Samo's complication with conservation

By Kimiya Aframian and Michael VigmanSanta Monica is “a nationally recognized leader in ‘green’ purchasing and sustainable city programs” according to Santa Monica government sources. For this reason, one might expect that the youth of the community would be cultivated in an environment that follows these conservationist trends. However Samo, one of the most densely populated areas in the city day-to-day, has a long way to go towards meeting those high standards. There are a myriad of options that could be pursued by students and teachers alike to reduce Samo’s environmental footprint. We live in an ever-digitizing world with entire sections of certain classes’ curricula devoted to sustainability, yet tens of hundreds of reams of paper are being used on superfluous pages of notes. These notes are not even the preferred study method for many students. Although we must accept the academic benefits and inevitable use of paper, without a concerted effort on even the subtlest of levels, the conservation-minded efforts of the few will prove insignificant. Vigilance in printing double sided would effectively halve paper usage across campus and when applicable, printing multiple sheets to a page could reduce paper usage by 75 percent.With the abundance of COW carts (Computers On Wheels), surely there is a more involved use of laptops rather than just as a word processor or portable table space. Integrating technology into a classroom is a tall task for even the most basic courses. But if Samo wants to take itself into the 21st century, as its ongoing modernization implies, teachers must be given the proper training and implement new approaches to best introduce digital mediums that can assist in conservation efforts.  Although there is still much to be done to keep Samo as environmentally friendly as the rest of the city, the school has attempted small movements in the sustainable direction. Unfortunately, these attempts haven’t had much success. For example, Freshman Seminar Civic Action Projects have led to sporadic movements towards removing plastic water bottles from being sold. Additionally, classrooms briefly adjusted to using refillable whiteboard markers. But we must ask ourselves, is this enough? Are lunch carts still selling Arrowhead water bottles? Do you copy notes written using an Expo white board marker? Bring your own refillable water bottles to school, print notes double sided, bring your own lunch and recycle. These simple acts may feel insignificant individually, but as a community, they can have massive benefits.