Each and every day, Frau Khouri rides her bike to school. It has become not only a routine, but something that brings her joy. Riding is also something that has translated between her life in Europe and here in Seattle: “When I moved from Germany to the U.S., I noticed that so few students, especially in high school, are biking. And I noticed that, but I continued to bike—to my job. Back then, I biked to the German school that I was working at for three years, and then I continued biking to Prep.”
There is a major contrast between the two countries. It’s a norm in Germany, but here it seems like something people do in their free time only. Khouri noticed that “in northern Europe, you’re biking in the clothes that I have today, you’re biking in a dress, you can bike in high heels, in a suit. But here, biking is more like an activity, and you change. And of course, the distances are longer, too. And then when I came to Prep, of course, I kept on biking.”
Bike to School Day has grown so much in such a short time as well. It’s gone from a German class to the entire school, with many students taking part each year. This year, it will be held on May 7th, with other places to participate in throughout the week.
“There are some students here, like those who live on Capitol Hill, who already do this. We want to open it up to students who might not have a bike or whose bike is old and dusty. The idea is to be inspired, you can walk to school, or just do something different,” Khouri said.
While many students might not be able to participate in the event due to where they live, it doesn’t mean that they can’t help out with the cause. Biking isn’t the only way, but students can take public transportation or limit their driving as much as possible.
“Even small changes help. Like instead of driving all the way to school, you walk part of the way to Montlake instead of taking the car. It’s really about creating awareness that you don’t always have to rely on a car. You can get places with your legs, too,” Khouri said.
This year is bound to be the best Bike to School Day ever. Not only will more people ride than ever before, but the outreach has also grown even more, expanding the event over an entire week.
“I want to make it even bigger, connecting it more to our identity as a Jesuit school,” Khouri said. “With Peace and Justice Week, and after leading the Global Perspectives View in the fall, I want to tie this into “Care for Our Common Home”—what the Jesuits are promoting to the world and to us as international educators.”
We have a limited time to make a true impact on the world before it gets worse for good. Even though it can seem at times like our efforts are not making much of a difference, time will show that small things add up.
“We only have one world, and we need to take care of it. We need to respect nature,” Khouri said. “We can take small steps—like simply separating our garbage properly or making small choices that help the environment.”
