Kiva’s Numbers Grow

In just one year, the Kiva Club, run by seniors Gwendolyn Tom and Colton Jang, has accepted 170 members and is still growing.

Kiva connects students with people in developing countries who need small loans to start businesses. “It’s a great way to get involved with the community,” said Tom. The club collects student donations and hosts fundraisers. “It’s very fulfilling to know that you have helped others,” said Jang.

The club is officially independent from the school, since California public school policy prohibits school-based clubs that hold money.

Mathletes Go for Gold

The Math Club, under the leadership of their president, junior Kyle Chan, are sharpening their skills for the upcoming Bay Area Math Olympiad and the Stanford Math Tournament, held at Stanford University. Math club provides the chance for participants to break the boundaries imposed by standard math classes and challenge themselves further.

“The competitions are intellectually scintillating, offering members a golden opportunity to put their wits to the test” said junior Eric Ho.

The club is eager to stress the rewards of competion.“It may not sound fun at first, but I can assure you that the feeling of pride and satisfaction when you complete a difficult problem at last is amazing, unlike any other,” said Chan.

Christians Pray Around Pole

On September 28, the Christian club and the Club Impact bonded together to pray before the Campo flagpole in the annual “See you at the pole” event.

On this day, students around America pray around their school flagpoles. The club invited Pastor Zach Diestler from Willow Springs Church to lead the club in prayer.

Chess Lovers Teach, Compete

Junior and lifelong chess player Sydney Liu is now leading his own chess club. Although most local chess competitions are not club-sponsored events, there are small tournaments scattered throughout the year, including the NorCal High School Online Chess League in January.

Students must compete for spots on the team in the first tryout tournament, which is a club event.

However, the club isn’t all cutthroat competition. “Besides preparing for the chess tournaments, we also play fun games of chess. People who want to learn get tutored by more experienced players. I feel like this club is a great opportunity to spread the joy of chess through the community,” said Liu.

He continued, “Chess doesn’t have enough respect in our society and few people can see the true art behind the game. Hopefully, this club will spread the joy of chess throughout the school and give players a chance to learn and improve. To improve the club, hopefully in the future we will have a wider variety of events and possibly even take the club to state the championships in future years.”