Interact Insider | Issue 16

District News District News

World Interact Week

By Tiffany Hua | Area 6

Daybreak District Council is back in November with another jaw-dropping event! During World Interact Week (WIW), from October 31 to November 5, DC organized special Interact social media challenges and a fundraiser at Teatop Milpitas, allowing Interactors all over the district to celebrate Interact’s 60th birthday both online and in person!

On Montage Monday, Interactors expressed what Interact or service means to them. Tuesday was Trick O’ Tuesday, where people could post pictures of their Halloween costumes! Moving on to Pay It Forward on Wednesday, Interactors stuck positive notes in public areas. Throwback Thursday was a day for Interactors to

post Interact memories, which were joyful, meaningful moments for many. On Freerice Friday, Interactors competed to earn grains of rice, which totaled 213,590 grains. On Saturday, or World Interact Day, Interactors from different areas reunited and enjoyed drinks, food, and merch at TeaTop Milpitas. Celebrating WIW could not have happened without our determined event coordinators Kylie and Jesus who planned the activities and publicists Akhil and Winnie who designed bright, creative flyers under a cohesive, colorful theme for each day. But that’s not all –they also created story templates and physical banners at TeaTop! Reflecting back on the week, Kylie notes that “Trick o ’ Treat Tuesday and Throwback Thursday were the more popular story prompts out of all five.” However, both Kylie and Area 6 Director Edenn Le enjoyed the fundraiser the most! DC was able to widen their reach since “ we were able to recruit customers that weren’t Interactors” Edenn comments. Kylie also appreciated

"getting to see all these Interactors and Rotarians come out over a shared love of Interact and boba” a heartwarming experience indeed. Special shoutout to TeaTop for being an incredible host, helping Kylie and Jesus, and even forming their own graphic that advertised what “Interact Recommends”!

Though most events were online, this week fostered the spread of Interact and strengthened its community. From raising money for Community and International Projects to reflecting on one ’ s Interact journey, our district is growing stronger in service impact and love or oth tha

Water We Up To? Raising Awareness on Polio

By Kayla Espinosa | Area 5

The Ripple Effect: The compelling title of this year ’ s International Project. With its meaningful name comes its powerful

purpose in supporting equitable water access to provide clean water and hygiene education to the rural villages of Honduras. The project also involves eradicating polio, a life threatening disease that can result in paralysis and death. Let’s dive further into the negative impact of polio and ways to raise awareness about this vital global health concern. Polio is a rare but deadly disease caused by contact with contaminated food and water. Although this disease is preventable through

vaccination, many low income communities do not have access to immunization treatments. As a result, 1 in 200 infections lead to irreversible paralysis, resulting in a mortality rate of 5 15%. This disease also causes mental fatigue and speech disability. Raising awareness about polio and the significance of accessible immunization aids in protecting children from the detrimental effects of this disease. Here are ways to spread awareness about this global health issue concerning our world today:

Donate to local organizations supporting polio awareness.

1. Hosting fundraisers at local shops or restaurants serves as a way to raise money towards this global health concern. With an eager drive and successful publicizing, this event can serve as a resourceful opportunity to educate others on polio and its effects through contamination.

2. Host educational events with your school or local organizations. From powerpoint presentations to workshops, there are a variety of ways to educate others on the eradication of polio. Hosting these events can foster a

connection with others and giv an opportunity to get involved.

3. Utilizing social media. With social media being a centr resource for communication, us platform to share your voice al raising awareness. Feel free to informational articles and organizations supporting polio awareness. With polio being an international health concern among many communities, it is vital to continue to raise awareness on this issue. From hosting presentations to sharing resources online, the fight for eradicating polio still continues. As Interact District 5170, we can contribute to supporting this vital issue in many communities worldwide.

