Students Go on Air to Urge Conservation

Six Ventura County elementary students will take their messages to save water to the airwaves this month after they were selected as winners of the county’s water conservation radio-script contest.

Fourth- and fifth-graders throughout the county participated in the contest, which directed the students to use “interesting ideas or words to get people to listen to you.”

Sumeet S. Mitter, a 10-year-old student in Kim Godfrey’s fifth-grade class at Flory School in Moorpark, said he entered the contest because his teacher asked the entire class to participate.

But he also entered because water conservation is important, he said.

“It’s a natural resource on earth and it’s there for a reason,” he said. “It’s not just there to do away with.”

Sumeet’s entry, which will be aired to call attention to May as water conservation month, says:

“California has already had enough droughts. So get into the act and turn off those faucets and hoses and turn those showers down. And remember, never, ever, waste water again. Thank you, and goodby.”

Other contest winners were Steve Albarado and Nate C. Glyer, fourth-grade students at Elmhurst School in Ventura; Amber O’Neal, a fourth-grader at Hollywood Beach School in Oxnard; Viena Wagner, a fifth-grade student at Pierpont School in Ventura; and Janine Martin, a classmate of Sumeet’s at Flory School.

The students recorded their messages at KXBS radio station in Ventura. Copies of their public service announcements were sent to stations KMDY/KMJO, KVEN/KHAY and KBBY/KTND for airing throughout May.