Staff members and students from Shepard High School once again collaborated this year to make the holidays a little brighter for local needy families.

Families received presents, gently-used clothing, and boxes of food. It's a massive effort, and here's how it sounded and looked:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1giH1HwXrI

Storyteller William Pack will exhume the tragic life and remarkable writings of a famed American author in "The Essential Edgar Allan Poe" from 7-8:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 19 in the Rasmussen South Room of the Schaumburg Township District Library, 130 S. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg.

Dramatic storytelling, story readings and a couple of Pack's signature performances will bring Poe's disturbing world to life. This free program is best suited for teens and adults. Registration is required. To register, call (847) 923-3347 or visit the Information Desk on the library's second floor.

Harsha Vankayalapati, a teen volunteer at Naper Settlement, is the recipient of the 2014 Copenhagen Schoolhouse Scholarship, established by Naperville residents Eve and Tom Hushek. This is the fourth year the $500 scholarship has been awarded, which is to be used for college expenses during the freshman year of college directly after graduating from high school. The scholarship is available to high school seniors who have volunteered at Naper Settlement for at least two years, during their sophomore and junior years. Applicants must have demonstrated the customer service expectations specified by Naper Settlement.

Naper Settlement's Lead Museum Educator Cindy Lackore said that it was Harsha's powerful essay, qualifications and years of service that led the Learning Experiences Department to award him the scholarship.

"We have watched Harsha grow from a quiet teen to a confident young man who is going off to college," Lackore said. "We are proud of him and his accomplishments."

Harsha...

Harper College Associate Professor Jessica Walsh recently placed second in the 10th annual Illinois Emerging Writers Competition.

Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White awarded Walsh of Roselle and poets from Harrisburg and Chicago as this year's winners of the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award.

"Receiving this honor is sustaining," said Walsh, who has taught English at Harper since 2002. "Poetry is often a very solitary undertaking, and to make a powerful connection with readers is the ultimate reward."

Walsh's poem, "The Library Again," is about her grandmother's last years with Alzheimer's disease and how her reading - of books and of people - changed. Read the poem at illinoiscenterforthebook.org .

Whittney Jones of Harrisburg won first place with her poem "The Dollar Value of Fingers" and Pablo Otavalo of Chicago placed third for his poem "The Year of the Dragon." All three winners read their poems during a ceremony at the Illinois State Library and received their awards...

UIC and the Jackson Family thought it would be great to publicly give thanks to everyone in our hometown Glen Ellyn for supporting Isaiah Jackson, though his ongoing battle against Leukemia.
They gave us so, much to be thankful for by making an uplifting video and using #BeStrongIsaiah on Twitter and Instagram. The video of the Glenbard South student body chanting "be strong Isaiah" can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gK3VLbal2U

With visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, the Carl Sandburg Speech Team started their holiday break with a joyous SWSC All-Conference Championship at Thornton on December 20,including a Sandburg Speech Team record of 9 Conference Champions and 21 out of 28 competitors in final round.

"Christmas came early for Sandburg Speech!" exclaimed Senior Committee Member Robert Kelly who was Conference Champion in Poetry Reading and was 2nd in Humorous Duet Acting with Connor Brown. "Now we have break to keep working and keep improving."

Sandburg Speech returns to competition on Saturday, January 7, at Glenbard West High School.

"It's great going to Glenbard West." said Head Coach Dan Sackett, "Since Erin Henry, a Sandburg Speech alum is the Head Coach, it's a second home for the team."

SWSC Varsity Speech Invite - Final results
Angela Hatcher 1 Informative Speaking (INF) Varsity
Colleen Bruton and Dean Papadopoulos 1 Dramatic Duet Acting (DDA) Varsity
Helena Shaheen 1 Humorous...