Feeling H.A.P.P.Y. at SHS

All hands on deck for the latest project by Scituate’s finest club–the H.A.P.P.Y. club–acronym intended. Formerly the S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions) organization, the club turned that frown upside down and became HAPPY by helping achieve prepared, positive youth.

Led by SHS faculty advisors Philip Blake and Steve Maguire, the H.A.P.P.Y. club members strive to make a difference at SHS. Blake described the club, saying, “It’s a group of students led by myself and Mr. Maguire that are focused on spreading positivity and good decision-making throughout the school.”

Recently, H.A.P.P.Y. club members collaborated with Scituate FACTS, an organization that was established to reduce teen drinking and underage substance use in Scituate.

Although they may be a new group, the H.A.P.P.Y. club’s impact has already had a significant impact on the S.H.S. community. Recently, they coordinated “happy hands,” an artistic representation of the hands of every student and faculty name on it. In total, there were 1,028 hands. Several students stayed after school to complete the project. According to Blake, the project began with a group of 30 students, but dwindled down to “a dedicated 8.” Now, these hands decorate the cafeteria walls, with every student and faculty member’s name written on a different hand.

So, what’s the future of the H.A.P.P.Y. club? Blake hopes to expand the positivity by placing mailboxes in front of each homeroom so messages can be delivered from homeroom-to-homeroom.

For students wondering how they can get involved, Blake emphasized that the club is open to all students and is not (as rumored) invite-only. In addition, Blake hopes to remind everyone that “the world is our oyster, and H.A.P.P.Y. club is the pearl.”