NPM Insight

By Sarah Bednarek | Area 8

I hope you enjoyed reading the first edition of our Interact Insider, which came out on November 1st a novel opening to the numbing November of 2022. I hope you are all staying warm and within the comfy retreat of your own bed. For the second edition of our Interact Insider, please give a warm welcome to Kylie Nguyen vice president of Area 8’s Santa Teresa Interact and the delightful Co-Event Coordinator of D5170!

NPM 2022 was on August 28th from 10 AM to 3 PM. The event took place at the Saratoga Prospect Center and featured a Steven Universe theme. For those wondering and unknowing, what does NPM stand for? Council!!

NPM stands for New Presidents Meeting! New Presidents Meeting is always a collective rotation of a bunch of workshops all created by District Council!

Sarah: "What was your experience at NPM like?"

Kylie: "Interestingly enough, this was my first experience of the event and in summary, I LOVED IT! I’m aware that this is also the first year we welcomed anyone to come, instead of the usual presidents and nominated Interactors! I think that this factor played a large role into creating the magical experience of NPM that was a first for many!"

Sarah: "Great! What was NPM like this year and what was different?"

Kylie: "This year, we had some themes around service, leadership, Rotary, and more. Personally, I was a part of the

service group and we discussed what service really means, gave out new service ideas, and folded cranes to donate to non-profit organizations that fight against food insecurity!"

Sarah: "Any last final words?"

Kylie: " I had an amazing time and the experience really encouraged me to this day to put my all into the events I plan, that way I can (hopefully) Light The Way for Interactors around the District and share my love of service :)" Thank you SO much for your contribution towards this article, Kylie (additional thanks to all DC members for working so hard to make the magical events possible). It was really inspiring to hear about your personal NPM experience! If you want to feel like you

were at NPM this year, @interact5170 posted a recap reel. Make sure to go next time if the opportunity arises! I hope those who would like to know more about Interact and its inter-workings gained something from this article. Goodbye readers. ‘Til next time!

Area News Area News

blankets while tuning in, and honestly, Id do the same. Today, we have a special guest joining us. Let’s give a warm welcome to one of my home club’s publicists: Sophia Zeng! Hui-Ying: Welcome to the show, Sophia. Please introduce yourself. Sophia: Hello, I’m Sophia Zeng, and I use

she/they pronouns. I’m a junior at AIMS College Prep High School, and the publicist for my school’s Interact club. Hui Ying: Great, can you tell us about your role as a publicist? How has the work been?

Sophia: I design Instagram posts to help promote Interact and upcoming volunteer events. I’m working with the other board members on getting permission from our principal to do on campus fundraising.

Hui-Ying: Very hardworking I see. Talk about your journey with Interact. How did you find this community?

Sophia: I was introduced to Interact in my sophomore year by my brother, who was the president of our Interact club at the time. I decided to stay in the club because I became familiar with the members and wanted to keep the club alive after the seniors left for college. Hui-Ying: Definitely. Finally, November is known as the month of gratitude. What are you grateful for in life?

Sophia: I’m grateful for the friends I’ve

made and for being able to help students that need volunteer hours and our club’s busy event coordinators. I’m also very grateful that Interact helped me step out of my comfort zone and meet so many amazing individuals. Hui Ying: I couldn’t have said it any better. Thank you for coming onto The A1 Talkshow and sharing about your experience with Interact and gratitude, Sophia. Stay tuned for our next episode, where we will spotlight another A1 Interactor. Good night everyone!

FALLing for Service: Dublin Closing out the Season

By Jada Chow | Area 3

With a chill in the air and Autumn ending, Interactors across Area 3 are excited to be spreading gratitude and service.

