***Update April 25:

When the paper drive ended April 22, Tami Beall’s class was declared the winner with 758.6 lbs of paper turned in with Jim Tarvin’s class in second with 409.8 lbs of paper turned in. All students in both classes will receive Movie House and Eatery tickets and each teacher will receive a $15 Froyoz gift card. In total, 18 classes participated and turned in a total of 2312.3 lbs of paper.

In order to accelerate the school’s recycling program, the new Science Research class and the Environmental Club are hosting a paper drive from April 8 through April 22.

The second period class that collects the most materials, including, but not limited to, magazines, newspapers and phone books will collect prizes. So far, prizes include Movie House and Eatery tickets and Froyoz coupons. The teacher of the winning class and the student who brings in the most paper will win gift cards to Froyoz.

After the science building was “eco-audited” by the Science Research class, APES teacher and Environmental Club sponsor Dr. Shannon McPherson came up with the idea of a paper drive to combat the school’s overall decline in recycling with the support of her Environmental Club and the Science Research students.

“We want to motivate folks to keep recycling,” McPherson said.

Equally passionate about recycling, varsity football player and Environmental Club member senior Cooper Blow thinks the drive will make a difference.

“The school produces so much paper that we don’t recycle,” Blow said. “We know it could be used again instead of thrown out. That’s more paper we don’t have to use so we can cut down less trees.”