Lance Issue 6

THE

LANCE April 22, 2019

Westside High School

Volume 63 Issue 6

[ info ]

Editorial Scroll The Lance is a school-sponsored publication of Westside High School, Westside Community Schools, 8701 Pacific St., Omaha, NE 68144. The Lance office is located in room 251. Phone: (402) 343-2650. The Lance is an in-house publication.

The paper is distributed every month to all students, except in vacation periods.

Subscription rates to others are $30 prepaid. The Lance is printed by White Wolf Web, in Sheldon, IA. Advertising rates are available upon request. The Lance editorial staff reserves the right to edit all ads for clarity and grammatical errors. The editorial staff reserves the right not to publish any ads that are libelous or that contain non-factual information.

The Lance editorial staff also reserves the right to nullify contracts at any time without prior notification. The Lance also refuses ads that promote activities illegal to a majority of the student readership.

Reader response is welcomed in the form of letters to the editor. Letters should be less than 300 words, signed by the author and sent to room 251. Names may be withheld upon special request. Lance editors will decide whether to honor such requests.

The Lance editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and grammatical errors. The editorial staff also reserves the right to not publish any letters that are libelous or that contain non-factual information.

The Lance is a member of the Nebraska High School Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association and the Quill & Scroll Society.

The Lance staff recognizes that the administration of Westside Community Schools controls the curriculum and, thus, sets the parameters of the production process of school publications. The Lance staff also recognizes its own responsibilities to inform, enlighten and entertain its readers in a way that reflects high standards of journalism, morals and ethics.

Editors-in-Chief Malia Battafarano, Sam Cohen, Julia Steiner, Isabella Tyler; Managing Editors Maryam Akramova, Theo Jansen; Design Editor Elliot Evans; Photo Editors Emma Miller; Graphics Editor Abby Schreiber; Infographics Editor Eleanor Dodge; Copy Editor-inChief Reese Pike; Copy Editors Daisy Friedman, Mina Testolin; News Editor Angelina Pattavina; Opinion Editor Natalie Gill; In-depth Editor Meredith Matz; Feature Editor Virginia Jansen; Arts and Entertainment Editor Jane Knudsen; Business Manager Alex Vandenberg; Staff Writers Joe Brunkhorst, Will Christiansen, Luke Steiner, Brooklyn James, Faith Rice, Nolan Spisak; Graphic Artists Parker LeFebvre, Angela Li, Max Frost, Kenzie Harden, Lydia Kasem, Meghan Maynard, Tommy Sullivan; Graphic designers Vinny Nelson, Luke Steiner; Advisers Timothy Kaldahl, Jerred Zegelis.

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Contributors Editors-in-Chief: Malia Battafarano Saunders Cohen Julia Steiner Isabella Tyler

Mina Testolin Daisy Friedman

Managing Editors: Maryam Akramova Theodore Jansen

Staff Writers: Joe Brunkhorst Will Christiansen Audrey Persaud Faith Rice

Design Editor: Elliot Evans Graphic Editor: Abby Schreiber Photo Editor: Emma Miller Infographic Editor: Eleanor Dodge News Editor: Angelina Pattavina Opinion Editor: Natalie Gill

Business Manager: Alex Vandenberg

Graphic Artists: Angela Li Chloe Geoffroy Parker LeFebvre Meghan Maynard Max Frost Designers: Vinny Nelson Kenzie Harden Photographer: Lydia Kasem

In-Depth Editor: Meredith Matz Feature Editor: Virginia Jansen A&E Editor: Jane Knudsen Copy Editor-in-Chief: Reese Pike Copy Editors:

design and graphics by elliot evans

Follow Westside Journalism @westsidewired on twitter, instagram, facebook and snapchat Subscribe to Warrior Television on YouTube @westsidewtv on twitter and snapchat

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[ news ]

Food for Thought Hillside Elementary School adopts more sustainable food practices

he Hillside Elementary School cafeteria is bustling. While some students file in with their lunches, others chat at their tables, coming to the center of the lunchroom to dump their trays. They giggle as I stand on my tiptoes with my phone, straining to capture what has become for them a typical lunch: sorting the waste on their trays, tossing their Styrofoam bowls into the trash bin, their milk cartons into the recycling can and pouring out their applesauce into a bin full of half-eaten grilled cheeses and cucumbers. This can, introduced in January, is the newest addition to the Hillside cafeteria and the first of its kind for the Westside District. It is for compost.

Students from kindergarten through sixth grade file through the line. As they approach the cans, many take a pause, examining each of the bins to try to determine where their waste best fits.

Building Custodian Eddie Harris diligently runs interference, pointing kids toward the correct can and re-sorting items from the occasional student that, laughing, purposefully disrupts the system. According to Hillside Principal Cynthia Bailey, Harris’ hard work has been key to this new project’s success. “[Harris is] the heartbeat of that cafeteria, and he runs it,” Bailey said.

After I get my photos, Harris offers to show me where the compost goes next. We head outside behind the dumpster, where green compost bins are lined up, ready to be used or picked up

by Hillside Elementary School’s partner, Hillside Solutions (of no relation to the school, despite the name). Once the school collects their organic waste, Hillside Solutions takes it from there, picking up the waste and taking it away to turn it into compost. As we walk, Harris explains how he has worked to make the process smoother, starting to air out the bins when he’s not expecting precipitation and working with Hillside Solutions to eliminate the use of plastic bags in the cans to lessen the smell.

According to the district website, Hillside reduced their trash by about 60% when they began composting. Bailey said she hasn’t gotten a report recently, and by now, it’s possible that reduction is as high as 80%. According to her, Harris only takes out one bag of trash a day now for Hillside’s 400 students as opposed to five before the school started composting.

“When you think about how much trash we were sending to the landfill before we started composting, it’s kind of frightening,” Bailey said.

Hillside’s journey to composting began with the efforts of current first grade instructor Erica Riffner, according to Bailey.

Riffner said she developed a concern for Hillside’s food policies when she watched the incredible amounts of perfectly good food go to waste in the cafeteria.

“For years, we were told, ‘They can’t save it, they can’t do this,’” Riffner said. “And I was just like, you know, I’ve had enough.”

Riffner founded a team of teachers called “Earth Advocates” who promote greater sustainability at Hillside. This group has

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introduced the recycling of markers in the classroom as well as the recycling of fluorescent lights. One day, while looking at her Facebook page, Riffner came across the idea of “share tables,” which have been introduced in other schools around the nation. In these schools, kids are able to leave their uneaten food on a table where it will be sanitized for other children to eat instead of throwing it away. “[Other staff members and I] were just sickened by how much food was wasted and then how many of our kids go home hungry,” Riffner said.

Under the radar, Riffner said she began doing this a bit in her own classroom, collecting a basket of leftover food in the cafeteria and bringing it back to her classroom for her kids to snack on. She said the food was consumed almost immediately.

“This should happen in every classroom,” Riffner said she thought to herself at the time. “It’s not fair that my kids are getting all these snacks in the afternoon and other classrooms have hungry kids and growing kids, and they should be able to do it too.”

Finally, Riffner contacted Director of Nutrition Services and Access 66 Erin Vik. Vik responded, expressing interest in implementing the “share tables” in the district.

“I seriously almost started crying,” Riffner said. “I felt like I won the lottery. I really did. I just remember that moment when I got the email back, and I ran to the other staff members that were a lot of the Educational Assistants who do lunch duty, who see all of the stuff that’s wasted. The other [staff member] just started crying too because we were like, ‘This is so exciting! Kids can eat!’”

The “share table” program was introduced at Hillside this fall. They have established “No, thank you” and “Yes, please” tables for giving and receiving unused food items. At the end of the day, food that was donated by students is sanitized by Student Council (also run by Riffner) so hungry students can use it for snack the next day.

“It’s been massively, massively successful,” Bailey said.

After introducing the “share tables,” composting was the next step. Riffner again introduced the idea, having seen an article about composting at Fontenelle Elementary, but said it was Bailey who did most of the communicating with the district leadership to actually put the project in place.

“We got the okay from Russ,” Bailey siad. “We all went over to Fontenelle to look at the program, including our custodian. We decided it was something we could certainly try. We were very willing; and that’s how it started.”

Bailey stressed the importance of practicing what you teach.

With composting, she said, teachers are able to do that.

“It’s one thing to give lip service to the fact that we need to preserve our earth, you know lots of people do Earth Day, and we always talk about “reduce, reuse, recycle,” but are we really putting our money where our mouth is when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint and reducing the effect we have on the Earth?”

Bailey said. “So I think it’s really important to do with kids. I think you can say a lot of things, but people watch what you do.

They don’t really listen to what you say as much as watch what you do. So we are daily, then, an example for our kids, and then they can be an example for other kids.”

Bailey also said she hopes that having sustainable practices will be an expectation that Hillside students will develop for their world.

“We all talk about being earth-friendly,” Bailey said. “It’s a great idea, but until you systemize it and until it’s an expectation and until it’s something that’s in front of you every day, you’re not going to do it, and that’s what I think we’re hoping to do for kids here at Hillside. What we would love to do is create kids with a consciousness so that if they go to another school, like let’s say they go to the middle school, and they don’t recycle, I think they’re going to be horrified! … They’re really going to be worried about it. And I want that. I want to create people who have a sense of global responsibility.”

According to Bailey, a few parents have reported that their children have been inspired by the school’s program and have tried to get their parents to compost at home. Bailey said that the school has gotten lots of positive feedback from parents since they introduced composting.

“I’m telling you, it’s really funny how ideas like that bring a school together because it’s really easy to get behind things like that,” Bailey said. “And then parents see the school as a place not just to teach their kids reading, writing and arithmetic, but it’s a whole philosophy about educating the whole child … We’re not just here for test scores, we’re not just here to make sure kids can learn their multiplication tables automatically, we’re really here to teach children how to think critically, to teach children how to care, to teach children how to connect, and it takes parents too.”

Brooke Keele, mother of two Hillside Tigers, said she and her husband try to practice sustainability (including composting and gardening) at home and are among the parents pleased with Hillside’s introduction of the composting program.

“I didn’t even know [composting] was an option, but I was excited,” Keele said. “It’s good to hear. Honestly, they talked about it, but I didn’t know to what extent. But it was exciting.

