Abner Gibbs students laughed and cheered as they learned about recycling from Dr. T. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – Abner Gibbs students were treated to a seriously funny show about garbage and recycling on Thursday, thanks to the Westfield Board of Health. Dr. T, a comedic expert with a Ph.D. in Garbology presented the award-winning “Garbage is my Bag” to the delight of the students during an assembly. Performed by Jack Golden of Leyden, MA, Dr. T juggled, did prat falls and had some fun with volunteers from the audience to get across the message that garbage is a resource too valuable to just throw away.
Board of Health Director Joseph Rouse, who attended along with health inspectors Steve Cipriani and Tom Hibert and dept. secretary Cheryl McMordie, said they were able to bring the show to the school at no cost due to their participation in the Mass Recycling Facility in Springfield. Rouse said every year, the MRF offers materials to promote recycling. One of the options offered was to bring Golden’s show to one of the schools, all paid for by the MassDEP, which oversees the facility.
Dr. T (for Trashology) takes a bow after juggling plastic bags. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Abber Gibbs Principal Stacy Burgess gathered the students in assembly and said they were going to talk about trash, and introduced Dr. T as the “wonderful wizard of waste.” He started the program with a broom and a piece of paper which he tried to throw away in the trash can, unsuccessfully, about five times, but it kept popping out in pure clown fashion. Golden, who began as a clown, later said this routine got him started on the show which he has been performing since 1989.
After the paper refused to stay in the trash bin, Dr. T said, “If I throw it away in a garbage can, it doesn’t really go away, it just goes somewhere else,” and introduced the audience to the concept that separating garbage is the first step down the road to recycling.
When third-grader Anais was selected as a “volunteer from the audience,” Dr. T shook and shook and shook her hand to start the routine. (Photo by Amy Porter)
He said there’s no limit to what can be made from garbage, bringing out two giant papier mache spoons and a fork, which he juggled to cheers and applause. He then ran down the list of materials that can be recycled, and asked for a volunteer from the audience. Third-grader Anais was selected, and ran up to the stage, where he shook, and shook and shook her hand. He then taught the audience a recycling chant and Anais a disco dance move to perform every time she put something in the recycling bin. When her part was over, Anais rushed in relief to the arms of waiting friends.
Dr. T also talked about items that can’t be recycled in the regular bin, such as Styrofoam, which is brought separately to the transfer station, and plastic bags which are brought to the grocery store or used for juggling, as he showed them in another routine with the bags.
Third-grade volunteer Maddex took it all in stride as he helped Dr. T with his instant composting machine. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Dr. T also talked about organic waste, introducing the concept of composting. He asked for another brave volunteer from the audience and chose third-grader Maddex to help him demonstrate the instant composting machine he invented called “Earth-a Kit.” He asked Maddex to sit and put a helmet on him which he said would capture the brain waves needed to work the instant composting machine. Maddex took it all in stride.
Dr. T ended his program with a rap about recycling, and some 80’s dance moves, including The Robot, to the cheers of the children, reinforcing the lessons learned about recycling.
Joseph Rouse and his staff at the Board of Health enjoyed the show, and have already booked it for next year. (Photo by Amy Porter)
After the show, Golden told principal Burgess that the children were great, with both the ability to have fun and settle down, focus and listen. He said he has performed the show all over the country, but that it has changed over the years as recycling has changed. Golden has three other shows he brings to audiences, which are listed on his website at garbageismybag.com.
Rouse said he has already booked the show to bring to another school next year.
