Senior Kate O’Hara Chains Herself To Styrofoam Cups in Protest: “If I Die Here, So Be It”

By Sydney Carroll

If you’ve used a styrofoam cup in the past months that they’ve been available at lunch, you’ve probably been accosted *ahem* approached by BGA’s resident czar of sustainability, Kate O’Hara. Kate and many other members of the student body have been very vocal about their disdain for the decision to supply styrofoam and plastic cups when more eco-friendly reusable glasses are available. As the cups have remained (albeit hardly used), Kate has decided to take the only logical next step: chaining herself to the styrofoam cups in hopes that when they remove her, the cups will be removed as well. 

“I didn’t know what else to do,” lamented a chained Kate as she yelled over the lunchroom noise to talk to me. “I could either sit back and watch BGA knowingly destroy the environment, or I could take a stand in a way that would make a big splash.” When Kate was asked if she had spoken to the lunch staff or the administration prior to chaining herself to the cups she struggled to answer, muttering something inaudible about “sticking it to the man.” While Kate seems to be living her best life, students are getting annoyed. 

“I support Kate fully, but this is getting a bit ridiculous,” said senior Dalia Diab. “I mean, yesterday she made me feed her during lunch because she hadn’t eaten in 3 days. Plus, she’s my lab partner in AP Bio this week and I’m having to do our entire experiment on corn genetics alone.” Dalia’s not the only one concerned for Kate. While rumors that she crane-kicked a freshman trying to get a cup were denied outright by the Upper School leadership, several students have ended up in Ms. Pickett’s office this week after feeling threatened by a visibly hangry and impassioned Kate. 

While the administration declined to comment publicly on the matter, Mr. Montgomery did admit that when he spoke about student agency, “this wasn’t what [he] meant.” Kate’s teachers have also planned a meeting, as the formerly straight-A student is now about to fail out of her senior year after neglecting her grades during the demonstration. The cafeteria staff encourages any other students that may plan to protest instead just meet kindly with them, as, “we would’ve just gotten rid of them if she had asked.”