Even if, for the most part, someone is comfortable at school, there are still challenging moments for everybody.

A group of students at S.M.S. wants to ensure that their peers always have someone to fall back on during hard times.

The Aevidum Club, which derives its name from the latin phrase for “I’ve got your back,” created a donation center for other students.

Students and faculty have been working throughout the school year to complete the closet, which opened in full-swing recently.

Aevidum members and guidance counselors chose to stock items that they feel a student would likely need, including: age-appropriate clothes, sporting equipment, school supplies, and body care products.

Jason Katz and Lisa Hall, both guidance counselors at SMS who are assisting Aevidum, noted that there have been at least ten students who have used the closet so far.

“An individual very unfortunately lost their parent, and it was the anniversary of the loss of the parent,” said Hall. “There was some sporting equipment that that student was interested in, and it really brightened his day. He was actually helping us unload some of the items, and it made the day a little bit easier.”

Hall was overjoyed with the community participation; she acknowledged the donations of the Grace Fellowship Church in Shrewsbury, several students, parents, and district staff.

Katz explained that the Aevidum closet can help new students become situated at S.M.S. 

“There are a couple of new students who moved in. During their first couple of days, they’re just so overwhelmed with the process of moving to a new school that they didn’t have any supplies with them. That’s another thing that we carry in the closet: papers, binders, things of that sort,” said Katz. 

Looking forward, the Aevidum club is sorting out the details of the closet so that it can provide goods to students more efficiently and focus on other projects, like “chain reaction” in April.

“Chain reaction” is a project that encourages students to write positive messages on a link of a paper chain that will span the ceiling of the cafeteria.

Anyone wishing to donate to the Aevidum closet should bring their items to the guidance office at Southern Middle School.