Diamond Bar High students are hoping that turning off computers and
classroom lights will not only save important global resources, but may
also save jobs. They have enlisted the help of the Power Rangers, the
popular television superheroes, to help fight crime on energy waste at
the school. AP Environmental Science students presented their ideas
during a Kill the Lights rally on Tuesday, March 24th. DBHS Science Teacher and
Instructional Dean David Hong leads this 2nd period Advanced Placement class.
The class motto is “fighting crime one class at a time” and the dedicated
group is confident that their ideas about conserving paper, water, and
electricity will save the school enough to help pay a teacher’s salary.
Specifically, they are asking students and staff to use both sides of the
paper when making copies and to turn off the top set of classroom lights.
They also issued a reminder to turn off all classroom lights and
computers when not in use.
Students presented a skit and speeches with statistics about the costs
the school incurs each month. The class estimates DBHS could save as much
as $100,000 a year using smarter energy conservation methods. Sean
McGuire, age 17, said the AP class spent the year learning about humans
and the environment. “We wanted to pick a relevant issue for our class
project. With the State budget cuts, we decided it was a good
opportunity to save our school money.” The lunchtime rally kicked off
with a musical performance by the band Runner. Runner members also passed
out eco-friendly book bags and recruited volunteers to play recycling games.