What used to be a dusty room at the back of the school now flourishes with newly placed plants by one of CP’s new environmental clubs, Greenhouse Initiative. Another new club that’s helping students lead, named LORACCS after the Dr. Suess character, is an organization that “speaks for the teens.”   

Leaders of Restoring and Controlling the Communal Situation (LORACCS) and Greenhouse Initiative give teenagers a voice to lead discussions on environmental concerns and projects to solve these problems.  

“I initially just thought it was cool that we had a greenhouse and wanted to restore it, but it eventually developed into a project with a bigger mission behind it,” Greenhouse Initiative Co-President Ethan Yu said.

Senior Jillian Parks and sophomore Justin Doud are the liaisons between College Park and other schools in the district for LORACCS. From major projects like planting projects and using recycling more heavily in school, they are in charge of the bigger picture.

“The LORACCS is not about roles or positions; it’s about leadership,” Parks said. “We have an awesome leadership board overseeing College Park, and we are very thankful for them.”

Co-Presidents and seniors Ethan Yu and Eesa Ansari decided to revitalize the greenhouse at College Park, allowing students to learn how to take care of the environment, hands on.

“The Greenhouse Initiative seeks to empower students to develop a love for the environment, become drivers of change in the community, learn to advance sustainable practices, and inform others of the value of living sustainably,” Greenhouse Initiative VP and junior Isabella Irani said.

From consumption to recycling to fast fashion, LORACCS opens discussions on ways students can make an impact today.

“We are working on multiple initiatives that we will be rolling out in the next few months, but overall we just want to make a positive impact and leave the earth better than the way we found it when we were brought into this world,” Doud said.

Greenhouse Initiative and LORACCS, with similar goals, plan on collaborating on projects and lessons. 

“Our main big project we are working towards is a plant sale hopefully near the end of the year, where we will partner with a local business and set up a booth outside their store to sell the crops we have harvested from the year,” Ansari said.

Overall, both clubs follow the same path to invoke action from the students in the area on the environment. 

“We as teenagers need to remember that we live on only one Earth and together we have to take care of our environment,” Irani said. “We are the next generation, and we will be responsible for any issues ahead. That being so, we must start to take action now to ensure the environment is sustained for years to come.”