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Interact Second Semester Newsletter 1
INTERACT
SECOND SEMESTER
N EWSLETTER
By: Phong Hong & Joyce Huang
INDEPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Interact is a more than a community service club because it also provides abundant opportunities for
friendship and leadership. Through Interact Club, different individuals come together with the same
vision, to better our community and change the world. Interactors also make an unique global impact
with a different International Project each year. This year’s project, entitled “Life, Love, Literacy,”
involves raising $100,000 to build a school and library in Bangladesh to promote literacy.
We welcome you to Interact!
Interact Second Semester Newsletter 1
Co-Community Officers’ Message….….1
Hours & Monetary Achievements……...2
Community Service Events………..…..2
Major Events…………………….........6
Jeans Drive
Book Drive
Benefit Show
Inspirational Awards
Incentive Cruise
Leadership Team……………………..9
The members want to share their Interact
experience with you! So watch out for these
boxes throughout the newsletter!
Co-Community
Officers Message
Hello, Interactors!
Since the beginning, we have dedicated
ourselves to helping our community and
raising money for our International Project,
“Life, Love, Literacy.”
From countless service events to a
phenomenal Benefit Show, Interactors were
seen out and about, making an impactful
difference while having a lot of fun! Through
serving the community on a local and global
scale, Interactors have become active citizens
in making the world a better place. Take
pride in what you Interactors have done
through this club because one person makes
all the difference, and everybody’s combined
contributions allow us to lend a hand to not
only touch the lives of people close to home
but also to those far across the world in
Bangladesh.
To look back on yet another incredible year of
Interact, we proudly present our second
semester newsletter that highlights the
accomplishments and memories we’ve made.
We hope that Interact can feel like a family to
you, with people you not only work with, but
befriend, as you learn and grow from each
other. We hope this newsletter can help you
fondly reminisce on your experiences
alongside other great Interactors in creating
change for the better.
Peace, Love, Interact!
Phong Hong & Joyce Huang
The members want to share their Interact
What draws you to
Interact Club, and why
did you stay?
What is your favorite
Interact event?
Interact Second Semester Newsletter 1
HOURS & MONETARY Achievements
ss
Seniors
Freshman
Sophomores
Juniors
39{active members}
603.35{hours}
Alum Rock Neighborhood Planting We were working with Our City Forest to plant trees
throughout the Alum Rock residential area. The
volunteers were divided into groups and went to
different areas to plant saplings. Working in the
morning in such a beautiful, calming landscape was a
very enriching experience.
Event led by: Andrew Tran and Kevin Luong
COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENTS
Freshmen
SCHOOL SERVICE HOURS
5,894.86
SCHOOL DONATED
$707
AREA 6 SERVICE HOURS
10,660
AREA 6 DONATED
$14,166
78{active members}
1,191.27{hours}
39 {active
members}
310.05 {hours}
27 {active members}
243.94 {hours}
These hours
are from
second
semester and
summer.
2
Interact Second Semester Newsletter 3
COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENTS
Vinci’s Family Fun Night The event was really fun. Everyone was cooperative and
dedicated. There were so many jobs available, and
everybody was glad to switch around and take care of the
game stands. There were a lot of volunteers who
participated in this event, so we took turns running the
games and taking breaks.
Event led by: Kevin Luong and Colin Nguyen
“I like the winter guard/perc championships
because I get to watch the performances.”
-Christine Du, Freshman
“I liked the amazing, friendly environment,
and I stayed for the awesome Interactors.”
-Tiffanie Tang, Sophomore
“I like (environment) beautification. I did a lot of
work, it was a lot of fun, and I got to help the
community.” -Vivian Nguyen, Sophomore
Heritage Rose Garden Lake Pick-Up
In the morning, we met up at
the lake office and were
welcomed with donuts and hot
coffee, which were provided by
LEO Club. Afterwards, we
scavenged the creek side for a
variety of trash, varying from
paper bags and spoons to
batteries and bicycles. It felt
self-gratifying knowing that we
played a part in re-beautifying
the creek, which is an essential
part to the bay and our
environment. In addition, we
met really nice people and
made awesome new friends
from James Lick High School!
Event led by: Jason Phan
Interact Second Semester Newsletter 4
Easter Egg Hunt
This event was hosted by UC Berkeley. It
gathered kids from all over the Bay Area to
join in Easter festivities such as egg hunting,
face painting, etc. The event also
incorporated some leadership booths where
kids could learn and also do interactive
activities at. Even though it was all the way
in Berkeley, IHS Interact club saw no limits
to volunteering, so they made it up there.
