Metea’s Tri-M society is currently hosting an iPod/iPhone drive through an organization called Music in Our Memories so that students can deliver their old (but functioning) technology to people with conditions that affect their memory. Their goal is to collect 100 iPods/iPhones to provide resources for people to reconnect with their past. The deadline is Feb. 28, but may be extended through the rest of the week. There’s a collection box in the music hallway and by the choir room to donate the iPods and iPhones.

“The idea of this kind of stems from a TEDx Talk that Mr. Staley, who’s the former Fine Arts department chair at Neuqua, did, and it’s about helping out patients with memory loss. Scientific research has identified that music is the last thing to go in the brain, so what they’re trying to do is create playlists of songs they liked from their youth so that it rekindles their memories and enable them to interact through music,” band teacher Josh Kaminsky said.

Not only does this drive help people in the DuPage County, but it also has an effect on the Metea community, as a lot of these issues affect Mustangs.

“A lot of students here at Metea have family members who have dementia so we’re hoping this raises awareness [of] them and reconnects with their own families and inspires them to create their own playlists,” choir teacher Paulette Boddy said.

By providing people with these resources, the hopes are that by reconnecting with their memories, they ultimately able to reconnect with their own families.

“Small impacts like these sometimes go unnoticed, but I really think it’s special. It’s hard to imagine not being able to remember things from one’s past. The officers and myself have been working hard to make the drive known, and are really happy to see it paying off,” Tri-M president and senior Claire Samojedny said.

The Tri-M Society is very excited to participate in the event, and wants to encourage everybody to take part in it.

“It’s really amazing what the work they’re doing is, and I’m so proud that we get to help,” Tri-M band spokesperson and junior Tyler Burleyson said.