Mt. Pleasant students aim to ease anxiety with pantry

MT. PLEASANT — The Mt. Pleasant High School Student Council hopes to ease students' anxiety about school supplies and other necessary items by building a “Panther Pantry.” A supply cabinet in the high school Media Center for all students to access as they need.

According to student body President Cristina Carthey the cabinet will supply items such as school supplies and personal hygiene products, “anything that kids need but don’t want to ask for.”

Carthey and Vice President Emma Pieper have devised a plan to provide this cabinet to students early next year. The plan for the pantry came from a suggestion by a staff member at the school.

The pantry aims to help ease student’s social anxiety about asking for items that they need to complete their education, stay focused and successful. It allows students to simply grab what they need, no judgment, no questions asked.

“We talked to the office and if kids need anything they can go ask the office because they have it. But it’s not easily accessible because kids don’t want to go to the office and ask for it,” Carthey said. “It’s embarrassing, other kids might be there. They may feel like they might be judged.”

Carthey doesn’t want kids to feel like they have to go without or face their fears.

“We don’t want kids to be socially awkward and asking for a notebook in the office, that’s something nobody wants to do,” she said.

Pieper wants to ensure that the stigma is crushed because everyone needs something at one point or another.

“Trying to get rid of the stigma of going to the office to ask for stuff. We don’t want people to feel uncomfortable asking for stuff that they may need like feminine hygiene products,” Pieper said.

Overall, the student council is aiming to build their Panther Pantry to help all students learn effectively.

The student council is planning to have an outdoor movie night on the practice field outside of the high school sometime this month.