Throughout October, Dublin High School was able to trick or treat for cans during their annual Trick or Eat event! President Adora Do said that the event “bonded the club members together while also bettering the community.” They ended up collecting 66 cans that will be donated to the Tri Valley Haven Pantry. Following Halloween, Interactors within Dublin were also able to donate candy to

veterans and troops overseas. With this in mind, about 55 pounds of candy was donated! Thank you to the wonderful Interactors who contributed! Celebrating November’s theme of gratitude, Dublin sent out cards to teachers and staff, thanking them for all that they do. Interactors Aditya Sharma and Jillian Wong said that “it was a fun way to give back to the teachers” and that, “ our teachers do so much for us and they deserve to be appreciated!” In total, there were about 60 cards delivered to the hardworking people across the school.

this year, Martha’s Kitchen, to make cards that will be included within the bags. This will be a month-long service event collaborating with another service event on campus, Card for Kindness, a club that partners with various organizations to create meaningful cards. The drive will be running from November 15th to December 16th, more details like guidelines and where to drop the cards off will be on the @dublininteract and @dublinc4k instagram accounts. Looking into the future, Dublin Interact is excited to be at the DHS annual Holiday Fair, where they will host a waffle bar to support this year ’ s community and international projects. This will take place on December 7th, from 4:30 7:00 in the Student Union at the high school. But, the remaining high schools of Area 3 are also hosting their own festivities to welcome Winter with open arms. Be sure to check on each school's instagram to stay updated with their December events and fundraisers!

Getting Cozy with Area 9

By Amanda Le | Area 9

As the red and orange leaves fall from the trees, Area 9 hedgehogs are finding their favorite ways for getting cozy during this cold weather! There are many ways to stay cozy, but if you don’t have a clue, here are some ideas from my fellow hedgehogs and I to help you.

Sunrise Interact Time to introduce… Sunrise Interact! Make sure to give this club a warm welcome, as they are a new club into Area 9 this year! Their first service activity of the year involved an inventive way of making dog toys out of t shirts to donate to a shelter.

Sunrise member Jonathan Chung exclaims that his favorite way of getting cozy is to “ go into his bed, turn off all the lights except a lamp and watch a k drama, Sunrise Interactors

Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Member

Chloe Nguyen says that her favorite way of staying cozy is to “buy a bunch of fuzzy socks and bundle up in thick fuzzy clothing and wrap herself in fuzzy blankets”. This is a delightful way of keeping yourself warm and if you don’t know where to get these things, Target carries adorable fuzzy socks!

Live Oak Interact Interactors from Live Oak Interact had lots of great advice on how to stay cozy as well. Live Oak Interact member Amira Zulhazmi states that her favorite way of staying cozy is to “drink hot chocolate, bake warm desserts, and stay home with family to watch a movie while being

under a huge blanket”. I recommend trying Taylor Swift’s recipe for her famous chai sugar cookies! Live Oak President Katelin Pfeil says that “drinking a chai tea latte and curling up under a blanket” is the best way to stay comfy during cold nights. There are many fun activities to do, but Live Oak Secretary Victoria Perez thinks that “ice skating and watching movies at home” are ideas to get that cold weather spirit going! Victoria also adores the new Christmas drinks at Starbucks and recommends the Peppermint Mocha! As a Starbucks barista myself, I would recommend the Chestnut Praline latte if you prefer a hot drink, and a Chai Tea latte with Sugar Cookie foam if you prefer a cold drink!

Live Oak Interactors

Oakwood Interact

Oakwood Member Ava Lowe’s favorite thing to do during this cold weather is to “stay home in a comfy sweater next to a fireplace and drink hot chocolate at night!”. Nighttime is the best time to drink hot chocolate because the warmth of the drink will help with the cold night. Make sure to warm up during this cold weather and I hope our advice helps you find some ways to stay cozy!

