Reduce, reuse, recycle. How sweet that old alliteration rings. In this day and age of global climate change and natural crisis, schools preach the importance of sustainability and salvaging old waste. Making new products out of recycled materials reduces the need to consume precious resources and protects natural habitats for future generations.

If you attend University School–especially the Shaker Campus–you would have to be willfully deaf in order not to hear something about the significance of recycling. It is no surprise even to the most sweet and innocent freshman. That being said, many understand the minimal effort it takes to toss paper into the blue recycling bins rather than the garbage bins right next to them. In fact, students often take pride in recycling old homework papers or handouts rather than throwing them out.

The astonishing news, however, is what University School decides to do with these recycling bins.

Once these “recycling” bins are collected, their content is dumped into the garbage disposal with the rest of the schools trash. “Vanity of vanities all is vanity.” Why would a school centered on values of care and consideration for the community appear to students as though it were sustaining the environment through recycling, while in actuality dismissing their efforts and throwing it all away?

Upon being asked about the matter, Miguel Martinez, a 3-year SDC member and respected member of the US community, had this to say: “I’m trying to think of something clever to say…I think it’s bad… I mean they should…” Subsequently, I also asked Dr. Laux, sustainability activist and Faculty Advisor of the University School Science Anderson Scholar Program. She replied by saying, “Oh good god, don’t get me started on that.”

To find more answers, I set out on a mission for truth in the bowels of the administrative wing, first seeking the newly designated Doctor. I looked for Dr. Daughtrey in his office with the main purpose of answering one question: Why? Unfortunately, after several attempts I could not find him. Ultimately, when I ran into him in the hallway and asked to interview him about the topic of recycling, he said that he had a meeting that very day on the matter. Perhaps the issue has been resolved, perhaps it is just getting started, or perhaps he was trying to avoid the matter altogether.

Tune in next time for Part 2 of this investigation.