H2O for Life Comes to WHS
Sociology Students Work to Raise
Funds for a Well in Uganda
Photos by Kristen Mittler and Ellie Scheer
Why Waste Water?
Editorial by Molly Eckelkamp and Taylor Ritson
According to The Washington Post, Americans waste a total of 1 trillion gallons of water every year. To put that in perspective, that's about 40 million swimming pools, or 24 billion bathtubs.
Water can be easily wasted, but we still have time to change our ways.
If you have a sink that leaks 1 drop per minute, it will add up to 34 gallons by the end of the year; that's just one sink alone.
We realized we both spend more time in the shower than we need to just in one day. Being aware of what you're doing and how much damage you could be doing to the environment is a huge step into admitting that you might need to change your ways.
We decided to do an experiment. Molly challenged herself to see just how wasteful she is with water. Throughout the day, she regularly checked her water usage.
First thing in the morning, she was brushing her teeth and wasn't even aware of the fact that she left the water running while not using it. It has become a bad habit she wants to quit.
Later that day at lunch, Molly got a water bottle to go with her meal. At the end of the day, she didn't finish the water. She dumped it out and recycled the bottle. That was approximately 8 ounces of water carelessly dumped down the drain.
Leaky sinks and faulty toilets or showers are not the only things that lead to the accumulation of water waste. Things like dumping out an unfinished glass or bottle of water can add up over time. It can waste a lot of water that could have been saved.
Regularly checking leaking sinks and toilets can also help people financially, as well as helping our planet economically. If we paid attention to water leaks, 10% of our country's water bills could be reduced.
Many of us think that water is unlimited. Unfortunately, as the climate gets warmer, most of our lakes and rivers begin to dry up. Preserving water is one of the most important things we can do. Remembering to turn off the water while brushing teeth or washing dishes can make a big difference.
We've become so used to using as much water as we want that we aren't aware of how much damage is being done. We know that we both will be more cautious of how we use water. We hope others will, too. ​​
To learn more about this effort, visit: ​ http://www.h2oforlifeschools.org/
The Ultimate Sociology Lesson:
​H20 For Life
Article by Lindsay Alfermann and Shannon Belsher
Video by Morgan Engel, Courtney Wheeler
and Faith Wheeler
One can expect to study the development, structure, and functioning of human society in a typical Sociology course, but Sociology classes at Washington High School are taking their learning experience to another level.
While attending a National Council for Social Studies conference, Sociology teacher, Kerri Flynn, learned about the non-profit organization H2O for Life.
"I learned a lot about the conflicts in Africa and this seemed like a great way to change the world for people," Flynn said.
Flynn decided to bring the project back to WHS. She challenged her Sociology classes to raise funds to build a well for the Kumi Comprehensive School in Uganda at a cost of approximately $3,800.
"We live in a global society so we can help others in very simple ways," Flynn said. "It doesn't take much to change lives for the better; $3 from every student would fully fund this well."
While clean water is easy to come by in America, third world countries, like Uganda, struggle to obtain this luxury. According to the H2O for Life website, a child dies every 20 seconds from the lack of access to clean water. Unclean water not only provokes disease and illness, but it also prevents many children from attending school due to the lack of private sanitation facilities with clean water.
"We get to go to school and learn and use water at our disposal," Senior Macy Robinson said. "In other countries, their entire day is spent trying to find water, not allowing time for anything else."
Women and children of these countries spend hours each day trekking to transport whatever clean water that they can find from the source to their village. To simulate these time and weight commitments, WHS Sociology classes are hosting a 5K Walk for Water Saturday, April 9. Participants will have the option to carry equivalent amounts of water on their backs during the walk to make the experience more realistic.
Costs are $15 for students and $20 for the general public, which includes the H2O for Life t-shirt. All proceeds from the Walk for Water will go toward funds to build the well.
"We've also organized dine-to-donate nights at various restaurants around town and a change drive among first hour classes," Senior Ashley Gratzer said. "We thought it would be an easy and fun way to get students and teachers involved at school."
The change drive, held February 29 through March 4, raised an estimated total of $1,781 for an early head start toward the ultimate $3,800 goal to build the well.
Future fundraising nights to benefit the campaign are set for Applebee's in April and Orange Leaf in May, with dates to be announced. Additionally, prize baskets have been gathered from local sponsors to be auctioned off at future fundraising events.
Other groups at WHS have stepped up to support the H2O for Life efforts as well.
"I am in Key Club and we are hoping to help her class raise money," Senior Ben Wunderlich said. "I believe our nation is caring and willing enough but we need to know how we can help."
The students in the Sociology classes urge their peers to contribute to their cause.
"We take our Nation's seemingly endless water supply for granted every day, since we have so much to spare," Senior Justin Repp said. "It is our turn to help out others who need it much more than we do."
To participate in any of H2O for Life's upcoming events or to contribute to the cause, contact Kerri Flynn, Clint Schnieder, or any Sociology student.