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T.A.C.O.
power
No, it's just
Taco Bell.
Many
cash-strapped teenagers understand the brilliance of this fast-food favorite.
After all, where else can a satisfying lunch be found for just two or three
American dollars?
A passion for
The Bell was what led a group of Summerville High School students to create the
T.A.C.O. Club, a community service organization with an emphasis on the Power
of the Taco. I am one of the founding members, so I know firsthand that the
quest for official club sponsorship and recognition has been difficult.
Sophomore
Jake Bertram, 16, instigated this modern-day Mexican Revolution. He brought
together a small group of hardcore devotees, and we began the search for a
sponsor. At Summerville, every official club must have a teacher to support it,
so we sought to make a believer out of Jeremy Shumpert, a global studies/U.S.
history teacher fresh out of college.
Mr. Shumpert,
a fellow Taco Bell fan, immediately saw the budding organization's potential
and agreed to sponsor us. Initially, we wanted to create a high school
frorority (combination fraternity and sorority), but we needed to do something
productive to become a legitimate club. So we agreed that we would join the
crowded arena of community service.
Summerville
High School already recognizes several service-oriented clubs, including Key
Club, Beta Club and Habitat for Humanity. It was obvious that we needed our own
slant on helping the community. Thus, our fellowship of taco aficionados came
to be known as the T.A.C.O. Club: Teens Active in Community Outreach.
The club now
meets once a month on school activity days, with around 40 students packed into
Mr. Shumpert's classroom like beans in a burrito. The meetings generally are
marked by some unruliness, but we eventually get down to business.
Meetings also
are held at 3:30 p.m. every Sunday at the Summerville Taco Bell on Bacon's
Bridge Road. The turnout for these meetings is smaller (eight to 12 members),
but it's enough to fill the compact eatery. We take advantage of the hallowed
49-Cent Taco Day, often sparking lively debates on the age-old paradox of
crunchy vs. soft. Many great minds have grappled with the concept.
When the
disagreements have been defused and the quesadillas have been crunched, we
clear the tables and discuss our fledgling club's real issues. Jake, our
elected president, passes meeting outlines around the room, and every member
provides input on the club's future.
While we are
still in the initial planning stage, we have discussed many club functions. One
of the first projects brought to the table was an anti-drinking campaign
(suggested slogan: "Tacos, not tequilas!"). The club also decided to
set up a Pennies for Patients program at Summerville High School, where we'll
collect change to fund cancer research.
One
far-reaching goal is to embark on an alternative spring break, in which we'll
leave town to engage in community service. For instance, we might build houses
in the Appalachians or teach English to South Florida immigrants.
So the
T.A.C.O. Club isn't just a group of sophomoric sophomores with an unnatural
hankering for Taco Bell. And we're not just a group of guys either. Marlee
Waters, a regular attendee at the Sunday meetings, says that being a female
member of what could have been a male-dominated club "makes me feel
special."
The
restaurant staff has grown accustomed to our weekly gatherings, and they
usually seem glad to see us. Tempestt Williams, a Taco Bell employee, couldn't
help but eavesdrop on one of our meetings. When I asked her about the Power of
the Taco, she explained that it lies in the meat, especially the unique Taco
Bell seasonings. She said she did not to know the ingredients of this mystery
flavoring, but I suspect there's a little magic sprinkled in there.
Tony Martin,
club vice president, gets a little choked up when he talks about the Power of
the Taco. "The hot, steaming beef, when mixed with the melting cheese and
freshly picked lettuce, creates an invigorating sensation," he reflects
with mock solemnity. I know where he's coming from, but there's more to it than
mere taste-bud appeal.
Consider
Jake's vision. For him, the club is not just about the burn for burritos or the
need for nachos, but about transforming teenage boredom into a positive force
in society.
"We're
not getting a lot of respect from the community and school," he complains,
adding that he intends to improve the club's image. "Just wait and see
what we're going to do this year."