Viking Vault unlocks student job opportunities BY BENNIE CHANG
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he Viking Vault, Lynbrook’s student store, has found a home inside the newly constructed cafeteria. The store will continue to sell school supplies and snacks, but one aspect of it has changed — the Viking Vault is now a business run by
students in Lynbrook’s new class: Training for Transitions (TFT). Established at Lynbrook this year, TFT is taught by culinary and special education teacher Megan Miller. The course aims to prepare students for the workforce. After observing the success of similar classes in other FUHSD schools, Lynbrook’s Special Education department decided to implement the TFT curriculum and adjusted it to �it students’ needs. In the class, students have the opportunity to try out different jobs on campus by assisting with Lynbrook’s recycling program, working in the print center and managing the student store. Other than having jobs, students like junior Daisha Travenia are also learning about the job application process. “We work on fake applications to get practice, so when the time does come and we want to get a job, we would know how to do it by ourselves,” Travenia said. “This class gives us practice and independence.” One unique aspect of the program is that TFT students w i l l
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work with students from Academic Community in Transition (ACT), a branch of the Special Education department, to run the Viking Vault together. Before construction, the ACT program ran the student store out of a space near the old ASB den. During the renovation of the quad, the store was put on hold, and teachers used the time to re�lect on how it could be improved. They decided that they wanted the ACT students to have more interactions with other students in Lynbrook while managing the Viking Vault. During this time, Miller started working on the TFT class with the goal of providing students with opportunities to try out new jobs. After hearing about the goals of the Special Education department, Miller proposed the Viking Vault as a place with job opportunities for both TFT and ACT students. Once the store of�icially opens, TFT and ACT students will share the responsibility of running the store and managing the proceeds together. “We want our TFT students to have con�idence when they begin their jobs and build their leadership skills in the process,” Miller said. “Also, having them work with ACT students whom they may not have exposure to on a day-to-day basis helps them learn how to be not only a role model but also a leader with responsibilities.” Senior David Emory is excited to be in TFT because he wants to serve the community by working in the student store and helping ACT students. “I’m looking forward to working and mentoring the ACT students,” Emory said. “Working together in the Viking Viking will not only help them but also give us leadership skills and real-life experiences in the process.” T h e class has spent
Student brownie sale raises funds and awareness BY SLOKA SURESH
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ynbrook students Sanjana Narayanan, Hali Wu, Abdullah Ashiq, Nancy Qi, Zahara Aziz and Audrey Ding launched a fundraiser on Sept. 15 to provide �inancial support for Rose Morales*, a Guatemalan refugee. Morales is the daughter of Japanese teacher Jeremy Kitchen’s neighbor. Held at Lynbrook, the fundraiser raised both awareness and funds to aid her and her family as they seek political asylum. Through the asylum system, the U.S. grants refuge to foreign nationals in need of protection. In order to be considered for asylum, individuals must �irst prove their eligibility through proof of persecution or fear of persecution within their home country. If their applications are accepted, individuals will have an opportunity to appeal for asylum before an immigration judge. If applicants fail to meet any of the criteria, they may be sent back to their country of origin. For many asylum seekers, the �inancial burden of hiring an attorney proves to be the biggest obstacle. While there are organizations that provide reduced-cost legal aid to refugees, they often lack the
resources to accommodate the number of individuals seeking protection within American borders. To expedite the process, Morales’s family has sought legal aid from a private attorney who charges $6,000 to even begin the proceedings. After hearing of Morales’s circumstances through former Paper Airplanes of�icer and Lynbrook class of 2019 alumna Patricia Wei, Narayanan, Wu and Ding knew they had to take action. They decided to hold a brownie fundraiser to raise money quickly and promoted the event through direct messaging on Facebook. Homemade brownies, sold at $1 apiece, attracted students to donate to the cause. “We had a chance to make a difference in someone’s life that related to the issues that we’ve been working on,” Narayanan said. “We weren’t really sure how much money we could raise, but then we made $150, which is truly amazing.” The fundraiser went beyond the money it raised; it also helped create awareness about immigration issues and motivated the organizers to further their impact through similar initiatives. “I think [the fundraiser] did two things,’’
Kitchen said. “One, it got us closer to covering the $6,000. I think the second thing [was] being able to communicate to them that there’s this group of students who felt strongly enough that they were willing to donate their own money.” The success of the �irst fundraiser has sparked plans for a second. Although the date is not �inalized, the organizers hope to hold a larger brownie fundraiser and raise more money by marketing to more students. Additionally, they hope to expand their efforts to involve the Paper Airplanes club. “Our fundraiser is just our way of having a real world experience in contributing rather than just learning about things[refugee related issues] through presentations,” Wu said. “It’s more a way to learn about the issues from someone who’s in our community and going through those struggles.” The fundraiser is a testament to the power of student voice. Every member of the Lynbrook community has the opportunity to make a difference, and it is through initiatives like these that students are able to create awareness and spark change. *Names have been changed for privacy reasons.
months preparing to open the store. To set up the Viking Vault for its opening, TFT students sent out a survey to the student body to gauge interest in potential products. After discovering that people most wanted to buy school supplies, Viking apparel and snacks, students then worked together to decide which speci�ic items to place on shelves. During �ifth period, Miller trains students like Emory and Travenia, reinforcing their knowledge of proper business etiquette. Students learn critical skills such as being accountable and transparent while handling money and being professional when helping customers. In addition, the students work together during class to brainstorm innovative ways to reach more people. “One of the things we’re hoping to pilot this year is to offer online pre-orders for students,” Miller said. “Our hope is that the TFT and the ACT students will be able to work together to �ill pre-orders and gather the inventory package, so it is ready to go. Then, Lynbrook students can come in and give us their names, and we will have their order ready for them.” To prepare for day-to-day operations, Miller and the TFT students held a soft opening of the Viking Vault from Oct. 28 to Oct. 30 for staff members. Some teachers used the pre-order forms and went to the store to pick up their package. Throughout the week, students worked in the Vault during lunch and tutorial, and they were able to get hands-on experience interacting with teachers and staff members. After a �inal week of preparations, the Viking Vault of�icially opened on Monday Nov. 4 to students on campus. Now, Vikings can go to the student store during Monday lunches, Tuesday tutorials and Wednesday lunches to purchase school supplies, Viking apparel and snacks. “TFT has really helped develop bonds between us students,” Emory said. “Everyone here is so nice and social, and we have really gotten to know each other well.” TFT students feel that the Viking Vault is more than a student store — it is a family where students can discover their futures together and build lasting connections with people they might not have met otherwise.
FOOTBALL// pg. 17 Improvement in work ethic leads to victory