![Minutes before the Activities Fair in the gym, president Abhi Gowda ‘26 prepares the stall for his club Helping Hands, Sept. 4. A relatively new club, Helping Hands was co-started by Gowda and focuses on assisting the homeless, and just last year they succeeded in raising a couple hundred donations to send to shelters. This year, they have goals to expand, with hopes to increase volunteer opportunities and take in-person trips to shelters, as well as extend their help beyond just homeless people. “The Activities Fair gives a lot of underclassmen the opportunity to really get to know the Canyon culture, and it gives them many opportunities for service and volunteering,” Gowda said. “[Through the Activities Fair,] I hope to find a bunch of new and passionate members about our club and just get our name out there and spread awareness to the cause that we’re fighting for.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1-2-1200x885.jpg)
![The winter guard team makes fifth place at the state championship finals in the Denver Coliseum, March 30. The team performed to Barnes Country's “Glitter and Gold,” lead by coaches Margo Sanford, Blair Bickerton and Anna Orgren. In their class there were a total of nine groups participating, and the top five who made it to finals received a plaque. “[Walking onto the stage] is very nerve-wracking, but also very exciting as well. When you first start color guard there's a lot of anxiety and uncertainty when you first perform in front of an audience, but once you've done it for a while, it starts to become the best part of the season,” Ella West ‘25 said. “It's very fulfilling to see an audience react to something you've put your heart and soul into.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Both-socal-media-nd-website-main-1-1200x846.jpg)
![April marks the 25th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, created by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). This month is to spread awareness of the harassment, assault and abuse that happens around the world. The symbol that represented the month was a teal ribbon; however, some survivors of assault create different symbols and movements like the TikTok trend in 2022, where survivors would tattoo Medusa on their body, in honor of her backstory in Greek Mythology. “I don't think [this month is known] at all. I rarely see anybody talk about it. I rarely see much of an emphasis on posting it online, or much discussion about it, and I feel like there needs to be way more discussion,” an anonymous source said. “I think just validating every experience that a person has gone through, regardless of the degree of it, the severity, is an essential step into making sure that people are aware that this is a very real problem in a society and that we need to do better in addressing it.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0011-1200x900.jpg)
![Lesbian Visibility Day is April 26, and it’s a holiday to celebrate the lesbian community of the world. Lesbian Visibility day was established in 2008 by many queer activists and organizations who sought to raise more awareness for lesbian history and culture. “So this is why during Lesbian Visibility [Day] we celebrate and center all lesbians, both cis and trans, while also showing solidarity with all LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people,” Linda Reily, in an article written by her, said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Lesbian-Visibility-day.jpeg)
Serving Through Springtime
Community service deadlines are coming up… here’s what you need to know.
media by Danny Curran
A graphic displays the Helper Helper logo to introduce the article.
March 5, 2023
January went by in a flash, and February followed suit. It’s as if you can blink and it’ll already be May. The looming anxiety of final exams — and graduation for seniors — only grows larger.
In Douglas County School District (DCSD), students are required to have at least 20 hours of community service logged across all four years of high school in order to graduate. At this point, for seniors who’ve been too busy to meet the quota, the due date of March 24 may feel incredibly daunting.
“What we want from graduates is a well-rounded student, good with math, science, English, social studies, a few arts and P.E., and active within the community,” guidance counselor Elias Solis said.
What are volunteer hours important for besides graduation requirements?
According to Rosterfy, colleges favor applicants with at least 50 hours of community service. There are also opportunities for receiving varsity letters, with a due date for applying March 24 as well. The requirements are:
- A letter of recommendation from a service work supervisor (100 hours)
- A two-page personal reflection on service work (250 hours)
- Submission of a portfolio documenting the experience, & the presentation of it at the Community Service Fair (500 hours)
- A formal presentation to a panel of staff members (1000 hours)
Where can I find organizations/submit hours?
RCHS uses the app Helper Helper, using DCSD emails for logins. The app is primarily used to seek out opportunities within the district area, and enter in hours for both past & current commitments. If needed, there’s an FAQ provided by DCSD and a tutorial from Helper Helper to provide assistance.
What doesn’t count?
Generally, volunteer work done for pay or badges, during the school day or for one’s family or friends isn’t permitted. In addition, only half of Senior Studies hours can be included for graduation credits and must be validated by the supervising teacher. This is not an exhaustive list, so further questions on what counts as a valid volunteer opportunity can be directed to Counseling Secretary Julie Burns at [email protected].