News

Student Council hosts Texas Children’s Hospital patients at Project Santa

Ishani Kaushik, Managing Editor • Jan 15, 2026

Senior Camilla Flannigan holds out a basket of candy canes toward children at the JROTC setup. After they grabbed candy, the children and their family sat in front of the Christmas and holiday-themed characters to take a picture.

Student Council hosted 110 children from the Texas Children’s Hospital at Project Santa on Main Street on Dec. 13. Over 50 clubs provided gifts for, or “adopted” the children, with 45 of them hosting a booth at the event.

Senior and StuCo Vice President of Community Programs Rustin Golshan reached out to clubs for booth signups and child adoptions and contacted businesses for sponsorships. According to Golshan, StuCo started planning for the event in late October.

“I would say it improved from last year,” Golshan said. “As soon as [the kids] got past the check-in table where some of our officers and members were, they all lit up. It’s nice seeing them go enjoy their time.”

Because ownership of StuCo’s previous sponsors, Pink’s Pizza and Dominos, changed, StuCo had to purchase pizzas from Sam’s Club. Another change they made was labeling children’s gifts with a number instead of a name so that gift distribution was easier.

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“The problem last year was that people couldn’t really hear their names and they got mixed up in the audio,” Golshan said. “So this year, we did this number system, and it was a lot easier.”

In addition to club booths, StuCo hosted performances from eMotion Dance Company, Bollywood Club and varsity guitar. Senior and French National Honor Society co-president Adna Halilagic set up an ornament-decorating booth at the event. FNHS also adopted three children to donate gifts to.

“It was really important to us to give back,” Halilagic said. “I think my favorite part was definitely giving those three kids their gifts, and we even met them at our booth.”

StuCo’s next event is Movie Night in February. To stay up to date on StuCo, follow their Instagram @bellaire.stuco or join their Remind @stuco-card.

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About the Contributors

Ishani Kaushik, Managing Editor

Ishani Kaushik is the Managing Editor and second-year staffer for the Three Penny Press. She is also the editor of the Texas State Junior Classical League newspaper, the Torch, and is on the state executive board. Outside of dabbling in various journalism excursions, Ishani enjoys being a part of Bellaire as the president of Bollywood Club, president of JCL, co-president of STEMsters and a member of the Bellaire Debate team. In her free time, she loves making pasta, reading outdated Roman literature or rewatching her favorite Bollywood movie.

Keith Luo, Chief Photo Editor

Senior Keith Luo is a third-year staffer and the head photographer/chief photo editor for the Three Penny Press. He joined TPP to showcase his passion for photography and to improve his writing and social skills. Oftentimes, you can find Keith brainstorming new recipes to try out and write about in Keith’s Kitchen. Outside of TPP, Keith is also a member of the varsity tennis team, varsity guitar team and is the president of Rice Club. In addition, Keith is heavily involved in the world of dance, photographing for Soundbox Studios and World of Dance alongside the Bellaire performance teams.

Skylar Lew, Photo Editor

Junior Skylar Lew is a second-year staff member on TPP. She is one of five photo editors and enjoys the photography aspects of journalism. Lew is the Lt. Colonel of Belles and Historian for both Rice club and the Vietnamese Student Association. Lew is also a member of NHS and active in AI club, Save the Children, Letters of Love and many more. In her free time, she enjoys karaoke, traveling, and sleeping. Lew is excited for another year with TPP.

Emily Brams, Photo Editor

Emily Brams is a senior and second-year staffer who’s thrilled to step into the role of photo editor this year. She’s passionate about photography and excited to continue capturing moments that matter. At school, Emily is active in Varsity Theater and is an officer in the Eco-Zoology Club. Outside the classroom, you’ll likely find her looking at books that she will never buy at Barnes & Noble, binge-watching her favorite shows, or enjoying a nap.

Dhara Agrawal, Photo Editor

Dhara Agrawal is a junior and one of the Photo Editors. She joined TPP to learn more about Bellaire’s community and to improve her writing skills. She is the co-president of Photo Society and Hindi National Honor Society, vice president of Dessert Club, and a Magnet Ambassador for Hindi. When she’s not writing stories, you can find her in her bed, cozy with a good book, or behind the camera lens.