Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

GHS Student Council Plants Memorial Garden On Campus

Gurdon High School Student Council members are enjoying the newly landscaped Memory Grove on the east side of the campus, culminating a two-year effort (see photo on page 1). The Student Council contracted Jerry's Landscaping of Arkadelphia to enhance the north entrance with green and flowering shrubs.

The Memory Grove was planned to honor the memory of students who have died since GHS has moved to its present location. Those students include Lelia Cornish and Kellie Craig from the class of 1999 and Patrick Stone, who was a member of the class of 2000.

Other Student Council public service projects include donation to Arkansas Children's Hospital in 1999, and in 2000 a donation to the Arora (organ donor) foundation.

The GHS Student Council is a member of the Arkansas Association of Student Councils and participates annually in state workshops. Council members work diligently throughout the year to provide functions for the student body on a monthly basis.

Each year after school begins in the fall the council begins planning for homecoming activities. Working as representatives of the student body they choose the theme, plan the parade route, host the coronation, select float judges and provide ribbons and prizes for the winners.

In November the members of this year's council underwrote the presentation called Cross Roads, a motivational film shown on three large screens erected in the gym. The message, set to contemporary music and in a high school setting, warned students about substance abuse.

Cooperating with the Beta Club in November the council helped provide Thanksgiving dinners for three needy families and in December the officers and advisors shopped for clothes and toys to be given to a family with financial needs.

On a bleak January afternoon GHS students donned their summer attire to Dream of June.'

Volleyball teams competed for trophies while the remainder of the student body pretended to be on the sun-filled beach. While everyone enjoyed an afternoon away from the books, there was a more serious side. Proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to the Arora foundation.

February is the month of the heart, but council members chose to celebrate in the carnival style  Mardi Gras. Senior representative Martin Downey was the celebrity D.J. of the day, providing a variety of music and drawing names for prizes.

The council relies on profit from the small student store located inside the Cabe Student Center. Members volunteer their lunch break to sell snacks and school supplies.

While being a Student Council member seems to be a full time job, these young people are also athletes, cheerleaders, Odyssey of the Mind winners, honor students and students with outside jobs.

The 1999-2000 president is Tiffany Ware. Advisors are Carolyn Kuhn and Laura Overton.