There’s a new club with High School North students awaiting permission to become an official school club. Mirth, meaning laughter and joy, provides students with opportunities to be more active in their community. Past community service projects include selling beanies for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America,
painting signs for the New Jersey Trust Lands Preserve, producing an Indian dance charity show to raise money for Tsunami victims, and sending holiday cards to impoverished children overseas.
Their current project is to organize a trail clean up of the Vaughn Drive area near the Saturday farmers market. Originally set for last Saturday, the event was postponed due to heat. The group already has gloves and bags ready for Saturday, August 27, from 10 a.m. to noon.
“When I came across the information about the township paying FOWWOS to help collect litter from the streets and parks, I was interested because it was different and a beneficial activity to keep our community clean,” says Arushi Goel, a rising senior at High School North. “It was also easy and there is no need to fill out forms to volunteer.”
Club officers include Goel, Pooja Khanna, Puneeta Arora, Kulin Shah, and Kush Mongal. The club, started in March, has close to 30 members already. It is based on the Mirth club at High School South.
“It’s not easy to start a club and get people together,” says Goel. “We first spoke to administration and they allowed us to distribute pamphlets about the club and ribbons for Earth Day.” The independent club — without an advisor — plans to hold a car wash in September to raise funds to allow the group to have more events.
Goel, born in India, moved to Plainsboro close to eight years ago. “It was a complete culture shock and I had to adjust, but now, I really like it here.” Her father is a computer engineer in Ewing. Her mother works in a bank in North Brunswick. Her sister, Saumyi, is a rising sophomore at North.
Among other activities: Kathy Chu organized an event to entertain senior citizens featuring juggling, piano, and violin performances. Varsha Mangal is organizing a group project to package and label pins for the Pink Ribbon campaign to help the fight against breast cancer.
For more information visit www.wwpmirth.inf.
