Just before 5 p.m. on Jan. 12, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Caribbean nation of Haiti. Death tolls from the earthquake, which struck just southeast of Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital, are estimated at 150,000 to 200,000 people, with over three million injured. The earthquake has left the capital in ruins, and the entire country is without electricity or phone service.
1,600 miles away, South students have taken action.
During J Block on Jan. 14, about 40 students from various grades met in the lecture hall to discuss the how they could help. They came up with ideas such as putting up posters, holding an auction and going to basketball games to raise money.
“Our first step was to get out there and start collecting money,” Prevention/Intervention counselor Rich Catrambone said.
They did. Before school on Jan. 15, students spread out around campus and asked incoming parents, faculty and students for donations. They raised $1,400 in 40 minutes.
They also asked for donations during lunch and at the basketball game against Westford.
A week later, Catrambone, Housemaster Donna Gordon, METCO Counselor Katani Sumner and Principal Joel Stembridge sent a check for the $3,750 that South students raised to the American Red Cross. The students who met in the lecture hall set an goal of $20,000, a goal that senior Isaac Freedman feels that South is “definitely on track to meet,” and one that is “easily attainable,” according to Senior Sam Hyun.
“I think we’re going to surpass it by a lot,” Hyun said. “I think that even $40,000 is definitely a goal that we can reach.”
They now plan to raise this money through various fundraising events.
“I think we’ve already dug as deep as we can into students’ and parents’ pockets. We’ve taken all their spare change,” senior Jenn Mountain said. “We need to give people incentive to come and donate.”
On Thursday, Feb. 4, Sudbury Farms will be donating food for a fundraising luncheon in which students will cook lasagna, meatballs, salad and desserts for teachers after school.
South students have been very supportive of the relief efforts thus far, but “we definitely need more people to attend [the meetings],” Mountain said.
Senior Ellery Berk is helping to plan a silent auction at the Seaport Hotel in Boston. “I don’t know – I like to give back,” she said about her decision to join the relief effort. “I feel like most people in Newton are privileged, and we’re obligated to help out.”
Freshman class president Yoonchan Choi is impressed with this selfless mindset. “I’m amazed … most of us don’t know anything about Haiti, or have any relatives there. We’re really bonding and working together for these people we don’t know.”
Many students, like Choi, feel as though the South community is coming together to help those in need. “I definitely saw the whole Newton South community coalesce over the project. It’s comforting to see the support and people’s willingness to give and help out,” said Freedman.
To Hyun, the response is “pretty incredible.”
“I think all the groups at South are really coming together,” he said.
Water Aid International (WAI) adviser Madhumita Bhattacharya agreed.
“Kids really seem aware and worried about the situation,” she said. “Even in minor ways, even if it isn’t much, people are doing what they can.”
WAI raised $1,400 with the proceeds from an improv show on Friday, Jan. 22. Troupes from North, South, Boston College and Boston University performed.
“We’d been planning this event for a while, and once we found out about the earthquake in Haiti, we decided that it would be a good cause for us to donate our proceeds,” senior Mariana Cohen, president of WAI, said.
It’s important to remember, Mountain said, that Haiti was in “really rough shape” even before the earthquake.
“A few decades back there was an earthquake in the San Francisco bay area of nearly the same magnitude and it killed a mere 67 people, compared to the 150,000 killed in Haiti. If Haiti were in better shape, the earthquake’s effects wouldn’t be as bad as they were,” Mountain said.
She does, however, see a silver lining.
“It’s sad that it had to take such an awful event to make everyone realize that they need to help out,” she said. “But the whole world is now coming together to help.”
