FUHS Community Gathers Resources for LA Fire Victims

When FUHS students and staff learned about the devastation caused by the January fires in Los Angeles, they found ways to help by collecting food, clothing, period products and pet supplies. According to NBC NEWs, the Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed about 40,000 acres of land and ravaged more than 16,000 structures.

MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS: PERIOD Club

PERIOD Club presidents Sophia Goldblatt and Sailor Marenco donated about 3,000 menstrual products to the Collins & Katz Family YMCA in West Los Angeles and the Pasadena-Sierra Madre YMCA on Feb. 10.

After researching several LA-based aid groups, Marenco was drawn to the two YMCA locations because of their programs focusing on youth empowerment. The Collins & Katz YMCA is affiliated with University High School in West Los Angeles, allowing donated items to reach affected high school students. 

“We thought because we are a youth-ran club that that would be helpful.” 

Marenco notes that in times of natural disasters, access to menstrual care becomes even more valuable. “I think people don’t realize that menstrual care is a basic necessity,” Marenco said. “These items are in high demand.”

The club, which became a national chapter in December, has already received a hefty contribution from the PERIOD non-profit, whose Community Engagement Coordinator Aydan Garland-Miner also sent boxes of menstrual products to the FUHS chapter in a show of support. 

Even though Marenco and Goldblatt have already delivered the items, Marenco says the club is still accepting donations. “People will always need products, care, and attention even after fires.”

FOOD: Interact Club

Interact Club president Samantha Saldana will deliver canned food and other non-perishable items to the Red Cross offices this week after her club collected 185 cans of food in February to help fire victims. Because Interact’s food drive started the first week of February, the group took inspiration from the NFL and called the event the Souper Bowl. “We wanted to give people something to root for while also in need,” Saldana said.

Interact Club members also wrote about 50 letters to firefighters in January when they were still battling daily fires. “Physical aid is crucial, but emotional support and showing that we care are also important,” said Saldana, who delivered the letters to the Los Angeles Fire Foundation Department.

CLOTHING: Ms. Meggison

When social studies teacher Samantha Meggison received news of the Los Angeles fires, she reached out to her friends who live in the area. After connecting with people who were personally affected by the fires, she wanted to help.

So Meggison took action by collecting donations. “I asked people on campus if they had anything that I could deliver up to the fires, and [my friend] was connecting with different resources.”

Meggison dedicated hours to transporting mostly clothing to Los Angeles herself, while her closest friends were connecting with the people who needed the supplies most. 

One organization emphasized getting specific clothing sizes to people in need. The group matched Meggison’s clothing size with a recipient; the process ensured that the donation would fit. It was satisfying to donate clothing knowing that it would reach the right person.

PET PRODUCTS: AVID

When AVID coordinator Pricilla Bravo-Fullman saw the footage of fire devastation in Los Angeles, the images of distressed animals broke her heart. “I remember seeing images of a dog with burns and a cat covered in ash,” Bravo-Fullman said. “It was definitely heart wrenching to see.”

On Jan. 9, just  two days after the Eaton Canyon wildfire broke out, Bravo-Fullman initiated a donation drive to provide food and other pet related items for misplaced and sheltered animals.

Bravo-Fullman credits AVID’s leadership board with acting swiftly to spread the word on campus and create a compelling poster advertising the drive. “My AVID students were great,” Bravo-Fullman said. “They had very little time to organize, but they did a really good job of bringing donations immediately.” 

AVID co-president Janeth Aburto recalled the teamwork involved in the process. “As soon as [Bravo-Fullman] notified us about sending over donations, one of our leaders made the poster,” Aburto said. “The day after the poster was made, we received a lot of donations.”

The outpouring of support from students made AVID extend the drive into the end of the month. “It was supposed to be a one-day thing,” Aburto said. “We knew we needed to create something as soon as possible for all the displaced animals.”

A Fullerton-based group helped Bravo-Fullman by transporting the items to Pasadena Humane. “Pasadena Humane was inundated with people who could not take their animals with them to evacuation centers or hotels,” Bravo-Fullman said. “They were the main shelter that people were being directed to.”

For Bravo-Fullman, watching the news of the fires and evacuations was tough. “We hear stories across the world of all this devastation, and then all of a sudden it’s in your backyard,” she said.

Staff members Sofia Matin, William McWatters, Matison Newman and Stella Rodigo contributed to this story.

Music serves as one-minute tardy warning

By David Padgett

Assistant principal Leticia Gonzalez wants to help students get to class on time. Although the school has reduced overall tardy rates in the last few years, Gonzalez says the tardy numbers are starting to creep up gain.

Student disengagement, academic struggles and mental health challenges are some of the reasons behind poor attendance.

To help students arrive on time, the bell system has been programmed to play music the final minute of each passing period. For now, the one-minute warning music plays only on Fridays and regular schedule Thursdays. Because the FUHS bell schedule varies each day, crews have not been able to program one-minute warning music for every day.

In the past, a music warning during the passing period meant that the school officials were having a tardy sweep. In fact, when music started playing over the speakers last week, many students like senior Eljaih Angottii thought it was a tardy sweep.

“I was running late to first period when I got a text from my friend warning me about the tardy sweep,” Angotti said. “When I got to school and heard the music I was confused when the doors weren’t locked. I started to catch on as the day continued.”

Gonzalez says there will still be occasional tardy sweeps. Hearing music might just be a one-minute warning or it might be the announcement of a full tardy sweep. Either way, music means hurry up and get to class.

Students interested in requesting specific songs be played during the one-minute warning, can complete this Google Form.

New club celebrates lunar new year

By Phoebe Eisenacher Knott 

To commemorate this year’s zodiac sign, the snake, the Asian Pacific Islander Student Union held a Lunar New Year celebration in the breezeway on Feb. 5 during break.

Students were invited to learn about the significance of the Chinese Zodiac calendar. Lunar New Year “cash coins” were originally created with square holes to allow them to be strung together for carrying because people did not have pockets or wallets.

Club president Eloise Cook was inspired to create the club after identifying a need for Asian representation on campus. “I knew I wanted to start this club since late November,” Cook said. “I noticed there weren’t any Asian clubs, so I felt I should start one.”

APISU is committed to educating students about the diversity of Asian cultures through games and community service. In addition to the club’s executive board (pictured below), other club members include Westin Butac, Summer Gray, Tatiana Garcia, Hosanna Huy, Evangeline Lee, Garrett Lee, Iris Miller, Ella Pipatone and Anissa Seeds. Interested students are welcome to join the group’s next meeting on March 14 in Room 60.

Leaders are Readers!