In light of Earth Day, which is held annually on April 22nd, it was originally “created” back in 1970, following rapid industrialization, when consumers in America became environmentally aware of the country’s rapid pollution. Since then, the day of awareness has spread globally across one billion people and the 193 countries of the United Nations.
Juniors Angela Lam and Lilian Fang debuted their club on March 6th, which they named Clean Up Crew. The club was first brought to light on their Instagram page, @mhscleanupcrew, where they announced the club’s start, and any other basic information on Google Classroom, Remind, and where their meetings take place.
Their first meeting took place on March 10th in Michael Berman’s classroom in room B447, who is also their advisor. In this meeting, they went over their motives and any upcoming events, hoping to do clean-ups around the local area.
Lam noticed back in winter, with the mountains of snow banks lining the sidewalks, she’d spotted garbage on top, and in the snow. This sparked an ambition in Lam, showing concern in the city’s sustainability, which led her to recruit Fang, as she is “interested in environmental sciences,” and would be a great co-founder in carrying out the club
“I personally was always really aware about the trash, and I love supporting the community, so I was hoping that forming this club would make a positive impact through community service, bonding, and spreading environmental mindfulness,“ Lam elaborated.
On April 22nd, the club hosted their first clean-up session at Malden High’s parking lot, next to the bike path, which is across from the Holland gym exit.
The club navigated around the bike path and parking lot with tongs, plastic bags, and gloves, which were provided by Fang and Lam. Their first cleanup spanned two hours, allotted to picking up litter around the area.
Senior Ness Tiahi claimed, ”It was surprisingly more fun than you would think picking up trash would be. With a small close group, we managed to clean up a decent chunk, and it felt nice to talk to people all while doing something for a good cause.”
Many common finds included plastic water bottles, aluminum cans, and many fast-food waste products. Tiahi, however, mentioned “weird finds were hidden on the side of the road,” such as a phone charger, a flip-flop, and a broken-down ceramic pot. In a way, it was sort of like a dig for buried treasure.
Although there wasn’t “a big turnout,” Lam found success in being able to “collect almost 20 bags of trash,’ as well as receiving a positive reception from club members. Additionally, in an encounter with a truck from Malden’s Department of Public Works, Lam noted how they “kindly offered to transport our collected trash for us, and I love seeing others helping out within the community.”
Met with a positive meetup, the club wishes to clean up Malden little by little, whether it’s further down the bike path, or parks, like Waitts Mount. The club plans on hosting more clean-up sessions post-AP exams, where the leaders plan on making use of free time of the community.
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