Advanced Peer Counseling hosted Valentine’s Day Kickback to celebrate Valentine’s day. The event took place on the great lawn at lunch on Feb. 11, and APC members set up stations for Valentine’s card-making.  

“[Making a card] just shows your appreciation for somebody. That could be a friend, or anyone you like, or anything like that. I think it is nice because you are putting your own effort into making it a lot more sentimental,” freshman Matthea Zhang said. 

This event was open to anyone looking to make a card or eat a few lollipops. Several students emphasized how important it was that Oak Park High School has so many open and welcoming activities, including this one. 

“A large part of what peer counseling does is making inclusive events for students to relax and enjoy, and I think it is a key part of our school and what it means,” senior Tunga Jois said. 

The monthly events are usually themed around a holiday being celebrated in that month. 

“I think every kickback is different in its own way because we celebrate different things. I think it is great that we can do this so often. Every month, we do a little event that brings a little more spirit to the students, you know, to enjoy their time. So I think it is great,” Jois said.  

Between the easy and stressful times, there are recesses to refresh oneself. Lunch breaks are a prime example of this. APC filled Friday’s lunch with an activity to draw busy minds away from school and work. 

“I think it is really exciting. It lets the students de-stress a little, especially during a really stressful time,” Jois said. 

The new-forming tradition of kickbacks shifted into full-gear after distance-learning. APC began thinking of plans for the direction their program will take in the years to come. 

“Our plan is to do this every single year. We started it two years ago, and then even tried doing it over the pandemic, which was really fun, too. Now, we finally get to do it in person. We got to make it a lot more fun,” senior Amaan Nabeel said. 

Several students expressed how they felt the event was a success. These students also expressed their eagerness to organize the next kickback. 

“As long as students are having fun and having a great time doing things that they like, we are always happy. I am just really interested to see what we are going to be planning next,” Nabeel said.