Green School, four out of these seven areas must be met. JC has already begun improvements with technology in order to conserve paper and become more energy efficient in an aging building. The administration is still working on becoming a paperless school by having teachers use Sharepoint for homework instead of having students print their work.
“Being known as a Green School is something we can be proud of,” Ball said.
DiPeso also wishes to get that point across to the student body. “It shouldn’t just be an event where the students don’t really care and ignore it. They should be proud to say their school is a green school,” DiPeso said.
Megan Battaglia is a Multimedia Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.