[My husband and I] try to raise [our kids] to be conscious about it, but there’s always more we can do.”

Keele’s sixth grade daughter, Sophia Keele, said although she said she was unimpressed with the way that the idea was introduced to the older students, she supports the school’s move toward composting and wants her peers to be aware of their effect on the environment.

story and photo by malia battafarano and design by chloe geoffroy

“We need to be conscious of what can happen and how we can reverse it so everything doesn’t die because of greenhouse gases,” Sophia Keele said. “Humans are the ones who inhabit this planet, and it would be hilarious if they were the ones to destroy it.”

According to Sophia Keele, many people in her class do not take the composting seriously. If students saw the actual composting taking place at Hillside instead of at Hillside Solutions, she said she thinks things might be different. She said she’s hoping that younger Hillside students, like her sister, will grow up with greater regard for their environment.

“I definitely hope that the younger kids can really understand that we are growing up in the age that everything is dying and everyone depends on fast food outlets and nobody’s really growing their own food or making sure that the food they put in their bodies is okay,” Sophia Keele said.

Riffner said she agreed with Sophia Keele that it is hard for students to understand why composting is important without seeing the process with their own eyes. She said her dream is to have the composting actually take place at the school or at least for students to take a field trip to Hillside Solution in a certain grade so they could have a better understanding of how the process works.

“It is coming around,” Riffner said. “We’re just hoping eventually kids will see it. It would be nice for us to eventually have a composting thing here to be able to do it all ourselves.”

Fourth grade teacher Erik Mueller said he has tried to develop students’ mentality on sustainability with the school’s newest project, the Hillside Community Garden, an idea introduced this January. Hillside Solutions is supplying the group with a yard of compost free of charge.

“What I’m really excited about is the fact that [the students’] food waste that we’ve been sending away for the past four months is what’s coming back to them now as compost that they can grow new food with, so they’re really getting the idea of

sustainability,” Mueller said.

The group meets on Mondays and Thursdays and has begun planting seedlings and charting their growth, with the help of many parents. They are currently in the process of making raised beds to transfer the plants outside. Mueller said the Garden Club recently went down to the Peony Park Community Garden to get ideas on how to run their own project.

“That community garden was having a meeting and all the people down there were blown away by what all we’re doing,” Mueller said.

According to Mueller, over the summer, Club 66 plans to take care of the plants during the week and community members will sign up to water on weekends. Mueller said he plans for the group to differ from a typical community garden in that the produce will be available to anyone who needs it. Members have also considered potentially having a mini food pantry in the future.

“It’s different from a regular garden where people have their own box,” Mueller said. “You can take something home if you want ... It’s just open to whomever.”

Hillside is determined not to stop their environmental efforts here. Bailey mentioned that she’s been looking into using rain barrels in the future, and Mueller brought up the idea of creating an outdoor learning space along with the garden. When it comes down to it, Hillside’s new sustainable practices are continuing to serve the school’s primary purpose: to help kids learn.

“These [kids] are our future doctors and lawyers and businesspeople and composting company owners and folks that are going to start recycling companies, and these are our future leaders and our future workers and we’ve got to educate them as such,” Bailey said. “This is something that is multi-faceted, and it is deep, so as many ways as we can find to educate children, and not just in the curricular areas, is what we should be doing.

We need to spend time doing it. We’ve got to raise these children right.”

Hillside student dumps leftover tomato soup into the school’s new compost bin.

[ news ]

District-Wide Food Practices Elsewhere in the district, Director of Nutrition Services and Access 66 Erin Vk works to coordinate food practices.

According to Vik, the district has implemented the use of some more sustainable materials, like washable trays and the reusable silverware of the elementary and middle schools. The district also switched from non-recyclable plastic milk pouches to recyclable cartons this year.

Some less environmentally friendly products still remain, however, especially the grab-and-go items used at the high school.

“Every year we look at the items we’re using to try to move towards things that are better for the environment,” Vik said. “We try to be as sustainable as we can with those processes, but we also have to be very sustainable with our budget and sometimes those two kind of counter each other. We try to improve on that each year throughout the year.”

According to Vik, the district also strives not to waste leftover food. At the high school, he said the cafeteria often gives leftovers to the Café. The district also works with local food banks and Boys and Girls clubs. Vik also said that the district is considering expanding the composting at Hillside to other schools in the district as soon as this fall.

“I don’t think we would have an issue, especially now that we’ve had a school, one of the large elementary schools that [has] gone through it, for an elementary school level,” Vik said. “Logistically it would be a little more challenging at the middle school and specifically here [at the high school], but by far not [where] we [would] be unable to do it.”

Finances for the composting are also fairly sustainable, Vik said. Although there is an initial cost to the program, it should be close to neutralized by savings in trash bags and services.

Hillside Principal Cynthia Bailey and first grade instructor Erica Riffner both said they thought that implementing their program in other schools would not be too difficult. Bailey said her biggest concern is not with the schools, but with composting companies, who she worries will not have the capacity to effectively compost all the food.

“I hope every school takes it on,” Riffner said. “It’s easy.”

With Hillside as an example, Vik said, he doesn’t think the switch to compost would be overly challenging.

“We have an acting model right now and we can go, ‘This isn’t scary. This is something that we can do,’” Vik said. “When it comes down to it, we have a lot of foundational pieces that are either working and doing those type of things now or can be modified to improve what we’re doing to make it better as we move forward and find better options for us from a environmental side as well as an economic side.”

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Omaha Recycles

[ news ]

Information about the recycling process

What can you recycle in Omaha?

One in four items Americans put into their recycling bins aren’t actually recyclable, according to the trash collection company Waste Management’s website. The consequences of putting trash in the recycling can range from damaging processing equipment at recycling plants to contaminating an entire load of recyclables. Recycling is one way to reduce waste and energy usage, but it can be difficult to know exactly what can be recycled and where recyclables should be taken. Here is more information about recycling in Omaha:

Basic Information About Omaha Omaha started recycling in the 1970s, when employees of the Central Area Recycling Exchange personally sorted through neighborhood collections of recyclables. Since then, recycling has greatly increased and now Omaha, does everything through contracting.

On trash collection day, trucks from a company called Waste Management (formerly Deffenbaugh Industries) pick up recyclables and take them to Firstar Fiber, a recycling center. According to Paul Dunn, the Solid Waste Section Supervisor for the city and Recycling Coordinator for 20 years, Firstar then transports recyclables to a variety of places.

“It’s [Firstar Fiber’s] job to sort out the various materials into each of the categories and prepare them for markets, which … means that they put them in large bales and then ship them off in semi-load quantities to various mills across the U.S. and down into Mexico,” Dunn said.

Omaha uses a system called single-stream recycling. This means that recycling trucks come directly to houses to pick up recycling and bring it to a facility. The recyclables are all mixed together in the bin instead of being sorted. According to Wasteline Omaha, Omaha recycles about 15,000 tons of materials every year. That translates to a recycling rate of about 11 percent of Omaha’s waste, according to Dunn. He also said that saving energy is one reason recycling is important.

“There's still value in all these materials that we're recycling,” Dunn said. “For the manufacturers who take the recycled material and make new things out of it, it saves them energy … It could save them time because it is easier and faster to process a recycled material than it is a raw material.”

Dunn said that in the future, Omaha is looking to recycle more. Through piloting programs like the Hefty Energy Bag product, which takes plastics not recycled by Omaha to a cement kiln in Kansas City, the city can experiment to find out what works and what doesn’t. There may be some changes in the process in the near future.

“Next year, in the middle of the year sometime, we'll be switching over to using carts for collection of recycling,” Dunn said. “If Omaha has the same experiences as other cities who have made similar changes, we should see a good increase in the amount of recycling, so we're looking forward to that.”

However, recycling in Omaha isn’t just about what can be done from home. Dunn said recycling at school is important.

“As I understand it, there's recycling there at Westside and all the District 66 schools, and I hope all the students participate at school as well as at home,” Dunn said.

Scrap Central Bringing recyclables directly to a recycling plant can work as a way to get rid of recyclables the city won’t accept. One recycling plant is Scrap Central, located at 2728 N 85th Street. This center provides mainly metal recycling services.

According to the business’s owner, Jennifer Jones, Scrap Central’s customers include mainly heating and air, plumbing and electrical companies. However, those are not their only customers.

“We're also open to the general public, so people cleaning out their garage or scrapping aluminum cans or ... replacing a faucet or something like that,” Jones said. “They can bring it in and recycle it.”

Once Scrap Central receives materials like aluminum and other metals, the center has a few different ways of processing recyclables. Some machines crush the materials into large bales which can be more easily transported. Another is called a wire chopper. According to Jones, Scrap Central’s wire chopper is one of the largest parts of the business. This machine processes insulated wire. “[The wire chopper] will essentially shred up that insulated wire, pull off the insulation and then we're left with just the copper wiring that was inside,” Jones said.

That processed material is called copper chops and, along with other recycled metals, will be sent to mills and foundries that can use it once again.

In 2014, Scrap Central moved to its current location. Its size increased from half an acre to seven acres and Jones said the move has greatly impacted the business.

“Obviously, the more space you have, the more material you can store and process, so [the move] allowed us to really expand our business and buy much larger volumes of material to be able to hand-process them,” Jones said.

The amount the center recycles has increased from just a few million pounds to 20 million pounds in the time that Jones has been in charge of the business. Jones inherited her family recycling plant nine years ago. She stressed the importance of recycling for the planet and said that importance is the reason Scrap Central moved to a more central location.

Overall, Scrap Central accepts a wide variety of metals. To recycle electronics or appliances, visit their website at scrapcentralrecycling.com for more information.

story by reese pike, design by kenzie harden and graphic by isabella tyler

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[ news ]

Results found from a non-scientific survey conducted by TheLance with 62 responses.

F L O O D E D Members of Westside Community deal with the springtime flood in eastern Nebraska and Iowa

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wo science instructors, Marilyn Mendick and Angela Bergman both said they witnessed the effects of the Nebraska springtime flooding. Both live near and in Valley, Nebraska, one of the major towns affected and evacuated because of the flooding. They had different stories but similar devastating results.

“It was very good that we left,” Mendick said. “You can always replace your things, but you can never replace you.”

