Carlmont’s Associated Student Body (ASB) constantly works to include all students; however, its Reach Out Commission goes above and beyond when it comes to involving students.
Initially created to offer students an open chance to engage with others, the Reach Out Commission’s events have become a staple of the community at Carlmont. They provide everyone an opportunity to connect and build relationships.
“Reach Out Hangouts provide a social outlet to the kids who don’t otherwise have the same kind of opportunities that other teenagers might have,” said James Kelly, the ASB director. “These events are specifically intended to be a bunch of teenagers hanging out, eating food, playing games, and being teenagers.”
Reach Out hangouts serve as social events where students at Carlmont can connect with each other on personal levels. They help foster deeper connections, allowing students to spend time interacting with each other one-on-one.
“Reach Out gives everyone that participates a sense of belonging, especially after the hangouts, at school, if we see a familiar face, you get that connection from these events,” said Emily Song, facilitator of the Reach Out Commission.
These hangouts focus on helping students build personal connections, as opposed to the larger school events like Homecoming, Winter Formal, or Prom.
“I like the fact that it’s a small group of people, not too big, which enables you to connect more and allows you to talk with people more directly. Since it’s a smaller group, it makes it easier to communicate because I’m less nervous,” said Yasmin Lahmar, a sophomore at Carlmont.
The commission organizes these events once a month, planning activities to engage the participants. These activities range from casual games like basketball to hosting small dances, giving students plenty of opportunities to get involved.
“We plan these events once a month, so we try to make them elaborate. We spend a lot of time on logistics and try to go into the Student Assisting Center (SAC) and Independent Learning Skills (ILS) classes to bring more awareness to these events,” Song said.
