[Student Reporters] S.O.S. Is anyone out there? Turns out, There is
Jennifer Joh <10th, Peninsula High School>
It is normal to expect community service clubs common interest clubs social clubs or political clubs on a high school campus. At Peninsula High however a new kind of club with new ideas and most importantly new students has revealed itself to student life. Every week a club called Stressed Out Students (SOS) gather together to talk about stress pressure and supporting each other as peers.
The purpose of SOS established by two students on campus is to unify stressed students and encourage support. This may be a familiar story. What is special however is that this club directly reaches out to new students including transfers and freshmen. Invitations are sent out to new students to attend a luncheon in the school College & Career Center. Members of the club make treats such as cookies to share with the attendees.
"The hard part about school is fitting in. It's normal for teenagers to search for their identity. Especially for transfer students it's hard to take the initiative to make new friends with a pack of strangers. For freshmen there is always that division after middle school" said Christine Lopez the safe school counselor and the faculty advisor of the club.
The SOS Club attempted to organize a buddy system; however with the unexpectedly huge turnout of students they also came to realize that there were more lonely peers than anyone had realized. While everyone ate lunch the SOS members asked questions interacted with new students and welcomed them to Peninsula. The new students also naturally mingled with themselves also. "It's going to take time but in the long run SOS is going to be a useful way for new students to find their place here" said Regina Lemont the SOS co-president.
SOS is currently working on furthering their cause and to continue bettering the social lives on campus with plans of future meetings and events.