Area 10 Movie Night Fundraiser

By Sofia Guimaraes | Area 10

Exciting update: Area 10 will be streaming “Home Alone” this December at Scotts Valley High School! During this cherished season, Area 10 is hoping to engage community members as well as fellow Interactors to spread love and unity. Through this event, A10 wants to advance the close knit bonds of Interactors to the broader community so that everyone can feel a sense of belonging and connection. With the ultimate goal of serving others, Interactors hope this event will spark laughter and joy to inspire a chain of beautiful actions this holiday season. For Interactors, it’s really an excellent way to

give back and thank the community that has nurtured them. By placing a high regard on our interactions with others, they hope to awaken empathy, compassion, and a sense of power in unity. By giving people an opportunity to come together, Area 10 wants to communicate that collectively we are powerful and can create the meaningful change we wish to see throughout our community and the larger world.

Area 10 is eager to get the word out because this will not be an event you want to miss. Friends and families are encouraged to bring food to have a nice

Area 10 Interactors

picnic on the field; as an added bonus, Interactors will be selling things, so there will also be plenty of goodies to buy at the event. The SVHS baking club will also have a booth where they will be selling everyone’s favorite seasonal baked goods. Additionally, the Maji Project will also be providing an array of beverages including hot cocoa. Attendees will also be encouraged to purchase raffle tickets! At the end of the movie, the lucky number will receive a holiday gift basket full of goodies. At large, Area 10 hopes to encapture the euphoric feeling of Christmas for Santa Cruz County and encourage community members to cr ap co

Area 11’s Fall Event Recap

By Khadeejah Khan | Area 11

With the semester coming to a close, the Area 11 board reflects on their social and service this year, with hopes to engage even more interactors in the future. "We A

gg a finally had our first area bonding in November which was great. We are off to a really great start so this semester has been really great,” said Area 11 Director Manasvi Duggirala.

Outreach Coordinator Priya

Pudasaini, a freshman at Santa Clara High School, is excited to serve on the Area 11 Board, it being her second year in

Interact. As a board member, she wants to heighten engagement across the area, beyond solely digital platforms. “A goal I have this year is to have more in-person events for people A11 Outreach Coordinator Priya Pudasaini

who don’t have social media,” said Outreach Coordinator Priya Pudasaini.

Pudasaini wants Interactors to know that there are multiple ways to not only be in Interact, but practice Interact. “It is okay to not be super involved because it is not solely about events, but it is more about the people you get to know and how you apply ‘Interact’ on a day-to-day basis,” Pudasaini said.

A11 Director Duggirala, too, also wants Interactors to be engaged in service beyond events. She notes that service can take multiple forms. “In my definition

of embracing service, it's not only about service events,” Duggirala said. “It is about creating time and serving the community no matter what.”

The Area 11 Board aims to involve more Interactors in upcoming events. Pudasaini hopes that all attendees will find value among other Interactors. "It is more about what you take away from things and the value you get from them,” Pudasaini passionately expressed.

Duggirala wants to remind Area 11 that there are an array of ways t with Interact, and showing u many. In Duggirala’s words, present among people arou ”

CBobacity: Bupertino’s oba Shops

By Henry Widjaja | Area 12

Boba-lovers! How well do you know the history of boba? Cupertino is home to the very first boba shop to open in the US. Since then, boba has expanded across the US from the West to the East Coast, bringing the Taiwanese staple to many places where everyone can enjoy a boba milk tea!

Since the first boba shop opened, the number of boba shops have grown to such a level that a boba shop is located on nearly every major road in A12. Boba chains such as Kung Fu Tea and Gong Cha, are located just outside of Cupertino along with smaller yet more specialized boba shops bringing their roots straight from Taiwan.

Truedan, TP Tea, Tan Cha, Meet Fresh, Happy Lemon, Teaspoon, Tea Era, Yi Fang, Wanpo Tes Shop, Ten Ren’s Tea, Lilikoi Boba, Mr. Sun, TeaTop, Tpumps, and so many more, are all boba places making up the heart of Cupertino’s boba infused lifestyle. If there wasn’t boba in Cupertino, then Cupertino wouldn’t be the Cupertino it is today!

