January 5, 2005
CHS collects supplies for Iraq students
Central High School Student Senate packages pounds of pens and paper
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Building bridges with pens, crayons and paper, this week members of Traverse City Central High School's Student Senate are packaging pounds of school supplies to send to students in Iraq.
The organization held a school supplies drive the week before winter break to provide basics to their peers in Iraq. They plan to send the myriad supplies to an organization they found on the Internet, www.helpiraqikids.com, who will forward them to schools in that country.
Organizers were pleased at the variety and volume of donations, which also included colored pencils, highlighters, notebooks, pads of paper and pencils.
"It makes me feel really proud that the whole school got involved in it," said Hunter Brauer, a tenth-grade student at the school. "This was just four days of stuff and I'm pretty proud of the school and the people who took part in it."
Senior Chris Spencer, chair of the Student Senate's Community Service Committee, said Senate members wanted to contribute something to the Iraqis that could have a lasting impact.
"The concept of that webpage is that the best way to help them is to educate them," said Spencer of the Iraqi students receiving the donations. "Money is temporary, the best is education."
The students distributed a paper bag, one of many donated from Glen's Markets, to every classroom at the beginning of the week before break. For the next four days before everyone vanished for a two-week vacation (Monday was a snow day), members of the Senate gathered the supplies.
They offered the classroom that gathered the most supplies a cookies and cocoa party, throwing one that Friday. A second classroom made so many donations, the Student Senate decided this week to grant them a party as well.
"The first classrooms we went to we got very little stuff," recalled Brauer of the daily gatherings. "Then it started to progress as the week went on."
Other unexpected sources turned up: a staff member's wife solicited just over $350 in supplies from Integrity Office Supply, which thrilled the organizers of the drive.
Members of the Student Senate are elected by their peers with a mission to promote school spirit and community service. The 33 members enroll in a class taught by Judy Phillips, whose classroom serves as the base for all their activities. They brought the donated supplies for the Iraqi students to her room for sorting and packaging.
Phillips was pleased at this choice of outreach.
"We want to win the hearts of children, that's our part of the war," she said, noting a student also organized members to write to soldiers.
"If we can get the kids there to like Americans, it will be easier on our soldiers," Phillips added.
Other Student Senate activities include dances, pep assemblies, talent shows, battles of the bands and the Winter Festival. The students follow strict rules of operation, running the organization like a business, and gain experience in leadership and service both within the school and the community. Students are also required to attend business meetings in the community to watch their operations.
"Our basic goal is to do everything outside of education, foodservice and athletics," summarized Isaiah Wunsch, a senior at the school.
Phillips hopes that participating in the Student Senate will lay a foundation for community service.
"They're very enthusiastic and they're young, getting involved in something that's good for other people," Phillips said. "We hope that this will be a lifelong thing."