New Bethel Park High School club heightens environmental awareness
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
The Bethel Park High School Environmental Awareness Club began this school year. Club officers are, from left, Lydia Blum, treasurer; Henry Gaston, vice president; Chris Durco, sponsor; Gawin Hsu, president, and Jeon Varghese, secretary.
Photos: Courtesy of the BP Environmental Awareness Club
The Bethel Park High School Environmental Awareness Club began this school year.
Courtesy of BP Environmental Awareness Club
Members of the Bethel Park High School Environmental Awareness Club
A little more than 50 Bethel Park High School students comprise a new club working toward a common purpose – spreading awareness about the environment.
The aptly named Environmental Awareness Club meets after school every other Monday to provide education on “real world environmental problems.”
Senior Gawin Hsu is the club’s president. He felt that environmental science being the lone environmental studies course in the school’s curriculum wasn’t enough to educate students about the importance of being environmentally aware in their everyday lives.
Club members have discussed topics such as how to reduce waste in the school. They also would like to get a recycling program back at the high school.
Hsu’s interest in the environment came about after reading the book, “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” by Anthony Doerr.
“In it, there is an outstanding theme about how we should really preserve the Earth, because we only have one Earth,” Hsu said. “I felt I should look into it more and see what I could do to help preserve the Earth.”
Club members were involved in a trash pickup behind Walmart in Bethel Park in January that resulted in the collection of about 17 bags of garbage and have more plans in the works.
“This is just the start of a club’s community involvement,” said Chris Durco, the club’s sponsor. “The group is now meeting with people from our municipality to spread awareness throughout the community.”
They’re also working to make Bean and Berry, the school-run store, more environmentally conscious by using more sustainable products.
There are plans to hold a Plant Day, where everyone will take home a small plant. In fact, a quest of the club is to get a different type of plant in every classroom.
“In order for our teachers to start learning more about plants and the environment, we’re going to have one different plant per teacher that they’ll be able to maintain and grow,” said senior Jeon Varghese, the club’s secretary. “That’s one of the ways we can spread our information to teachers.”
Varghese said Hsu asked him how to go about forming such a club since Varghese is in charge of clubs in the school’s student government.
“I was also kind of interested in the idea because I didn’t really have that much awareness of the environment and conservationism,” Varghese said. “I wanted to help him out and I wanted to learn more. We’re learning about sustainable efforts and reusable items and maybe implementing reusable things everywhere in the school.”
Junior Henry Gaston, the club’s vice president, said he has an interest in climate change and science in general.
“I’m concerned with the environment and what’s going on with it currently,” Gaston said. “I think it’s a really prevalent issue around the world right now. It’s one of the biggest problems we’re facing. Every little bit we do here at Bethel Park is going to make more of a difference than people think. Any little bit we can do we want to do.”
Senior Lydia Blum, treasurer, is also passionate about the environment and has a love for the outdoors.
“We would take trips out west and visit national parks,” Blum said of how her parents influenced her love of the outdoors. “I’ve always had a love for anything nature.”
Durco, a ninth-grade science teacher, has been impressed with what she’s seen from the club so far.
“There’s nothing else more important than knowing the future of our planet,” she said. “I am very impressed with how well each meeting is organized. Every meeting has an agenda, which usually involves individual groups doing many different tasks and brainstorming ideas. I feel confident the Environmental (Awareness) Club will succeed in the years to come. This is just the beginning.”
And their are already being noticed.
“I wanted to give a shout out to these wonderful students who I understand were responsible for the cleanup along Higbee (Drive) and Paxton (Drive),” said resident Chris Pusateri on Facebook. “The trash from Walmart, Giant Eagle, and Shop ‘n Save accumulates quickly. If you know someone in the club, please tell them their efforts did not go unnoticed and were greatly appreciated.”
Club members feel good to be appreciated for their efforts.
“It feels really good to know that they actually see what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to influence,” Hsu said.