Student council retreat is always a whirlwind of experiences, from dressing up in costumes and playing games to hours spent huddled around a computer with limited wifi in the hopes of getting some form of confirmation from yet another business. But the focus is always centered on how Council as a whole will spend the next few weeks preparing for one of the biggest events at Enloe: Charity Ball.
Early Saturday morning was our first major planning session. I arrived at the planning room a few minutes early and was greeted by the members of PresVP and Etan. PresVP informed me and Etan that they were planning on speaking to Council about why we do Charity Ball, why we put so much time and effort into these causes year after year. They said they were going to ask this question to the group and that we should answer.
With just a few minutes to think before the rest of the group arrived, I pondered this question. But it didn’t take me any time at all to think of an answer; in fact, my main struggle was determining which one I wanted to say. I thought of the cherished moments that I had spent with my friends at Charity Ball before joining student council, moments that encouraged me to put my all into planning a perfect night. I thought of my visit to Urban Ministries that had shown me exactly what the money we raised would be going to, a visit that encouraged me to put my all into reaching out to family, friends, acquaintances and strangers alike. I thought back on previous charities: focusing on poverty, hunger, and safety through Learning Together, Interfaith Food Shuttle, and SAFEchild, not to mention the countless other charities that came before. I realized that to me, the one driving factor throughout that wide array of challenges, the factor that made the long hours and enduring dedication worthwhile, was the fact that as high school students we could see our hard work come to fruition.
Etan put this thought into simple terms, “We’re kids doing not kid things”.
As 14 to 18 year olds, we’re doing more good for our community than many people may ever do. We’re enacting change faster than policymakers. We’re making a real, tangible difference in the lives of those who truly need it. Our difference is palpable through the check that we raise on that one special day in December, a difference that has only grown throughout the years; from $63,000 to $92,000 to $118,000. These numbers are extraordinary for anyone, but for kids to be responsible for them, they’re unbelievable.
We don’t have to wait for our time to take action, we don’t have to wait to grow up and become adults to create an impact in our community. Let’s take advantage of this opportunity. Let’s show the world what hard work and dedication can do. Let’s be kids doing not kid things. Let’s raise $120,000 for Urban Ministries.
Matilda Marshall
Senior Council Advisory Representative