The flooding was caused by a combination of steady rainfall and melting ice, creating rising water levels. There were devastating damages all over Nebraska, and many people were forced to evacuate their homes. According to an article on Vox, approximately 4,400 people in the region had to evacuate their homes. The flooding severity was different for everyone. For some, like Bergman, a wall of water flooded their neighborhood.

“We knew waters were rising and, [our family] knew that Elkhorn was flooding,” Bergman said. “What caused us to evacuate was a levy to our north-head failed. It is called the Union Dike, and it had broken.”

For others, like Mendick, the flooding came trickling in little by little.

“The water came in two waves,” Mendick said. “The first wave was all of the ice that came, and that came Thursday morning [March 14] and Thursday afternoon is when water started to come over the barrier.”

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Basements and crawl spaces were filled rapidly for a variety of reasons. According to Bergman, these reasons included water pumps failing to pump the water out of the

“For us, [evacuating] came down to, ‘Do you really want to be that person on the roof or not?’”

Science instructor Angela Bergman house. She said it was also caused by cracks in concrete allowing water to trickle in, and water seeping under the house into the lower areas. According to Bergman, the

flooding in her neighborhood came in fast and a pump failure could lead to four feet of water within an hour.

The flood has caused a variety of different problems.

According to Bergman there were some people in her neighborhood with two inches of water and others with eight feet. Mendick said she faced problems that didn’t necessarily affect the inside of her home. “[In the yard] the chunks of ice were the first wave,” Mendick said. “My husband stepped it out. One of them was 12 steps by 21 steps. When I say steps, it would just be like a walking step, like three feet. So, it would be like 30 steps by 60 steps. Some were as big as my house …

It was scary being on an island. We were surrounded by water for a long period of time.”

Both instructors had to evacuate their homes while their neighborhoods were flooded. They both said that they felt good about their decisions about to evacuate their homes.

“For us, it really came down to, ‘Do you really want to be that person on the roof or not?”’ Bergman said.

“When they asked us to evacuate, they did that not only for your safety, but for the safety of the first responders.

The very first death of anyone from this flood was because a volunteer was driving out to rescue someone. A bridge collapsed on him and he drowned. We didn’t want to be the reason why that would happen to somebody else.

There were several other stories of rescuers who had to be rescued because others did not evacuate.”

The flooding and evacuations took place over Westside’s spring break, which, according to Bergman, was convenient for those who could not be at home.

“Because our town was kind of on curfew, we were not able to return home until Wednesday [March 20],” Bergman said. “You are living without some stuff. Luckily, we were on spring break. If we were not on spring break it would have been very stressful. It would have been a longer drive, and it would have been harder to get everyone ready. So, we got really lucky it happened over spring break.

Although both teachers evacuated their homes, they were able to return within a week of leaving.

They said this was made possible thanks to the hard work of their communities and various organizations.

Westside has also come together as a community to collect water bottles for the victims of the flood, providing clean water for places where it may be polluted.

“Over 2,500 water bottles were collected and taken to the Salvation Army, to be distributed,” Student Council Member Cameran Runge, who organized the water bottle drive, said. “We needed a #BeKind Activity for this month, and because of the flood it was a quick thing that I thought we could do to make an impact.”

According to Mendick, Midwest Laboratories gave out free well tests. This was done to make sure there was clean water for those affected by the flood.

Contaminated wells were an issue as they could have pesticides and bacteria washed in them from the flood water. Bergman added that two churches in Valley, St. Marks Lutheran Church and United Faith Community, also helped the community by sending volunteers to help with repairs, providing meals and damage control. Although many things could be fixed, some things were irreplaceable if damaged.

“I was worried about the sentimental stuff, like the Christmas decorations,” Bergman said. “That’s what I was most worried about. My husband took the time to get all of the stuff on the floor up. When we were hearing stories of basements filling, we were worried about those things he didn’t bring up.”

Neither teacher experienced detrimental damages to their homes. They were both able to return to their homes safely with help from others.

“The kind of help that is needed is showing up at somebody’s site where you see somebody working, and ask what you can do to help,” Bergman said.

“That’s really what is needed. There are communities that are smaller that are not getting the help they need. There are ways to help that are toxic, and there are ways to help to be not. I would say that any help people are trying to give, make sure you go to somebody local. Find out what the actual needs are before you donate whatever.”

[ news ]

Items from a water damaged shed litter the ground.

Ice produced from former flood waters surrounds a residential property.

Residents survey flood damage atop remaining ice.

Ice uplifts parts of a residential property and surrounds the front entrance.

Ice creeps close to a home alongside the Platte River.

story and graphics by luke steiner, photos provided by marilyn mendick

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[ in-depth ]

DOES WESTSIDE RECYCLE? Services manager discusses waste disposal I

nside each classroom, there is a green recycling bin and Coleman said. “Anything we can do to cut down on our a grey trash can, but what happens to those cans once the electricity usage, we’ve been implementing slowly as we students leave and the janitors are doing their rounds has go. It’s actually making a huge effect on our bills, and it’s been a debated issue for quite some time. The questions just a big chain reaction. Soon it’ll be fewer fossil fuels of where do the trash and recycling really go, and are they used.” mixed and thrown away or do they go their separate paths According to Coleman, Westside has also tried many have been asked by students projects to help reduce and staff for a long time. waste. For instance, last When Freshman Kyle year, Westside provided Vincentini first heard large recycling containers the rumors that Westside at football games due to doesnt’ recycle, he was the large amount of soda skeptical. and Gatorade bottles sold.

“I’ve heard rumors of it According to Coleman, in the past, but I wasn’t sure Westside gathered if they were true or not,” approximately eight to ten Vincentini said. bags of recycling and only But, according to one bag of trash, compared Westside Building Services to last year’s eight to ten Manager Virgil Coleman, bags of trash. the students are missing There are also lots of some information. simple things students “What the students can do on an individual aren’t seeing is they are level.

According to using one trash bin, but if Environmental Education you look closely, there’s a and Outreach Coordinator clear bag for the recycling at Keep Omaha Beautiful and a dark bag for trash, Hannah Renard-Ganley, the so they separate it there,” best way to recycle is in the Coleman said. student’s personal space.

With the janitors doing “[Students should] think their job, it’s the students’ about what they’re wasting responsibility to dictate how or what they’re not currently much Westside recycles. using in a productive way “Every classroom has and find ways to cut back,” Environmental Education and a recycling bin, and it’s Renard-Ganley said. up to the teachers and Outreach Coordinator at Keep Omaha According to Renardstudents to put the proper Ganley, students can do Beautiful Hannah Renard-Ganley items in them,” Coleman simple things, such as said. “Then, at the end of getting a reusable water the night, the janitors separate between that and the trash, bottle instead of using disposable ones every day. and we have a recycling compactor out back that they take Students can do things at home as well, such as turning everything to.” off lights when leaving a room to save electricity, or try Not only is Westside working to recycle, the district is collecting aluminum cans and plastic bottles to turn in to also looking to reduce electricity usage. places in Omaha such as Can Pac Recycling Inc. According “Westside’s working with OPPD to switch lights to their website, they pay $1.80 per pound of aluminum to LEDs so they last longer and burn less electricity,” and $1.28 per pound of plastic.

“[Students should] think about what they’re wasting or what they’re not currently using in a productive way.”

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story by will christiansen, graphic by mina testolin, design by sam cohen

[ in-depth ]

CUtting Paper Students, staff reflect on laptops’ environmental impact I n Westside Community Schools, there are approximately 4,000 laptops spread out between students and staff, with 2,200 of those distributed throughout Westside High School. There are a multitude of sites available for teachers to provide learning tools for their students, such as Google Classroom, Blackboard and Quizlet. While Principal Jay Opperman said he believes that this should reduce Westside’s overall paper usage, the school still has room for improvement.

“My perception is that we still print quite a bit of stuff,” Opperman said. “So [reducing paper usage] would certainly be an area I would like to see us continue to move forward in.”

Opperman said that while administration will never have rules on how many copies a staff member can print, teachers should try and avoid printing things such as syllabuses and course information that could be emailed out.

Even when students themselves may try and reduce paper usage on a personal level, school can make it difficult to lessen the amount of paper that someone uses, according to senior Elizabeth Thomas.

“I don’t use a whole lot of paper in my personal life, mostly because I don’t find myself having to write down a whole lot of stuff,” Thomas said. “Most of the notes I take are either on my phone of laptop.”

According to Information Technology manager Michael Sanchez, providing students and staff with laptops should ultimately reduce Westside’s paper usage. But, certain Wi-Fi issues have provided some obstacles for the technology department.

“Due to some issues we’ve been having,

teachers have been relying on paper more than on their actual computers,” Sanchez said. “So, we are using a lot more paper than we should be.”

Thomas added that problems with technology often provide issues for teachers who want to utilize a new piece of technology.

“Sometimes teachers will be trying out new [programs] on [laptops] and it won’t work at all and just make everything more difficult,” Thomas said.

According to Sanchez, focusing more on the materials is important to guarantee that the laptop really is environmentally friendly.

“Apple is all about environmentally friendly laptops,” Sanchez said.

“That’s why we like to use Apple, because they don’t contain mercury and all those other chemicals like some other brands.”

According to Apple’s website, the Macbook Air is designed to be energy efficient and contain fewer toxins.

Apple doesn’t include products like arsenic, brominated flame retardants, mercury, phthalates and polyvinyl chloride in its products.

After four years, when the laptops are

ready to be replaced, they are first sold to students and staff, then to the public and then to a wholesale buyer.

In the most recent cycle, Westside sold the leftover computers to the company Diamond Assets, which then recycled them and sold them to other school districts.

At the end of the day, what is going to reduce paper usage the most at Westside is simply teachers incorporating technology more into their lesson plans. According to Opperman, Westside provides many

opportunities for teachers to learn more about how to use technology in the classroom. This includes events such as professional development, where staff learn better ways to communicate with students and parents or engaging structural pieces, among other things.

