Students at TCS have been struggling now for several years with the removal of all plastic bottles in the school. With the purpose of being eco-friendly, TCS banished the sale of all plastic bottles including water bottles. We understand why the school might want to reduce the carbon footprint, however, are they trying to be eco-friendly or are they imposing a new school culture without taking into account students voices? After investigation, no sufficient reason has been discovered for the removal of plastic bottles.

Healthy, clean water, which is a simple but crucial resource, is being taken away from us, and instead, they are filling us with sink water which although its free, it’s clearly unhealthy. According to FDA and EPA regulations, studies show that bottled water is much healthier than treated water. Bottled water comes from natural springs which then goes through a purification process, and doesn’t involve chlorine, and in some cases only a small amount. On the other hand, sink treated water goes through a pipe system which can collect bacteria and metallic flavors, plus it contains a great amount of chlorine. “The taste in the school’s water is very peculiar, this is due to the fact that the water undergoes a special purification and cleaning process that uses chemicals to ensure that the water is ‘clean’ and drinkable. This process alters the PH level of the water, and because it has diluted chemicals in its composition, it alters negatively its taste,” 11th grader Agustin Jaramillo stated. Clearly, students are not comfortable or feel safe drinking the school’s water.

Not only is the school risking our health with the water, but the way they are managing this new system is a way to try and control our diet. Why can’t we have sodas in dispensers which have the same function as the juices dispensers we already have?. Did you know that the hit juices that the cafeteria offers are only 15% real fruit and the rest is assembled by chemicals and sugars? According to the nutritional facts in a box of Hit juice and in a can of diet coke, Hit juices have 18 grams of sugar while a diet coke has 0 grams of sugar. If what the school is trying to do is make us healthier people, they are clearly failing. “I think removing the water bottles is going a little too far… I understand the soda plastic bottles and the amount of plastic saved by removing them and making us bring our own water bottles, but what I don’t understand is why the water bottles or why the sodas at all?…as well as the juice dispensers, sodas dispensers could be implemented… I don’t understand if the school is trying to make us be greener or be healthy, because it seems to me they are also trying to make us eat well, and they are doing nothing because the juices contain as much sugar as non diet sodas, plus eating habits should depend on every person, not on the school,” Sofia Niño stated. Soda dispensers would be ecological systems since no plastic bottles would be used. Reducing the carbon footprint by removing plastic bottles is supposed to be the school’s project, not trying to change our food habits because each person has the right to chose their own diet.

Finally, this new water dispenser system is really complicated due to the fact that in many cases, students don’t have a thermos to fill and the water dispensers don’t work as drinking fountains. This makes students ask for permission to go to the cafeteria and buy a cup or drink from the water fountain in there. On several occasions, asking permission to go to the cafeteria makes teachers uncomfortable since their class can be interrupted. “To start with, I don’t like the water that the school provides because it doesn’t taste good, and it makes me mad that since this new system started I have to bring every day a thermos from my house which I didn’t before so that I can drink water that tastes good, and when I run out of water I have to accommodate to the schools disgusting water,” Sebastian Arteaga, 12th grader, stated. It is really hard for us to adapt to the way that the school manages new stuff because when students voices are not heard, this type of new rules established are really hard to digest and get used to.

Overall, students are not satisfied with this “no bottle system” that the school implied without considering the student’s opinions because it leads the students to drink unhealthy beverages.