High school can be a difficult time for students, especially for those who struggle with making connections or who are trying to fit in. At times, it seems to students that no one else is there to relate to or express certain issues on situations impacting their lives. However, every year, students at OHS have the opportunity to choose from a huge variety of clubs to participate in, and share their love and knowledge about specific topics in a safe place for communication.  Now an exciting new club has entered campus, which plans to go above and beyond expectations.

The new addition is now known as Eagle P.A.C. (Peer Advocate Crew), and it was introduced this year by Bloom365, a program at OHS that focuses mostly on student welfare. The club follows a similar structure as Bloom365 in where it continues to keep the message, “Bringing love on others more”, in its curriculum. Alex Kasten, senior, is the president of Eagle P.A.C. and had a special goal in mind when coming up with the idea.

“I wanted to start this club on this campus because nothing like this has ever been started before,” Kasten said. 

Bloom365 has high hopes for the club to be a success for students, and Kasten goes on to emphasize why it stands out from the rest among campus.

“It is so important because this is the first peer-to-peer outreach program to ever be started at a Deer Valley School,” Kasten said. 

Eagle P.A.C. is focused on the overall awareness of what exactly goes on in a student’s everyday life. Shedding light on harmful situations, to comfortably communicating with peers are some of the main goals.

“In my mind, the club is more of a way to spread awareness of abuse through relationships and anything, and even if you are the abuser, learning how to get out of that tendency,” said Tatum Yoon, senior. 

Along with activities within the club, the members also want to promote it through numerous events, such as Coffee for Kindness and Fun Runs, so that they can spread empathy and respect around campus, and make the difference they want to achieve.

“If we could get 10% of people involved, then we would successfully [have] been able to affect change,” Kasten said.

Eagle P.A.C. has been able to do just that by giving the support that is needed at school. And as students continue to share their own experiences, new ones are made that show possible growth for the future. 

“It’s made me realize abusive people in my own life, and maybe some tendencies that I may have that I didn’t realize before, and just working on everything just to be a better person in general,” Yoon said. 

Although students are a main target for the club, it is very beneficial for teachers who want to connect with their students and help them along their journey in life.

“I think it’s good for students and teachers because not a lot of teachers understand where students are coming from with mental health,” said Alana Higgins, senior. “And mental health is very young and new for teens that don’t really know how they’re feeling, and so it will help with them.”

With the focus on the students, the club has the guideline to effectively be a strong influence on them. And with consistent meetings, it makes an even bigger impact. Meetings are twice a month on Wednesdays in Danell Stephenson’s room 409, before school and during Eagle Hour. So, no matter the problem, Eagle P.A.C. is there to be a helping hand for all students at OHS. 

“I think it’s a really good club, and I think it’s very fresh; a lot of people don’t know about it,” Higgins said. “So it has a lot of targets, like sexual assault and things, so it seems scary to teens, but I think it’s something that every teen should be getting involved with, for sure.”