KEEPING IT CLEAN-Donte Hightower, left, and Cameron Wisely strive to keep RCC environmentally friendly as thy distinguish trash from recyclables.
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Southern California is facing some very difficult environmental issues.
Such problems include potential water shortages, increased wildfire threats as a result of global warming and the ongoing problem of local air quality.
Most environmental experts agree that solutions to such problems are often dependent on local resources and the coordinated efforts of local populations.
Riverside City College is an ideal setting for organizing and researching realistic ways to meet our growing human needs while easing the strain on our local environment.
The Environmental Earth Society Club is new to RCC.
Donte Hightower is founder and president of the club.
“The purpose of this club is to gain and share environmental knowledge and fact,” Hightower said. “As we educate ourselves and become more aware of the environmental issues, we make it our duty to spread the knowledge and awareness we acquire.”
Preston Galusky is proud to be the faculty advisor of the Environmental Earth Society.
“I am genuinely pleased that several concerned students have taken the initiative to start up such an organization here at RCC,” Galusky said.
“After meeting with the students who are current members of the club, I was further encouraged by their overwhelming desire to bring awareness to the community without the sort of judgmental stance that often demonizes people,” he said.
The primary goal of the club is to educate students about the environmental issues facing all of us, and the club encourages any interested students to join.
“I feel that the more we spread environmental awareness, our perception and habits of interacting with our natural surrounding become enriched and purposeful,” Hightower said. “We are not limited to any particular environmental issue. We are interested in all environmental concerns.”
The new club is still trying to find focal points within the vast number of issues that are encompassed by the environment.
“We are not a band of extreme activists; rather a collection of individual’s dedicated to spreading environmental knowledge,” Hightower said.
The club encourages its members to utilize their diverse, divergent and creative talents and capabilities to help improve the quality of the environment.
Currently, there are silver recyclable containers throughout campus.
The club will participate in collection of the containers. They will also use their talents and resources to improve and expand the recycling program, whether it is by adding more bins, placing bins in classrooms or finding innovative ways to address recycling and reusing needs.
The club plans to be at the forefront (along with other organizations) of RCCD’s recycling matters. They will have regular meetings, many of which will be in lecture seminar form. They also plan on sponsoring numerous environmentally minded special events.
“The more knowledge and awareness we share, the more equipped our campus and community will be to contribute to the environmental movement,” Hightower said.
And, if you’re artistic, you can design a T-shirt for the life science department and win up to $100.
The competition is open to any student currently enrolled at RCC. The deadline is Feb. 23 at 12 p.m.
The theme is “The Kaleidoscope of Life” and the entry form is available in the Life Sciences Hallway, which must be attached to the entry.
The Environmental Earth Society club has taken on the task of getting students involved in the ecological success of RCC.
By highlighting the importance of becoming environmentally friendly, this club hopes to ensure that the campus will be green for future students.