The volunteers were assigned to the Egg
Hunting section... here the volunteers helped
the kids count their eggs and re-stocked the
fields with eggs. It was a well-spent
volunteering event!
Event led by: Hoa Ngo
Silicon Valley International Triathlon
Volunteers were split into 3 groups. One group helped in the process of the
Marathon, another group stayed at the finish line to congratulate the finishers
with ice cold water and medals, and the last group stayed at the canteen tent to
distribute snacks to everyone at the event. As if volunteering wasn't fun enough,
the whole marathon itself was a blast to be at. It was pure great entertainment
watching athletes of all ages from 18 to 64 compete in a grueling competition that
tests both their physical and mental capabilities. And of course the best part of
the day was...... getting tons of free things! Every volunteer was awarded free
shirts, water bottles, and food to bring home.
Event led by: Kenneth Go
“Fall Leadership Conference is my favorite Interact event
because it was really fun meeting people from my area
and different areas while cheering with them.”
-Kevin Tran, Senior
“I like going to the meetings and
seeing what everyone tries to do. I
like the impact we’re making in the
community.”
-Peter Tran, Sophomore
Interact Second Semester Newsletter 5
District 4 Great American Litter Pickup A lot of volunteers
showed up for this
event, and everyone
worked really hard the
whole time. We picked
up trash around
campus and places
near campus to help
keep our community
clean.
Event led by: Tuong
Huynh and Annie Vu
“Charity Dinner because I love eating food
and watching people perform.”
-Vivien Trinh, Junior
“I like beautification. I did
a lot of work, it was a
lot of fun, and I got to
help the community.”
-Vivian Nguyen,
Sophomore
“There’s a lot of friendly
people, and it’s a very
comfortable
environment to be in.”
-Rika Watanabe,
Sophomore
“Benefit Show because
it was really funny to
watch, and it helped
children in Bangladesh.
So it was fun with a
purpose.” -Sabrina Ma,
Junior
Loaves and Fishes At Goodwill, Interactors served the less
fortunate hot meals and drinks! We
helped cut potatoes and apples, dried
dishware, and poured drinks. It was
overall really fun to work with food and
for the community. We met some really
kind people and got to know the people
in our community a little bit better.
Event led by: Cindy Nguyen and Justin
Wiltron
Lunar Celebration This year the various booths at the Lunar
New Year Celebration Festival were placed
outdoors. Interact's booth was in charge of
assisting kids to decorate hats. Even when
there were not many kids at our booth,
volunteers prepared hats and organized
decorations, so it would be easier for kids to
reach when they came. The volunteers had a
lot of fun helping the kids while being
patient with them! Event led by: Howard Wong (Shift 2)
These individuals think CMF is fun:
Daphne Sall, Freshman
Devin Tuong, Sophomore
Kathleen Joe, Freshman
Lan Le, Freshman
Royson Lin, Freshman
Interact Second Semester Newsletter 6
“Definitely the UC Davis Rotary sleepover because I
really loved meeting other people from areas 1-12,,
and it was great meeting all those wonderful
people. I loved connecting with them.”
-Melissa Ly, Sophomore
“I joined because my friends
convinced me to. I stayed for
the wonderful atmosphere
and friendly board members. I
thoroughly enjoyed my time.
5/5 would join again.”
-Jason Ma, Junior
“Orchard workday that Kevin Luong led. I’m a
skilled gardener, so it was great to use that skill
to help others.” -Michael Balance, Freshman
Major Events
Teens for Jeans Did you know that 1.7 million teens are
homeless in the U.S., and the #1 item they
request from shelters is a pair of jeans? In
conjunction with Aeropostale’s Teens for
Jeans campaign, Interact had a jeans drive
that got the whole school involved. The drive
lasted around 3 weeks, and Independence
students showed their compassion with a
grand total of 120 jeans donated by the end of
the drive. The jeans went to Aeropostale to be
donated to people in our local community in
need of them. Way to go, Sixers!
Book Drive
Interact collected books for a month
to be donated to the Santa Clara
County Reading Council for people
in our local community! We believe
that books open up opportunities for
children to learn more about the
world around them. All kinds of
books were collected, including
picture books, chapter books, and
even adult books. The books
conjured up fond, childhood
memories, making people nostalgic
but also happy to think of their
books being enjoyed by other people
in need of them.