“I think the biggest thing [to reduce paper usage] is to try new things, to take risks and to find different ways to use technology to help students learn and be more engaged,” Opperman Said.

story by audrey persaud, graphic and design by sam cohen

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[ in-depth ]

W

hile there are many beautiful public spaces around Omaha to enjoy nature and being outside, many of those are also polluted with discarded plastic and trash. Towl Park, a public park that is about a five minute drive away from Westside High School, is no different. Towl Park houses a biking and running path, creek, pond, tennis courts, playground and baseball diamond that frequently become flooded with visitors. Many enjoy walking their dogs, working out, fishing or enjoying the fresh air. On a sunny Sunday afternoon, I visited Towl Park in search of a public space in Omaha where I could explore the amount of pollution. My findings surprised me, as every nook and cranny of space around the park had some element of trash disturbing the serenity that the park otherwise had provided.

Visitors patiently waited for a bite on their fishing lines as their bobbers floated next to a plastic water bottle submerged in the pond, and the “keep Omaha beautiful” trash can overflowed to the point where it was creating a pile of trash on the ground.

It was difficult to view the trash that littered the ground and water amongst the beauty of the park, such as the mini purple flowers or the garden snake that rustled past my feet. While the accompanying photos do not tell the tale of pollution on a large scale, they offer a snapshot of the mix of nature and trash and how disruptive one’s seemingly small actions can be.

pollution in omaha

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[ in-depth ]

story and photos by emma miller, design by vinny nelson

13

recycling: it’s worth it

[ editorial ]

S

Students of Westside should remember to recycle

tudents remembering to recycle can be a small part of a big change. Along with its environmental benefits, there are also economic boosts that recycling provides.

Westside is a large school, so there is quite a bit of waste.

Recycling is vital for the school to be environmentally responsible, yet, most students opt for throwing their garbage in the trash.

According to Recycle Across America, a nonprofit dedicated to recycling education, when the United States’ levels of recycling reach 75% (they are currently at 21%), it will improve the economy greatly by creating 1.5 million job opportunities across the country. Choosing to recycle is the better choice, not only for the environment but for the economy, as well.

Along with the economic benefits, there are obviously a plethora of positive environmental impacts. Recycling rather than throwing items away lowers carbon emissions and energy usage.

If Westside students choose to recycle less garbage will sit in a landfill destroying the environment.

When Westside students stand together and choose to recycle, the large student population can make a difference.

Science instructor Angela Bergman said she enforces recycling in her classroom.

“In my classroom, we [recycle] all the time because I’m very deliberate about it,” Bergman said. “Everywhere else, I don’t think we do it often enough … I think most people throw it away right there in the trash can where it’s convenient.”

Instead of only thinking of convenience before throwing something in the trash can, remember the ways that piece of trash will destroy the planet.

Along with making the conscious decision to recycle items, Bergman also suggested considering where your garbage comes from. Think about what goes into making a plastic bottle, for example.

“The bottle came from an oil byproduct, so you’re already putting more carbon into the air,” Bergman said. “That bottle had energy put into it to make it, to refine the plastic … It has energy in transporting that bottle. It gets filled

somewhere, by a tap usually. Then, it gets chilled, wrapped in more plastic, shipped to your grocery store. All of those [processes] are energy intensive, carbon intensive.”

What Bergman said shows that not only does the break down of garbage at a landfill hurt the environment, but the initial production of plastic and other man-made materials cause harm to the planet.

“If we recycle, you still have all the inputs there for that

recycling, but it’s a lot less because you cut off part of that supply chain of the refining and the creation of the initial refining of that plastic,” Bergman said. “It makes some really great byproducts.”

According to the Omaha Public Schools’ (OPS) website, implementing the Green School Initiative at OPS in 2013 has saved the district $9.8 million and has prevented emitting graphic by abby schreiber, design by natalie gill

as much CO2 as 395 rail cars of coal. By encouraging the students to make more environmentally friendly choices, the district is saving money and the planet. If Westside put a similar program into action, the district could see the same financial benefits, helping with difficult budget decisions the district has had to make recently. If two Omaha school districts were to have an environmentally sound program in place, it could inspire other metro schools to go green and make Omaha a cleaner and more environmentally sound city.

Westside has many students and could use our strength in numbers to make a lasting impact.

Recycling is important, and there is always a way that we can make a change.

Sophomore Faith Jolkowski said she agrees that more could be done to support recycling at Westside.

“I think we could enforce recycling more,” Jolkowski said. “There are people who try to recycle their bottles and stuff, and then there’s just [people who] absentmindedly throw stuff into the trash.”

Some students, like Jolkowski, would agree that they would like to see Westside encourage its student body to recycle more. There are students who recycle. However, there could always be more. If the entire student body were to recycle, the impact that we would create would be great.

“I’d be up for seeing Westside push [recycling] a little more, just because I don’t like what’s happening over there, but there’s nothing I can do about it other than recycle,” Jolkowski said.

“If more people were recycling that would be amazing.”

To encourage students to recycle, Westside could do a variety of things, such as putting up posters or giving reminders at assemblies. However, it’s also important that Westside shows its students how they are benefitting our planet. By making the student body aware of the harmful impact garbage has on the Earth, students will understand the importance of recycling what they believe is just disposable.

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[ opinion ]

R

RECYCLE YOURSELF

ecycling is universally known as the act of disposing unneeded products to be turned into new products to be used again. Recycling is commonly associated with paper, plastic and glass, but many people are unaware that peopple have the ability to “recycle themselves.” The term “recycle yourself” refers to the practice of recycling your own organs to another person through transplantation.

Signing up to be an organ donor is as easy as checking a box while getting your driver’s license. However, there are many misconceptions about the process and qualifications. Some people abstain from consenting to donation entirely, which could be the difference between life and death for candidates in need.

Once a donor’s organs are taken out of their body, they are matched with a recipient on the transplant list.

The matching process is lengthy but necessary to limit complications.

“Organs are matched by blood type,” said Wendy Grant, a transplant surgeon at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). “Kidneys, pancreas, heart and lungs are more immunologically sensitive and therefore need to be matched by more than blood type. Size of the donor and recipient are taken into account when matching heart, lungs, liver and intestine.”

Transplants are life-saving procedures that are not performed unless absolutely necessary. Oftentimes, the news that a transplant is needed uproots people’s lives, especially if there is not a hospital nearby that can provide them with sustainable medical care. That is what happened to me and my family.

I came to Omaha in 2006 for what is commonly known as a transplant evaluation. Typically, this process takes place over the span of a week. After that, a treatment plan is given and the patient can go home and wait. However, I was too fragile to leave, so my family relocated to Omaha for UNMC’s world-renowned transplant clinic. This prospect of moving to a new place for a procedure as significant as a transplant seems scary and aspects of it are, but there are nurse coordinators to help patients navigate the beginning of their journey.

“Working within transplantation means that you care for someone for their entire life,” Brandi Gerhardt, nurse coordinator at UNMC, said.“Transplant patients are always tied to the center they had their operation in and the team who cared for them. It is a rather unique experience.”

Personally, I know I would not be alive today if it weren’t for a selfless family willing to give up a little part of their loved one to save another. Fortunately, I was too young to remember most of the experience, but my caretakers throughout the years jogged my memory. Gerhardt was the nurse coordinator for my case. She helped my family with our move from New York to Omaha for my transplant.

“I remember sitting on my front porch talking to your mom for hours on why she should come to Nebraska,” Gerhardt said. “I remember how sick you were and how hard it was to make that decision to list you for transplant.”

Commonly, organs are donated from deceased individuals who have been declared brain dead or have suffered heart failure. The news that a family member or loved one has passed away is some of the most upsetting news that can be heard, but the family members of those individuals are never alone in the days after the passing, according to Amanda Brewer, Family Services Manager of Live On Nebraska.

“We have a team of family support coordinators who support families during the donation process and also through our aftercare program following the donation,” Brewer said. “Our family support coordinators are social workers, counselors and chaplains with specific training in supporting families during times of crisis and acute grief. We have a 13 month aftercare program. Families receive gifts, recipient information and grief materials [and] support.”

The loss that is suffered when a loved one dies is a very difficult thing to go through, and some families have a strong aversion to the idea of giving part of their bodies to somebody else. Some say it makes them feel they will have less of them to hold onto. Brewer said Live On Nebraska assures families that will not be the case.

“Families have the opportunity to complete memory making,” Brewer said. “Family support coordinators assist families in making clay heart fingerprints, ink prints for fingerprint jewelry, heartbeat teddy bears, locks of hair and heartbeats in a bottle. We also offer memorial cards for all donors. These cards are used at funeral or celebration of life services.”

Not only are there physical mementos of a donor, but the knowledge that you or someone you love can save the lives of hundreds of people is a way one’s legacy can live on even after death. According to Live On Nebraska, there are around 113,000 people in the US waiting for lifesaving transplants, and, last year, there were only 68 donors in Nebraska. One organ donor can save the lives of eight individuals.

It is vital to educate people about how saving someone’s life can change your own.

“Without organ donation, there would be a tremendous loss of life worldwide,” Gerhardt said. “Once a damaged organ is beyond repair, there are few measures to prolong someone’s life. As one organ fails, it will fail to help another organ, and so on. It is almost like a domino effect that occurs until someone dies from multi-organ failure.”

The process of donating and receiving an organ is a very respectful and controlled one. This renewal of life starts with one person taking the time to register to recycle themselves.

As I grow older, I begin to realize the most important person in my life is a little girl who saved my life thirteen years ago, whom I will never know. I live every day of life to the fullest of its potential knowing I’m really living for two. That is the power of organ donation: knowing you are a catalyst for rebirth in somebody else. All it takes is checking a box on a driver’s license to “recycle yourself” today.

The importance of organ donation

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story by daisy friedman, graphic by parker lefebvre, design by abby schreiber

Acid in Our

[ opinion ]

oceans

CO2 causes ecosystem deterioration

T

here’s a mollusk living in the depths of the Antarctic Sea, and its shell is eroding away. This animal, the sea butterfly, has the honor of being the poster child for the environmental issue of ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification is the process by which the oceans have become more acidic over time. This happens due to carbon dioxide being released into the air and combining with water to form carbonic acid, which lowers the pH (a measurement of how acidic or basic something is) of the ocean. The lower the pH, the more acidic something is.

