Spread the Holiday Cheer

By Ester W.

It’s Christmas morning. You can hardly contain your excitement. A bubbling impulse to tear downstairs and rip open your presents overcomes you, and you dash into your parents’ bedroom down the hall, screaming, “Wake up! It’s Christmas!”

But not far from you is a foster care center. The children are just getting up, and perhaps they are smiling as well. And while you devour present after present after present, these children are handed a few unwrapped toys: a teddy bear, a train, a coloring book.

These children have no mother to hug for the new doll, no father to thank for the baseball bat; they have but each other: a swarming mass of hundreds of kids. Even in this condition, no child complains or whines because the doll isn’t exactly what she wanted. Still, they feel a twinge of sorrow. How couldn’t you, if you weren’t with your family on Christmas? They do not feel they are a part of anyone’s holiday, not on anyone’s Christmas list. And to put things in perspective, an average 800,000 children experience foster care every year—40,000 of them, infants. These children endure about three different foster care placements, and 20,000 never escape the system.

So what can we do? Sure, we could buy them gifts or donate money, but what would really make these children cheerful is a visit from a family like you. Imagine how warm his little heart will be when you shower him with the love and attention he is seldom given. Imagine her face light up when you promise she is cared for, she is special and beautiful and smart and important.

So this Christmas, find a little room in your heart to visit a foster care center—or any place with people in need—and make someone else’s Christmas jolly.

© 2016 Ester W. All rights reserved.

History Honors Society Wrapping Party

Hot chocolate, pretzels, marshmallows, wrapping paper and boxes towered feet high; that’s what you would have seen in the cafeteria during the History Honors Society wrapping party. After school, the café was filled with teens getting their volunteering hours while having fun and helping the community. Hundreds of gifts were being wrapped for the children at the Astor Home. Many of the children residing there were not fortunate enough to get gifts from parents or family. The wrapping party exists as a fun activity that helps provide for those who do not have the same as others. If only you could see their faces when they opened the gifts donated by the John Jay Student Body and teachers. Gifts ranged from giant teddy bears to Pokémon cards and comfy clothes, each specially wrapped by students for a great cause. It was really amazing to see how the John Jay community came together to make this happen. I cannot wait until next year to do it again! By Chelsea Co.

Round of Applause

At John Jay, we are known for having good athletic teams, ranging from football to volleyball, and no one can deny that we are proud of all our athletes. However, I think there should be an equal amount of pride when it comes to the arts. On February 19th, the Talent Show—hosted by La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (Spanish Honor Society)—displayed phenomenal talent. Experiencing it first-hand, I was floored by how amazing all the performances were. At one moment, we were watching a Spanish cultural dance with amazing coordination and then the next, a satire on political debates with Ben Carson falling asleep in the middle of it. We even witnessed the epic rap style of Mr. Davis, with lines flowing so fast, I think he dropped a whole mixtape in just four minutes. If you didn’t come to watch, you also unfortunately missed the reigning champions, now called “Desi Empire.” With their mix of Indian dancing and American pop music, they killed it, earning their spot as number one. Others danc

Inadequate Security in Public Schools

Security cameras lace malls, cops stalk airports with large loaded guns, and from convention centers to conference halls, security stands amongst the highest priorities. At the same time, society’s future leaders lay vulnerable to various dangers, from bombings to shootings. In the 21st century, metal detectors, screening systems, and a strong police presence arm most public facilities against potential threats while public schools--the “safe haven” of education and dreams for the future--horrifically fail in protecting the hundreds of faculty and students occupying them for over nine months each year. When used incorrectly, technology--especially weaponry--poses threats to people psychologically, emotionally, and physically; such wounds maim relationships and entire communities and may even prove fatal. The “National Center for Education Statistics” states in “Fast Facts” that in the school year of 2013 to 2014, 68 percent of America’s public schools required faculty and staff to

The Patriot News

Search This Blog