When the new school year rolls around in September, Huntington High School’s environmental club will be ready to hit the ground running.
The organization recently elected its leaders for 2019/20 and the new group is just as committed to making a difference in the school and community as the teenagers with have led the club this past year.
The new slate includes Neil Jean-Baptiste (president), Ava Waxenberg (vice president), Gabe Medina Jaudes (treasurer), Moira Contino (recording secretary), Jose Suarez (corresponding secretary), Carrie Kilgour (historian), James Obermaier (social media correspondent) and Aiden Franznick (administrative assistant). Veteran science teacher Deborah Beck serves as the group’s faculty advisor.
“Our plans for 2019/20 will be unlike any other year we have had as an official club,” Ms. Waxenberg said. “Formulating new plans since the very start of our freshman year, my peers and I have many ideas of which we think we will follow through successfully. We want to keep up with Eli’s garden as not only a club, but as a student body, as well as keeping up with our organized recycling program. Besides participating in the usual school events like Safe Halloween and bake sales, we envision our club participating in more beach cleanups, events with other schools to form connections and promoting more sustainable techniques within the system, such as possibly composting. I feel very confident toward next year and I already know some friends who want to join. Our club is sort of like a little family.”
Everyone associated with the club is enthusiastic about moving forward with exciting new initiatives.
“We are currently planning on creating a community cleanup and anti-straw campaign,” Mr. Jean-Baptiste said. “Both would locally promote sustainability throughout the Town of Huntington. We are also looking to develop a scholarship, funded primarily by via an Earth Day event. The primary outcome is to augment not only our club’s student population, but enhance eco-psychology throughout the community.”
To get involved in the club send a message to Mrs. Beck at beckd@hufsd.edu.