Rondout students work to ban plastic straws
An environmental campaign waged by eight fifth-graders has resulted in a ban on plastic straws at some of Rondout Valley’s schools.
An environmental campaign waged by eight fifth-grade students has resulted in a ban on plastic straws at Rondout Valley’s intermediate and junior high schools.
The girls worked as a team to create a presentation about the harm done to marine wildlife by plastic straws. “There was a photo online of a sea turtle with a straw up its nose that was really sad,” said Serafina Broome, one of the girls in the team.
Eva Bradley, Serafina Broome, Morgan Hermanch, Lila Hill, Camille McMillian, Ruby Ortner, Ruby Powell and Georgia Tuttle started their plastic straw protest with posters. “We all decided we wanted to do it together,” said Ruby Ortner, 11.
“The girls came to me a few months ago concerned about plastic straws and their impact on the environment,” their teacher, Lora Kishel, wrote in an email. Kishel had them investigate the pros and cons and create a persuasive, research-based argument.
Then they went to the school principal, Lee Cutler, and asked him to ban straws from the cafeteria. “They dressed up formally and presented their argument,” said Cutler. But, Cutler told them, they had to make sure their classmates were with them.
The girls made a video presentation and a slide show, broke into groups and presented their findings to every intermediate school classroom. “We got 317 signatures” for their petition, Lila Hill said proudly.
When the girls went to Chris Van Damm, director of food services for the school district, he was already concerned about the environmental effects of plastic straws. He’d reduced their use in the high school cafeteria by simply moving them to a less visible location by the cashier. By the second week, the move had reduced straw use by almost 50 percent.
“I asked them if they’d be open to moving the straws to the cashier,” said Van Damm. But the girls said no, they wanted a ban, and Van Damm said fine. “I’m delighted students are proactive. Change will come from students. Whatever the cause is, that’s what moves the dial.”
Van Damm noted that many of such issues come down to money. Paper straws are 15 times more expensive than plastic.
The girls were nothing if not persistent. They joined together with fellow-student Eva Bradley to boycott straws at the beginning of the school year. Bradley learned that plastic straws were an environmental concern from her uncle while on summer vacation earlier that year.
“When we were first starting, people would wave straws in our faces,” said Camille McMillian. It seems most of the 400 intermediate school students have changed their minds.
“These girls advocated for an issue they felt passionately about,” said Kishel. “They have proven that you are never too young to do something big.”