Interact Second Semester Newsletter 7
Benefit Show
Benefit Show is an annual charity event that
Interact Area 6 hosts to raise funds for our
International project. Every year, talented
individuals entertain and captivate the audience
with varied acts, such as singing, ribbon dancing,
and even band performances. The amazing thing
about the show, besides the wondrous showcase of
local talents, was that it was put together by
Interact members, showing the impact youth can
make when we work together for the same cause.
Inspirational Awards
It’s that time of year again when we appreciate our fellow classmates,
teachers, and faculty members by writing Inspirational Awards.
Teachers who put in extra time to tutor, friends who never fail to cheer
you up, or maybe even someone you briefly met who left an impression
on you ─ now’s your chance to let them know how they inspired and
touched you. Teachers enjoyed scrumptious Togo’s sandwiches at a
lunch ceremony, while students had delicious cake at an after-school
ceremony!
Interact Second Semester Newsletter 8
We surveyed our members about which fundraisers they would like to see in the club
during the upcoming year. Members voted between recreational activities and
restaurant fundraisers. Then, each member voted on their favorite recreational activity
and restaurant preference, Grab-n-Go like food trucks or Sit-Down like Red Robin.
“The way you get to make
new friends, the people, the
events are rewarding.”
-Nhu Tran, Sophomore
Others agree that Interact is
fun because of its people
and community service
events:
Bryan Nguyen, Sophomore
Elizabeth Hoang, Sophomore
Katherine Ngo, Freshman
Duyen Tran, Freshman
George Sheng, Junior
Michelle Truong, Senior
“Halloween haunted house, we helped build
this great place for children to come and get a
new experience of Halloween. We also got to
interact with the kids and show them a good
time.” -Joshua Marin, Junior
INCENTIVE CRUISE
Incentive Cruise is an annual event that
rewards Interactors for their hard work
throughout the year. It is also an
opportunity for Interactors to meet one
another and then get their groove on, all
while sailing around the majestic San
Francisco Bay. Independence brought 12
members to this event, and everyone had a
fabulous time. It was really great to be able
to see old friends from around the district
as well as meet new faces. The cruise
offered fantastic views of the Bay Bridge,
San Francisco, and Alcatraz. Overall, it was
a really fun trip that all Interactors are
encouraged to experience.
Survey Questions
Interact Second Semester Newsletter 9
Leadership Team
“I joined board originally because I love community service! It
may sound like the cheesiest thing in the world, but even when
I was little I loved it, but everyone told me that I was too
young. Interact gave me an opportunity to involve myself in the
community, and as I applied for board later it helped me with
leadership building, social skills, and people skills. As of now, I
absolutely LOVE board, they're like a big family, and I don't
know how I could live without them!!! Anyone with even a
slight interest should apply for board! It has changed my life
for the better (:” – Maddie Takemori
, Sophomore
“I wanted to change the views of ‘Interact.’ I want people to
know that Interact isn't just about the service events, but
about how everyone as a team can do so much more to impact a
certain group or area of people. Lastly, I'd like people to not
automatically think Interact is a big, intimidating club. But
from a different perspective, how simple events can be fun and
help yourself develop better socializing skills.” – Howard Wong,
Sophomore
“When I joined board, my love for Interact
grew, and I guess I found my true
intentions deep inside of me. I wanted to
join board because I wanted to bring out
the leader in me, bring out the side that
had been dwelling inside of me for quite
some time, and actually commit to giving
back to the community and inspiring those
around me. Being a part of Interact also
gave me a background idea of what I
wanted to do in the future, because being
able to help out the less fortunate was an
amazing feeling that grew inside of me. As
of now, I can say I wanted to join Board,
because I wanted to change who I was and
help give back to the community I live in
and begin shedding light on a path I may
take in life.” – Edward Cabusora, Senior
CO-P R E S I D E N T
Cindy Nguyen & Lamanh Le
CO-S E C R E T A R Y
Ashna Mangla & Howard Wong
CO-M E D I A Jeffrey Yu & Jonathan Lam
CO-CO M M U N I T Y Brendan Truong & Katrina Dang
T R E A S U R E R
Annie Vu
The leadership team consists of board members, officers, and advisors. These are the individuals who work together to organize club events such as general meetings and community service events. We have our
upcoming officers who will be leading the club for the 2013-2014 term. A few board members shared their experience of being on board.
Interact Second Semester Newsletter 11
INTERACT Club
As the 2012-2013 school year of Interact ends, another opportunity to fill the long summer
days awaits in Summer Interact. Continue spreading that Interact passion and enjoying
your relaxing vacation time. See you next year bright-eyed and well-rested for an even
bigger and better year filled with Interact amazingness!
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