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A group of 25 committed Magnolia West High School Interact members, led by club president Dakota (Cody) Stormer, have began an initiative to help the Magnolia Independent School District (MISD) become more eco-friendly, by raising the awareness of students and teachers to conserve energy and reduce their carbon footprints.

This past August, Interact club members joined forces with National Honor Society members to work for a week at MISD’s J.L. Lyon Elementary. Their mission? To get the “go green” message across. They helped teachers create bulletin boards with conservation messages, moved furniture and placed stickers encouraging energy and waste conservation on lights, computers and even paper towel dispensers.

J. L. Lyon fifth grade science and social studies teacher Julie Sustala thought the work the students did was a “life saver for us teachers. They all worked enthusiastically and they did a great job.”

Connie Melton, fifth grade reading and language arts teacher at J.L. Lyon, was also appreciative of the help the students provided.

“They provided my room with a warm, cozy feel – it has never looked better,” she said. “Dakota was a student of mine here before and I saw the spark of leadership in him. I’m not surprised he has become such a good organizer.”

The Magnolia West Interact club plans a similar effort at Williams Elementary Sept. 29, with the students again donating their time and hard work. Stormer explained that projects like this are part of Interact’s environmental stewardship project for the national student organization Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

“We hope to add more MISD schools to our schedule throughout the school year,” said Stormer. “We want this project to help teachers educate students about their impact on the environment and make this a cleaner, greener year for our district.”

Interact “green” initiatives  include  recycling plastic bottles at Magnolia West, promoting water conservation and educating students about ways to reduce litter and pollution. 

The Rotary Club of Magnolia sponsors the Interact clubs at both Magnolia and Magnolia West High Schools.

 “Interact clubs are the high school version of Rotary – a service organization to help students give back to their communities,” Judy Bode, the club’s Rotary liaison, said. “It is exciting to watch these kids develop their own vision and leadership skills.”

Deborah Rose Miller, Rotary Club President agreed.

“We are so proud of what the Magnolia West Interact club has done,” she said. “It is truly helping to teach young people that life is not just about them but about helping others.” 

Besides being the Magnolia West Interact club founder and president, Stormer is also a board member of Keep Montgomery County Beautiful, so going green is something he is passionate about.

“We chose J.L. Lyon as the first school in our project, because I had heard that the school had been actively engaged in energy conservation in the past and thought they would welcome us,” Stormer said. “We believe this project will save the school thousands of dollars in electric bills.“ 

Magnolia West students wishing to join Interact or volunteer for the conservation project should contact Stormer at 832-533-0935 or faculty sponsor Connie Maddox at the high school. Any Magnolia or Magnolia West student is eligible to join Interact, and dues are about $15 per year.

The Magnolia Interact club’s conservation project is part of a national FCCLA competition. FCCLA comprises more than 200,000 members in approximately 6,500 chapters across the U.S. The organization focuses on helping students promote personal growth and leadership by addressing critical issues such as character development, creative thinking, interpersonal communications and career preparation. It encourages active student participation in community or family activities at local, state and national levels. For more information, visit www.fcclainc.org.

The 2012 Magnolia West football Mustangs finished the season with their third playoff appearance in a row, finishing 6-5, after fighting through a season filled with injuries to several key players.
The Mustangs season motto was "Rise Up."  Little did they know that the young men would learn what that motto really meant early in the season. By the second game, they had already lost three starters to season ending knee injuries.  At this point, the team found a way to push through adversity to have a winning season. 
Magnolia West lost two close district ball games to Montgomery and Huntsville. These two losses made it all come down to the final regular season game against Waller.  Once again, the Mustangs did what it took to make the playoffs and beat the Waller Bulldogs 41-17.
 The following players were named to the 18-4A all-district team:
18-4A Defensive Most Valuable Player: Xavier Jones
First Team: Junior defensive end Tyler Massey; senior cornerback Zeke Bronson; junior safety Brady Bynum; senior offensive lineman Cody Skrivanek and sophomore fullback Tyler Ray.
Second Team: senior defensive tackle Cody Skrivanek; junior inside linebacker Luke Knowles; junior outside linebacker Austin Carroll, senior tight end Trevor Buckley and senior center Austin Ray.
Honorable Mention: junior defensive tackle Jacob Bennett; junior cornerback Deontre Allen; senior offensive lineman Todd Slater; junior offensive lineman Seth Blendermann and junior wide receiver Justin Smith.

Five students from Magnolia West High School competed in Family, Career and Community Leaders of America’s (FCCLA) 2012 National Leadership Conference. Pictured are (from left) Barbara Gonzales, FCCLA sponsor; Jessica Estrada, Megan Foreman, Bradley Patton, Alex Posey, Lauren Roetzler, Alex Everett, FCCLA Sponsor; Charlie Riley, MISD School Board President, and Matt Clark, Director of Career and Technical Education. Patton, Posey and Foreman earned a silver medal in the food innovations category.

Magnolia West High School College and Career Counselor Chelette Stephenson hosted a celebration for students who have already received their college acceptance letter recently. Food was served while students took pictures in a photo booth to commemorate the special occasion.  At the end, a drawing was held for gift cards and other memorabilia.  Another event will be held in the spring for those who have not yet received their acceptance letter as of this date.