What is hopecore?

Hopecore is a viral trend on many social media platforms that became popular in late 2023.

The trend shows videos of kind acts from everyday life, with positive saying “Life is beautiful,” or “Be kind.” The videos are meant to show inspiration about hope and the beauty that life has to offer. Overall, hopecore is bringing light to spaces that have been filled with hate and violence. 

Students and faculty in the Maize district are also capturing that positivity, with many working with new clubs and non-profit organizations, and some are just doing what they can to bring a smile to others.

Words of encouragement

In September 2023, students at Maize High started putting up prayer sinks in the school bathrooms. When students walk into the bathrooms, they may see encouraging Post-it notes all over the mirrors.

 Junior Taylor Dill is a promoter of this initiative.

“You walk into the bathroom, and you see these positive notes, and hopefully it’ll help make your day,” Dill said. The notes are a gift from a group of Christian students in the school, and these values show in the work Dill is doing. 

“I just wanted to spread love and spread my religion in the best way possible, by not forcing anybody, but allowing them to join in or feel welcome.”

Head and heart

Students are taking advantage of volunteer opportunities outside of the Maize district. MSHS Junior Jacob Weir spent his time during his sophomore year as an Ambassador for the American Heart Association. The organization focuses on raising awareness for heart disease and healthy lifestyles. The group also gives many students real life experiences, including CPR training and hosting events, such as their telethon.

“We did a number of things, mostly community service, and we also participated in some events like the Heart Ball, which was a big event that we held to raise money,” Weir said. He spent time getting to know people out in the community after his mom encouraged him to become an ambassador. 

“I got to know members of the community, because we got to sit down and talk to some important people,” he said. “It was a genuinely good experience, and I recommend it for most people because it was pretty fun, and you get to learn a lot.”

Fighting the flood

The hurricanes hit the coast hard this season, and Maize South is doing what they can to help. This Halloween, MSHS Stuco had a costume day, and asked people to make a donation to hurricane relief. Senior Erin Wilson is the Stuco president, and she was excited to take on the opportunity.

“This was Mr. Boykins’s idea,” Wilson said. “We went to a Stuco conference and one of the leaders said that we shouldn’t wait for other people to help.” The participation in the fundraiser at the school has given her hope about what the community can do.

“It feels good knowing that, as a student body, other students are helping,” she said. “That we can ask and they’ll help us.”

Cheering them on

Maize High Cheer has been helping with many organizations lately, one of which is in support of their own alumni.

The Love Like Remi Foundation is a suicide prevention program named after Maize cheerleader Remington Young who went on to cheer at KU, and Young unfortunately took her life in 2022. For senior Carys Mauldin, a current Maize cheerleader, her cheering was an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the nonprofit.

“Maize cheer does a miracle minute for honor flight, and it always does really well,” Mauldin said. “I thought it would be a good idea to do it for Love Like Remi.” For Mauldin, the organization is even more personal. 

“Remington Young was someone that I cheered with when I was younger,” she said. “Her mom started the Love Like Remi foundation to spread the word that you’re not alone.”

A happy song

Grace Nielsen is a special education teacher at Maize High School who sings to students as they leave the school. Her singing started in early September as a way to help the administrators. 

“The admin needed help getting kids out of the building after school, and I thought it would be funny to sing them out,” Nielsen said. She does not see herself as a singer, but she wants to create a positive environment in any way she can. 

“I have come to just be happy with who I am, and I know that I am a goofball,” she said. “I realized that as a teacher, we see students for such a short amount of time, so I like to create a positive environment for my coworkers and students.”

Ending the stigma

Zero Reasons Why is a mental health awareness program that started in Johnson County, Kansas, and Maize South High recently started a new chapter. Counselor Mandy Herrman is the sponsor, and she is happy to give help to anyone that needs it. 

“We have several students that attended the [ZeroReasonsWhy] retreat this summer, and they were very excited about the program, and they reached out to me to see if I would sponsor the club,” Herrman said. For her, taking care of mental health is an important thing to all communities. 

“Everybody has mental health, and it’s important that we all take care of our mental health and support each other.”