歪歪漫画

BEMIDJI -- These STARS are learning to shine in their communities.

A group of Voyageurs Expeditionary 歪歪漫画 students this year adopted three community service projects: one to benefit the homeless, one to raise funds for the Relay for Life and one for raising recycling awareness.

The students take part in MAAP STARS, an extracurricular program that helps develop employment, academic and social skills. STARS -- a program through the Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs鈥� youth organization -- stands for Success, Teamwork, Achievement, Recognition and Self-esteem.

Voyageurs students brainstormed project ideas during the statewide fall conference and later chose what areas to focus on locally. By choosing three, rather than the more usual one or two, the students were setting their bar high.

鈥淲e can start these projects, we can see how far we get,鈥� said Taylor Kummet-Hiltz, a freshman.

Homeless care kits Students focused on this project are packaging up 鈥渉omeless care kits鈥� for those who turn to Servants of Shelter, which offers wintertime shelter at local churches.

鈥淲e鈥檙e making little hygiene kits that have snacks, toiletries and tissues and stuff like that, and we鈥檙e delivering them to where the SOS is 鈥� we鈥檙e actually handing out the care kits to people so we get to see that reaction,鈥� said Kummet-Hiltz.

Vivianna Roybal, a sophomore, said many of the items are donated by MAAP STARS participants but students also have purchased materials for the kits.

Also helping compile the kits are Thomas Caddy, a senior, and Jakob Laducer, a junior.

鈥淪eeing the reaction on people鈥檚 faces -- even getting something so simple -- it鈥檚 a really good feeling,鈥� Roybal said.

鈥淛ust seeing how much 鈥� a toothbrush makes them smile, it鈥檚 so amazing,鈥�  Kummet-Hiltz said. 鈥淭he things we take for granted every day, they are so happy to get.鈥�

So far, the students have made  two batches of about 30 kits. But more are coming -- and many more. This month, MAAP STARS students are partnering with the middle-school students at Voyageurs to make about 200 kits.

鈥淲e also have gotten a grant 鈥� and this is allowing us to build off these kits, to expand bigger than our little group,鈥�  Kummet-Hiltz said.

Relay for Life For the first time, Voyageurs will hold its own Relay for Life walk this spring.

鈥淲e thought it was a good idea,鈥� said Emily Risberg, a sophomore. 鈥淲e took the idea a little bit farther and said, 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 we just hold our own walk?鈥� so we did a lot of research, we talked to some people and they said it would probably be a really good idea also.鈥�

The school-wide Relay for Life is set for April 17.

鈥淲e had to plan our route, we had to pick what day would be available for the school, if we wanted to do it during the summer or spring, and we picked spring so we could have as many people as could come, come,鈥� said Risberg, who is helping to plan Voyageurs鈥� Relay for Life programming along with Hannah Corrington, a freshman, and Mandy Bushong and Sage Rojas, both seniors.

Other Relay for Life funding efforts have included taping teachers up with duct tape, charging people $1 for every 4 feet of duct tape. The fundraiser was held during Family Night, to encourage as many people as possible to take part. That effort alone raised $160 as 641 feet of duct tape was used to tape up four staff members, Troy Johnson, Adam McCullough, Deb Risberg and Travis Malterud.

Additionally, more than $200 was raised in support of the MAAP STARS team that took part in the Brrrmidji Plunge last month during Winterfest.

Recycling awareness This project is unique from the others in that this is a campaign aimed at raising awareness and support of recycling efforts.

Students involved in this initiative commended their school for its 鈥済reen鈥� initiatives and said Voyageurs is a eco-friendly school. Their goal is to see local restaurants embrace more environmentally friendly options. Specifically, they are contacting Subway restaurants to discuss how the business could utilize more recyclable supplies.

鈥淏ecause they use plastic bags and bottles and so we鈥檙e trying to get them to be more eco-friendly,鈥� said Destiny Lawrence, a junior.

D鈥橝ndre Gordon, a sophomore, said the students have written a letter to Subway and are hoping to talk with the owner about their concerns. Ideally, they would like to see the restaurant use paper bags for to-go orders and for those who are eating on site, to use trays instead of putting all the orders in plastic bags.

Also working on this project are sophomore McKenzy Wegley and Garrett Baumann.

When contacted by the Pioneer for a response, Wes Hegna, who owns the Subways in Bemidji, said the restaurants already use trays for in-store dining and some decisions, such as which bags to use for to-go orders, are made at the corporate level.

鈥淚 know that they are always striving (to be eco-friendly). Every meeting that I go to they talk about being eco-friendly and the things they are doing as a company as whole,鈥� Hegna said.  鈥�... It has always been my opinion to leave the Earth in a better spot than when I came.鈥