Memorial High School - Reata Yearbook (Houston, TX)

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mig Amigos representing Memorial were Iuniors Todd Thompson and Miriam Sera. Thompson traveled to Honduras while Miriam stayed in Houston and organized projects. Photo by Doug Whitehead. P' f S Y Q 4 ibn, -. .. 4 . f f t ' it N I A 'S f. L 'Vs Friends of America, lAmigosl, club members Amigos were also represented by Senior senior Matt Iackson of Lee High School and Laura Goldberg. Laura traveled to Honduras Senior Laura Goldberg practice giving injec- after training for the trip. Photo by Doug tions. Photo by lim Tomforde. Whitehead. Innoculation is one of the programs offered Amigos in South America. Iunior Mairim receives instructions on how to give sl' Photo by lim Tomforde. 54 O Amigos

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PALS organized a car wash as well as other fund raising events during the school year. Front row: Mrs. Mildred Bauries, sponsor, Seniors Beth Robertson, Kathy Dyer, Iunior Amy Dunscombe, Senior Melanie Meyers, Back row: lunior Stephanie Luther, Iunior Kelli Nickle. Photo by lim Tomforde. Honor society, PALS aid community with services Faces immediately brightened as the group entered the doors of yet another home for the aged. Sporting bananas, grapefruits and other fresh fruits, the National Honor Society INHSJ visited several homes during the year as a service project. It was kind of sad, but I felt really good afterward, said Senior Kyra Buchko, President of Nl. '. The club visited The Blalock Nurs- ing Home on Long Point and Blalock as well as the Golden Age Nursing Home during the weekends of November 15 and 16, and 22 and 23. Officers of NHS included Kyra, Vice-president Barbara Cannon, Secretary Susan Feigin and Treasurer Kim Thompson. Another service club, active in Memorial life was the Phi Alpha Lambda Society lPALS1. PALS presi- dent, Senior Beth Robertson, headed the organization which raised money for a charitable donation, Proceeds of the club were donated 0 the Ronald McDonald House, a otel-type situation accommodating he parents of children staying at the exas Children's Hospital. 'tWe hope to furnish an entire room ith the money, said Vice-president my Dunscombe. Officers of PALS included Beth nd Amy along with Secretary Kathy yer and Treasurer Iulie Combs. w by Susan Feigin 1 1.31 t Money made from bake sales and car washes enable Senior PALS officers Kathy Dyer, Beth Robertson and Melanie Meyer to give a dona- tion to McDonald's. Photo by Mark Shearer. L PALS O 53

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American Field Service IAFSJ provided op- portunities for foreign students to get a taste of America and vice versa. AFS club members in- cluded Front row: President Ioan Isensee, AFS students Antonio Figueroa and Misato Muto. Back row: Michelle Hoogendam, Sophie Magnier and Carol Trowbridge. Photo by lim Tomforde. AFS provides foreign students with the chance to experience life and education in America. Senior Antonio Figueroa lChile and Misato Muto Uapanl discuss future plans. Photo by lim Tomforde. 5 Amigos travel south of the border Donde . . . esta el el . .. responsible for the well-being of all bano? The Gringo's Spanish was sporadically recalled. Overcome by culture shock in a malaria in- fested region of Hondurus had not been a pleasant experience for the teenagerg rather, a struggle. Through a youth oriented field project called Amigos de las Americas, two Memorial students were shipped off to Latin America to perform necessary health pro- grams for the needy peasants of poverty stricken barrios. Representing Amigos in Hon- durus were Senior Ioan Isensee and Iunior Todd Thompson. We endured over 150 hours of training and preparations between the months of Ianuary and May before we were given the O.K. to go into the field, said Route Leader Ioan. Training for projects varying from innoculations, dental hy- giene and eye glass prescription to animal husbandry and well and latrine digging was conducted every Thursday night and Satur- day morning from Ianuary through May. Over 10 hours of dedication per week is pretty exhausting: everyone experienced a few men- tal breakdowns, explained Thompson. Ioan traveled to I-Iondurus and served as Route Leader. I was the volunteers in my area, or barrio as they call it, noted Ioan. Well digging was my specialty. I had to take this mini-course in water tables and geology in order to under- stand the whats and hows of wells, said Thompson. Coupled with well digging was latrine digging. These two programs are part of a new experiment. Most disease and sanitation pro- blems stem from the lack of proper sanitation which eventually con- taminates the insufficient water wells which thus affect the poverty stricken individuals, said Thompson. What we're trying to do is correct the root of the problem rather than come in and have to innoculate against the devastating diseases - ineffective in the long run, he supplemented. Ioan was also president of the American Field Service IAFSJ, an in- stitution that exchanges students throughout the world. This year, Memorial hosted Misato Muto from Nagoya, japan and Antonio Figeroa Varas from Valparaiso, Chile, said Ioan. Antonio and Misato both spent the year attending Memorial and ex- periencing the American culture, while Amigos traveled abroad to Latin America for the summer. 3 by Todd Thompson AFS I 55