Bearcat Beat | Students head to DECA nationals, Bearcat Buddies looks for volunteers

Second semester is in full swing at Monroe High School (MHS). Study period begins again this week. Students can go to other classrooms Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to work on various assignments, tests or quizzes.

Speaking of homework, the second term of Bearcat Buddies has also started. High school students get the opportunity to go to Fryelands Elementary School on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. to mentor and tutor fourth and fifth-grade kids. Any high school student can be a Big Buddy. For more information, talk to Ms. Sarr in Room 806 or Kailee Billerbeck.

Second semester has been very exciting for three students in DECA. Cathryn Armstrong, Jessica Cichanski and Megan Rich learned they are going to nationals with their project "Student-Based EnterpriseGÇ¥ (SBE).

The students researched how their student market is run and operated and wrote a detailed manual.

Mrs. Vigus, DECA advisor and marketing teacher, was ecstatic about the news. "It is extremely impressive that they got their project certified, considering students for the past few years haven't been able to,GÇ¥ she said.

DECA Nationals will take place in Orlando, Florida, April 24 to 29.

Other DECA students are preparing for the state competition with the hopes of accompanying the girls to nationals. The state competition will be March 5 to March 7.

ASB is preparing for its next set of events at MHS. One event the students are working on is called Mr. Monroe, a pageant for the high school boys. It will be held Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center; it is free.

Everyone is encouraged to donate to their favorite contestant. The person with the most donations will win. A proportion of the donations will go to the Frank Wagner Auditorium. All community members are encouraged to come watch; it is sure to be entertaining!

The Sports Medicine Club will host a 5K run/walk on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 9 a.m. at Lake Tye. The club asks participants to donate $15. Donors will receive a T-shirt. The proceeds will help benefit Nick of Time, which is dedicated to educating communities about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and death in young people. To learn more about the event, visit mhssportsmedicine.weebly.com.

On behalf of the MHS students, we would like to say "thank youGÇ¥ to Bearcat Pride for the Valentine's Day cookies we received Feb. 12.

"It definitely cheered me up when I walked into the lunch-room and got a free cookie from the kind ladies,GÇ¥ said student Loryn Moore.

Winter sports are slowly coming to an end. Spring sports tryouts will take place on March 2. To play any sport, it is vital to turn in your athletic packet and get cleared in the athletics office.

Only 34 school days until spring break (starting April 3), 72 school days until the Class of 2015 graduates (June 6) and 77 school days until school is out (June 15).