New Environmental Club approved at GCC
By Matt PetersenManaging Editor, The Voice
In the wake of the Focus the Nation events held on campus, a group of students have taken another step in hopes of improving human interaction with the environment. The Environmental Club held its first official meeting on Friday, March 7. The Associated Student Government approved it unanimously days before.
Global awareness is undeniably apparent in the club, as all of its members come from different origins. Club president Leo Gokovski is from Israel. Vice president Alexa Yantas hails from Peru. Vietnam, Panama and, of course, Phoenix are also represented.
One of the immediate focuses of the Environmental Club is to reduce the unnecessary waste of water, starting with the Glendale Community College (GCC) campus itself. The sprinkler systems on campus are preset to function during the midday hours, when water evaporates more quickly and tends to be less effective in maintaining grass life. Gokovski said, “I grew up with the idea of not wasting water. A lot of people don’t look at it as a resource, but it really is.”
That Gokovski is pointing out to Arizonans that water is a resource should serve as a wake-up call to a community that thinks of itself as water-conservative. They plan to team up with Green Efforts for several projects, the most immediate of which includes a dumpster dive on Earth Day (April 22).
One of the sources for the club’s efforts is a book entitled “The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time.” The book contains not only ideas and suggestions for improving the planet, but also current facts that serve as motivation for action. One such fact shared during the club’s meeting was that out of the $6 billion schools use on energy, $1.5 billion is wasted. Club members hope that the club, and its efforts, will continue to grow and thrive long after they have moved on from GCC. A website is in the process of being established, as well as future activities aimed at increasing awareness and effort towards environment-friendly living. They know that to attain long-lasting effects they desire, students must answer the call.
“We are the driving force in this school,” Gokovski said. “We represent students on environmental issues. If a lot of us harness behind something like this, the impact is huge.”
