G-MU wins first Student Voices, Student Choices competition

Dec. 9—The Gilbertsville-Mount Upton National Honor Society recently won the first Student Voices, Student Choices competition presented by the Community Foundation of Otsego County.

Students from G-MU competed against students from Cherry Valley-Springfield, Edmeston and Richfield Springs. Students had to select a charity they wished to represent, G-MU National Honor Society co-advisor Jennifer McDowall said in an email. "The student presentations were evaluated on their passion for and level of engagement with the charity they selected."

Students at G-MU chose the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York's Backpack program that provides food to many schools in Otsego County, Jeff Katz, executive director of the Community Foundation of Otsego County, said.

"The Backpack Program is a Feeding America initiative that provides donated and purchased foods to county schools for discreet distribution to students each week," McDowall said. "The goal is to provide pantry items that will supplement the meals students receive in school, so that they can prepare meals and snacks over the weekends and school vacations."

She said students researched the charity, conducted interviews, videotaped their own work for the program, created a video and "developed a narrative concept for presenting their ideas that they hoped would personalize and humanize their presentation. They were well aware of the importance of moving their audience emotionally. As they rehearsed, they worked diligently to perfect that pathos element of their presentation."

McDowall said during the research, students found that "56% of the student body here lives below the poverty line. I think students were shocked at that number and it solidified their commitment to the Backpack Program, particularly when they realized that only a small percentage of eligible students are currently enrolled and there is so much more work to be done."

Students presented their programs in front of an audience and panel of five judges Nov. 21, Katz said. The judges were Darren Reisberg, president, Hartwick College, Cynthia Andela, president of Andela Products, Gary Kuch, director, Clark Foundation Scholarship Program, Josh Rawitch president, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and Gretchen Sorin, director and distinguished professor, Cooperstown Graduate Program.

As winners, the backpack program will receive $5,000, Katz said. Cherry Valley-Springfield was awarded $3,000 for OCCA to replant fruit trees in Cherry Valley and Springfield. Edmeston received $1,000 for their school's Backpack program and Richfield Springs also received $1,000 for their school's Leadership Team, which is educating fellow students on the harmful nature of Native-American mascots.

"Encouraging philanthropy throughout Otsego County is a major goal for the Community Foundation of Otsego County," Katz said in an email. "What better way to spark that interest than by engaging our youth? With Student Voices, Student Choices, the Foundation created a special program for high school students that sharpened their focus on local needs and issues and encouraged them to become leaders in their communities."

Gilbertsville-Mount Upton Superintendent Annette Hammond said she "so incredibly proud of them," and invites people to come to the board of education meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 14 where the students will present their project at 5:30 p.m.

Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221.