Things that are acidic and have a pH of zero to 6.5, like lemon juice, tend to be sour and can burn. When something is basic, such as baking soda, it means that the pH ranges from 7.5 to 14, they are bitter and some can even have a soaplike feeling. The ocean’s pH was 8.2 (which is basic) during the Industrial Revolution and now is 8.1 (still basic, but now more acidic), meaning a 30% increase in acidity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Ocean acidification is, as the Smithsonian calls it, “the evil twin of climate change.” It’s an important issue that is impacting our environment. We need to start taking it into consideration so we can make a change. While climate change gets all the attention for how flashy and dramatic it can be, acidification is lurking in the shadows, slowly and secretly destroying coral reefs and food webs.

“Acidification comes from carbon

dioxide in the air,” chemistry instructor David Bulin said. “As more is in the air, more can get transferred into water systems, and that’s globally, not just here in Nebraska, but everywhere. If [the water] gets too acidic, if it’s out of a certain range, maybe it kills off a microbe, but that microbe is what helps something else grow and [what] bigger fish would eat. Even if [acidification] doesn’t affect a bigger animal itself, that food chain can be affected.”

To understand the way the acidification makes its impact, we can take another look at the sea butterfly.

They have hard shells made of calcium carbonate, which coral is made of too.

Ocean acidification causes the carbonate to bind with a different molecule.

This causes organisms to be unable to build their shells, their homes, and possibly lose their lives. Some of the other animals that are affected include oysters, coral and starfish.

Obviously, one can see why losing such integral parts of our ocean’s food web and biodiversity is troubling.

Without coral, fish and other animals won’t have a place to live and could face extinction, which in turn affects us.

We need to step up and do something about it. Even those of us in Nebraska have an impact on the oceans through runoff, according to Bulin.

“What rains here goes into streams and rivers that eventually go into the ocean,” Bulin said. “Pretty much anything we do here in Nebraska will make it to the ocean.”

According to the PMEL (Pacific

Marine Environmental Laboratory) Carbon Program, one type of organism that would be particularly harmed by acidification is shellfish, which is lower on the food web. These creatures are vital to the existence of larger fish, birds and humans. Shellfish are eaten by larger fish, and those fish are eventually eaten by us. The reason ocean acidification affects shellfish is because it eats away at their shells, causing them to die before they can be eaten by other animals to sustain the food web. Ocean acidification could result in the loss of a vital piece of our own food. Due to this, it makes sense to start working on a solution.

Some things we could do to help slow down the problem would be to reduce our carbon dioxide output as well as treat the water going into our

story by maryam akramova, graphic by max frost, design by natalie gill

environment. Since acidification is caused by carbon dioxide bonding with water, reducing our carbon footprint would help, according to the Climate Interpreter. Reducing our fossil fuel consumption through not using as much electricity or walking instead of driving if possible can help.

In Omaha, there is a water treatment plant that helps deal with the effects of runoff. “[If] you do dispose of things that go down the drain, there’s a better chance that it’s going to be treated before it gets into the environment,” Bulin said.

In the end, ocean acidification is a big problem. Our environment is in danger. It’s time for us to step up and do something because it’s changing our world and changing us, but it’s not for the better.

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[opinion]

Why I’m An Herbivore

W

hen most people think about how humans have damaged the environment, the first thing that comes to their minds is factories billowing with smoke, highways filled with cars using up gas or an ocean with millions of plastic bags floating in it. Rarely will someone think to look down at their dinner plate and realize that the meat industry has one of the largest negative impacts on the environment.

Mary Ann Vinton is an associate professor and director of the Environmental Science department at Creighton University. According to Vinton, although all forms of agriculture harm the environment in some way, meat production is the most harmful.

“It’s really a question of what type of agriculture should we have to minimize environmental impacts,” Vinton said.

“Meat can definitely have some negative impacts on the environment. A lot of it is because, fundamentally, meat is more inefficient in terms of producing calories for plants.”

Because meat needs more land to create the same amount of calories, plants would be a more efficient use of that land. Especially in Third World countries, raising plants instead of meat would be a better way to grow food and make money in order to use the resources in the wisest way possible.

Vinton compared how cropland is used different for animals and plants.

“If you take an acre of Iowa cropland and you grow corn on it, you can produce about 15 million calories per acre, and that would be enough to feed 14 people in a year,” Vinton said. “If you feed that corn to an animal … you can produce about three million calories of meat from that … and that’s only going to be enough to feed three people per acre.”

The main problem with the production of meat is that it doesn’t just take the land it uses for raising animals, but it also takes the land where their food must be grown. This creates a larger issue based around land use. As one can see, using up all this land can harm the environment because it wastes resources that could be used more efficiently to feed the population.

However, that is not true for all land. According to Vinton, some lands are better suited to crops, and others are unable to grow food effectively, so they will be better for raising livestock.

“If you look at the world’s land, some of it is appropriate for growing crops like corn, lettuce, legumes, whatever crop is productive,” Vinton said. “That’s about 11% of the world’s land area, but that gives us about 77 % of our food globally. There is some land that is too dry, too sandy, too cold and it’s not appropriate [for growing crops].

Probably about 30% of land … is not as arable for crops. That is the land … where one way to get food from that land is to produce livestock on that land.”

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According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 26% of the world’s ice-free land is used for livestock grazing, which matches up generally with the amount of land that is not suitable to grow crops.

At the same time, the animals grazing on that land must eat crops, and 33% of cropland is used to grow their food. So, despite livestock grazing being a good use of some land, it also causes other land to be used ineffectively and wastes resources in other ways.

“If you’re producing livestock on that land which can’t be used for crops, you often need still need water for those animals,” Vinton said.

According to National Geographic, of the less than 1% of freshwater available for human use, 70% of it goes toward growing food and raising animals. On top of that, according to Water Footprint Network, the “water footprint,” or amount of water used to create a pound of beef, is 1,799 gallons of water and pork is 576 gallons.

Compare that to soybeans, which have a footprint of 216 gallons of water, and corn, which has a footprint of 108 gallons.

In addition to land use and water use for meat, as animals are raised, they release large amounts of methane gas, which Vinton said can be very harmful to the environment.

According to Time for Change, a cow releases 70 to 120 kilograms of methane a year on average. Methane is 23% more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide is.

This causes agriculture to be responsible for 18% of the the total release of greenhouse gases worldwide, according to the FAO, which is more than the transportation sector.

The effects of agriculture on the environment will continue to compound if people do not begin to make a change in their lives. Vinton said that it is important to recognize how the things we eat can affect the environment and think consciously on how we can change that.

“I think being very mindful of what we eat and the environmental impact of what we eat can be very powerful,” Vinton said. “I do think a more plant-based diet is more environmentally friendly.”

Two-and-a-half years ago, I decided to look down at my plate and realized that I could make a small difference by becoming a vegetarian. Becoming vegetarian is not a feasible choice for everyone, but if more people began to be more conscious with their meat choices, we could all help make a difference. Becoming a vegetarian is not just about not eating meat, but preserving our world for future generations.

Statistics according to a study done in 2010 by the Institute for Water Education, a study done in 2013 by the International Water Association and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the U.S.

story by virginia jansen, infographics and design by eleanor dodge

Green Garments

She models the clothing ethics for her brand, Kate Walz LLC, after the United Nations Sustainable Development goals.

“That means looking at sustainability in terms of its environmental impact and social impact,” Walz said.

Growing cotton, producing textiles, water usage and dyeing and treating fabrics all contribute to fashion’s environmental harm.

“Looking at the whole supply chain from the land that can be destroyed when growing the raw materials to the production, there is a lot of used energy, chemicals, dyeing materials and waste from the end of life [for clothing] that all pollute the environment,” Walz said.

According to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, polyester production for textiles in 2015 produced emissions equal to 185 coal-fired power plants’ annual emissions. Once the finished textile product has been thrown away, Walz said these synthetic materials will sit in [the] landfill for 200 to 300 years, releasing harmful gases into the air.

Human rights are also important when it comes to the issue of fast fashion.

What goes on in sweatshops can pose a risk to its workers.

“A lot of fast fashion is produced in sweatshops in countries like Bangladesh or China,” Walz said.

“These factories are not kept to the standard that they should be. [They are] putting those workers’ lives at risk.”

Because fast fashion is made at such a low price, Walz said sweatshop owners cannot afford to make simple repairs on their buildings, regardless of whether or not there is a health issue.

“Some of the chemicals they use on clothes have huge health implications,” Walz said. “Workers in leather tanneries are exposed to chemicals that can cause certain diseases for themselves and also people in surrounding areas.”

According to War on Want, a nonprofit organization with the goal of fighting global poverty, the average garment worker in Bangladesh will earn approximately $28 a month working 14 to 16 hour days. Eighty-five percent of these workers are

The fashion industry negatively impacts the environment

Top left infographic acording to War on Want, top right infographic according to Massachusettes Institute of Technology, bottom middle graphic according to sustainable fashion designer Kate Walz

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ustainability is a widely understood concept, yet the public eye has skipped over one of the biggest pollutants to our Earth: fashion. More specifically, fast fashion. Sustainable fashion designer Kate Walz will graduate with a BFA in Fashion Design, Systems and Society from Parsons School of Art and Design in May. Walz explained the definition of fast fashion.

“Fast fashion is when garments [are produced] in massive quantities in a very small amount of time,” Walz said. “A lot of the time they are seen as disposable clothing because they are made so quickly that often the construction and materials aren’t high quality.”

This manner of production has created a culture of people who want to buy the next new thing as cheaply as possible. “[Fast fashion] enables people to value fashion less,” Walz said.

“Because fashion has such a quick turnaround, brands can knock off other designers who are independent or higher-end. It creates this false narrative of throw-away culture, which is how people will perceive and treat their garments down the line.”

To combat fast fashion culture, Walz said she has joined the sustainable clothing movement.

women, who are more vulnerable [ opinion ] to discrimination and abuse.

Not only are workers being put under health risk, but they are working inhumane hours and still not making enough money to escape poverty.

While it’s easy to ignore, everyone has the ability to stop contributing to the fast fashion cycle. Still, shopping with ethics in mind can be hard.

“Sustainable fashion can be really inaccessible, especially to young people, because it can be quite expensive,” Walz said. “It is seen as elitist, which is something that myself and many others are trying to change. Considering a student’s financial situation, you can either invest in more expensive clothing that will last you a longer time [or buy] from thrift stores.

There are so many thrift stores in Omaha that are underappreciated and thrifting diverts what would have been waste from [the] landfill.”

According to Walz, thrifting is not the only way to reduce waste.

