What happens when you bring together 32 selected 6th graders with 16 Benson High School students? Have any ideas yet? If not here is what happens, you form the Benson Mates.
Benson Mates is not a club. In fact, it is a recruitment effort lead by magnet coordinator Peggy Pavlik.
"Benson Mates gets the elementary kids interested in coming to Benson," said Pavlik.
The first month that this starts is in October and the group gets together only once per quarter.
"The days are set by the schedules of the elementary schools," said Pavlik.
The elementary schools that are participating in the Benson Mates are the ones that are near Benson like Morton, Western Hills, Harrison, and Dundee.
At the first get together it all starts off as a chance to meet the mates and an orientation to Benson. Then when they meet for the second time they attend an invention seminar with Mr. Wichman and do a decision science activity. On the third they are with Mr. Zegelis for civic design and do a music activity. Finally, on the last day they do something in the Arts, Media and Culture area with Mr. Lemense and do a culinary activity, all the while getting to hang out with high school kids.
“I like the Benson Mates because of how we interact with the younger kids,” said junior Vandra Caldwell.
For the Benson Mates the thing that counts is the interaction with the younger students and how they enjoy themselves.
“It is really cool seeing how excited the kids are about the school,” said senior Ethan Baumgartner.
To others, the kids' expression is not the only thing that comes into play.
"I like working with the kids and helping them not be afraid of high school," said senior Sarah Payich.
"I like helping the 6th graders decide where they want to go to school," added senior Bobby Washington.
While some students like how it benefits the elementary kids others agree but also think about how a
ffects Benson as well.
"It is an opportunity to show off the best of Benson to the young students," said senior Harris Ramm.
"I like that we are working kind of like a recruiter for Benson," added senior Dillon Rucker.
Along with the opportunity to show off the school, many of the Benson participants feel that the program has other benefits as well.
"It gives us the opportunity to give back to the community," said senior Sherae’ Sawyer.
For only meeting once per quarter the students that are involved aired their views on this recruitment.
"I would want there to be more meetings because the kids always keep me smiling, they are very smart, talk a lot, and keep me busy," said junior Vandra Caldwell.
As everyone agrees that they would like to meet more frequently like a once per month kind of thing and they all have different reasons why.
"The more they can be here the more we can show how good Benson is as a school," said Ramm.
Like Ramm, Baumgartner was also focused on getting the 6th graders to come to Benson in their future.
"If we could expand the time it would get them more acquainted with the school and gives them and idea of what more the school has to offer," said Baumgartner.
For some of the Benson students it is also about the connection between student and student.
"I would want the meets to be more than once per quarter because you grow stronger bonds with them and make them more attracted to Benson," said Payich.
The only part that Payich does not like about Benson Mates is the fact that they miss class and it is hard to make up everything that they miss.
Story By: Mercedes Schwerman