The Voice- Student Newspaper

Dumpster dive opens eyes

Earth Day is supposed to highlight the hope for a cleaner earth. Staff and students realized that in order for that to happen, they might have to get down and dirty first. April 22 saw instructors and pupils alike get to campus at 6:00 a.m. to sort through three days' worth of campus garbage to see how much of school waste is actually recycable.

The endeavor was headed by the Environmental and Green Efforts clubs. The results were eye-opening as well as nose-offending. After separating the trash into categories (paper, glass, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and unrecycable trash), results showed that approximately 40% of campus garbage is recycable. And unlike some efforts that stop at showing results, the aforementioned clubs plan on taking action after what was revealed by the activity.

The event is a kickoff for a campus-wide recycling program which started that same day. 100 recycling bins (50 for cans and bottles and 50 for paper) were placed around campus in places where the conscience can prick those about to toss a reusable item in a trash can. While extra credit was a factor in many of the students' attending the event, they also felt the importance of the early-morning undertaking. "The statement has been made," said student Trevor Cebalt. "I was glad to help make it. The impact? Time will tell." Present for the proceedings was school president Dr. Green, who commented on its importance. "We learn about what we need to do to sustain the earth we live in. We see what we need to do by what we see this morning."