“Another great thing that people can do is learn how to repair their own clothing,” Walz said. “When something’s broken, it’s not waste. If the zipper breaks in your jacket and you don’t have the capability to fix it, you can use it as a rag or in a quilt. There’s no real reason that we should be throwing away clothing.”

Westside fashion instructor MaryJo Losen said she agreed with this idea.

“You should never throw clothes away,” Losen said.

Knowing this, Losen teaches her students about the end of life for clothing and ways to reuse old textiles by doing recycling projects.

Walz said she wants people to realize the urgency of fast fashion. According to an article from The Guardian published in October of 2018 by Jonathan Watts, the world has to act quickly.

“The world’s leading climate scientists have warned there is only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C, beyond which even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people,” Watts wrote.

Walz said student interest and action around the topic of sustainable and fast fashion is important. “[Young people] are really the generation with the ability to change the course of our environment” Walz said. “Older generations are putting in place the research and the structure that we need to build off of, but it’s up to our generation to change our ways.”

When learning about the extreme negative effects that fast fashion has on people and their environment, it seems like the obvious choice to shop sustainably. It’s not. Shopping for fast fashion is easy, cheap and convenient, which is why the industry thrives. As an individual, you have to decide to make the more difficult decision; to put the environment and less fortunate people before your own convenience. story and design by elliot evans, infographic by angela li 19

[ info ]

Swim Omaha

Westside High School Pool (402)415-7323

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[ feature ]

The Bygone Beetle Salt Creek tiger beetles face extinction

A

sian elephants, orangutans, polar bears and Salt Creek tiger beetles.

These animals all have one thing in common; they are all on the endangered species list.

While some of these animals are continents away, the Salt Creek tiger beetle is only a 45 minute drive from Omaha. It’s located in the salt marshes of Lancaster County.

Stephen Spomer, a research technologist in the entomology department of University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has been studying these beetles for over 30 years.

“Actually, I got interested in the beetle in the early 1980s,” Spomer said. “We had a student here who was interested in tiger beetles and I went out with him a few times just to check on the population to see how it was doing … So, we went out by Capitol Beach area, which is on the west side of Lincoln and we didn’t find very many beetles back in the early ‘80s.”

Gary Brewer, a professor in the entomology department, Antennae is also an expert on the Salt Creek tiger beetle. According to Brewer, Nebraskans might be more familiar with tiger beetles than they think.

“They are insect predators, both in the adult stage and the larval stage,” Brewer said.

“You’ve probably seen adult tiger beetles. There’s a number of species in Nebraska. You’ll see them on sandy areas.

Sometimes you’ll see them on sidewalks.

They’ll get confused and think that’s a sandy spot.”

Spomer said he forgot about the beetle, but many years later he was asked to do a project with Nebraska Games and Parks about it. The city of Lincoln rests on a salt marsh, which is the beetle’s habitat. Salt was mined there in the 1870s, and the few spots of marsh left are where the beetle

currently resides. The goal of the project was to estimate the number of beetles in their natural habitat.

“We just had little [salt marsh] remnants left,” Spomer said. “I started doing population estimates by counting the actual number of beetles that I would see … and the numbers were so low it was hard to do.

I started doing that in 1991, and I’ve been doing that ever since.”

just north of Lincoln.”

Spomer said different groups have also joined in on the conservation effort, such as the Henry Doorly Zoo Lincoln Children’s Zoo, and starting this year, the Topeka Kansas Zoo. These groups have been working to increase the number of beetles by breeding them in captivity.

“We have been rearing beetles inside incubators and then releasing them back out

Figure 1 Lateral View

Elytra

Mandibles

Tibia

Tarsal Spurs

According to Spomer, the results of this survey were not promising. Several areas formerly populated by the beetles are now devoid of their presence. They now know exactly where the current populations of beetles lie and their numbers.

“We’ve been missing some of the populations over time,” Spomer said. “We lost the Capitol Beach population. We are down to about three or four major areas now

in the wild,” Spomer said. “So, we started doing that about five or six years ago to help bolster the population out in the field. We’ve kind of stabilized it at about 370 beetles in the last two years, which isn’t great, but considering we’ve lost some of the sites, it’s not too bad. It still makes it one of the rarest beetles and insects in North America.”

Not only has Spomer been working to stabilize the beetle population, he said he

has also been researching to learn more about it.

“We’ve had a couple of students looking at attraction to different types of light … and we’ve looked into the amount of salt that the female requires to lay eggs,” Spomer said.

“It’s actually a pretty specific amount of salt and moisture in the soil she requires.”

Spomer emphasized the idea that protecting endangered species is very important and can even have financial benefits for those involved.

“There’s actually a lot of programs available where [people] can get money to keep endangered species on their property if they are already there,” Spomer said. “Like, for the Salt Creek tiger beetle, where it’s found is salt marsh, which is pretty much useless ground for anything else. It’s occasionally used for cattle grazing, but even that is poor quality food because of the salt content. It’s floodplain, so people aren’t supposed to be building on that.”

There are different viewpoints when it comes to conservation of animals like the Salt Creek tiger beetle. The different viewpoints include those who don’t want to touch the land and others who want to pave it over, said Spomer.

“I think we have to compromise with people,” Spomer said. “I think we need to find middle ground and preserve what we have and not just let everything disappear … We should save what little we have left, because if we don’t have it in the future, people aren’t going to get to enjoy it.” story by maryam akramova and theo jansen, diagram by sam cohen and design by elliot evans

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[ feature ]

German instructor Amber Hollenbeck stands next to her bicycle.

Science instructor Tobin Ehlers stands next to his bicycle.

cycle to recycle Westside teachers bike to school to improve the environment and themselves

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here’s something about being in the moment and getting your blood pumping traveling three miles in 30 minutes or less on a bike before the day starts. This is what biology instructor Tobin Ehlers and German instructor Amber Hollenbeck said they enjoy when they ride to school.

Weather permitting, Ehlers and Hollenbeck are on their bikes headed to work. Back when Ehlers first started riding in, he said that he didn’t ride as often as he does now due to the weather.

“I used to live a lot closer, and I would take the trail down,” Ehlers said. “Then it got cold, so I wasn’t riding.

Then there was this biology kid ... He told me you just got to get a beanie and throw it over and some gloves, so we did a winter challenge. So, I figured out riding in the winter is just like anything else …That was about 13 or 14 years ago, and since then, my threshold is zero degrees, and anything above that, I’ll ride.”

For Ehlers and Hollenbeck, riding to work is a matter of comfort for what they ride in as well. Ehlers said that he rides in his work clothes plus corduroys, gloves and a flannel in the winter to keep warm. Hollenbeck, on the other hand, wears biking clothes.

“I change [my clothes] at Westside,” Hollenbeck said.

“When I was student teaching in St. Paul, I was bikecommuting there, and I was very close. I would literally bike to work in my heels. Whatever I was wearing to work that day is what I biked in. Then, when I substitute taught, I would find a bathroom to change, which kind of sucked because there’s no place to put things. Here, I use the staff

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locker room which is very nice. Now, I bike to school in good biking clothes, then change once I get to [Westside].”

Ehlers and Hollenbeck cited many benefits of riding their bike instead of driving. They can ride their bikes to places other than school. Both of them ride their bikes for fun, to run small errands or to meet up with friends, as it’s something that they have done since they were younger.

“There’s good tasty memories from the times that we would posy up on our [Schwinn] Stingrays and go up to the hot girls we were hitting on in sixth grade,” Ehlers said.

“When you’re driving, it can be stressful in traffic, but on my bike, I usually feel good afterwards.”

German instructor Amber Hollenbeck “It gave us freedom. I love it when I see a group of kids on their little Stingrays or something. Of course they’re nicer and wearing helmets, but you just see that and you know they’ve got freedom. They can get further into their neighborhoods and explore and stuff.”

Ehlers said biking to school is a way for him to get in the physical activity he needs along with running and lifting.

Similarly, Hollenbeck said she enjoys riding her bike because she doesn’t do anything else to get the physical activity she needs. It’s a way for her to have exercise built

into her day. But exercise, Hollenbeck said, is not the only reason she rides her bike.

“I guess my main reason is to lower my carbon footprint,” Hollenbeck said. “I don’t think I should feel guilty when I don’t bike, but on the days that I don’t bike to work, I try to make sure that there’s a good, legitimate reason for it because I am trying to lower my impact [on the earth] in that way.”

A big believer in both the physical and environmental benefits of riding a bike, Ehlers said that he would like to try and get the idea of biking instead of driving out there more.

“When I do end up retiring, I want to spend more time advocating for cycling or public transportation,” Ehlers said. “Like, in Chicago, if you’re taking the L [train] into the city, you’re probably walking way more than we do in Omaha, because we pull up to this grocery store here, but there you get off the train and you’re walking a half mile to work. You’re putting in more steps and more exercise just getting to and from places.”

Hollenbeck and Ehlers both said they encourage more students and staff to try biking to school for a change.

Hollenbeck said it may be hard to start up, but in the end it will all be worth it.

“It’s just enjoyable,” Hollenbeck said. “When you’re driving, it can be stressful in traffic, but on my bike, I usually feel good afterwards. I also approach driving differently. After having been biking for so long, I always feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m getting there so fast. It’s so easy,’ in my car. I feel like people take that for granted.”

story by angelina pattavina, photos by lydia kasem, design by vinny nelson

[ feature ]

Everybody’s zooing it!

Henry Doorly Zoo pushes efforts to promote conservation

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maha’s Henry Doorly Zoo houses the world’s largest indoor desert, the largest indoor swamp and nocturnal exhibit in the world and the largest cat complex in North America. Along with holding these records, the zoo is also globally recognized as a pioneer for conservation and preservation efforts.

While under the direction of Lee Simmons, the Henry Doorly Zoo’s mission was to promote education and recreation, but when Simmons retired in 2009, he was replaced by Dennis Pate.

Pate shifted the zoo’s focus to conservation and preservation. In 2010, Pate implemented the master plan which would further develop the zoo’s campus.

Through this roughly 20 year plan, Pate’s goal is to enhance visitor experience by providing numerous educational opportunities to the zoo’s 1.5 million annual visitors. One of the ways he ensures the execution of his goal is by instilling his love of educating the community about conservation in the Henry Doorly Zoo’s staff and volunteers, one of whom is Westside junior Dylan Folda.

