By Kaila Nordmeyer

Sports Editor

Students Taking Action Together, STAT, and Environmental Club members want to make a difference.  

“The purpose of STAT is to make a change in society and community,” senior Julia Blue said.

Other STAT members are seniors Katie Larson, Rebecca Thompson, Jenny Hessman, Megan Van Egdom; juniors Ali Britzman, Travis Van Ede and Paul Menefee.  It is a student-led group with no officers or advisers.

“It kind of goes along with Dr. Talcott’s ‘Do hard things’ theme,” Blue said.  “We don’t want to be ordinary teenagers and conform to this world. We want to provide fun service projects for high schoolers to get involved in, and we want to provide fun activities for people to show there are fun alternatives to partying.”

STAT members are planning a trip to Minneapolis, which costs $30, to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children. They will leave Jan. 16. After a day of volunteering, they will eat at the Mall of America and then go to club 3 Degrees to watch a live Christian band.

 “I joined STAT because I think people have given up on teenagers,” Blue said.  “They expect us to party and not care about our community. I think it would be awesome if we could change society’s view on our generation.”

Senior Jenna Pike started Environmental Club.

“When I found out the school didn’t recycle,” she said,” I thought it was ridiculous and decided I wanted to make a difference.”

 Science instructor Louisa Otto is the adviser.  Other members are seniors Chloe Shoup, Ashley Sehr, Kaila Nordmeyer; juniors Krystal Halter and Teddi Parker.  The group, which meets every Thursday in Otto’s room, is still recruiting members. 

“I think it is a really good thing students are taking the initiative to make changes in the environment,” Otto said.

Environmental Club wants to promote awareness in school about issues and teach people how they can help make a difference in their every day lives.  They have started making awareness posters and boxes to collect cans and plastic. 

The club plans to take a trip to the Arboretum and to a recycling plant to learn how recycling works.  Another project the Environmental Club is working on is making a video about recycling and being green.