8 minute read
COMMUNITY
Places to volunteer wanted by high school students
BY KEN SAIN
Arizonan Staff Writer
There are some obvious aspects of the high school experience that students have missed out on during the pandemic – proms, hanging out with friends at school, even sitting in the same classrooms with their teachers.
But there have been some less obvious aspects as well.
“We are hearing from principals that students still are having a hard time going in, and being able to volunteer in spaces, because COVID is still in existence,” said Dr. Jennifer Fletcher, Chandler Unified School District’s executive director of accountability, assessment and research.
For many high school students, community service is a vital part of their learning experience. It’s also a key part of any college application. But that’s not all it is.
“It comes back tenfold,” said Kirstin Gregg, a counselor at Perry High School. “They get that first-hand experience in a field that they may want to pursue. For some, it confirms this is what they’re passionate about. For others, they learn this is not what they want to be doing.”
One Perry High student who had a hard time volunteering because of the pandemic is senior Moira MacCatherin.
She plans on being a nurse and wanted to volunteer to work at a hospital, just
seeVOLUNTEER page 27
Perry High senior Moira MacCatherin is one of the lucky Chandler Unified students seeking a community service gig: she actually has found agencies that need vol-
unteers. (Pablo Robles)
Murder most fun on Aprende school stage
ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF
Agroup of Aprende Middle School students have murder on their minds these days.
But don’t worry, it’s just the Jaguar Players rehearsing their lines for the presentation of a play titled “How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party” a 7 p.m. Oct. 22-23 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 2324 at Aprende, 777 Desert Breeze Blvd., Chandler.
The plot thickens as host Miss Penelope Chrysler-Michelin presents her proven, 15-step process to dinner guests at her seminar when an unexpected guest appears on the proverbial dark and stormy night, according to a summary by the author.
And if you want to see how it ends, you might want to attend all four shows because each one will have a different climax.
“I’ve always wanted to do a murder mystery with the Jaguar Players and this script jumped out to me because it kind of pokes fun at the genre,” explained drama teacher Marisa Brady. “It also offered a lot of flexibility when it came to the cast and any COVID restrictions we might have.”
Brady said the script comes with 14 assorted endings to pick from.
“After we had a couple of rehearsals where the students developed their characters, I chose which characters would be the murderers,” she said. “It’s really fun rehearsing all 4 endings and we can’t wait for people to come to multiple performances to see the different endings.”
“Everyone is having a great time with their characters and the scripts,” Brady added. “I have really encouraged them to bring their characters to life and lean in to the cheesiness that is a murder mystery. It’s very silly and we are embracing it.”
This is also a momentous show for the
when all hospitals were trying to keep people away to keep their staffs healthy. “At first it was really difficult, because everything was shut down,” Moira said. “For my own family’s safety, I didn’t know how much I wanted to be out.”
Moira had been working with HonorHealth as a member of its Medical Explorers club throughout high school. That gave her an edge when a volunteering opportunity came up.
Last December, she helped staff a drivethrough lane for people who were eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“The vaccine was honestly one of the most fun times I’ve had volunteering or not in my whole life,” she said. “It was absolutely incredible. The cars, the people in them, were crying because they were so excited to receive this vaccine.
“I know a lot of times volunteering you don’t feel that community, like just because you’re volunteering doesn’t mean you feel community support but at the vaccine clinic you absolutely did.”
It was that experience, plus her work with the Medical Explorers, that helped her land another volunteer job, this time in the neonatal intensive care unit at Shea Medical in Scottsdale.
“It was being on that nursing unit that really inspired me to apply to become a nurse,” the Chandler resident said. Moira said she’s been accepted into the nursing program at Arizona State University.
Perry High counselor Gregg said she’s one of the lucky ones to have found a volunteer job during the pandemic. Others who have been looking have not.
“It’s really unfortunate and disappointing for them, but none of us have had to live through a pandemic, at least in my lifetime,” Gregg said. “It’s definitely taken a toll.”
Gregg said community service opportunities teach students responsibility and accountability. Those jobs help them mature, in addition to giving them some valuable experience in a field they are passionate about. “There’s infinite value in it, both for the businesses and the students,” Gregg said.
She said the highly-motivated students are pursuing opportunities in medical, engineering, and cybersecurity.
CUSD does not make community service a requirement for graduation. Both Gregg and Moira agreed with that policy, but they would strongly encourage it.
