Choosing to Participate:
A Social Justice Service Project on Sustainability

WOW!I have so much to say I don’t know where to begin. Well, today definitely worked out much better that I expected. Our workshop with a little help from Steve was fair. It neither was exceptional nor terrible and I believe that the kids in our workshop enjoyed it immensely.  Our recycling bin presentation was a bit hasty and unplanned. We originally were going to have a sort of skit going with Julian inside the bin. Fortunately, (I say this because it would have been quite embarrassing plus I needed more time for memorizing lines) he didn’t fit.  Overall today was a joyous conclusion to four months of hard work, although it feels a little bittersweet that it is finally over.

David and I went to Solar One by train today to have our interview with Chris Kennedy that we scheduled last Tuesday for Monday at around 5:15.  We get there at 5:15 and guess what… Chris Kennedy had a doctor’s appointment.  The other people at Solar One said that he wouldn’t be coming back after the appointment.  So David had an excellent idea of sitting in Stuyvesant Cove park and doing homework I agreed and we got to do our homework in a beautiful “green” park.  I intend to email Chris that we showed up but he wasn’t there.  This is a lesson learned to call or email to confirm an appointment always. (I will have to schedule a real interview with Chris later in the week.)

Last week I emailed Phil the information of where to buy the new recycling bins. Phil then said that these were too expensive. I told Phil that these were the ones that Tracy bought last summer. Phil told me to tell Tracy to buy two of these new recycling bins. I spoke to Tracy and she said that she will by two of the new recycling bins by the end of the month so we can present them on the day of learning. 

Today I went to Solar One’s considerably small building.  Actually it wasn’t much of a building but more of a shack.  This “shack” wasn’t really any old shack it hand a roof tiled with solar panels it is a completely “green” building and is right next to Stuyvesant Cove Park. I met Chris Kennedy there who was very nice.  Then in the middle of our discussion David (8th grade) walks in.  So after a really interesting discussion with Chris all of us (David, Chris, and I) go to Stuyvesant Cove Park and take a walk while Chris is still explaining really interesting facts that I can use in my exposé.  I am definitely going back to Solar One next Monday and will probably interview Chris as well as Mark Silberberg.  (some example facts: there are 20 to 30 power plants distributed all over the five boroughs//In twenty years time we will be at our maximum level of pollution tolerance if we did any more damage we could be a serious threat to peoples lives unless we do something about it…)

Today Taylor, Robbie, Calen, and I went during recess to Phil’s office.  Phil met us in his office and we began a discussion about how we should get two more “green” recycling bins on the 8th grade floor and on the 7th grade floor right next to the water fountain.  How the “green” bin differ from “blue” bins is that you can now throw away plastic bottles, glass bottles, plastic containers, etc. in them.  We are going to talk to Mark next about it and then Calen is going to find a catalog in Tracy’s office and then Phil will purchase the right kind of recycling bin.

I took the F train from West 4th street station to York Street in Brooklyn (5 stops).  Then found, the certainly large, Recycle-A-Bicycle building.  Then in the building, I found the intern’s manager working with some kids my age on a bicycle.  The intern certainly took much less time than I expected (10 minutes) we discussed school, my bicycle background, the sustainability project and the reason I am going to Recycle-A-Bicycle.  She then explained what days worked for her in her schedule and then we formed our own schedule.  This definitely seems like a very interesting project and Recycle-A-Bicycle sounds inspiring and I’m almost certain that I will meet again with Recycle-A-Bicycle by the beginning of next week.