Students give back and say thanks

"Clap your hands if you can hear me," junior Emily Meaux bellows over the playful shrieks of children. In an instant, the squirming and fidgeting kids throw their hands up into the air and the sound of clapping fill the room. \nThe clapping ceases and Meaux has regained control over the kids. These second- and third-graders from Unionville Elementary school are participants in Bloomingkids!, an after-school mentoring program that pairs University students with underprivileged kids from two schools around Bloomington, Fairview Elementary School and Unionville Elementary School.\nThe mentoring pairs meet once a week, though this day's activity is not like the others. Members of Alpha Omicron Pi and Delta Chi are seated in between the groups of mentors and kids, who are waiting in an informal room on the first floor of Alpha Omicron Pi. Meaux, who was the main force in coordinating this event, asks the kids questions. The answers eventually keep reverting back to the one topic in the front of their minds -- food. \nThe kids who are part of Bloomingkids! have been invited to Alpha Omicron Pi for a Thanksgiving dinner. Both Delta Gamma and Alpha Chi Omega hosted groups of kids for Thanksgiving dinners Wednesday evening. \nThe idea for a Thanksgiving dinner was inspired by a similar program by a branch of College Mentors for Kids at Purdue University, explains mentor and IU junior Natalia Galvan. \n"We didn't want to be shown up by Purdue," Galvan said. \nCollege Mentors for Kids originated as Bloomingkids! and spread throughout the state, adopting a general name as the group moved beyond Bloomington. \nThe purpose of the dinner is to give kids exposure to the culture of college. \n"I'd thought it'd be a good idea for them to see the sorority house," said sophomore Emily Gold, member of AOPi and Bloomingkids! mentor. In addition, it gives them the chance to experience a sit-down dinner where etiquette and table manners are taught to the kids, said Bloomingkids! president Kristen Corbett, a junior. \n"A lot of them don't ever have the opportunity to have a dinner like this." \nIt also introduces the greek system to the program, Meaux said. About one-fourth of the mentors involved in Bloomingkids! are members of the greek houses. Meaux began working with Bloomingkids! in order to fulfill service requirements for her sorority, Kappa Delta. She loved it and has continued to work with the program since. Meaux established the position she currently holds, greek liaison, at Bloomingkids! when she found that the resources the greek system had were untapped.\n"Have a Field Day," a fund-raiser currently being planned by Meaux, is the next Bloomingkids! event involving the sororities and fraternities. The event will be composed of teams of four participating in games and relay races. Meaux hopes that this, along with the dinners with greek houses, which are being planned again for the spring, will give the program signature events to associate with the name. \nAs the dinner winds down, the kids slowly stop eating and banter between bites. A second grader, Cody, wanders over to his mentor, senior Mike De Lella, who greets him with a smile. "Hi," says Cody. "Hi," replies De Lella. "I just wanted to say hi," Cody said almost shyly as he retreats back to his seat. Though the interaction is brief, the admiration on Cody's face is obvious. \nStanding in the entryway of Alpha Omicron Pi's house, observing the scene taking place in the dining room is Bloomington resident Kathy Yeager, whose eight-year old son, Zane is beginning his third year with Bloomingkids! Zane and his family moved to Bloomington from Columbus, Ind., a few years ago. Zane was shy, Yeager said, and he had trouble making friends. His teacher suggested Bloomingkids! as a way to help him get comfortable interacting and meeting other kids. \n"It's helped his self-confidence," Yeager said. "He's a lot more outgoing." \nNot that there isn't one thing about the program Yeager would change if she could. \n"I wish they could extend it to an older age. Kids don't get very many opportunities like this. The mentors do a great job"