For MSMS students who are looking for hands-on community service projects with community service hours on the side, Do Something club offers just that according to club members and representatives.

The club was created last year by Emoree Heiselt, a graduate of the Class of 2015, who believed that there were not enough service projects available to students at MSMS. Senior Jenny Huang, who is president of Do Something this year, plans to continue Heiselt’s mission.  

Huang said, “We want to provide MSMS students the opportunity to do community service work. It brings students together by building relationships sharing a cause as well as developing teamwork skills. All the community service projects that we do are ways of giving back to the community. We hope keeping the tradition of community service at MSMS.”

So far this year, the club has done two service projects: one on suicide prevention and one on breast cancer awareness.

Huang firmly believes in suicide prevention. She said, “People think wisely most of the times, but at downtime they may consider to suicide. Nearly 30,000 Americans commits suicide every year; it’s the third leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-olds. They think of relief as they think of suicide, but what they didn’t take into account is the consequences. How sad would their parents be if they heard their son or daughter has died? What about the people who love them? People who commit suicide think death is the only way out, but it’s not. They’re temporarily ‘blinded’ by what had happened to them. They just need some warmth and help to seek a way out.”

During the National Suicide Prevention Week, the Do Something club members created index cards with positive sentences to give to friends and family. They also constructed their own “Take What You Need” papers, which had uplifting words written on removable strips for people to take, and posted them around the school. Members made awareness posters on suicide prevention and posted them around the school as well. Members were also encouraged to post pictures with hashtag #MSMSSuicidePrevention15 on social media. The club requested for all MSMS students to wear yellow, the color for suicide prevention awareness.

The club advocated for breast cancer awareness. Huang says, “About one in eight U.S. women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. An estimated of 231,840 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2015 and about 40,290 will die from the disease. This is something we simply cannot ignore.”

During October, the Do Something club members learned facts  and precautions about breast cancer . “We designed awareness posters to post around the school so that all MSMS students will be informed as well,” Huang said. They made pink ribbons to pass out in Hooper Lobby to further spread the awareness. Once again, they called the MSMS community to wear pink on Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

Junior Hayden Schroader reflects on her Do Something experience, “I first joined during club fair at the beginning of the year. I think it’s been really fun! We’ve gone to meetings and made posters and spread awareness about important issues in the school. It’s a great way to make a difference and feel like a part of a community. And although I think it’s great that we’ve done a lot for the school community, I hope we can go out and make differences elsewhere too!”

The Do Something Club hopes to plan future projects involving recycling, teacher appreciation and a food drive.