In a deserted hallway, a flier taped to the wall advertises the Mr. Whitman competition.  Two feet to the left and right is the same flier.  And again on the opposite wall.  The pattern repeats itself all the way down the hall and around the school, where students excessively use paper to promote events. The administration should take decisive action to reduce the amount of paper the school wastes.

An excessive amount of paper decorates the school’s walls.  The majority of it originates from one of the school’s many printers.  County officials stock a large storage closet on the first floor with computer paper at the beginning of every year and replenish used paper palettes several times a year, according to Greg Thomas, the school’s IT systems specialist.

In the computer labs and the library, students can print out lengthy documents and online articles, most of which don’t need to be single-sided.  Students can easily print online articles, notes and drafts as double-sided documents by selecting that option in the printing menu.  With less of a demand for paper, the school could cut the supply and therefore cut costs, according to Eddy Campbell, the school’s business manager.

Not everything can be printed double-sided; for example, English papers must be singled-sided.  To accommodate English students, the printer in the English office should be used for printing all papers that need to be single-sided.  As students get accustomed to the double-sided printers, English teachers can tell students to use the English office lab to print single-sided papers.

The administration should also set limits on the number of fliers students use to decorate halls.  Students often tape identical fliers within five-feet of each other or use them to spell out the name of an event, both completely unnecessary practices.  Rather than scattering event or club fliers around the school, students should predominately use Whitnet and the Black & White online.  Students and clubs can send out e-mails or post news on the website as reminders of upcoming events.

Reminders to “think green” are everywhere — on TV, on the radio, in newspapers and even in Whitman’s bathrooms.  Whitman should do its share in helping the environment and take action to reduce the school’s carbon footprint by cutting back on the amount of paper students uses.