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First Edition February 5, 2016 THE SPARTAN TIMES Seniors Spend Time at Local Animal Shelter By Christina Rasmussen An average of 28% of high school students between the ages Te a c h e rs a n d T h e i r of 16-18 spend their time volunteering. Whether that be at a Cars local nursing home, soup kitchen, or animal shelter, a portion of high schoolers do volunteer in their local community. At SMH, there isn’t a required number of community service hours, but seniors Sarah Stueve, Olivia Bromery, Erin Mahar, and Sophia Kerrins can be found volunteering at the Northeast Animal Shelter, located at 347 Highland Avenue, in Salem, MA. All of the girls volunteer weekly and can be found walking the dogs and playing with them in the play yards. When animals get adopted, they clean their cages so they’re ready for the next animal to live in. They also clean up after the dogs and refill their water bowls. If it’s too busy or cold then they don’t go outside as much, but they always make time to play with them in their cages. If all of the dogs have been taken care of, the girls will help with laundry or cutting up towels into smaller sizes for cage cleaning. Can you guess who's car this is? Submit your answers to ...Stueve is from [email protected] Peabody, and has always wanted to By Sophia Kerrins volunteer at the animal shelter. “I wanted to volunteer before I was A dog in the shelter that was recently adopted. The girls loved taking care of the animals. First Edition February 5, 2016 16 and when I did turn 16 I kept putting it off, your while. If there’s an opportunity to but I’m happy I get this experience.” Stueve volunteer at an animal shelter in college then volunteers while keeping up with her AP and I will definitely do that.” dance classes. “It’s really rewarding to work Kerrins is from Lynn, and decided to with these dogs and then see them get volunteer this past September when she and adopted by great families.” Her first-choice her family adopted a puppy. She decided to college has a program that lets you get apply online and officially started involved with animals, so working with volunteering a couple of months later. “My animals is something she definitely plans on favorite part about volunteering is getting to pursuing in the future. be the first and last person each week to see Bromery is from Marblehead, and loves the dogs, old and new.” She loves being able dogs. She had always wanted to volunteer and to walk and hold the puppies, and get to thought it would be really fun too. “My watch them find “forever homes.” She favorite part about volunteering is knowing volunteers while maintaining her involvement that by being there I am helping them get in school clubs and her other job at Brooksby homes.” She volunteers while maintaining her Village in Peabody. “It’s sad to see some of the grade point average, work, and sports, as she dogs go, but it gives you a sense of fulfillment runs both cross-country and track. in a way. The animals could be living on the Volunteering at the animal shelter is one of streets, and for a small portion of their lives I the best decisions she’s made and is glad she get to help them in some way.” She doesn’t decided too. She’s even considering pursuing necessarily plan on pursuing anything with something concerning animals in college. “I animals in college, but she still plans on wouldn’t want to be doing anything else with volunteering in the future. my time.” Each of the girls was nervous before Mahar is also from Marblehead, and was volunteering. Mahar said, “5 minutes of fear is urged by Stueve to volunteer. “I heard from worth endless days of helping other people, or Sarah that she was volunteering and loved it. I dogs in my case.” Stueve was afraid that she didn’t have a job and I’m so in love with would get in trouble if she did something puppies that I didn’t see a reason as to why I wrong, but each of the girls were placed with wouldn’t volunteer there.” She loves being an older mentor to help them and walk them able to hang out with the dogs, whether that through their duties and responsibilities. be walking them or taking them to the play “They were very nice,” she said. Bromery was yard. She is captain of the girl’s lacrosse team nervous and excited and didn’t know what to and also runs cross country, while expect, and she couldn’t wait to see the dogs. volunteering and keeping up with her school “I was more nervous about the maintenance work. “Volunteering keeps you in tune with that comes with the dogs than walking them. the better things in life and is definitely worth I was also a bit anxious about interacting with First Edition February 5, 2016 people who would come to visit the dogs,” Kerrins said. They all agreed that it’s pretty nerve-racking at first, but once they got the hang of it, volunteering became the best part of their week. Stueve with a new "iend at the shelter. She smiled as she posed for a picture with the dog. animals in the shelter. It’s really worth signing up for, in my opinion, I could not picture a better way to spend my Sunday.” Stueve fell in love with a dog, Christie, during one of her work shifts. She wanted to adopt her and almost did, but Christie, along with her brother, was adopted before the end of the Bromery and Mahar taking a break "om cleaning night. For those that are nervous to volunteer, out the cages. They both learned how to properly Bromery has said, “There is nothing to be work with the dogs. nervous about. It’s so much fun!” Volunteering allows you to connect with Volunteers learn a lot of things, both of your community and make it a better place. themselves and of what they’re doing. Giving Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you back to your community is valuable in itself, make new friends, expand your network, and but helping others also offers many benefits, boost your social skills. The animal shelter especially animals. Each of these girls enjoy has close to 400 volunteers, so these girls are their time spent at the shelter and are more meeting new people and getting to play with excited every week. Their determination and dogs at the same time. Kerrins has said, love of volunteering will inspire more “Honestly, you don’t volunteer for yourself, students, and maybe even faculty, to donate you volunteer for the better care of the their time volunteering at the animal shelter. First Edition February 5, 2016 Call to Witness By Abigail Thomas According to the dictionary, "witness" means, "open profession of one's religious faith through words or actions". That simple word explains what Andrea Alberti does for Campus Ministry. Chi#ing in the Chapel. Andrea Alberti, campus minister, does her work in the Chapel before teaching her theology class. Alberti, campus minister, has been in charge of Campus Ministry at SMH for six loving. The only way to be our authentic self years. Prior to this, she was a youth minister is love. We can find happiness not wrapped up for 12 years in Newburyport, four years in in ourselves," she says. Saugus and four years in Nahant. She has done Hunger for Justice for 26 Alberti's favorite part about campus years. It is something very close to her heart. ministry is that the witness of students and It makes a big impact on her because the the team inspire her to become a better sacrifices made, lead to other's lives. Alberti person. They help her to continue to serve also runs Rachel's Challenge. God. If anyone in the world could come to Alberti hopes that more of the teachers speak at SMH, Alberti would want it to be and faculty have the opportunity to Pope Francis. His message is exactly what we experience the love of God through the embody here at the school. He could teach us witness of students. She says all the time that how to love and serve our brothers and sisters she sees Jesus in students. in Jesus's name. When she sees 150 students in the lecture What does it take to change someone's hall early in the morning for Rachel's life? According to Alberti, "...with the grace of Challenge, or when she sees the students at God, something as simple as a smile down the Hunger for Justice making sacrifices so others hallway can have a profound impact on can live. When she sees students worship at someone's day and life. When it comes to a Cry Out or seeing a student helping another more permanent change, it takes being a by listening, tutoring, or being there. Those witness to love where people can see the hope moments are when she sees Jesus through the and joy and love of God in our lives." work of the SMH students. Her favorite quote is, "The world listens Everyone knows that it is important to be to witnesses more than teachers, and teachers involved in something.

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