Every Friday, shortly before the clock strikes 8:00 a.m., a line forms outside of S105. Students of all grade levels crowd around, eagerly awaiting the opening of the classroom door. Once welcomed inside, they are met with the smell of none other than quality bagels, fresh from New York Bagels and Bialys in Skokie. After selecting their bagel of choice, attendees settle down and enjoy the live entertainment of the Bagel Band, a jazz group comprised of ETHS students. The music flows out into the hall, causing others to peer inside the classroom and locate the melody’s origins. If they do look, they will find the dimly lit space where Alliance members are free to socialize, get some work done or just eat their bagels. This is the Student-Bagel Alliance, a new club with a unique vision.
SBA was founded in early January of this year by seniors Sam Froum, Nate Greenwald, and David Polish with the help of their teacher sponsor, Courtney Randle.
As for why they founded it, in the words of Greenwald: “Throughout our lives we had been eating the delicate food that bagels truly are, but we realized that others didn’t understand the power of them. We understood that we needed a way to help people understand that, and so from that, we created this movement, this powerful thing that has brought people together and created what we know as the Student-Bagel Alliance.”
The founders originally dreamt of SBA back in their junior year and eventually had the means to follow through with it this winter. After communicating with the organizers at New York Bagels and Bialys, “They were intrigued and they saw the potential. They understood that free food alone was popular, and with us providing a sought after brand of a sought after cuisine, there was going to be a lot of interest.”
As for the Bagel Band, “All three of us felt that live music would do wonders for the vibe and energy that we were hoping to create. After this consensus, I reached out to a few very talented musicians who I knew, and the rest is history.”
This dedication throughout the process was evident even to first-timer Milana Stockwell, who expressed that her favorite part was, “the founders walking around and explaining where they got their bagels,” and enthusiastically added that she plans to come back.
In the time between its inception and today, SBA has quickly garnered traction with students. Two months after the first meeting, there is already a base of loyal club members who look forward to spending their Friday mornings there. It appears as though the founders’ dreams of uniting people through bagels have finally come to fruition.
In the future, SBA hopes to grow its relationship with New York Bagels and Bialys so NYBB can benefit from the success of the club. “Of course, there are many quirks which we hope to sift out as time and experience come our way,” Greenwald says, “However, the three supreme leaders’ time is running short with senior year, and we continue to keep a vigilant eye for any pioneers hoping to carry on the legacy of SBA and expand upon it.”
For readers who want to experience Student-Bagel Alliance for themselves, meetings are on Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 8:25 in S105.
