Courtesy of Andrew Lin

Students listen attentively during last year’s Speak Up For Change assembly.

This year’s Speak Up for Change week, which begins on Monday, is centered around the theme “If You Knew Me.”

Speak Up for Change (SUFC) is a week-long event hosted every January to promote a more positive, inclusive and supportive school culture through multiple activities every day, and ending with a school assembly where students and staff give speeches. Founded in 2013, SUFC has been praised for being a useful outlet for students in a high-pressure environment to share their thoughts and stories.

On Monday, a school holiday because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, various volunteer opportunities in the student center and cafeteria will be offered for students to help out various nonprofit organizations from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.. Activities include making wigs for cancer patients, preparing lasagna for families in need, creating snack packs for Martha’s Kitchen and beautifying the campus.

From Tuesday to Thursday, 11 clubs have volunteered to host events at tutorial and lunch. From Art4Hearts making bracelets to Spikeball Club hosting Spikeball matches, these clubs hope to develop a supportive environment, aligning with SUFC’s mission.

Courtesy of ASB

Club activities schedule.

On Friday, an all-school assembly will be held in lieu of January’s MOSAIC lesson with students and teachers speaking about their own experiences.

This year, the theme “If You Knew Me” was proposed by senior Jena Lew, the ASB vice president and leader of the Speak up for Change committee. Alluding to the idea that one’s outward appearance may not be who they truly are, Lew hopes this event will allow students to feel less alone about their own struggles.

“One night, I just came up with a ton of ideas, thinking back to my own experiences with mental health and personal struggles,” Lew said. “Speak Up for Change has been recognized as being a good outlet for kids to come out about their struggles so that other kids can know that they’re not alone.”

To choose speakers, ASB conducts a selection process consisting of submitting a script and a video recording or live speech. This year, the speakers are science teacher Jennifer Lee, P.E. teacher Liz Alves, freshman Julie Ye and Diya Ramachandran, junior Hannah Kang and senior Jeffery Wang.

Said Lew: “I think Speak Up for Change is very important for students because I’m sure all of us have gone through a lot. It’s really important to speak about your own feelings and acknowledge that you’re not alone in whatever struggle you may be going through. This event shouldn’t be seen as an assembly, but more like a connection that helps people feel more seen.”