This spring, Edison High School Latin Club’s gardening initiative, Sordes, is launching a new project to transform the bare patch of land in the breezeway into a vibrant garden bed.

The patch, just outside of the foreign language wing, once had a large oak tree; however, after its removal, the space was left with only a pile of sawdust. Sordes is currently working with Principal Mr. Charles Ross to plant lilac bushes to bring color back to this area.

“This is only one of our current projects and we are not stopping here. We want to keep improving and maintaining the environment around Edison High School for years to come, ” said Violet Bak ‘25, Vice President of the Latin club.

The Origins

The Sordes initiative began in the spring of 2023 after a construction project where massive piles of dirt were dug out to place pavestones in the courtyard. Realizing that a solution was needed, Mr. Jonathan Clark, the Latin teacher at Edison Highalong with some of his students, spread the piles of dirt around the courtyard, making the place more appealing.

“After this project, some of my students took an interest in gardening and wanted to do similar projects in other parts of the school as well,” said Clark.

Sordes, which translates to “dirt” in Latin, was born out of the desire to create a green environment around the school. Over time, the projects became the official service initiative of the Latin Club.

Ongoing Projects

Every year, the Sordes team focuses on planting a variety of flowers and vegetables in the courtyard. Starting in the winter, this annual process involves the the team taking out weeds and any remnants of dead plants from the previous year. Mr. Stanley Stellakis, a biology teacher, works with Sordes by selling extra plants for low prices. These are then carefully planted in their respective locations, creating colorful and thriving garden beds.

Sordes doesn’t stop at the courtyard and has taken up additional projects around the school. For example, the team has planted flowers near the 9/11 Memorial and outside Dr. Aurora Loufek’s office.

During the summer, students can earn volunteer hours by returning to school to water the plants, allowing them to thrive in these warmer months.

“Even in the winter, we keep the Sordes initiative going. Recently, we bought bird feeders from Amazon and painted them so they can be hung in the courtyard,” said Violet Bak ‘25, Vice President of the Latin club.

The Future For Sordes

Looking ahead, Sordes plans to continue its mission of keeping the campus green and vibrant. Recently, the team added a new touch to the courtyard—hand-painted bird feeders.

The students purchased the feeders from Amazon, assembled them and painted each one with bright colors to attract birds. Once completed, they hung them around the courtyard.

With more plans like these, Sordes hopes to continue growing and enhancing the school’s environment.