“Think Globally,  Act Locally” is the motto of Interact Club students here at West, which works towards helping those in need on a local level.

The club works by doing creative projects and local fundraisers. “We are working on recycling plastics and wrapping up our ‘Dressember’ fundraiser.  We got close to $2,000, which is pretty cool,” says the president of Interact Club, Evie Sorrell. Sorrell has been in Interact Club ever since her sophomore year and is currently the president. Interact Club’s most recent fundraiser dealt with human trafficking and how to prevent it. “We have a central theme that we work off of throughout the year,” member Isabela Harmon says. “Last year was refugees, and we were doing videos and things that make it easier for refugees coming to Anchorage to get settled. This year, we’re doing a lot with human trafficking and the natural disasters that have been happening lately.”

Most of the kids in this club have joined through their friends during lunch time. “I came in late into my sophomore year, and the rest of the people in the club were all seniors and then they all graduated, and then there was only four of us,” says Sorrell. Some may wonder what makes Interact Club different compared to other charity-focused clubs. “I think what makes us different to clubs such as Key Club, is that we do more creative projects, that aren’t your typical charity work,” says Sorrell.

Interact club does projects more on a global level, however it focuses on local issues. The IB (International Baccalaureate) Coordinator, John Ruhlin, has been the club sponsor since it’s inception.“I began to sponsor this club because I liked the idea with working with kids who liked to community service and who were focused during their lunch time,” says Ruhlin.

In the beginning of his sponsorship he was worried that the students wouldn’t follow through with their project plans. “The hardest thing for me is knowing that they are going to take care of things, and they always do,” says Ruhlin.

Interact is in need of more underclassmen this year to keep the club running following for years to come. Don’t be afraid to come in a trying something new during your lunch time. It’s time to give back to the community and to “Think Globally, Act Locally.”