At CCHS, students are expected to hold each other with the utmost respect and to treat everyone as equals. For some, simply following the rules isn’t enough – at Best Buddies, they are given the chance to change lives.
The ultimate goal of Best Buddies is to give a normal high school experience to those with disabilities. Students are able to pair up with students from the Exception Student Education program, giving both sides benefits of an extraordinary friendship.
On Wednesday night, Best Buddies held their annual Match Party.
“Match Parties have been enthusiastic, passionate and overall friendly. We have lot of activities to help bonding individuals with special needs with individuals of the student population,” president Shaddi Abdala said. “It’s a great way to know the personalities of our students in the ESE program and it’s the best way to start off the year.”
At the Match Party, students with disabilities and those without them had a blast interacting with each other. However, they don’t just walk around and say hello; they have set activities throughout the night to ensure that they create bonds.
One of such activities was bingo matching.
The game wasn’t necessarily bingo oriented, but the paper slip that everyone received looked as though it was. The object of the game was for the participants to go around and introduce each other, and if they happen to identify with a topic in a box on another’s slip, one would write down their name.
Whoever gets a straight line of names, wins the game. The activity and process of completing it was the purpose, and the friendships made seemed to be the ultimate prize. Many great bonding games occurred throughout the night, leading to new friendships left and right.
“I think the Match Party is very important; it gets you off your phones and lets mix and mingle and make friends,” Tori Perez, Best Buddies and ESE alum, said.
Sheetal Bahadursingh is a first year member of the club. She enjoyed the atmosphere and the openness to make bonds.
“You get to talk and interact with each other, and it’s so amazing to be a part of this,” Bahadursingh said.
While there were many Bust Buddies veterans at the Match Party who already knew the other members, the ultimate goal of the night was to break new students out of their shells and facilitate new friendships.
“Everyone is so incredible here,” senior Ashley Melgar, who has been a member since her freshman year, said. “Getting everyone involved and interacting is so fun, and the results are amazing.”
Supervising the night was head instructor of the program, Nicole Hicks, who strolled along the cafeteria and guided introductions and conversations.
“Best Buddies’ mission is to promote one-on-one friendships, we love that we have as many members as we do, and it’s made interactions amazing, due to how many people you can introduce ourself to,” Hicks said. “You aren’t limited to interacting with one person the whole night.”.
Overall, the Match Party night shed light to the abilities of this club for both the betterment of the ESE program students and those who joined to help.
Photo by Sarah Khan
