By Emma Robitaille ’16, Contributor
As of 11:57 AM on February 5th, Cincinnati Country Day has saved 1,201 water bottles. Thanks to the efforts of the Environmental Council, the Upper School is now home to a water bottle filling station. Installed the second week after returning from winter break, the water bottle fill station encourages both environmental awareness and hydration. The station replaced the admittedly outdated water fountain closest to the girls’ room. Located in between the South Gym and the Upper School, the fountain provides easy accessibility, especially after the Dining Terrace closes.
After a lengthy ordeal with backorders, the station was successfully installed a couple of weeks into second semester. The water bottle filling station quickly ignited intrigue and excitement among Upper Schoolers. By 10:00 AM Tuesday morning, a line was already growing behind the station. For many, the water bottle station makes staying hydrated far more convenient. Instead of standing awkwardly at the water fountain while the people behind you grow impatient, you simply set down the bottle and let the sensor take over. Seniors Katie Jamison and Emma Rust both enjoy the convenience of the station. Katie applauded the “little to no spillage” of the fountain while Emma noted how it made staying hydrated a lot easier.
The Upper School is not the first division to practice environmental awareness. In fact, we are simply following in the footsteps of our friends in the Lower School. Like the Upper and Lower School, the Middle School will soon install its own water bottle station. The idea of installing a water bottle station in the Upper School had been in the works for some time now, according to Head of the Environmental Council and seventh grade life science teacher Daniel Wood. The Environmental Council, which includes Upper School teachers Carole Lichty-Smith and Angela Suarez, ordered the station in November in hopes of a quick installation. The Environmental Council has typically done its work behind-the-scenes. The water bottle filling station is the first of many efforts to promote awareness of the Environment Council around the CCD community. Mr. Wood assured me that much more is to come from the Environmental Council, including efforts to restore and replenish our land. The Environmental Council hopes to eventually infuse environmental consciousness into our Country Day curriculum.
The addition of the water bottle fill station to our community is a step in the right direction environmentally. Country Day has the ability and resources to make its own environmental difference. Mr. Wood repeatedly emphasized the importance of valuing our campus and its nature as we are fortunate enough to have 64 beautiful acres of nature and learning. Though our water bottle station is a small effort on a large scale, this is the only the beginning for Country’s Day contribution to our environment.
