BY DANIELA TOLCHINSKY

With the holidays just around the corner, many MHS students are finalizing their holiday wishlists, daydreaming about the upcoming winter break and working hard to keep up with the heavy, pre-vacation workload. Student Council, therefore, scheduled a fun event to get students in the holiday mood. The fifth consecutive Student Council Hot Chocolate Party took place during lunch on Dec. 17.

Throughout the 52-minute lunch break, hot chocolate was distributed, free of charge, to MHS students. The event proved to be a success for a more meaningful reason than free hot chocolate; all proceeds donated at the Hot Chocolate Party went to the charity, My Sister’s Place.

My Sister’s Place is a non-profit organization that provides housing and support for battered women and their children. Its goal is to motivate women and to help them take control and direct their own lives. The group is fully “committed to eradicating domestic violence,” according to its website, http://www.mysistersplaceny.org. What better thing to do right before the holidays than help execute this mission?

Coordinator of Student Affairs, Carol Scheffler, began the annual Hot Chocolate party as a way for students to get excited about the holidays, while also donating to a special cause. “I started it my first year here,” Scheffler said, and the tradition has continued ever since.  

This year, however, there were a few differences. In past years, donations have been given to the Volunteer Ambulance Corps. “We wanted to change it up this year and give to a new charity,” said Student Council’s Vice President of Philanthropy, Liza Strauss. According to Scheffler, this time around, Student Council wishes to “publicize the cause more.”

And it wouldn’t be a party without entertainment. MHS’s own a-cappella group, the Sound, performed, as did the MHS Step Team.

“Most people look forward to the Hot Chocolate Party because they can enjoy their lunch period with a cup of free hot chocolate and watch performances by the Sound and Step,” Strauss said.

Other fun activities at the Hot Chocolate Party included projects run by the club Duct Tape for Charity. The club sells various knickknacks made out of duct tape and donates the proceeds to deserving charities.

All of the money that was earned helped charities such as My Sister’s Place. “We will have a large donation jar out, and any donations are greatly appreciated,” Strauss explained. Both she and Scheffler stressed the point that even a small offering can make a huge difference. The students enjoyed delicious hot chocolate, exceptional performances by MHS students and the satisfaction that comes with giving back to the community.