Established 1930

Oak Forest High School students in Mrs. Jennifer Schanz’s American Literature class read Tim O’Brien’s, The Things They Carried. Without giving too much away, the book is about the Vietnam War and the emotions soldiers felt after returning home.

The book is wrote loosely based on O’Brien’s own experiences in the 23rd Infantry Division. While the book is a work of fiction, it is written in a memoir style making it especially gripping for its readers.

In an effort to bring the historical nature of the book to the reality of Oak Forest High School students, Schanz decided she would have her students talk to men who actually fought in the war. This way, students could compare the experiences of real-life Veterans to the ones they were reading about in O’Brien’s novel.

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DECA, or Distributive Education Clubs of America is a group of students who seek to learn marketing, business, and leadership skills through academic conferences and competitions. Across the nation, DECA classes and clubs are held in both the high school and collegiate setting. At Oak Forest High School, DECA is an elective class. Each year, students find creative ways to earn funds which will go towards their national competition expenses.

This year, DECA student president Jack Doolin decided he wanted to do something different – raise funds for the DECA national competition while also helping the world. He teamed up with his DECA peers Nate Barbato and Justin Skrzelowski and together they launched a shoe donation campaign through Funds2Orgs.

Every pair of shoes gathered through the campaign would be sent to Funds2Orgs who would then send the shoes to third world countries such as Honduras, Haiti, and Gona. The bonus? Funds2Orgs would give Oak Forest High School DECA 40 cents per pound of shoes. The students set their goal at 25 bags figuring that would pay for the shipping costs of the shoes. If they could break even while also helping people across the world, then it would still be a success.

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In late 2018, Midlothian Public Library received a federal grant via the local agency AgeOptions to increase its programming for adults ages 60 and up. After gathering input from community members in the target age group, the library launched its weekly “Active & Connected” program series on Thursday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m. in January 2019. At its one-year anniversary, the program series is going strong.

Programs in the series follow a two-part format, starting with an educational component and ending with a time for socializing and refreshments. Educational presentations have included hands-on technology classes, chair yoga, practical presentations on topics like self-defense, and informational programs on topics such as pre-Civil War quilts.

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On Friday, December 27, from 6 to 9 p.m., Midlothian Public Library, located at 14701 Kenton Ave., will host its first-ever After-Hours Family Game Night. After the library closes for regular business that day, staff will transform the space into an arcade featuring both high- and low-tech gaming opportunities.

Unique tabletop games like Mysterium and King of Tokyo will be set up on tables with their rules for families to try. 

Full story available in the Midlothian-Bremen Messenger