Beginning in the middle of October, Central High School put together a book drive to collect books for those who cannot afford them. Teachers asked their students to bring in a variety of books, whether they were new, old, or beaten. If they were usable, they were collected.

“It’s incredible that we are able to help children who can’t afford books. Reading is amazing, and everyone should have access to it. I absolutely LOVE to read. I couldn’t imagine life without it,” remarked Emily Brandon, a sophomore at Central and a very passionate reader.

The book drive itself was sponsored by the Superintendent Student Advisory Council (SSAC). The group is comprised of representatives from each high school in the county; they meet once a month to talk with Superintendent Rick Smith about what’s going on in our schools.

“I’ve been a large part of this project, and I’m so happy I was. The board has some great students, and we’re doing a great thing,” commented Mrs. Ansley Davis, one of Central’s sponsors for the book drive.

The Council also elects a senior each year to be the Chairperson, who is put in charge of running the meetings effectively. The senior who receives this honor also becomes an honorary HCDE board member for the remainder of that year. Currently, that senior is Sierra Turner, a student from Hixson High School. She is full of ideas for service projects and strives to get everyone in the SSAC involved and communicating.

Not only did Central want to spread the knowledge of reading, but Brown Middle School and Harrison Elementary also jumped onto the book drive train. A total of 320 books were collected from the three schools, and all will be put to good use. Those in excellent quality or in average shape will be passed out to children who need them. If the books are not fit to hand out, they will be donated to Goodwill for others to enjoy.

“I really wasn’t sure how many books we would collect; I guessed we’d have around 200,” stated Jadyn Snakenberg, who was surprised by the amount collected.

A tremendous job was done by Central High, Brown Middle, and Harrison Elementary. Students willingly participated, jovial in knowing that others will being helped. The SSAC has decided that the drive should be an annual event, and Central will hopefully have the same enthusiastic participation for years to come.