WJ students have always shown recognition for their community. From blood drives to senior luncheons, WJ has proven it cares for people outside the building.
WJ’s annual senior luncheon, hosted by Key Club, is one of the school’s oldest traditions. Since 1975, older and younger generations have gathered for a meal and dancing in the cafeteria, accompanied by performances from WJ’s very own orchestra and show choir. Each year, students volunteer to help run the event.
Over the years, this event has been a significant part of the school culture, with many students signing up to help out in a variety of ways. Even though it is a long tradition, most core parts have stayed the same. Traditionally, the senior citizens have been served traditional Thanksgiving meals with delicacies like mashed potatoes, turkey and pumpkin pie as upbeat jazz music plays in the background. Whether students are performers or servers, spending time with the local senior citizens has progressed significantly.
“It’s one of my favorite things to do,” senior show choir performer Julianna Cabanillas said. “They love seeing younger people do artsy things, we can tell it brings them joy and it’s a great way they can get out of their houses and come be in the community.”
Many senior citizens have come for multiple years because they adore the environment and the amount of fun they have, as it makes them almost relive their time in high school.
“I think it’s super fun, especially when we do sets that they know,” senior show choir performer Jenn Notley said. “We performed our ABBA set for them, and they just really loved it.”
That’s not the only way WJ gives back to the community: another common event is the SGA Blood Drive. Every year, a blood drive hosted by the SGA in the aux gym is available for students 16 years or older with parental consent. The blood collected goes to the Red Cross Association and students get free food for donating. It’s an easy and free way for younger generations to give back.
In between these events, many clubs, most commonly the Key Club, host and even attend all types of community related events and have been doing so for many years. For instance, between the years of 2000 and 2003, there was a Walk for the Homeless hosted in the D.C area with around 20,000 walkers that collected money to donate to the Fannie Mae Foundation, raising over $40 million to support the DMV’s homeless. Among those 20,000 walkers, the WJ Key club was present walking in the downtown DC area and making their statement to combat homelessness.
However, this tradition was not as big as the others and slowly died down, becoming less and less popular over time before eventually disappearing. But that doesn’t mean this issue is left untalked about at WJ. Many new clubs, from UNICEF to Food4All, host events that all students can participate in, mainly food drives, to provide for the less fortunate.
“Being a part of clubs who give back always makes me feel satisfied,” said former UNICEF and Food4All member senior Sophia Koushan. “I can’t be there much now, but it was a great way to interact with the community.”
