Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s Lunch Buddies Club was the host to a pizza party on March 9 to celebrate the first anniversary of the club’s founding by sophomore Nandini Kuppachi.

The club’s purpose is to foster social interaction between special-needs students and the wider student body, with the goal of generating awareness and understanding for those with developmental disabilities.

At the party, this was seen through both general conservation and activities. For example, members were encouraged to share their favorite color and, in turn, ask for the favorite color of the special-needs student they were talking to. These ice-breaker activities helped build relationships between students.

Sophomore Rishita Kalambkar described her experience at the event.

“[I] had a great time eating and chatting at my table even if it was a little awkward at first. It was enjoyable to see that other students were just talking and getting to know each other,” the club member said.

She continued with the importance of events like these.

“I think this event helped [promote the purpose of] the club as well as helped us meet new friends. It’s important to meet new people because even though it can be awkward and make you nervous, it helps you understand the situations of other people, in this case special-needs students,” Kalambkar said.

Sophomore Angela Zhou, the outreach manager of Lunch Buddies, reflected upon the club.

“I like the club because it allows me to meet all types of new people and opens opportunities for me to create connections with others. I get to have a good time with my friends while contributing to the school community,” she said.

Paritosh Bhole, the director of communications, considered the event along with future club plans.

“The pizza party was a great event because it created a casual, fun environment to meet new students and enjoy a delicious lunch,” he said. “I believe the future of Lunch Buddies is bright, and I look forward to attending more similar events so we can bridge the gap between all types of students.”

Lunch Buddies is planning to host a fair to raise awareness for those with disabilities. The fair will include both engaging games for participants as well as workshops and presentations to educate students. To host some of these workshops, Lunch Buddies plans to collaborate with additional clubs to create the presentations and activities. The fair is expected to be held in the next few months.