Project One

Taylor Loving

Mat Wenzel

ENC 2135

11 July 2017

The Green Club

My senior year I decided to take AP Environmental Science on a whim. I had always heard rumors about how much fun the class was, especially your final year of high school. Unexpectedly as the year progressed I developed a deep love for the class (otherwise known as APES), and realized how I felt great empathy for our world`s growing environmental issues as I studied them more.

I graduated from small private high school with 700 kids total ranging from grades 6 through 12. Everyone knew everyone at Episcopal, which was a blessing yet a curse. It was comforting to know everyone`s face, but when something happened the whole school had the entire story by the next day.

On the first day of senior year when I walked into S202 I felt a sense of refreshing change about to come my way. Throughout my time at Episcopal I somehow managed to have the same people in my classes every single year. But as I crossed the threshold and walked towards an empty desk, I realized I had not really engaged with majority of the people in my class before. I was so free and had a fresh start, no one could judge me for my awful chemistry skills all the way back in 10th grade, or the inner nerd Spanish class brought out in me.

As the year progressed I got to know my classmates more and wished I had met these amazing people my freshman year instead of my senior. This is why when I walked in S202, I felt at home even though I was at school. I have always cared about my grades throughout high school but never truly enjoyed any of my courses. My teacher was so passionate about his job and wanted his students to actually learn, and not just memorize piles of information to pass a test at the end of the year.

The best part about APES was my lab partner, Grace. Grace and I had played lacrosse together for two seasons but like the other kids in my class we had never really talked until this year. Quickly she became more than just my lab partner, she became my best friend. Coffee and long conversations about anything and everything were a daily event. I was so amazed how such a strong friendship was built in a matter of months.

One day after practice me and Grace were throwing our Gatorade bottles away and complaining about how it was a shame my school did not participate in recycling. Earlier in class we had looked at heartbreaking graphs of how much non-biodegradable waste ends up in landfills every year. Right there standing by a rancid garbage can on our school`s turf football field we decided to start the green club.

To be honest the green club was not as successful as we had hoped it would be.

At first, the dean would barely approve our club idea because he said two-second semester seniors would never accomplish anything and it would be a waste of time. After getting past the initial roadblock of getting the club set up, we managed to round up 27 members school wide. In the grand scheme of things, 29 people (including Grace and me) out of student body composed of 700 people are not a significant number at all. But to Grace and I a high number didn’t mean anything. All 29 of us were a part of a family, and each and every one of us played our role in our little community.

Although we didn’t get to complete all that we had envisioned for the year what we did get done made a huge impact. We managed to add recycling bins to the lunchroom and almost every classroom. Adding an extra wastebasket to bunch of classrooms doesn’t seem like much but it brought so much joy to me, at this point I realized I had pulled off organizing a club and successfully fixing the problem on why we started the club in the first place.

One of the other big things we managed to accomplish was raising enough money to add a water bottle filling station onto the fountain in the lunchroom. This meant so much to me, not because we raised a lot of money, but because of how eager everyone was to participate. During a club meeting, we decided we wanted to ask for donations by standing at the front of the lunchroom and holding up signs. Every single member raised their hand and volunteered, it brought tears to my eyes when I realized that I was apart of a new family composed of 29.

Although we had many failed attempts and tribulations, I was so proud at the little things we had managed to change around school. Even if we would not have ended up getting anything accomplished, it brought me so much joy to be surrounded by people that shared my same passion.

The green club is what broke me out of my shell. I always used to lay low at school and felt like I was stuck in the same boring routine every year. Normally I am the type of person that likes to rationalize each and every big decision I make. I cannot express how happy I am I spontaneously signed up for APES. If it weren’t for that class I would have never have developed my friendship with Grace, and later on my relationship with my new Green Club family.

Although it took a while for me to realize it, all of our failures made room for needed growth. The whole reason we decided to collect donations for the improved water fountain was because of how pitiful our school garden turned out. I remember how awful I felt that day when I saw the hours we spent planting different fruits and herbs scorched by the Florida sun compared to the happiness I felt seeing the water fountain being installed.

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