Cupertino’s Interact clubs have undoubtedly been influenced by this boba culture, as have the rest of the areas in District 5170. Boba’s influence is made prominent through Interact’s increasing number of boba fundraisers. For example, A12 Interactors took part in a boba fundraiser in collaboration with Cupertino High School’s orchestra. They collaborated to help raise money for the orchestra, which was underfunded and lacking good, quality instruments. With the new funds, they will be able to purchase and repair their instruments to create better music for their community to hear.

Appreciation Through Service

By Alana Weinstein | Area 4

“Service above self” can be heard at essentially any Interact event or meeting, and in a month focused around gratefulness and serving for others, Area 4’s Interactors have dedicated their time to giving back to the community in honor of Thanksgiving! For those unsure of how to give back to their community, Area 4’s officers have provided encouragement and service events centered around Thanksgiving. At American High School (AHS), Interactors are supporting their community’s annual Quarry Turkey Half Marathon Event. AHS Interact Co Event Coordinator Yoona Kim found this opportunity fitting for the club, and said, “I heard about this event from a random email I received, and [from] looking at pictures of people dressed as turkeys, all of the festive decorations, even reading about the organization’s cause, I immediately knew this was the perfect

event for Interact to join.” After seeing the success and Interact participation of the same event last year, American has presented a previously missed chance in connecting service to gratitude for the holiday!

Additionally, AHS Interact Co Event Coordinator Jasmine Khaw found that this upcoming season especially draws out her passion for service and Interact as a whole. It has led

her to also want to share her thankfulness to the community by publicizing volunteer events to the rest of the club. In the current spirit of Thanksgiving, she said, “I’m always so honored to meet inspiring role models, and I hope that exposing our Interactors to these environments will help jumpstart their journey with service!” As for the rest of Area 4, Interactors are already planning out festive events for December, so be sure to stay updated through next month’s article!

Miscellaneous Miscellaneous

Area 2’s Inside Scoop

By Nathan Le | Area 2

Happy November Interactors! Tis’ the season of all things turkey, pumpkin spice, and most of all… Interact! I was delighted to have the opportunity to take a seat with various Interactors and hear their input in regards to their goals for this month. With November hosting the Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to shine some light on some of the reasons why we choose to give back to our community. With that being said, here are some of the things they had to say!

Derica Ton (12th Grade, Area 1)

Nathan: “What is one goal you have for the month of November?”

Derica: “One goal i have for November

is feeling relieved after the countless nights of working on my college apps and essays ”

Nathan: “What Interact event are you looking forward to the most?”

Derica: “I am looking forward to the area 1, 2 and 3 winter banquet!”

Nathan: “What does ‘giving thanks’ mean to you?”

Derica: “Giving thank appreciation to othe what you treasure wi

Karen Chen (10th Grade, Area 1)

Nathan: “What is one goal you have for the month of November?”

Karen: “One goal I have for the month of November is to volunteer more, and improve my academics.”

Nathan: “What does ‘giving thanks’ mean to you?”

Karen: “Giving thanks means to show appreciation to others as well as sharing what you treasure Heather Nguyen (11th Grade, Area 2)

Nathan: What is one goal you have for the month of November?

Heather: “My goal for November is to balance my academics with my home life”

Nathan: What Interact event are you looking forward to the most?

Heather: “I am looking forward to all of the events because it is going to be cold and everyone will be in the holiday spirit”

Nathan: What does “giving thanks” mean to you?

Heather:“Giving thanks” to me means providing others with what they have done for me and reciprocating positive actions towards the community.

An Interview with Area 7 Director Arushi Goyal

By Calista Shih | Area 7

As we settle into our clubs post FLC, it’s important to recognize those that made it all happen. For Area 7, it’s our incredible Area Director Arushi Goyal! As a junior at Archbishop Mitty High School and a 3rd year interactor, Arushi is a perfect leader for area 7 with her kind, diligent, and hardworking personality. This interview with her highlights how Interact has impacted her and how she balances it with school and extracurriculars.

