SCOPE finds new place among volunteering clubs

Walking past tables on Club Day, students might have passed by the row of tables dedicated solely to volunteering clubs. Despite the other clubs advertising nearby, a new club called SCOPE still managed to stand out, drawing a crowd through root beer floats, otter pops and enthusiastic shouting.

SCOPE meets each Friday at lunch with adviser Ken Nguyen in room 001 and is the latest to join the ranks of the school’s volunteering clubs. Rather than compete with more established service organizations, SCOPE has found a niche by focusing on issues regarding children and the elderly.

“We mainly want our club to impact the elders and the youth because they are sometimes the most neglected group in society. We hope that our work and dedication can change their lives for the better,” said junior Emily Li, the club’s co-president.

According to junior Yoonju Pak, the club’s secretary, the club will direct its attention to health and education issues through two main donation and fundraising projects this year.

The club plans to promote education by holding a book drive for nearby schools that do not have enough educational materials.

“We’re primarily focused on children because that’s where we think education starts,” Pak said. “If you don’t have a good basis or foundation of education, it’s harder when you grow older.”

SCOPE’s second project will raise money for Eatwell tableware sets to assist people with motor or cognitive disabilities. Each set contains over 20 unique features, such as slanted bottoms of bowls that allow users to gather food on one side without having to scoop. SCOPE will purchase these sets and donate them to places such as the Saratoga Senior Center.

Like other service clubs on campus, SCOPE will hold long-term projects and provide local volunteering opportunities, but it differs from the older clubs in many ways.

Whereas SCOPE exists only at SHS, clubs such as Interact and Key Club can be found all over the globe. Interact, which is divided into many different areas within each district, holds benefit shows, charity dinners and service events.

Areas also work together on an international project and a community project each year. Unlike the local and less-established SCOPE, Interact allows students from different schools to meet and work together.

Key Club and Interact further differ from smaller clubs in that they are sponsored by parent clubs. Kiwanis is the sponsor of Key, and Rotary is the parent organization for Interact. The combination of sponsorship, international acclaim and history at SHS enable Key Club and Interact to attract new members.

“People have extremely high expectations,” Interact co-president Felicia Hung said. “I am aiming to create a huge class of underclassmen that have a deep love for Interact. This way, the legacy will continue, and I will know for sure that Interact will be in good hands.”

While lacking this kind of foundation, SCOPE distinguishes itself from larger service organizations by targeting specific issues rather than a variety of causes. In fact, many of SCOPE’s officers previously participated in clubs like Interact and Key Club, but they left to form SCOPE when these clubs began to lose appeal for them.

“We didn't really see that we were helping, and we wanted to see more of an impact,” Pak said. “By focusing on only health and education, we can see the difference that we make, how we’ve helped and if there are other concerns we can learn more about.”

Despite the wealth of service clubs at the school, the officers believe that there is more than enough room for SCOPE to join the mix.

“Each has different focuses and unique goals and can benefit the student body and community in its own way,” Li said.