Assistant student council, or ASC, is a behind-the-scenes club whose goal is to help student council and Timberland as a whole. Each quarter is a new project for the club. For example, first quarter they helped student council set up for homecoming. This quarter, they held a toy drive from December second through six. The projects for third and fourth quarter have not been decided yet. 

Those interested in donating brought in toys before school. Toys had to be unopened and in original packaging. The toys were then given to The St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

“ I believe that the children receiving these toys will be extremely grateful because these items might help distract them from whatever hardships or struggles they’re facing. It makes me so happy knowing that they will get this wonderful gift this holiday season,” sophomore Avery Grantham said. 

The toy drive has become a tradition ASC has done for years. This year, the club had great success with around 60 toys. 

“We had students work at the booth collecting toys each day during the drive. The leaders of ASC dropped off the toys at St. Louis Children’s Hospital,” co-advisor for student council Bridget Campbell said.

The toy drive seems to make not only the children receiving the toys happier, but also those who helped give the toys to them. ASC members shared how it felt knowing they were making someone’s day. 

“The best part of being part of the toy drive is knowing that I am helping children that have to spend their holidays in the hospital feel a little bit better,” freshman Bailey Renfro said. 

While the toy drive certainly gives to the kids at the hospital, it seemingly also gave back to those who helped with it, like Renfro. ASC plans on continuing to upload this tradition, along with their goal of helping THS and the community, in the future, according to members like sophomore Ellary McLaughlin. 

“I joined ASC, because I wanted to be better involved in THS and be a part of something that worked to make THS a better place,” Renfro said. 

Through projects like the ASC toy drive, Renfro and other members are accomplishing just that. Many who are in the club enjoy being involved at school and/or plan to join student council in the future. 

“I decided to join ASC because I wanted to become more involved at school and ASC has really allowed me to do that. I also hope to become a part of StuCo in the future so I feel as if ASC has enabled me to prepare for that,” Grantham said.

ASC members, such as freshman Tabitha Schacht, are proud of what their club is accomplishing and hope to keep their mission alive. The toy drive is just one example of how they are helping their school and community, one project at a time.

“For me, the best part about being apart of the toy drive is seeing how involved our school is and willing to help out other people in need. It also gives a great feeling to know I could be making so a child’s holiday that much better by donating a toy that could make their day,” Schacht said.