Arushi chose to be an Area Director because she wanted “to better connect individual school clubs more to the area and district as a whole”. She talked about meeting new people and some of her closest friends, making them through members of District Council, Area Assembly, and reaching out to people in her area.

Arushi is “inspired by [everyone’s] dedication and passion, and…seeing the impact of interacting on school clubs and each individual member”. Seeing everyone ’ s hard work in “district projects every year [that] give us all a common goal to work towards” also widens her passion for service and gives her “countless opportunities…to connect with people outside [her] typical social circle”.

Arushi with Area 7 interactors

However, having such a high leadership position poses its struggles - for starters, Area 7 has 15 schools that she has to oversee, so learning how to time manage better and working on her sleep schedule are her biggest challenges. With the addition of tough classes and other time consuming extra-curriculars like debate, it is always hard to find the right balance with time. However, Arushi manages it well through planning her weeks and designating “ seasons ” for things, like weeks where [she] schedules interactive events so they don’t conflict with her debate tournaments or major weeks for tests”. Her “biggest piece of advice is to communicate, and let people know if you can’t do something or need more time”. She expands on this, explaining how “the default reaction [to stress] is often to ghost people, but it’s really important to

Area 7 Director Arushi Goyal

just communicate”, as “there are always people around you (shoutout dc) to support you when you ’ re struggling”; “As our lovely Interact chair Mitty Chang always says, ‘half the battle is showing up ’” .

For the rest of the year, Arushi’s goals are “to have more area wide service events, and extend the opportunity for direct service more often”. This “makes an immediate impact on the community, e can to ections

Writing Letters: A Guide

By Mars Bau | Area 13

As members of Youth Community Service, one of the most common things we do is write letters. Whether it’s thanking service workers on the front line during the pandemic or being penpals with a senior citizen, a simple note can make someone ’ s day. It’s also a quick and easy way to show our appreciation for the community, making it one of the most popular projects to do during our lunch time service.

In Area 13, we ’ ve written letters and drawn pictures for the Palo Alto Humane

Society, honoring their adorable dogs and cats. We’ve created bundles of notes for Letters for Elders, sending our love to people like Gladys, an animal-loving grandmother living in an assisted living facility. Writing letters will forever be a staple of our community service. But what makes for a good letter?

Here are a few tips from Area 13 to help you write the best, most heartfelt letter you can.

1. Make it personal! Give it the care and attention it deserves, and be sure to tailor it to the recipient. Don’t just stop at simple phrases like “have a nice day” or “ you got this.” Talk about what you admire and why you are writing the letter. If you can, strive to make it more than two or three sentences. Give yourself room to shine through!

2. Embrace creativity! Find several points to talk about, and look for new things to say. If you have a story to share, don't be

afraid to share it. You can also decorate; you don’t have to be an artist to add a few flowers or a bit of trim. It’s those little details that will show how much care you put into your letter.

3. When in doubt, color, color, color! Everything is more exciting with a little pop of color. You can outline the first word, doodle in the margin, or write the whole thing in a fantastic shade of green. Whatever you do, keep it clean, clear, and legible. A letter is special, and it’s all the more fun with a little pizzazz.

Of course, all letters will have their specific requirements, but hopefully these tips will give you a great place to

Humans of Humans of IInteract nteract

Coming Soon...

Every single person has a different story that deserves to be told. The purpose of Humans of Interact is to serve as an accessible platform where Interactors have the opportunity to share experiences, sentiments, and virtually anything on their mind. Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s blog, Humans of New York, Humans of Interact is a page featuring portraits and interviews collected from the members of Interact District 5170. The HOI committee collects interviews and portraits of varying members for weekly posts that will be released on District 5170’s Humans Of Interact Facebook page. HOI will be coming to District Newsletter starting in 2023, so stay t d! Instagram: @hoi5170