The Harbinger presents THE CARTOON ISSUE
FEATURING winners of the cartoon contest
harbinger SHAWNEE MISSION EAST
ISSUE 8, DEC. 15, 2003
What’s Inside
• •
Graphic novels The semester’s best Makeovers
During the traditional Franklin Center visits, students lend children and families
a helping hand
Franklin Center childrens’ photos by Alex Helmuth
Franklin Center
more ways to help
help volunteer aid re• SHARE’s Franklin Center program to quest hours SNHSgoes SHARE the center regularlyneeds to food clothing work in the classroom Franklin Center holiday and interact one-on-one gifts presents parties with the kids. wrapping paper donate • Spanish National time money resources Honor Society runs theaid give help volunteer annual holiday visits. request hours SHARE food clothing needs • Students interested in Franklin holiday coming toCenter the center and helpingpresents in other ways gifts parties should contact Joyce wrapping paper donate Adams at (913) 321-2102 time money resources
holidays
for the
Courtney Condron
Today students were in the holiday spirit early, but not for their own benefit. The parties, presents and food were for kids from the Franklin Children’s Center. The Spanish National Honor Society sponsors this program, which aims to help out parents and children who are less fortunate. “I’ve actually had parents come in my office crying, because they wouldn’t have been able to afford the toys or clothing otherwise,” Franklin Children’s Center director Joyce Adams said. The Franklin Children’s Center provides pre-school and head start programs for kids. About 95 percent of these children come from low-income families. “The parents never feel looked down upon at East; they know that it is all done out of kindness. Just because they don’t have a lot of money doesn’t mean they aren’t hard-working parents,” Adams said. East students from SNHS visited the Franklin Center on Dec. 2 to meet the kids. Each member of SNHS is designated a child whom they get to know. “The main reason we go talk to the kids first is that we want to make sure they feel comfortable when they come here,” Franklin Center chairperson Ellen Stolle said.
Around 65 kids came to East today. Students raised money for their class’s kid, then designated students to go shopping. “I love shopping, especially when it’s to help out someone else. It’s great knowing the joy that our class will bring to this little girl for the holidays,” junior Sarah Smart said, who is doing the shopping for her class. Each kid gets a party in the classroom, where they get to open some of their presents. The rest of the presents are given to the parents to give to their kid themselves. Michael Layman’s class adopted two girls and raised over $200 for them. “My class is mostly freshmen, so they don’t really know what it’s all about, but I have one student that has done it before, and she’s really excited about it, and has been getting everything organized for it,” Layman said. The excitement is not only from students, however. The kids’ anticipation to come to East is always high, even if they are shy once they get here. “Going to East is all I hear the kids talk about from the time the East students come to the Franklin center until the kids get to go there. There is a lot of anticipation for it,” Adams said.