Let’s be frank. When it comes to young people today, many are seen as lazy or entitled or described in even less flattering terms.

However, it would be difficult to say that about the students of Southampton High School (SHS). The class body seems to be on a major roll helping those in need in a variety of capacities.

Students at SHS have answered the call to assist those right here at home or around the globe. The community-at-large finds their actions heartwarming, unselfish and mature.

For instance, the annual Trooper Hill Toy Drive is a favorite, and this time around, students raised about $3,000 for the local charity by holding a “Black and White Ball.” The funds also came from the school’s student clubs. The money will go toward the purchase of holiday toys for area children.

The high school’s Student Government Association (SGA) sponsored the event, and SGA’s Melissa Edwards says the organization was proud to be a part of the endeavor because the funds raised from the Trooper Hill Toy Drive benefits a lot of children during the holiday season. SHS feels fortunate, Melissa says, and they merely want to give back to the community.

Those students who were able to collect the most funds from each student club received special titles and recognition. For example, Chris Vincent and Nicole Reedy were named the Snow King and Snow Queen of the event, and Meagan Tillett won the title of Winter Charity Queen for her fundraising efforts in the Science Club.

Putting smiles on someone’s face, especially when it is that of a child’s, makes it that more special, according to Melissa. She was thrilled that the student body collaborated on such a successful campaign.

The fundraising wasn’t over, however, and SHS kicked into gear for its school-wide food drive called the Thanksgiving Food Drive. The SHS student body works together with the Key Club to create a contest that collects non-perishable items for a local food bank.

A race is set up between first block classes to gather the most cans and boxes of food.

Dr. Dinh’s dual-credit biology class was crowned the winner after collecting more than 200 items.

As a whole, the SHS student body and staff outdid themselves by pulling in 1,100 items for the food bank.

The SHS Tri-Hi-Y Club will also do their part by using their amazing vocals and singing carols to the residents of the Courtland Healthcare Center. In addition, the club will adopt a family from Courtland and put on a feast for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. The children of the family will be gifted with clothing and toys.

Meantime, the SHS cafeteria staff will conduct its annual collection of food, clothing, toys and toiletries for the family.

The SHS Key Club will also plan another annual event called the Tree of Warmth. Every year, the school club successfully collects more than 100 coats to keep local families warm and cozy during the cold winter months ahead.

That’s not all for the Key Club. Various members will also hold a Holiday Bingo event at the Village at Woods Edge and a Holiday Luncheon to thank high school teachers and staff. The club will be present and assist during the Franklin Junior Women’s Club during Breakfast with Santa.

The SHS Culinary Arts class has once again made a gorgeous gingerbread beauty. This time it’s modeled after the famous German Neuschwanstein Castle. The castle was donated to the Franklin/Southampton Chapter of Habitat for Humanity for its charity auction.

Congratulations, Southampton High School, you’re a true leader in community service.

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Residents in Isle of Wright County were surveyed recently regarding the quality of cable services in the area. More than 1,000 county residents responded to the survey and voiced their concerns regarding the price, picture quality, and service received from Charter Communications. But for county residents who live in more rural areas, the concerns were even more pressing.

Phillip Bradshaw is a member of the Wright County board of supervisors and is a representative of the Carrsville District. Bradshaw said the problem is residents in the area where he lives and represents are simply unable to obtain the cable and internet services they need. He says the dialog has been ongoing for years with Charter Communications about bringing services to the area but the company feels the population there does not justify the expansion.

Charter requires a minimum of 30 homes per square mile before they serve a particular area. There are large portions of the Carrsville District, as well as, other areas of the county that do not meet this requirement.

Bradshaw says he wants to see all the members of his district have access to high-speed internet. The only way this is possible for some residents of the district now is to pay for expensive satellite service or purchase wireless broadband cards.

Bradshaw says many families in the area are unable to afford the added costs of these premium services. He feels that elderly residents and families with small children are affected the most by this situation. He asks that people remain mindful that their plight is about much more than missing out on entertainment. Seniors are losing out on valuable alerts and information that might come their way over the television or internet. While school-aged children suffer from not having the internet available to support their educational development.

A group of representatives from Wright County visited the small town of Wilson, North Carolina to see first-hand how officials there handled a similar problem. In Wilson, a fiber-optic network was used to provide residents with high-speed internet and cable services. County officials are also considering loan and grant options that will provide residents with the services they need.

Bradshaw says he and other officials in the county have high expectations for the services their residents will eventually enjoy. He says all options are being considered and county officials are making it a point not to make a decision out of desperation and end up with a service that is inadequate for the needs of affected communities.

Bradshaw says the new round of negotiations with Charter comes at a time when their current contract with the county is set to expire. He says there are hopes Charter will agree to make an exception to their thirty homes per square mile standard and extend services to the areas in the county that do not presently possess them. As of yet, other companies have not seemed very open to doing business in the area.

Michael Johnson is the county administrator for Southampton. He says that residents in rural areas often complain about internet and cable access. Johnson says he has not personally received many complaints from residents in his county who are not at this time receiving these services. However, Johnson expresses sympathy for the residents of his county without cable and internet services and says it is main intent of his to find a solution to this problem.

Charter Communications is the current phone and internet provider for thousands of homes in Southampton County and is the main provider of services in the Isle of Wright, Suffolk, and Franklin areas.

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