"Diversity beans" and letter-writing campaigns may raise awareness, but they don't raise a whole lot of cash.

An Amnesty International club of high school students at Antioch Community High School won't get school funding this year, much to the dismay of more than a dozen members who showed up at a school board meeting last week.

"We're disappointed," said Maggie McDonald, a junior and member of the club. "That would have been everything to us. Right now we're strapped, for cash and stamps are expensive."

The Amnesty group was formed last year and received no money from the school because it was a new group. This year, the group asked for $500 but was one of eight groups that didn't get money. Superintendent Jay Sabatino said the groups will be reviewed and could get money next school year.

Other newer groups that didn't receive money were a gamers club and a ski and snowboard club. New groups that did receive money were a Spanish club, a math club and an Operation Snowball club, which promotes drug awareness, Sabatino said.

"We just have to look into it," Sabatino said. "For example, the gamers club, that sounds like more of a social club, so there is some hesitation."

Amnesty International is a human rights organization with more than 1 million members worldwide. There are about 30 students who meet weekly at Antioch Community High School.

Like last year, the group members will operate solely on money they raise themselves. Most of their money is spent on stamps for letters to government leaders who the group alleges violate human rights.

The stamps - which can run up to 80 cents per letter - are paid for with fund-raisers the group does throughout the school year. For example, the group sells "diversity beans," which are jelly beans with mixed-up flavors. For example, red jelly beans have grape flavoring.

"They show that things aren't always what they appear," McDonald said. "They were a pretty big hit."

The group sold about 50 pounds of diversity beans.

This weekend, the group hosted a 24-hour "write-a-thon" where kids took turns writing letters to governments in Mexico, Kosovo and other places where students feel people are unfairly treated or imprisoned.

Vickie DeMarco, a junior, helped start the group last year and held the "write-a-thon" at her home Friday and Saturday.

"In Mexico, women are raped and murdered and the police don't even look into it," said DeMarco during a break on Saturday.

She said school funding will allow her group to write more letters and invite speakers to the school.

"Everything we do is based on money," DeMarco said.

DeMarco said she's crossing her fingers that her group will get some school funds next year.

"We'll work with whatever we have," she said.

© 2004 Daily Herald, Paddock Publications, Inc.

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