Folda is a Zoo Academy student and a member of Zoo Crew. One of Folda’s responsibilities is carrying around animal artifacts about the surrounding exhibits and educating visitors about that specific animal.

“I walk around with [what we] call BioFacts, like an animal pelt or something, and I interact with people of all ages and we talk to them about conservation,” Folda said. “Having an influence on what people do at the zoo is kind of a big thing for me, and anyone can make a difference.”

Although visitors have opportunities to learn how to help the environment during a regular visit, the zoo also hosts special events for different age groups in order to reach a larger audience. “[The zoo has] day camps, Spooktacular, Moo at the Zoo and all of these other events, but they all have a conservation focus,” Folda said.

“They have the Brew. They’re making beers now, and there’s like four or five different types.

They host a Brew at the Zoo, and the proceeds

go to an organization or foundation that helps preserve penguins or whatever animal the beer is named for. The marketing team is always on top of things. It’s like they know the target market, and they appeal to everyone. They have the alcohol for [people aged] 21 and over, day camp for the kids and they have Zoo Crew for teens like me.”

A major part of Pate’s master plan is weaving conservation, preservation and sustainability into each exhibit and attraction.

“In years past, [we] just wanted to educate and show fun facts about the animals, but, starting with the Asian Highlands, [Pate and his team] are having a more conservational focus with the signs and graphics,” Folda said. “It’s not a lot of ‘white-naped crane and here’s some facts and scientific stuff.’ It’s more of a conservational focus in all of the exhibits, and that’s the master plan for everything coming up.”

The master plan also details efforts the zoo has made to be more resourceful across their campus which many people don’t know about. “[Pate] wants the zoo to become more efficient with energy,” Folda said. “For example, the Skyfari. When you get back to the lions, that little shade thing is all built [out] of solar panels.

Just those alone can power that part of the zoo.

Also, the train runs on the leftover vegetable oil from concession stands and the Treetops Restaurant in the Jungle. I don’t know how much it powers it, but they do use the vegetable oil as an energy source. [The zoo is] always thinking of new ways to make it more efficient.”

The Henry Doorly Zoo is an international leader in conservation and preservation of animal and plant species, but these amazing feats happen behind closed doors. The zoo has revolutionized reproductive science by having the first test tube-born tiger and gorilla, and these methods can help rejuvenate an at-risk species. Outside of test tube births, the zoo has saved many species from the brink of extinction.

“Marge Fromm [is from] the Center for Conservation Research, and in the early 2000s, she did a lot of work with Madagascar orchids,” Folda said. “There [were] only a few of these

story and photo by alex vandenberg, design by julia steiner

plants left in Madagascar, and she brought some back to the zoo. She saved that species and reintroduced it back into Madagascar. That’s something the zoo’s always working with: trying to find ways to save certain plant and animal species.”

The Henry Doorly Zoo also helps conservation efforts through philanthropic causes.

“The zoo, they do the One Less Straw [program],” Folda said. “Say no to straws. Make things biodegradable. [They fund] 96 Elephants, a big organization that helps [stop] poaching.

Ninety-six elephants die each day because of poachers, and this organization helps stop poaching. We also contribute to World Wildlife Foundation.”

The biggest impact Folda said the Henry Doorly Zoo is trying to make is to inspire people to take action outside of the zoo.

“People just can’t think that, ‘I’m one person.

I can’t make a difference,’” Folda said. “If everyone has that mindset, no one’s going to do anything to make a difference.”

During his time working with the zoo, Folda said he has worked hard to make environmentally friendly choices, and he suggested that people become educated on what materials are found within the products they use.

“Watch what you consume,” Folda said. “[One thing is] palm oil, and it’s in everything.

Once I was eating a granola bar, and one of my friends said there was palm oil in them, so now I don’t eat those, because when companies get palm oil, they destroy the orangutan’s habitats.

We need to watch what we buy and use because things like palm oil [are] in everything. When you buy certain shampoos or products with those substances in it, you’re basically telling that company that it’s okay to keep destroying the environment.”

Folda said he believes that small actions like these can come together to produce change.

“You have to do what you can,” Folda said.

“We all still need to pitch in [on] our own. If enough people do what they can, then change will happen.”

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[ in-depth ]

WARRIORS FOR THE WORLD Student organizations dedicated to helping the environment

Students for sustainability

Warrior Planet Warrior Planet is a club available to any Westside student who wants to join. Once a month, they go pick up trash, typically at Elmwood Park or the Cancer Survivor’s Park. This club was founded in 2016 by former student Stephanie Lund and Marilyn Mendick, a science instructor at Westside. However, it truly started running as a club in the fall of 2017. Lund now attends school at the University of Southern California and is studying to get a minor in marine biology. This club meets every few weeks to discuss their plan for the upcoming month. Current president of Warrior Planet Mackenzie Wies said that the most common activity the members do to help the planet is pick up trash in places such as parks. Wies said their main goal is to help Westside have a more environmental mindset and to help people be more aware of how their everyday decisions can affect the environment. For this Earth Day, Warrior Planet members are planning to attend an Earth Day event

Students for Sustainability is an organization outside of Westside. However, Westside students are involved in it. This organization was founded in February of this year. Their goal is to increase sustainability in the community and raise awareness regarding issues that affect the planet on a daily basis. Students from all schools are able to join this club as a way for all schools to come together and help the environment. Students for Sustainability will be participating in the Earth Day event at Elmwood Park and also will be organizing a Rally for the Planet. The goal of the rally is to bring the community together and call attention to climate change. According to Lukes Loontjer, a member of Students for Sustainability, the group hopes this will inspire other leaders to act on helping keep the planet safe and healthy.

“Our goal is to uplift Omaha students’ voices about matters impacting the planet and encourage the citizens of Omaha to use more sustainable practices when possible,” Loontjer said.

What you can recycle

Paper products that are accepted by the While glass is not recycled directly by the city, there city’s recycling program include magazines, are still ways to recycle it. Some locations that have newspapers, junk mail, egg cartons, cereal boxes, glass-only recycling sites are specific locations of wrapping paper, paper books, detergent boxes and cardboard. Make HyVee (1000 S 178th St.), Fresh Thyme (14949 Evans Plaza), Westwood sure to flatten any cardboard and avoid putting any styrofoam, paper Plaza (12075 West Center Road) and Heartland Park (800 Douglas St.). plates, tissue paper, paper towels or hardbound books in recycling bins Since September of because these are not recycled by the city. In order to prevent litter, the city 2018, Omaha has recommends putting loose materials in a paper bag in the recycling bin. been using a new

PAPER

GLASS

HEFTY ENERGY BAG

Containers are also method to recycle more plastics. Plastics not mentioned in the list above can be recycled by the city, placed in an orange Hefty Energy Bag and then put into home recycling bins. and include empty milk While the plastics in this bag can’t be recycled by the city’s processor, placing them cartons, juice boxes, soup boxes, aluminum cans, aerosol cans, in the orange bag means that they will be shipped to a cement production plant empty and dry paint cans without the lid, any plastic container near Kansas City that will burn the plastic for fuel. According to Keep Omaha with the number one, two, three or five in the recycling symbol, Beautiful, the eventual goal of the program is to switch from converting plastic reusable plastic storage containers, plastic cups and DVD cases. into fuel to finding a chemical recycling method where these old plastics can be They should be left loose in the recycling bin instead of being used to make new plastics. Any non-recyclable plastic can go in this bag, including placed in paper bags. Caps or lids of plastic bottles don’t need to snack bags, candy wrappers, straws, styrofoam and foam packing material. be removed, but make sure straws, motor oil, filters, lawn chemical Hefty Energy Bags are typically around $7 for packs of twenty and are available bottles, aluminum foil and metal parts are not in the recycling bin. to purchase at HyVee, Bakers, Menards, Family Fare or online at MyBrands.com.

24 stories by meredith matz and reese pike, graphic and design by abby schreiber

CONTAINERS

story and graphic by jane knudsen and design by elliot evans

How bad Can IT Be? How “The Lorax” Could Have “Biggered” Its Impact

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n 1971, a book titled “The Lorax” was published by Dr. Seuss, and it almost instantly created a name for itself. It was a cautionary tale about how greed can impact one’s environment, and how those effects can be reversed if enough people care. In 2012, a film adaptation of “The Lorax” was released, and it was an inoffensive, commercialized wash that rang hollow when compared to its source material. It was well done enough on a technical level, and audiences enjoyed it just fine, but the story effectively lost its original edge. However, of all of the creative decisions made by the filmmakers, one of the most heinous was the decision to cut the song “Biggering” had been on the original soundtrack.

What was so striking about the original “Lorax” was that there wasn’t a deliberate villain. Of course, the Once-ler wasn’t a good character. But his character was focused on a legitimate development, one that involved selfreflection and horrible choices. In the 2012 movie, there are two villains.

One is a “zillionaire” who created a monopoly by selling air, and the other is the Once-ler, but only sort of. It’s implied that the Once-ler’s family was behind his downfall. As far as the billionaire goes, there’s nothing wrong with painting billionaires and their companies as these cartoonishly ridiculous villains.

After all, a report released in 2017 by the Carbon Majors Database revealed that roughly 100 companies contribute to 71% of the world’s pollution.

However, “The Lorax” already had a villain. In the book, the Once-ler caused his own downfall. By placing fault at the hands of others, and especially others who aren’t characterized as realistic people, they took out the message from the original book that anyone could cause pollution through their own greed and pride. The writers did try to build the Once-ler’s descent in a song number, “How Bad Can I Be,” but the song was short and ineffectual.

The original draft of the song packed a much bigger punch.

“Biggering,” the original draft of “How Bad Can I Be” that stretched just over five minutes and was reminiscent of rock opera ballads from the likes of “Tommy” and “The Wall,” held an impact that the published movie could never even dream of reaching. “Biggering” followed the Once-ler’s descent in a way that placed him at fault. That’s important. For one thing, that thread of thinking is more faithful to the book.

Of course, faithfulness isn’t always important if the adaptation is able to improve upon its source material, but taking the fault away from the villain is not an improvement.

“Biggering” has this excellent structure that added to the theme of the movie. It’s built as a legitimate development in character as opposed to a tongue-in-cheek complete 180. The first third of the song is built on the idea of justification.

