York’s Eco Club has a long history of helping the school and local community stay environmentally conscious in a variety of ways.If you’ve ever used the water bottle stations around the school, the recycling cans in the hallways, or the guitar pics in the music department, you have Eco Club to thank.

“Many people think that our school doesn’t recycle,” Jared Frank, junior and club member said. “This used to be true until Eco Club started helping out. Every Friday we collect recycling in the big blue bins in the hallway to give the janitors a hand.”

As it is every Friday, the recycling program is one of Eco Club’s most popular activities. Considering the fact that it is heavily reliant on student initiative and support, the success of the program shows the desire of the student body to help the community.

“The students in Eco Club make York better than it was when they entered,” senior Cambria Khayat said. “York uses a lot of paper and plastic, so it’s ridiculous that they didn’t recycle. They make our high school more eco-efficient and considerate to the Earth.”

In addition to the recycling program, Eco Club is also responsible for the water bottle stations at many water fountains throughout the school.

“The people of Elmhurst are really into doing this, and that’s where we got our first water bottle machines,” club sponsor Bob Blaus said.“For the next three, which have not been installed yet but are here at York, we got a grant from student council. They’re going in the athletic area, in the commons/ cafeteria and one in the band room.”

With a constant stream of opportunities to help the community with environmental issues, Eco Club is constantly open to new members of any type. This includes seniors with no previous Eco Club involvement.

“As a senior, my time opened up, but I also took a step back so that I could think about what I would like to do with a little more free time,” Joe Reinhofer, senior and first year member, said. “Environmental topics were something I was becoming increasingly interested in, so I figured it would be not only an enjoyable thing, but a productive way to spend my newly found free time during my senior year.”

In its efforts to better our school and the environment we all inhabit, Eco Club is continuing to be a powerful force for change in the local community. However, all of this good work is from the small things each student does to help. When they come together, great things can happen.

“We’re getting a lot of people involved,” Blaus said. “My ongoing saying is: engage as many students as you possibly can. If what we try to do just rests on the shoulders of a few we’re not going to get a lot done. But, if you engage many students and just give them little bits to do you can move mountains. And we are doing just that.”