By Jess Moshoginis

Loy Norrix Peace Jam has a full schedule of volunteering for the year. Peace Jam is a student organization at Loy Norrix that participates in various volunteer activities in the community. This group is open to new members all year, and no requirements have to be met in order to participate.

Peace Jam and class of 2013 advisor Sveri May encourages students to join. May believes that high school students can benefit from Peace Jam if they want to make a difference in their community. Peace Jam is also a good opportunity for students that are looking for volunteer hours for National Honor Society, as well as those who have to fulfill court ordered community service hours.

No matter who takes part in Peace Jam, “We make a difference at Loy Norrix, neighborhoods, Kalamazoo, Michigan, the U.S., and we do it for the world,” said May.

This year, Peace Jam has around 100 students participating, a huge increase from its average of 40-70 students. On October 25, Peace Jam worked with National Honor Society and over 400 students attended the after school pumpkin painting party. The painted pumpkins were delivered to various agencies for them to display for Halloween.

May has many more activities planned for this year. Peace Jam is repeating last years events, as well as new ones.

Along with the Pumpkin Painting Party, Peace Jam students are taking part in winter wear collection, a homeless family dinner, adopt-a-family, bell ringing, the Edison literacy project, and many more. These events have been Peace Jam’s big projects for the past years. New projects such as national day of service, the harvest festival, and adopt-a-highway with the class of 1977 have been a success this year. A trip to Peru is planned for summer 2012 as well.

Junior Audrey Meyers is excited to attend the Peru trip. “Instead of just helping the community, I can help the global issues,” Meyers said.

Meyers likes Peace Jam because of the people involved and the feeling of accomplishment from taking part in Peace Jam’s volunteer activities. May believes that beginning to partake in these volunteer opportunities in high school will encourage students to volunteer the rest of their lives.

“We don’t talk about change, we do change,” May said