Ecology Club Raises Environmental Awareness

Alexis Gutierrez, Amy Garcia, and Eliza Vargas
May 21, 2019

Downey high’s ecology club held a week long environmental awareness event from Apr 29- May 3. Each day of the week entails a different activity that is related to the environment. Eco club was created in an effort help the evironmental issues caused.

Monday

Ecology club had a table filled with small rocks and variety of colored paints and googly eyes. Students were encouraged to paint their rocks with their own designs and take them home to be placed in gardens.

President of Ecology club, Tori Quiñones,11, speaks on the main goal for Ecology clubs event-week.

“The goal for this week’s event is to help spread awareness at Downey High. Our generation will be the path for a brighter future. We want to make our classmates and peers more aware of the environment,” Quiñones. “The more people that know, the more changes we can make to help save the environment.”

Tuesday

Students decorated green paper leaves and stapled them to a cardboard tree that the eco club created prior to the event. Many students came to write inspirational quotes and drawings to interpret their love for the environment.

Catherine Quinones, 9, Treasurer for Ecology club speaks on where her passion for the environment stems from.

“My passion for the environment would be the fact of how much I want to make a difference in the community to which I stand. I understand how much harm is being done to which environment due to our actions which are very costly,” Quinones said. “One has to be willing to pay the price which comes to why I joined eco club. I joined to help be part of the solution for a better tomorrow, to restore the environment and to be able to know that i’m doing something that will make a difference for the better.”

Wednesday and Thursday

The club set up a table and created planting pots with used water containers, the bottles were flipped and inserted upside down into other containers. They planted carrots and other small manageable plants that were distributed to students.

Jasmine Vallejo community outreach eco club member, 9, speaks on what being in ecology has done to her life.

“It has opened my eyes on how much humans have taken part in the destruction of our Earth. Ecology club has also brought to my attention how one disregards the negative impact we have on the environment,” Vallejo said.

Friday

They showcased a large metal recycling cage shaped like a fish, the recycling container was created in an effort to show students that helping the environment and recycling can be fun and creative.

Vivian Longoria, 12, a student who participated in the viewing of the recycling container, speaks on recycling.

“Water bottles do so much damage to the earth, there’s a whole island in the ocean made of trash,” Longoria said. “Im happy they are showing the younger students that like recycling is cool.”

Each activity inspired Downey High students and staff to become attuned with the environment in an effort to reverse the damage caused in past centuries.

About the Writers

Alexis Gutierrez, Writer

As a returning Downey Legend news staff member, Alexis Gutierrez, 12, plans to expose more of what Downey High School has to offer. “I returned to newspaper because explaining new aspects of school life has really put me out there,” Gutierrez said. “I can't wait to continue discovering downey's little stories.”

When I first met Alexis Gutierrez we did not get along whatsoever. We share the same opinions, but for the most part we are very different people. In the beginning we constantly argued in a manner that was not friendly at all. We would constantly get on eachothers nerves to the point where I think both of us would get irritated solely by looking at the others face. However, as time passed by we slowly—and I mean very slowly—developed a friendship. Alexis may be very opinionated and outspoken, but I’ve learned to appreciate her for it. Plus we have pretty much all the same opinions so that helps. As opposed to myself Alexis takes pride in her work and puts forth all her effort to do a great job. She has no fear in sharing her opinions and voicing her concerns which really impresses me. She can easily accomplish any task put in front of her and I have no doubt in her ability to accomplish any goal of hers. I consider Alexis a vital part of The Downey Legend and I am grateful for all the arguments we’ve had so far. Alexis Gutierrez is as corny as it sounds an independent and candid person who can do most if not all things she sets her mind to. She also never failed to call me out on my malarkey, so she should be thanked for that.

-Jesus Aguayo Cerda

Amy Garcia, Photographer

Having a passion for photography, Amy Garcia, 11, joins the Downey Legend to express her love for taking pictures and shares her journey on how it all started. “I needed an art class, but I ended up loving it [photography],” Garcia said. “I like taking pictures because they’re like portals, you can see the world without leaving your house.”

As a junior moving into her senior year Amy is a quiet, BTS-loving student that sees the reality in things. When I first met Amy in my senior year of high school I had the impression that she would be funny, nice, creative, and memorable. And throughout the time I got to know her, in Newspaper, I found out that I was right. Amy ended up being exactly what I thought she would be and more. She is a great friend and I can’t wait to see where the world takes her because I have a feeling that she is going to do big things in life. Not only is she beautiful but she is also an extremely intelligent and amazing person who values trust a lot. It might take a while for her to trust you but in the end it would all be worth it because you get to meet an astonishing person that you’ll never be able to forget.

-Jessica Garcia

Eliza Vargas, Photographer

Possessing a drive for knowledge, Eliza Vargas, 10, joins the Downey Legend as a photographer who wants to break out of her shell and express her creativity. “I just love seeing photography in my own special way,” Vargas said. “...and the proud, unexplainable feeling I get when I can actually capture the photo just how I imagined is amazing.”

Eliza Vargas is that one quiet shy girl in the back of the room working on her drafts and editing her photos. She is the type of girl you can count on with any assignment. The type of girl to make you laugh and smile.

Her positivity spreads throughout the classroom and on the field when playing lacrosse. Her teammates can rely on her to score and make a goal. She is strong and unstoppable on the field.

I have gotten the pleasure to know her throughout this past year and it has been a pleasure working with her and to see her photography skills grow. I know she is going to do great things in the future whether it be with lacrosse, photography or her desire to study criminology. One thing I know for sure is that she is one of the kindest, warm-hearted human beings I have ever met.

-Xenia Pena