The
RUNNERS UP
Tiger HI-LINE
Friday, Nov. 18, 2016
Volleyball team finishes second at state tournament/page 12 Follow us on Twitter at tigerhiline, Facebook at TigerHilineOnline and on our website at www.hiline.cfschools.org
Volume 57 Edition 9
Service learning project brightens Peet halls “Be bright. Be happy. Be you” was one of more than 500 anonymous messages taped to each student’s locker at Peet Junior High on Nov. 8. Ninth grader Hunter Peterson was the one behind the inspirational messages. This act of kindness emerged from the Tiger Time enrichment project, service learning. “Our group project was to do a random act of kindness because we have seen people do this before. We thought it was a good idea so that was inspiration,” he said. Early in morning at 6 a.m., Peterson knocked on the doors of the not-yetopen school to hang the notes. “I was
going to ask other people to have to come at 6 a.m., but I didn’t want anyone else coming that early,” Peterson said. “So I thought, I will do it the first time, see how long it takes and go along from there.” The thoughtful messages helped many students at Peet realize how kindness can dramatically change your day. “It was a big energy boost, and it was an inspiration to me to be a better person and leader,” ninth grader Trey Weimer said. A normal Tuesday at Peet was turned around by the simple messages. “It made everyone in the school happy for the day,” ninth grader Emma Stanley
said. Peterson felt the effort was rewarding. “There is so much bad in this world. It’s worth to try and make a difference to make people happy, make a positive influence and a positive impact,” he said. The students of the service learning Tiger Time enrichment project have plans for the future to make Peet a better place and eventually bring their ideas to the community. “We are going to try and do this again or other acts of kindness, but on sporadic dates, so it pops up one day and people will appreciate it more,” Peterson said. By Staff Writer Sabine
MARTIN
After return from service project in Haiti, freshman alters perspective on privileges After returning from mission trip to Haiti for a week with his Dad and group of people from his church, Sam Church, a freshman from Peet Junior High, had the eye-opening opportunity to see that compared to the devastating poverty and tragic destruction after hurricanes and an earthquake, the citizens of the United States live like kings. While in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, he saw citizens lacking nearly everything: roofs over their heads, clothes on their bodies, food on their plates and money in their pockets. He knew he had made the right decision to answer his calling to help. It started with his faith. With his dad and brother having been to Haiti before on mission trips, Church decided to join this year and really connect with the children there. “I felt like God was calling me to do something new, and I thought that this mission trip was the perfect way I could do that,” Church said. “I was hoping to achieve a better understanding of God’s way of working in people’s hearts.” While there, Church found himself both happy and sad. Happy, because “they were the happiest people I had ever seen. They were welcoming and encouraging. They were so loving that I almost forgot they were in such bad conditions,” Church said. Two kids in Haiti that Church had the opportunity to connect
Sabine Martin Photo
Freshman Hunter Peterson spread more than 500 notes like this on Peet lockers on Nov. 8.
Class creates cards for any occasion Though communicating with cards is growing increasingly rare, resource teacher Bridget Bakula’s class is out to show that a little kindness goes a long way. Bakula’s class makes cards for all occasions imagined: birthday, thank you, congrats, sympathy and even just a blank cards that can be customized for any occasion. Bakula said her students would also be happy to make personalized cards for customers.
“I wanted to have fun project for my students that filled a need, gave them ownership and helped raise money,” she said. The class uses the money for field trips, class projects and holiday celebrations. The cards are for sale in the main office located across from activity secretary Jane Carter. The prices are 50 cents for one or $4 for 1 By Staff Writer Madison
SCHAEFER
Submitted Photo
Freshman Sam Church recently returned after a week of mission work in Haiti. with were two little boys named Lolo and Kevin, and just by looking at the pictures taken of Church and both boys, it really is visible from the smiles on their faces, how happy they truly are. But Church was also sad, from seeing through his own eyes the state of everyone and everything there. “Many of the kids wore only a shirt with no pants, especially toddlers. Most of them had no shoes, or very crappy shoes,” Church said. ”It broke my heart to see the way they live, then coming back and seeing the people here [Cedar Falls], aren’t nearly as happy and loving as the people there.”
So what can we do as a community to help out these people? Church says that all we can do, is understand the differences in culture, and pray. Church said it was an extremely enlightening experience and allowed him to see a new outlook on affluence and learn some life lessons. He plans on trip to Haiti, as it has been an event that has changed his life. “I have learned many things from my trip to Haiti; the main thing, is that poverty is a perspective, and we all experience it equally, just in different ways.” By Staff Writer Jade
PHAM
SUPER SHOWING
John Dunlop Photo
On Monday morning, the moon was closer to earth than at any time since Jan. 27, 1948. Those looking to the night sky saw the moon as 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than at its farthest point in orbit. The next time the moon will come this close will not arrive until Nov. 25, 2034.