The Once-ler understands that his actions aren’t beneficial to his environment, but he spends time trying to justify them. He says that he needs to be doing what he’s doing, it’s the best thing he could do for his business. The second third is a speaking intervention by the Lorax himself, in which he explains the difference between greed and pride.

He explains that greed is a natural function, but it’s enhanced to harmful levels when a person’s pride is fueled. This section is unsympathetic, putting the Once-ler fully at blame for a choice he made, which was letting his pride overtake him. This section, while not incredible in a musical sense, is true to its source material. The Lorax is directly challenging the Once-ler, yes, but he’s taking the form of an advisor. He is speaking on behalf of nature, just as he was meant to. He’s leaving all of the decisions to the Once-ler to make, and it’s made clear that the Once-ler is ignoring him.

The third section of this song is unbelievable.

It’s the climax, and it’s got to be one of the strongest and tightest bits of musical theater I’ve ever heard. The background vocals and the drums all contribute to this steady buildup while the lead vocals are strengthening, rising in volume and power. The few guitar riffs in this section are melancholy, as though they’re reflecting on the tragedy occurring. It contrasts so perfectly with the vocals, which are lyrically making this shift from weak justification to outright acknowledgement.

He knows what he’s doing is bad, but he decides that the bottom line is more beneficial to him. It’s gradual, but it’s clear, powerful and devastating.

What’s most staggering is that this section shares many of they lyrics from the final version, “How Bad Can I Be.” But the intensity of this version makes the final version sound so insincere and hollow.

There is something to be said about why the final version of the song was so attractive to

[ A&E ]

people. People like catchy pop with flippant lyrics.

But it feels particularly inappropriate when the “villain” in question is a central character who has gone through a development, not some abstract caricature that the audience was introduced to at the height of their villainy. It’s also tone-deaf considering that the villain’s actions are familiar to what the world has gone through. The destruction of the environment is a painfully recognizable subject. It’s not a “scheme” that’s exclusive to film and television. To deliver it in such a coy way is upsetting.

Not to mention that the actual composition of “How Bad Can I Be” is unbelievably flaccid.

Would “Biggering” have made “The Lorax” a better film? No, of course not. The movie had so many problems to begin with, if they put “Biggering” in with the rest of it, the audience would be in neck braces from their collective tonal whiplash. However, ‘Biggering’ represents a problem that’s prevalent all over the project, that problem being the concept of choice. The original book was all about choice, and the tremendous impact that choices make. The Once-ler made the choice to ignore the Lorax, he made the choice to destroy his environment, he made the choice to let the fate of the environment fall to the child who listened to his story, and it was left up to the audience what choice the child would make.

Dr. Seuss intended for the audience to be that child. He wanted to point out that it was up to the people on whether or not they would help their environment. He made it clear that those who ran corporations made the choice to contribute to the destruction, they weren’t innocent. It wasn’t up to anyone other than them.

Those who made “The Lorax” made the choice to remove something like “Biggering.” They made the choice to allow the Once-ler to avoid fault. They made the choice to avoid treating their audience seriously, to make sure that they wouldn’t ask any hard questions, to assure them that they were the hero who didn’t have to make difficult choices. They made the choice to commercialize the character of the Lorax, a character who stood for nothing but the environment, a character who explicitly did not support harmful industries. They put him in a car commercial.

One has to have sympathy for the audience that could have missed out on cutting environmental commentary, and instead received the tasteless lump that was thrust towards the public off of a catapult composed of bad taste. It says something about American consumerism when “The Lorax,” something that has always stood for bettering the environment, was executed as poorly and as shallowly as it was. The producers of the film were given the choice between biggering their impact and biggering their image, and they chose the latter.

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[ A&E ]

THRIFTED THREADS Junior Lukes Loontjer shares his insight on thrifting

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Lacoste Shirt Price: $3 From: Thrift World

L.L. Bean Shorts Price: $3 From: Salvation Army

Junior Lukes Loontjer poses for a photo on a staircase.

Loontjer poses in front of a downtown building.

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Adidas Shirt Price: $6 From: Goodwill

unior Lukes Loontjer first began thrifting to achieve the looks that he loved from popular chain stores for much less money.

“Thrift shopping is basically Urban Outfitters but way cheaper,” Loontjer said. “Everything’s, like, $3 pretty much, and you can have more creativity with what you buy. I cut a lot of pieces and make them so they fit me, but I can’t do that with something from Urban Outfitters because I’m not going to cut something that I just paid $100 for.”

Loontjer said he now takes into account the fact that thrifting is a very environmentally-conscious alternative to buying clothes directly from a retailer.

“I feel like there is just so much consumption when there is so much that is just not being used anymore,” Loontjer said. “I think that any chance we have to reuse something that used to mean something to someone else, you might as well make it yours. So, with a lot of the pieces, you can cut them to make them fit you or you could even learn how to sew to make things fit you better. Why go out and spend $50 on something when you can just get the same thing from a thrift store and have more creativity with it? And on top of that, you’re not consuming as much.”

Loontjer said that the quality of clothing has changed over time. Buying older clothes that were meant to last can save you money and future trips to the mall.

“Back then, a lot of pieces took more time, at least making it quality, and, with fast fashion nowadays, you put it in the wash once and it already has holes in it,” Loontjer said.

“Some of the stuff I was wearing was probably 20 years old and it’s still brand-new, almost. There’s a big quality thing, especially with embroidery vs, like, just stamping something on top of a t-shirt. Basically everything was embroidered back then, and I just love that look.”

Adidas Shorts Price: $3 From: Salvation Army

story, photos and design by isabella tyler

[ A&E ]

earth day festivities Ways to celebrate Earth Day around Omaha

“Party for the Planet” @ Henry Doorly Zoo

Mud Pies @ Fontenelle Forest

3701 S 10th St, Omaha, NE 68107 April 20 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

1111 N Bellevue Blvd, Bellevue, NE 68005 April 22 at 9:30 a.m. and April 27 11:30 a.m.

Learn how you can help save our planet and visit with vendors from conservation organizations in our area. Omaha Street Percussion will also be performing using recycled trash cans and buckets.

Price: Free for members, $17.95 for adults and $11.95 for children.

Sarpy County Earth Day Expo @ Bellevue Lied Activity Center

Celebrate Earth Day with a laid-back play-andinteract program that involves participation between adults and children. A natural science topic is explored through station-based activities, free play and a guided walk. For ages five and younger.

Price: $3 per child

Earth Day Program @ Omaha Children’s Museum 500 S 20th St, Omaha, NE 68102 April 23 11:15 a.m.

Come and bring children to discover more about Earth Day and the world we live in.

Learn about the plants and nature around us.

Price: Free with museum admission

2700 Arboretum Dr, Bellevue, NE 68005 April 28 Noon - 4:00 p.m.

This is a family-friendly event to learn how to care about our environment and how to make a difference. This event will include vendor displays, food, kid activities, education sessions and much more.

Price: Free

story by brooklyn james, graphic by mina testolin, design by isabella tyler

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[ A&E ]

tips For the planet Actions you can take every day to reduce your environmental impact

less Plastic No to plastic straws

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, 500 million plastic straws are used everyday, and most of them end up in the ocean. To replace plastic straws, use bamboo, metal or at least reusable plastic straws.

At restaurants, you can simply opt out of using one.

bad plastic bags

When shopping, don’t take a plastic bag. Instead, you can use tote bags or no bags at all if you can carry your purchase.

(Plastic) bottles

Instead of buying a bottle of water every day, buy a reusable bottle that you can fill. You can even bring a reusable cup into most coffee shops and ask to get your drink in it. You will save the Earth as well as money.

Better shop in bulk

Take your reusable bags and containers and buy products like rice, pasta and nuts in a bulk shop. Moreover, at the grocery store, buy your fruits and vegetables unpacked.

Bar soap, why not?

To avoid the amount of plastic bottles you get when you buy shower gel, shampoo or hand soap, you can buy bar soap.

Anything over plastic

In general, try to use other materials than plastic. Use foil instead of plastic wrap, buy products with cardboard packagings instead of plastic ones and use glass containers instead of plastics.

Two scoops and a cone

Sun is coming, and with it, ice cream. If you want to help reduce plastic this summer, ask for a cone and not a cup.

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less CO2 Lights off

Turn off lights whenever you can. Maximize natural sunlight, don’t turn on all the lights at the same time and make sure to turn off the light when going out of a room.

Carpool if you can

Wherever you are headed, try to drive with others going to the same destination. Whether it is to go to school or to an event, traveling with just one vehicle will reduce carbon emissions.

Public transport is another great option.

You will also save money by using less gas.

Eat local

The transportation of food products produces a lot of CO2. Consequently, eating products coming from local places reduces the CO2 emission.

Reduce meat

Meat may be good, but its production is not.

You don’t have to become a vegetarian, but just reducing the quantity of meat you eat, especially red meat, would help the environment. Indeed, according to the journal The Guardian, 100 grams or beef result in 105 kilograms of greenhouse gases.

Second-hand clothes

By buying second hand-clothes, you reduce the amount of produced clothes, which releases CO2, and also clothes waste, which releases CO2. Simple.

Think when buying

Consider the amount of CO2 released by the industry. By just buying fewer products, you reduce CO2 emissions. So, before buying something, ask yourself if you really need it.

less waste Go to a car wash

Go to car wash places instead of washing your car yourself, because a lot of them recycle the used water. For example, in Omaha, Mojo’s Car Wash does.

Fill your washer

Run your dishwasher or your washing machine when they are full to save water.

Shower smarter

Taking a bath will use almost twice as much water as a 10 minute shower. So it’s better to take a shower. Shorter showers in general will also help reduce the amount of water used.

Leftovers aren’t over

Don’t throw away food you didn’t eat.

Keep it for later, and you won’t have to cook again. Next time, try to adjust the portion so there will be no leftovers.

Spoiled food?

Still good

Food which seems to have gone bad can be still used in some recipes. Namely, you can do french toast with stale bread, banana bread using brown bananas or a pie with damaged apples.

Better giving

Instead of throwing away your old toys, your too small clothes or your former desk, you can give them (if they are still in pretty good condition) to the Salvation Army. story and design by chloe geoffroy