May 8, 2014:
There's something wonderful about making food from your culture with friends. I held a dumpling making workshop earlier this year, but, today, we decided to make some with our chef! Both times, we stayed true to our environmentally-friendly taste by using organic meat. Today, we made dumplings with organic meat and flour, with scallions grown in our very own KEC greenhouse! Thanks to our wonderful chef and all the KEC students and faculty who helped out! :)
Apr. 26, 2014:
Over the years, I've spread environmental awareness in my school community through writing editorials in The News, Choate's weekly newspaper. I'd like to share some with you:
Here's one that I particularly like:
Choaties Must Think, Live Green
Jane Zhang ’15 News Staff Writer
Fri, 15 Nov 2013
This is the third week
of Choate’s Green Cup, an interscholastic environmental competition to reduce
electricity usage. With the competition as a backdrop, students may be
considering the purpose behind the school’s many environmental initiatives,
such as the school-wide dorm recycling program, Veg-Out Mondays, Hydro Cup, the
Kohler Environmental Center, and Choate’s environmental studies electives. They
may even ask, “Why does Choate care about the environment so much? And why
should I care individually?”
The sad truth is that
the majority of Choate students see Green Cup and other environmental
initiatives as “reserved for the tree-huggers” and unworthy of their serious
participation. Some distrust the legitimacy of climate change, and therefore
these events. But, many other Choate students simply do not seriously think
about why Choate cares about sustainability. Others may recycle and participate
in sustainability events while here on campus, and yet fail to continue those
good habits after they leave Choate.
These students’
behavior is understandable. While juggling their homework, extracurricular
activities, and social lives, Choate students barely have enough time to think
about their favorite T.V. show, let alone the purpose behind sustainability
initiatives on campus. In spite of this, no one can deny that sustainability
has become a major part of the Choate student experience. Students should
realize that Choate sustainability initiatives seek to show that the health of
the environment and the health of humanity are inextricably linked. And, with
this principle in mind, students should examine and change their lifestyles.
Many students may
conceptually understand environmental degradation and the many problems it
causes, but they may not see how environmental degradation will immediately
impact them. But, for instance, Choate students living on the shoreline should
consider the threat that rising sea levels, a result of climate change, pose to
their community. Furthermore, Choate students must understand how hard it is to
breathe in smog-veiled urban areas and how energy prices have been gradually
rising over the years. These are immediate impacts of Earth degradation, and Choate’s
environmental initiatives are trying to tackle these problems. Green Cup seeks
to reduce the amount of energy Choate uses, which will reduce the amount of
particulate pollution released in the production of energy in coal-burning power
plants. If everyone puts efforts into becoming more sustainable, this community
can have a large impact on the planet, and other schools will likely follow in
our footsteps.
Students are
personally linked to the beauty and health of the environment. During passing
periods, Choate students may notice Choate has a beautiful campus. The large,
dynamic natural landscape of Choate makes the campus worthy of appreciation
every day. This landscape, however, is threatened by environmental degradation.
Human actions influence whether the Swiss Alps will look the same twenty years
from now and whether artists will still be able to photograph the awesome polar
ice caps of Antarctica. Let’s appreciate nature’s beauty while we can.
Fortunately, Choate
has the resources to take a stand. Knowledgeable teachers and administrators at
Choate integrate environmental education into the Choate academic curriculum
effectively. Students can consider taking an environmental studies course or
join one of the environmental student organizations on campus. The
Environmental Action Coalition, Students Against Climate Change, and the
C-proctors, among other environmental student organizations, provide everyone
an opportunity to minimize their impact on the environment. At Choate, being
sustainable is easy.
Time is ticking.
Climate change and other environmental issues are more serious and more likely
to impact our lives as Choate students than they had been a century ago. Collectively,
we can make a difference in the environment. Taking advantage of Choate’s
sustainability opportunities and being mindful of one’s impact on the
environment shows one’s appreciation for Choate’s values and the school as a
whole, yes. But it also is evidence of an open mind, a global perspective, and,
ultimately, a good education. After seriously considering how closely the
health of humanity is linked to the health of the environment, Choate students
should realize the importance of acting to minimize human impact.
Apr. 22, 2014:
Happy Earth Day!
I am a member of the Environmental Immersion Program (EIP) at the Choate Rosemary Hall's Kohler environmental Center (KEC). The EIP is an intensive interdisciplinary program in environmental studies and environmental living.
At the KEC, I lead the Community Outreach Team, which seeks to enrich the KEC's surrounding community by spreading environmental awareness through fun initiatives. Working alongside my wonderful teachers at the KEC, I recently initiated and helped organize a trash pick-up event.
When: April 17, 2014
Who participated: 12 other KEC students, 1 middle school student, and three faculty members
What happened: Members of the KEC community picked up trash around the school campus and brought back some amazing things! (Miniature vodka bottles, fox skulls, rakes, cocktail mixers...you name it!)
Stay tuned for KEC happenings in the near future!
- Jane
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