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Doors Opening: Mentor Program 2011

The excitement in the air was palpable last Saturday morning at TMA as 60 new mentor pairs met each other for the first time. Joining 20 returning mentor pairs, all students and their mentors spent a fun-filled day together. TMA students and mentors participated in a Metro-themed series of activities and made stops in different rooms where they participated in a scavenger hunt (U Street Searchozo), planned their first outing together (World Wide Webly Park), interviewed each other and then participated in a quiz game (Quiztal City) and then played teambuilding games including the human knot (Fort Knotten). The day culminated with a cookout where family members gathered to meet students’ mentors.

Look for another Mentor Program update in November. The next Mentor Day is November 19^th!

Mentor Rafia Zahir-Uddin and mentee Derricka Black at Quiztal City.

Mentor Omar Newland and mentee Malik Clark after planning their first outing at World Wide Webly Park.

Candidates Ramp Up Campaign for 2011 SGA Election

The field is set and the race is on for leadership positions in the TMA student government. Candidates submitted applications to run last week, and the campaign began Monday ahead of this year’s Student Government Association elections, set to take place November 8.

Students running for school-wide office will speak at the Pep Rally on Tuesday, October 25, while candidates for class representative will speak to their classes at lunches next week.

Here are the candidates for office for the 2011 election:

School President

Collecha Newby (12^th grade)

Kesha Payton (9^th grade)

Nick Tucker (10^th grade)

Vice-President

Taylor Middleton (12^th grade)

Elsie Mayo (12^th grade)

Secretary

Doneeisha Brown (9^th grade)

Treasurer

Allanxandria Hall (12th grade)

Freshman Class Representative

Carlos McKnight

Anthonya James

Cericia Wallace

Sophomore Class Representative

Kadeejah Johnson

Stewart Gray

Junior Class Representative

Kijon James

Frances Jackson

Darah-Rose Allen

Nadean Talley

Senior Class Representative

Aleah Mass-Covington

Law Day Launches Off for School Year

Braving the steady downpour last Friday afternoon, TMA’s ninth graders boarded four school buses and set off to three different DC law firms, Hogan Lovells, Foley & Lardner, and Latham & Watkins for their first law day of the year. Law Day is a year-long program in which TMA ninth graders join DC lawyers six times throughout the year to discuss various aspects of the legal system and law-related careers. Each month, students explore a new topic and combine real-world situations, group activities, and brief lectures about the finer points of the legal system.

This month, students engaged in exercises focused around the central theme of Negotiation. Working in pairs and small groups, the budding lawyers argued opposing opinions over cellphone use and school uniform policies. At Foley Lardner, students excitedly took to the podium to present closing arguments both for and against school uniforms. An impressed Foley Lardner attorney acted as Principal and announced the final ruling, “Students will wear uniforms, but there will be dress down options two or three times per week.” The board room erupted in cheering.

Students boarded buses back to TMA as the sun broke out from the clouds. Skills learned from the first lesson on negotiation will be useful to students when they return for Law Day next month and tackle a case on individual rights. At the conclusion of the lesson, attorneys from each firm come together to nominate and select two “Lawyers of the Day” from each group. The following students were selected as October’s “Lawyers of the Day”: Amorri Jackson, Anthonya James, Cedric Harper, Cericia Wallace, Chanita Platt, Cristal Sandoval, Damon Carrington, Doneeshia Brown, Eric Izzard, George Harris, Isiah Anderson, Joseph Staten, Lamont Street, Marie Edmonds, Olivia Wilson and Tyree Phillips. Congratulations! This month’s recipients were awarded chipotle gift cards for their exemplary performances. Check back here next month for November’s nominees and a recap of the Individual Rights lesson.

Community Service 101

As fall gets into full swing in the District, TMA students are knuckling down for Math projects, Biology reports, English papers, and …community service hours. As is the case with other DC high schools, students at Thurgood Marshall must complete 100 hours of community service in order to graduate. 

While raking leaves and cleaning out gutters may be great services for their communities, students were also reminded this past week that DCPCHS have more rigorous community service requirements; namely, that students work without pay for a structured and supervised program run by someone who is not related to them. They were also advised that colleges look for students who demonstrate commitments to specific programs or sites by volunteering there over a long period of time. 

Most students are familiar with these guidelines, but for those who aren’t, Programs staff are hard at work putting together the annual Community Service Opportunities Guide. Packed with information on local programs that focus on everything from animal therapy to multilingual youth education, the guide will help even the most stellar of TMA-ers to find new and challenging ways to complete their service hours.

For those who can’t wait, here are a few highlights from the guide:

Looking for something nearby? Head to:

Children of Mine Youth Center

2263 Mt. View Place, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20020
After-school program located in Anacostia. Includes tutoring and playground recreation with youth.

Want to volunteer for lots of different programs? Check out:

Latin American Youth Center

1419 Columbia Road, NW
Washington, DC
The LAYC provides education, recreation, culture, skills training, and support services to Latin@ and other youth. The Center has many different volunteer opportunities and events; check under the Volunteer page for specific info.

Want to work with other teenagers? Check out:

Sasha Bruce House

741 Eighth Street
Washington, D.C. 20003
* An advocacy network for young people all over Washington. Outreach programs include a residence for teenage mothers, a crisis intervention telephone hotline, a run-away shelter and neighborhood "safe houses." There are many opportunities available, including tutoring, peer counseling, and hotline attendant. This program involves considerable training. Minimum age for volunteers is 16.

Keep your eyes peeled for other volunteer opportunities that are right up your alley—coming soon to a cafeteria near you!!!