SOSPOP replaces Days of Diversity

The Season of Service, Period of Peace (SOSPOP) will replace Days of Diversity this year, and if all goes well, for future years to come.  

SOSPOP is a ten-week period from Martin Luther King Day in January through Cesar Chavez Day in March during which students engage in non-violence and peace oriented service projects.

Clubs signed up, some in partnership with others, to “sponsor” one of the ten weeks and plan activities within a theme of their choice. There are generally no restrictions on the activities, therefore clubs have respective freedom to articulate their week however they would like.

Communal events are encouraged, rather than remaining within the confines of our school campus.

“It’s going to be a fun way for the clubs to express their thoughts on the service they do. I think it will be a great way for the school to give back as a whole,” said Eman Nagi, one of the ASB club commissioners.

So far, the clubs that have signed up represent a diverse spectrum of peace-oriented themes, giving students a platform to take responsibility for the culture and climate of our campus.

Sign ups include clubs whose sizes range from the largest on campus to new ones created just this year. Just to list a few of the wide range of themes: religious tolerance, sweatshops, mental health awareness, women in STEM, transgender awareness, sexual assault, and world peace.

“I’m extremely excited for SOSPOP because it is giving us students a chance to spread awareness about different projects and current issues that WE care about! The way SOSPOP is set up is for students to lead, so my club and I really get to make the week our own,” commented Simone True, president of the Interact Club.

Rather than the traditional schedule of a larger Days of Diversity celebration every other year, SOSPOP will be, in a sense, an even larger celebration of diversity. If our school’s first SOSPOP concludes to be an eventful success, it will be incorporated into the annual calendar.

“As a club president, I am in love with the idea of having a week to promote my club! I almost feel it’s too good to be true. There is so much my officer board and I have wanted to accomplish, I believe that opening it up to the entire school is a great way to reach out to students who have always wanted to get more involved and just haven’t found the outlet,” said Michelle Moreno, president of the Red Cross Club.