Cru kicked off a new year of meetings with a 50-foot long banana split, that was covered in whipped cream and stretched across two cafeteria tables.

About 30 students attended the Sept. 9 Cru kick-off, where KPHS Mark Ruffin addressed the group.

Cru is a Christian organization with the purpose of spreading its message of faith and kindness all over campus. The student leaders make a point of greeting newcomers with smiles and friendly faces.

At meetings, students discuss common struggles such as grades, relationships, social interactions and how faith and fellowship can help Cru members get past the problems that they face. Then they talk about how they can work together to face these problems together.

For some students, Cru has helped them make life-changing friendships.

“Cru has helped me build amazing friendships through similarities I would have never known I had with people without the Cru organization,” said junior Julia Neff, one of the student leaders.

Students aren’t the only ones affected by Cru though, it also has a great impact on the staff as well.

Ruffin told the group that he loves seeing the diversity in Cru meetings.

“We have short kids, tall kids, basketball player, baseball player, singers, dancers, cool kids, not-so-cool ones but, in here and to these kids, none of that means anything,” he said. “All that matters to them is what they believe in and that they try everyday to follow what it means.”