‘Blind Side’ mother speaks out;Journalism students discuss project with Tuohy

 As a guest presenter for the Women’s Philanthropy Fund, Leigh Anne Tuohy, adoptive mother of NFL star Michael Oher, spoke at the Amarillo Globe News Center Nov. 4 about community service and being “cheerful givers.” While I had my reservations about hearing another civic service speaker, expecting to hear the same self-righteous preaching of many others, I enjoyed listening to Leigh Anne’s stories about her family and about life.

Leigh Anne had a no-nonsense sort of attitude, but she accepted this about herself so whole-heartedly that it was impossible not to laugh at her attention-catching stories of mishaps within the Tuohy family. However, while amusing, she always brought her stories back to her reason for being there: service. Leigh Anne talked about her son Michael, whose homelessness was going unnoticed by others when she met him.

“What if someone as immensely talented as Michael Oher falls through the cracks?” Leigh Anne asked.

Leigh Anne said she believed that the person who will someday cure cancer is probably a kid living in a ghetto now. She warned that if we allow these kids to go unnoticed, they may never reach their potential, and the world will lose many brilliant minds. Instead of singling out the wealthy to give simply because they have more money, she proposed that we all have a duty to ourselves and to others as human beings to help those in need because it is the morally right thing to do.

When our group of editors could speak with Leigh Anne, we told her about the sophomore class’s recent service day. Leigh Anne said we ought to have all four classes working together on a project, not just sophomores. She proposed a “Great Day of Service” where every homeroom does something to impact the community. She said people in high school and college could influence the needy in our area the most, so we should all do our share.

“Amarillo, Texas has its share of Michael Ohers,” Leigh Anne said. “Don’t let them fall through the cracks.”

Schools for Schools pulls in cash with car wash

A student-led group held a car wash Saturday in the United parking lot in Canyon to raise money for the Schools for Schools fund.

The proceeds from the car wash and all other Schools for Schools activities go to help rebuild Pabbo Secondary School, a school in Northern Uganda for former sex-slaves and child soldiers.

“We raised over $500 in the car wash,” junior Payton Noel, organizer of the event, said.

 For the first $1000 Canyon High School contributes, Halogen TV will match the amount.

“We want to try to raise as much money as we can, as quickly as possible,” Noel said. “I encourage everyone to ask questions and get involved with Schools for Schools.”

Students can earn money for PTSA with Facebook vote

Students of Canyon High School, one of the 45 founding schools in the State of Texas for the Green Initiative, can enter by Sept. 30 to win a $250 prize for school’s PTSA on the Green Ribbon Schools’ Facebook page.

Canyon High was named one of the founding schools because of its recycling activities, field labs in Palo Duro Canyon, and several other activities and programs that promote a “green” way of thinking. According to the Texas School Business website, schools achieve recognition as a Green Ribbon School by taking a holistic approach to student health and achievement and making improvements over time. The program promotes nutrition, fitness and health; promotes environmentally friendly campuses; promotes outdoor physical activity and nature play; and integrates nature in education.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Go to www.facebook.com/greenribbonschools.
2. Become a fan of the page to post on the Wall.
3. Type “Canyon High School, Canyon, TX” on the Wall.

The Wall post counts as an official entry, and the deadline for all entries is Sept 30. The site will announce winners on Oct 5.

ACT, SAT deadlines approach

For students who have registered for the first session of the ACT test, testing will occur on Sept. 11. Regular registration for the Oct. 9 SAT test ends Sept. 10. The PLAN test for sophomores will take place on Oct. 7 and the PSAT on Oct. 13.

The SAT and ACT are the standardized tests required by colleges for admissions. The SAT is offered seven times a year, and the ACT is six times. These tests cover basic reading, writing and math skills. The PLAN test and PSAT are used to give students an idea of how they will do on the actual SAT and ACT exams.

For a list of all SAT and ACT testing dates, click the links below.

 ACT: http://www.actstudent.org/regist/dates.html

SAT: http://sat.collegeboard.com/register/sat-dates\

‘Same Kind of Different as Me’

It is a very rare occasion when you can say the book you read for your English class actually impacted your life.

From the subtitle on the front, “Same Kind of Different as Me” draws in readers at the very beginning as a nearly unbelievable true story of “a modern-day slave, an international art dealer, and the unlikely woman who bound them together.”

But “Same Kind of Different as Me” is, in fact, a memoir of Ron Hall and Denver Moore, Ron, an affluent art dealer who came from a poor background and Denver, a homeless man who grew up in virtual slavery. Denver and Ron switch off narration between chapters, each telling his own side of the story. Denver is very down-to-earth and writes as if he were having a conversation with you, and Ron has a more eloquent way of writing that was slightly less accessible, but just as interesting.

The woman behind the friendship, Deborah Hall, volunteers herself and her husband Ron at a homeless shelter, where they meet Denver. She believed that Ron needed to befriend this rough man from the streets, and so slowly but surely, the friendship began. It develops over time, through racial and financial differences, through a battle with cancer, through loss and grief, Denver and Ron become very close friends.

This book was very easy to read, and though the story takes place over many years, the plot is very fast-paced. It is a very rare occasion when you can say the book you read for your English class actually impacted your life, but “A Same Kind of Different as Me” definitely impacted mine.

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