Students Lead the Way
Two student-run groups—the Planet Protectors and the Student Equity Board (SEB)—informed alums about Winsor’s engagement with pivotal issues of the day during a well-attended session in the Dance Studio of the Lubin O’Donnell Center.
Annisa Patel ’23 and Katherine Danik ’25 introduced several goals for the SEB: identifying ways to honor the indigenous populations of this area; collaborating with the Wellness Coalition and other student-run groups; addressing socioeconomic class through panel discussions; and participating in both the hiring of faculty and counselors and a school-wide curriculum study.
“We also want to have more discussion time among students, advisory groups, and assemblies. We think that talking about these huge topics that are going on in the world right now is a great way for people to learn more, and to talk about their perspectives and how this is affecting them,” Danik said.
The Planet Protectors, meanwhile, discussed the recent installation of 331 solar panels on the roof of the Lubin-O’Donnell Center. One-third of the school’s daily energy now comes from solar, a detail that garnered applause from the audience.
“I was feeling faceless and powerless in the face of the climate crisis,” Aoife Beswick ’24 explained, until she joined the Planet Protectors in 2019. Before settling on solar panels, the group looked into introducing windmills on campus and harnessing energy from stationary bikes in the athletic center.
“This [project] positioned us as leaders, compared to many of our peer schools,” Beswick said.
Lilac Nguyen ’28 also spoke to the Planet Protectors’ quest to have a greenhouse built on campus. Preliminary research has shown school-wide enthusiasm and interest in the project, including from faculty: Multiple departments have reported that they could incorporate a greenhouse into their lesson plans, according to Nguyen.
The Planet Protectors continue to look into where a greenhouse would go, who would care for it, and how it would be funded. As these questions are considered, Nguyen remains motivated and optimistic.
“My vision is to see the greenhouse enrich the entire Winsor community,” she said.
