A day to give back

Students come together for park cleanups, clothing drives and other community service. Environmentally conscious students from Western and Kennedy high schools picked up trash scattered across Twila Reid Park on Monday. At the same time, members of Brookhurst Junior High s student government gathered clothes, canned food and toiletries that will be donated to families in need. And, homeless people gathered at La Palma Park were offered a hot meal and necessities by students from Loara High School s ethnic studies class and the Bridges leadership program. People look at homeless people as if they re not real people, said Matthew Mariscal, a 17-year old senior at Loara High School, as he handed out clothes at La Pallma Park. It seems as if no one cares about them, and that s sad, he said. If we were on the street, we would want the same type of help. About 4,500 students from across the Anaheim Union High School District spent0 community service projects. The students had the day off of school. The district wide effort was part of the second annual Servathon, which raises money for campus activities and the Student Service Foundation, which awards grants to pupil-led community improvement projects. Students got pledges for their community service. About $20,000 was collected as of Monday. Students raised about $8,500 last year, when about 4,000 students completed 160 community service projects. We wanted to give people some clothes that didn t have holes and are in good condition, said 13-year-old Sarah Alvarez, an eighth-grader who serves as the student body treasurer at Brook hurst Junior High, as she folded a shirt that will soon be donated to a Student in the district. Normally rivals in sports, students from Western and Kennedy high schools met at Twila Reid Park to gather trash left behind by picnickers. We wanted to do something that directly affects our community by cleaning up a park thaara Legaspi, a 17-year-old senior at Western High who leads an environmental club known as the Planeteers. Superintendent Michael Matsuda said he wants students to consider projects away from their individual campuses. Students from Western and Kennedy high schools join forces to help beautify and clean up the park during their schools' Martin Luther King Jr. Day project. Soon, the Anaheim form at least 40 hours of Matsuda said the prounion school board will community service over gram would start with consider whether to re- four years as a condition next year s freshman quire students to per- to graduate. If approved, class, making the goal attainable for those who simply opt to participate in the annual Servathon. We re trying to build a service ethic by giving back to something greater, said Matsuda, whose district serves more than 32,000 students living in Anaheim, Buena Park, Stanton, Cypress and La Palma. It is an experience that they can look back on, and saying bigger, Matsuda said. An AUH SD education is more than just test scores, ifs about building cultural service and empathy. Students from Western and Kennedy high schools join forces to help beautify and clean up the park during their schools' Martin Luther Kin