At Ossining High School, many clubs and extracurricular groups are tirelessly engaged in activities throughout the school year, and many clubs experience a lull in activity during the summer as they enjoy a relaxing summer vacation. However, this summer, OHS’s Youth 2 Youth Club was buzzing with activity as it made preparations for the Youth 2 Youth North Eastern Conference held at Bryant University in Rhode Island. The Current had the opportunity to learn about the event and the positive effects it had on Y2Y Club member, Alanna Batista.

The Current: Can you give us an overview of what the Y2Y Club strives to create for its members?

Alanna Batista: The club organizes activities that promote healthy lifestyles, whether that is through providing emotional or physical support for its members. At our meetings, we generally plan our activities for the upcoming month, and we also organize meetups with other Y2Y Clubs in Westchester.

TC: What aspect(s) of the Y2Y Club drew your interest in the club?

Batista: What drew my interest in the club was the positive atmosphere that I felt when I went to the meetings. School can be very stressful, so it’s relaxing to be in such a positive environment. Although I am quite busy with other activities outside of the club, I help the Y2Y Club by putting up flyers and spreading the word about our upcoming events and activities.

TC: There was a big Y2Y conference at Bryant University over the summer. Could you give us a brief summary of the purpose of the event and what happened at the conference?

Batista: The OHS Y2Y Club took a trip to Bryant University together with all the Westchester Y2Y clubs. After a long four-hour drive, we arrived at the site, which was very hectic because everyone was busy signing up for workshops, eating, and meeting their “family groups”, or groups of people from all different states that you would meet with to discuss each day’s event.

At the event site, we met Y2Y clubs from all the North Eastern states. There were people from Vermont to Tennessee, and the conference was not limited to just school clubs, so there were people who came with organizations from foreign countries as well. I met a girl from Jamaica; when we met, we saw that we had the same name and were both very happy to have accomplished our quests of finding another Alanna!

The trip lasted for three and a half days in total, with a different schedule for each day. Each day consisted of a lecture, a workshop, comedy skits, meal times, family group meetings, and fun events. These activities differed from each other, but all promoted various methods for self-improvement.

Overall, the family groups were my favorite part because, during those three days, you met with your family group multiple times and became like a family in such a short time. The conference helped me make many friends and connect with many new people easily.

TC: What kind of experience did you have at the Y2Y conference? Would you recommend the Y2Y club to incoming freshmen or any other students at OHS?

Batista: The Y2Y conference was a great experience for me: I would definitely recommend this club to students who struggle with self esteem and have trouble making friends. Although the conference may be overwhelming at first with all the extroverts there, it helps to brings you out of your shell. The first day will always be the worst if you’re an introvert: I’m an introvert, and when I arrived, I was extremely uncomfortable because everyone was very, VERY excited. They were all very ecstatic and full of energy, but you’ll grow to like it because positive energy is always better than negative energy. It’s okay if you don’t know anyone at first; you’ll make friends fast!

Overall, it seemed that our Y2Y participants had an exceptionally positive experience meeting other youth from around the world this summer. We wish them all the best as they start off this new school year!