“When you make something a requirement, you might get people not doing it for the right reason, or not putting forth their best effort,” Moira said.
“People can volunteer without it being required, that’s part of the beauty of it. You don’t have to [have it] be required to benefit your community.”
Last December, Moira helped staff a drivethrough lane for people who were eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
(Special to the Arizonan)
PLAY from page 26
young thespians as the Jaguars have not had a live in-person production in more than two years.
But for this cast, it’s also special because most have never been on stage before.
“Everyone is really excited to be able to perform, whether they have performed before or not,” Brady said.
The play takes place in a mansion so the set has two stories.
“We actually repurposed the set from our canceled musical from 2020, ‘The Addams Family,’” Brady said, explaining that the student crew and some of their relatives “worked so hard in building it, we wanted to make sure we were able to use it.
“Our student scenic artists have worked hard at transforming it into our mansion and even created some original artwork that will be featured on the set,” she added.
There are two casts and two crews so each gets a chance to perform twice. Tickets are $7 general admission, $4 teachers/students and are available at jaguarplayers.org/shop.
The Red Cast includes: Darcy Sylvester, Harper Hunsaker, Erin Chiu, Sydney Willey, Elia Rodden, Taryn Lawson, Chris Williams, Bee Hertel, Mason Johnson, Lily Young, Oliver Whittington, Avalon Bryan, Silas Mottem and Henry Hunsker.
Making up the Yellow Cast are Grace Wombacher, Reagan Schapiro, Molly Plenn, Ilina Bush, Lexie Goyette, Caitlyn Wendell, Benjamin Shafer, Madeline Chiu, Sienna Figueroa, Miriam Spencer, William Vail, Bella Arriola-Hansen, Charles Quillan and Parker Jay.
The crew includes Charlotte Gould, Mikayla Cooper, Samantha Marsh, Audrey Ballard, Lexie Hoskin, Gabby Anthony, Chloe Cherington, Diana Spellman, Talyn Hill, Adelaide Marquis, Alison Chapman, Soren Knudson-Krantz, Ted Hertel, Tatum Scott, June Keryk, Jason Brown, Molly Malone, Ella Wohl, Olive Leonardi, Victoria Fowler, Callan Wolf, Cate Maney, Aaliyah Armijo, Ace Fuson, Cali Armstrong, Megan Seitz, Alaina Holmberg, Dylan French, Charlie Russell, Lola Ruelas, Layne Law and Addi Stewart.
ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF
The East Valley Jewish Community Center in Chandler is starting a monthly kosher food pantry this month and it’s an ecumenical effort.
The JBox Food Pantry, starting Oct. 27, is being organized in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul Society.
“We are honored to be part of making this important pantry possible for the community,” society Director of Food Services Danielle McMahon said. “Not only is it a chance to make sure no person goes hungry, but also an opportunity to combine the great kindness, service and reach of both St. Vincent de Paul and East Valley JCC.”
East Valley JCC CEO Rabbi Michael Beyo is equally excited.
“We are thrilled to offer this service to our community in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul and our other partners,” he said. “Many people face hunger each day and we feel that it’s our responsibility to do what we can to help alleviate hunger.”
Partial funding for this project was provided by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chandler, a frequent partner of EVJCC community service programs.
“I’ve personally known several of the people associated with the East Valley JCC for years and feel honored to call them my friends,” said Robin Finlinson, community outreach and JustServe Specialist at the Chandler church. “I’m thrilled that our congregations are able to work together often to help people in need in various ways - now including the kosher food bank.”
The food pantry is open to all. Registrations must be made a week in advance. Those who sign up will pick up pre-packaged bags of nonperishable food 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on the last Wednesday of each month outside the EVJCC in the back parking lot at Alma School and Ray roads.
There is no delivery at this time. Sign up for the pickup at evjcc.org/foodpantry by Oct. 20.
Volunteers are needed to help assemble bags of groceries each month. For the first distribution, volunteers are needed at the EVJCC at 4 p.m. Oct. 26, to help prepare the bags and then 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. Oct. 27 to help distribute the food. Those interested in volunteering can sign up at evjcc.org/foodpantry.
The East Valley JCC is a center whose mission is to provide “social, cultural and educational activities to engage families and individuals through Jewish values throughout their lifetime.”
