By J1 Reporter T’Kaia Butler 

 On Sept 30, Marian hosted its annual fundraiser, Walk-A-thon. Not only do students walk a route, but teachers, who are able to, are also expected to walk the route their homeroom is walking. The route taken (two or four miles) depends on how much money was raised in each class. 

Marian’s new mandarin teacher, Mrs Wenli Rapkin, had this to say about her WAT experience. ”I would say that it was fantastic! We need this activity to get students to come together and be united…and teachers.” Rapkin also enjoyed making new friends with her coworkers during the walk. “ I walked with Mrs. [Karen] Coolidge [library paraprofessional]. She is a fabulous lady, I’m glad I became friends with her.”

The volleyball team ran the two mile route, instead of having practice. Mr. Jake Moore, the new athletic director and varsity volleyball coach, had this to say. “It was nice to have them all together during the walk and having them do it together was a nice team/program bonding experience.“

Not only is he the new athletic director, but he is also a business classroom teacher who enjoys seeing his students have fun and get things done. “It was interesting…all of the different facets that go into raising the money (bake sales, food/restaurant promotions, car washes, etc.). “Having Mrs. [Beth] Dye [Student Board co-moderator] as my mentor at Marian this year made it much easier to process.”

Marian’s new teachers had a great time at WAT and were very surprised by the achievements of their students.