Contact: Jenni Brockman
Telephone: 804-443-3357
Fax: 413-639-3999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chapel Service Recognizes Community Service Groups
"Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, we did it!" replied Kym Register by e-mail when asked to describe her community service efforts this year. Kym, whose name is synonymous around campus with environmental causes, is the driving force behind the St. Margaret's Recycling Club. Almost single-handedly, she has implemented a campus-wide recycling campaign that would make even the most wasteful person want to recycle. "I think everyone who has recycled deserves recognition. I hope that we can continue a student-run recycling program in the future," says Kym, or "Captain Planet" as the students refer to her.
Community Service group representatives: (l. to r.) Sara Newman (Basic Needs), Katie Farmer (National Honor Society), Emily Reich (Study Hall Proctors), Lacey Wright (Student Ambassadors), Carver Weakley (Vestry; Honor Council), Kym Register (Recycling Club), Margot Whisnant (SEAA), Chaplain Riggs (SMS Chaplain), AiLun Hsieh (Art Club), Alexes Anderson (Dorm Prefects), and Dwann Cutler (Ensemble/Treble Choir).
In addition to the recycling club, eleven other student groups were recognized May 24 at a special chapel service. The groups were all honored for providing outstanding civic service during the 1999-2000 academic year. The following service organizations (representatives listed in parentheses) were cited: Art Club (AiLun Hsieh), Basic Needs (Sara Newman), Ensemble and Treble Choir (Dwann Cutler and Alexes Anderson), Honor Council (Carver Weakley), Dorm Prefects (Alexes Anderson), Students Educating About Aids (SEAA; Margot Whisnant), Special Olympics (Katie Farmer), Student Ambassadors (Lacey Wright), Study Hall Proctors (Emily Reich), and the Vestry (Carver Weakley).
This year, students contributed their time and talents to dozens of agencies, including Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, Special Olympics, Pedals For Progress, Warsaw Healthcare Center, and the Maymont Foundation (Richmond) among others. Students are required to participate in a minimum of four hours of service activities each trimester; however, many students volunteer to do much more work.
Students Educating About Aids member Margot Whisnant of Hickory, NC, presents a book about AIDS to librarian Michael Larose.
Service activity highlights of the year included SEAA's arrangement of a guest speaker to attend a school-wide workshop on AIDS/HIV education. In addition, SEAA held an AIDS awareness chapel and donated two books about AIDS to librarian Michael Larose. Nine National Honor Society students served as volunteer workers at the 2000 Winter Special Olympics held at Wintergreen Ski Resort, January 10-11. Basic Needs, a service club, which focuses on our local community, sponsored clothing and food drives for area families in need. Vestry, with over forty members, represents one of St. Margaret's largest service organizations.
"It's contagious," says Latané dormitory head Kate Taylor, a 1983 St. Margaret's graduate. "You see one girl dedicate herself so much to doing one simple, good deed and this makes others start thinking about what they can do [to help the community] too."
