The South response to Haiti is nothing if not generous and compassionate; from door-to-door cash collection to concerted student efforts, the entire South community has shown extraordinary empathy towards the Haitians in the aftermath of the disastrous earthquakes.

On February 4, Massachusetts House lawmakers approved an amendment that proposes to ban drivers from using any kind of cell phones, with the exception of hands-free models with voice-activated dialing. The amendment was attached to a bill meant to crack down on distracted drivers.

In an effort to publicize the Turnaround program’s used jeans donation drive, senior Ben Chesler organized “No-Pants Monday,” which took place on February 8.Chesler broadcasted a mass appeal via Facebook, asking for students to take off the jeans they wore to school and donate them.

Wheeler Housemaster Josepha Blocker reopened the Wheeler commons on December 11 after temporarily closing them for two days due to loud and disruptive behavior.

The Mock Trial Team will travel to Waltham District Court to compete in the first of three regional trials on January 29. Led by Coaches Brian Hammel and Elliott Loew, Mock Trial members will litigate this year’s civil case.

Over 600 students received the swine flu vaccination at a clinic run by the nurses at South on December 18. The vaccinations, paid for by the state, were free to students who only had to fill out a consent form prior to the clinic. Vaccinations in the form of shots and nasal sprays were offered. The clinics took place during B and G blocks, giving each grade a designated time to go during those periods.

On Sunday, November 29, resentment toward the growing population of Muslims in Switzerland encouraged Swiss voters to ban minarets, an architectural feature of the Islamic mosque.

South’s chapter of Minga, a group dedicated to fighting the global child sex trade, hosted Minga Day on November 12.