Every year WHHS holds a festival in April called Earth Jam, typically consisting of a chalk drawing competition, a steel drum concert and numerous environmental club stands. However, it wasn’t always this way.
Earth Jam was originally an event organized by the many environment clubs at WHHS where student bands would play after school as a celebration. As time went on, other traditions and school activities also took place on the same day, with the eventual addition of food trucks and, most notably, a Kona Ice truck in the 2021-2022 school year.
“[My first Earth Jam] was out on Blair Circle and it was a lot of fun,” Chloe Sommer, ‘25, one of this year’s chalk drawing participants, said. “I got my face painted by Youth Philanthropy Council and Green Club had temporary tattoos.”
Over the years Earth Jam and the festivities that come with it have faced numerous changes from having to be canceled due to the pandemic to reduced activities in order to ensure school safety after numerous incidents.
“I think [school administrators] want to prevent another fight from breaking out, like it did the last time,” Elana Tomassian, ‘25, one of the co-leaders of Green Club, said. “It’s gotten a lot more restrictive with the space that they’re using. Clubs aren’t allowed to sell their goods anymore and it’s only the clubs that are involved in environmentalism.”
In the 2022-2023 school year, Earth Jam was relocated to Marx Patio and only held the chalk drawing competition and involved Steel Drum and environmentalist clubs. Students were only allowed to come out with their class compared to the previous year where students were given more free reign.
“I understand the changes [our administrators] made because a bunch of other kids from the neighborhood were coming instead of just Walnut students,” Sommer said.
Despite the many challenges the event has faced, Earth Jam has always had a long-lasting positive impact on the students of WHHS.
“[Earth Jam] embodies Walnut culture a lot more,” Tomassian said. “All of the clubs involved share themselves with the student body. I loved the community and looking at the art.”