Q&A With Sydney Bahr, President of Happy Club

Q: Are events like these [the tragedy at Olathe Northwest] motivational for you in making other people happier?
A: I hope that people never feel that way. In happy club, I hope that people feel loved because of it. I hate that people don’t feel loved, and I hope they’re impacted in a positive way.

Q: Are there any specific kids you’re trying to target in your club?
A: This is kind of like our startup year, and hopefully next year will be when the student body really starts to change. Most people who come are happy to begin with, which is kind of funny. Hopefully there’s more people who are a bit less happy who’ll start coming. Then, we’ll really be able to see a change.

Q: What role do you think that happiness plays in people’s lives?
A: Hopefully it’ll start to change their perspective on things. But, we’re trying to do this thing twice a month called High-Five Fridays, where when you’re coming into school you get a High-Five. I love things like that, because that’s in the morning, that’s starting your day, and usually mornings are a little bit drowsy, so hopefully that’s helping people feel loved.. Little things like that. We want to chalk the walkway into school. Those little things we do will help throughout the whole week.
Q: What are some tips for having a more positive high school experience?
A: I think the most important thing is to put everything in perspective. I think sometimes, “oh my gosh, high school sucks. I hate high school, I hate what’s happening.” But when you put it into perspective, this is like four years of your life. People live to be 80. That’s like, nothing. I think when you put everything into perspective, and be like “Oh my gosh, I failed this test, but I failed one test out of a grade for the whole semester.” If you did really well on the test, then be like, “Oh my gosh I did really well on a test!”

Q: What are some things you can do to live a happier life?
A: Celebrate the little things. Let’s say you could walk a mile, and you couldn’t walk a mile before. You should celebrate being able to do that, and just the little things in life. They’re so important, and I think that that’s something that’s overlooked. If you wake up one day without having to press the snooze button, then that should be something where you’re like, “Oh my gosh I can’t believe I just did that!” I think that I feel loved because I do things to make myself feel that way. I think that everyone has the chance to feel that way, and always feel loved. You’re not just gonna feel loved, you have to be like, “I want to be loved,” and you kind of have to have that mindset to do it. I think that everyone can, and will feel loved. I really do think that. I think it’s just all about how you make it.

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