Palmer Trinity sophomore Andy Shodell is passionate about the environment. He’s so passionate, he successfully worked to convince Palmer Trinity’s administration that the school should begin composting.
He and his fellow students raised money for the project. A second composting bin was donated by a teacher.
“We fundraised as the Compost Initiative,” he says. “We are technically a part of the Eco Club. We had help from the Science Club and the Jewish Culture Club.”
The compost program and fundraising will continue next year when Shodell becomes president of the Eco Club.
The cost of the composter was in the $400 range.
“It was an expensive bin that took a lot of fundraising,” he says.
There are other costs associated with the composting program that he still needs to fundraise for.
“We want to buy some organic material,” he says. “The waste is not going to adequately break down by itself. We need to help it.”
Also, the Initiative needs to fundraise for a bin dedicated to composting in their cafeteria.
“It’s blue and gold,” he says. “It’s the school colors.”
Shodell says they are working up to a full composting program.
“Right now, all we are doing is composting extras in the garden we have here,” he says.
Their plan calls for them to initially have students helping identify what can go in the composting bin and what shouldn’t go in there.
“Not everything can be composted,” he says. “If you compost meat like steak or pork, it will smell bad. The composter is generally close to the school, and the tennis courts. That’s why we need to have people helping out.”
Shodell became a composting convert when he was away at summer camp in Massachusetts. The camp is called Crane Lake.
“They never really composted until two years ago,” he says. “They promoted it. They educated all of us, too. When I came back to Miami, I tried to implement that, and for the most part, we have.”
He’s attended the camp since he was a child. Next summer, instead of going to Massachusetts, the campers will go to Israel instead. After that, he’ll be eligible to become a camp counselor.
Shodell is a member of the Reform Jewish group, NFTY.
Meanwhile at Palmer, he’s treasurer of the Debate Club. The club was started last year by one of the English teachers.
“The program has been growing a lot,” he says. “It’s nice to see new people coming in.”
He has placed in the top three at many debate competitions in the Lincoln Douglas Debate category.
“I have enough speaker points to qualify for the debate Honor Society for the National Speech and Debate Association,” he says.
He’s also a member of the Science Club and the Book Club and he is now the head of spirit for band.
“They decided to make a governing body,” Shodell says. “I’m the co-spirit manager.”
He started playing oboe in sixth grade and loves it so much he remains in the band to this day. Shodell is a member of Tri-M, the music honor society.
Outside of school, he is a madrich, or assistant teacher, on Sundays at Temple Beth Am.
“I help the teacher plan and teach their lesson,” he says. “I help with third grade. I love it. They are great.”
The madrichim coordinate the mitzvah program. The classes vote on the charities they want to support each year and they try to raise the most money. His class is usually close to the top.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
