Trends are surfacing each time faster; one day, people are going mad for a certain brand or product, the next, they are changing it for anything else. With trends that come and go, teenagers are getting a lot of insignificant stuff that they will throw away in two months; in the process, they are wasting countless resources. The issue is not only outside of school, but inside, the students are creating a massive waste of paper, utensils, and food with no excuse. According to Seth Millstein from Sentient, “In 1972, we would have needed 1.01 Earths to support our consumption habits, but by 2024, we’d need 1.7 Earths to provide enough resources to match our consumption.” (S. Millstein, Sentient, 17 January 2025.)
The Columbus School is the largest school in Medellin, not only in size but also in population. More than 2000 students study at TCS, most of them being in elementary school. This directly means that the school consumes more than any other school, making it a big contributor to the waste Medellin produces. Now, with upcoming trends, students at the school don’t only waste paper but also consume more as trends change and waste more as they go. Imagine approximately 500 girls buying the same shirt for popularity, and all of them throwing it away when they don’t like it anymore.
“When you have a school this size, you overall use more resources than are necessary. Even if we work hard, a school this big will still have issues,” said Brian Summers, teacher at The Columbus School. (B. Summers, Human Geography teacher, 18 September 2025.) The necessity for more resources at the school is always prevalent. We need notebooks, uniforms, food, or other items. Still, with such high demand, these articles typically lead to an insufficient supply of the needs. “Many of the school’s products have been scarce and are usually not enough for people at school,” stated Jeronimo Rodriguez, senior at TCS. (J. Rodriguez, twelfth-grade student of The Columbus School, 18 September 2025.)
Still, there are ways that the school is counteracting the waste-wave1, most students and teachers have changed from paper assignments to posting them on the school website, reducing paper waste by almost an astonishing 50%. Various statements from staff and students say that in order to fully abolish the occurring issue, students and administration need to work together with set goals. Create something such as a Modus Operandi2 against consumption.
“It’s just a balance,” shared high school social studies teacher Brian Summers. “We’ve done a great job by putting more of our stuff online, reusing, and helping in the cafeteria. It’s just a matter of planning.” (B. Summers, Human Geography teacher, 18 September 2025.) Working together also means looking up to the future. The question that is left unanswered by staff or students is what the future will look like if we cooperate. “In the future, student businesses will have to ally with the cafeteria in order to balance the consumption between them.” Explained senior Jeronimo Rodriguez. (J. Rodriguez, a twelfth-grade student of The Columbus School, 18 September 2025.)