By: Flynn Lloyd | Editor in Chief
May 3, 2019
The 15-year-running Best Buddies Club at San Clemente High School is no hidden gem to students, as this year the club attracted hundreds of Triton members. This club is well known and loved across campus as it fosters friendship and kindness from all backgrounds and learning levels.
Best Buddies is a club that acts as a sanctuary for happiness on our campus and is welcoming to all students. The Best Buddies Club has been one of our most popular clubs for years because of its ability to form connections for students who naturally have difficulty doing so.
The Best Buddies room that students go to every Monday at lunch has an indescribable warmth. Able bodied students take their own time to get to know students and form lifelong friendships. The buddies in the club always light up when their friends come on Monday’s and always seem delighted to have someone listen to their stories or just sit silently with them and provide company and compassion.
Over the course of this year, Best Buddies has held many amazing events that leave a lasting impact on a wide range of students. Kicking off with the Special Olympics and the Disneyland trip, to holiday parties and talent shows, Best Buddies has events that always leave students with smiles across their face. The Special Olympics and Talent Show are especially memorable as they celebrate the talents and abilities that disadvantaged students aren’t usually recognized for. Both the Olympics and the Talent Show are open to all students to support, help, or even perform, and both are so rewarding and heartwarming.
“My favorite moment this year was dancing with Grace [his buddy] on stage for the talent show,” Best Buddies Club President Indy Day said. “It was so much fun and connected us so much more.” These events build the friendships between students and are fun events for everyone, including the buddies.
Each event has a unique aspect that makes it special. The Special Olympics includes students from Best Buddies programs in other schools within the Capistrano Unified School District, the Talent Show fills the more seats than the little theatre can fit and leaves the audience in tears, and the holiday parties allow students to dress up and dance freely. All of the events the Best Buddies Club has hosted thus far have been successful and beneficial to the kindness SCHS fosters.
This club raises awareness for acting with compassion and building friendships with those who may seem different than you. This club encourages stepping outside one’s comfort zone to reach out to someone new and make unlikely friends. Once one joins this club, it’s hard not to fall in love with it and every student involved.
“I love best buddies because it has introduced me to new opportunities and people and has made me a more open minded person,” senior Camille Ahola said. “Due to Best Buddies, I have become more aware of my own good fortune and I now have a stronger passion towards making everyone feel included.”
Just recently the club leaders have started to raise money for the upcoming year. With a goal of $700 for funding the amazing events they provide, they are still looking for donations. Although this year still holds a few more upcoming events for this club, including the Best Buddies Prom on May , the leader’s are beginning to plan for the next year.
Prospective President, Sydney Seefeldt, said, “
The next year for Best Buddies is looking bright, and this year has been one to remember. If you hadn’t had the chance to join the club this past year, I encourage you to join it, or go to some of the events, and make new friends next year!
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