MUSH

Who We Are and What We Do

Words: Hana Katayama & Theodore Brennan

Photos: Miyako Cammack, Hajime Katayama, and Yeeun Hong

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As we approach the winter break, we can think of nothing more fitting to share about than our signature service club: Huskies MUSH!

Community service and volunteers willing to work for those in need are two things that never go out of demand, which is why MUSH is a part of HIS. MUSH’s central vision for this year is to give back to our community through various acts of service and strive to create an equal environment for all.

The HUSKIES MUSH mysteriously began around 2011 (as far as our records go) as the Act Club. After six years, the Act Club expanded so much that it became part of the Student Council with its first Service Officer, Reina Otake, leading the Act Club, which allowed it to continue growing more and more. As it grew, in the same spirit as the Act Club (believed to stand for taking action), the 2020~2021 Service Officer Sari Hirata renamed the club MUSH. She also ramped up activities by adding food and blood drives, weekly trash clean-ups, and many other community services. This change brought MUSH to a whole new level, making it an organization just as crucial as Student Council. (For a full timeline, read to the bottom of this article). 

During this school year (2022~2023), the Student Body elected Miyako Cammack as Service Officer. Miyako continues Sari’s legacy by organizing projects such as weekly trash clean-ups, bottlecap collection, sanitary pad placement in bathrooms, snow shoveling, composting, and gardening. To add to their services already taking place this year, the Soroptimist International Organization has reached out and donated to MUSH, something they are grateful for and hope will expand their service reach in the future. Keep reading below to find out more about our service club. 

Who is Huskies MUSH?

While the name MUSH may confuse some at first, the acronym holds significant meaning to our community. Essentially, MUSH stands for Multicultural Understanding and Service House. The word MUSH is also used as a command for dog sledding, a reference to our school mascot (Husky). For the past two years, the members of Huskies MUSH have carried this name with purpose and intention as we lead active service in our community. 

Where can you find us?

For the past two years, COVID-19 has challenged the strength of our global community. Nonetheless, amidst the overall effects of the pandemic, we, as secondary students, have continued to participate in service to the best of our ability. While the pandemic has hindered the extent of participation, it has also encouraged our advocacy for service, primarily through social media. Last year, Huskies MUSH created an Instagram account to spread awareness of relevant and urgent environmental and socioeconomic issues. In addition to advocacy, the account is frequently used to promote ongoing service activities in our HIS community. Please visit our account @huskies.mush on Instagram. 

What have we done so far? 

In the past, members of Huskies MUSH have led and participated in service events such as: 

• Weekly trash cleanup: We have held weekly trash clean-ups to keep our local Sumikawa community clean and litter-free. MUSH members are involved in the entire process, from picking up trash through the organization and disposal of the collected trash.

• Snow shoveling: In previous years, we have also organized snow shoveling to ensure the safety and accessibility of the staircase leading to Sumikawa Station.

• Supplying Sanitary Pads: As part of our advocacy for equality, we have started supplying free sanitary pads to female bathrooms at our school. 

• Composting/Gardening: As a recent project, we have started a compost bin this year! We also plan to start maintaining the school garden after the snow melts and create a pleasant environment for the HIS community. 

• Food drive: Last year, we held two food drive events collecting various necessities (such as water/tea, non-perishable foods, blankets, and clothes), which were donated to people impacted by the adverse effects of COVID-19 as well as the homeless community.

• Soup kitchen: We have participated in a soup kitchen held by a non-profit organization in Sapporo. Some MUSH members could volunteer and help distribute bentōs and clothing items.

• Bottle cap collection: As an ongoing project, we have also succeeded in collecting bottle caps around the school and from families, which have been donated to an NPO in Hokkaido that recycles and upcycles plastic. Please continue to collect your PET bottle caps and bring them to school to donate to this cause! 

Future goals and service projects

As the leaders of service activity at our school, Huskies MUSH aspires to advocate for our community and the global environment. As the service club, we intend to expand our ongoing service events to a broader audience in order to encourage greater participation within our school.  This year Soroptomist International Sapporo (a local branch of a larger multinational nonprofit organization advocating for gender equality and human rights) has kindly offered us a donation, which we are very grateful for. We hope to use the contribution towards starting a gardening project in our school garden. In the near future, we also plan to collaborate with RedBox Project Japan and use a part of the donations to contribute to their cause. RedBox is an organization that addresses period poverty and aims to support young people throughout their periods by providing red boxes filled with free period products to local schools.

Despite the nagging prevalence of the pandemic, our hope is to persevere in service, finding ways to continue to meet the needs of our surrounding community. Through it all, MUSH will continue to live up to its vision: to provide service and volunteer for those who need it.

A Timeline of Service 

~2011-2012: The ACT Club began — with the goal to take action 

2013-2014

• Warm and fuzzies

• Recorder donations

• Pencil drive/donations 

• Community snow shoveling 

2017-2018: The ACT Club joined StuCo, and Reina Otake was the first Service Officer. 

• Connecting with elderly homes

• Trash clean-ups

• Soles4souls - shoe donations

• Bottlecap collections

2018-2019: Stephen Magowan (Service Officer)

Activities such as:

• Earth week - different activities spreading environmental awareness

• Cancer project

2019-2020: Natasha Lazirko (Service Officer) 

Activities such as:

• Beach clean up

• Smile-Smile Project - wristband fundraiser for childhood cancer 

• WWF Japan donations - bakesale fundraiser for endangered species 

2020-2021: ACT becomes huskies MUSH and Sari Hirata ramps up activities as the Service Officer by adding: 

• Food drive

• Weekly trash cleanups

• Bottle cap collection

• Sanitary pads in bathrooms

• Revamping the school's trash sorting system. 

2021-2022: Sari continues as Service Officer

• Soup kitchen

• Blood drive

• Instagram page

2022-2023: Miyako Cammack becomes Service Officer, continuing on Sari’s legacy and organizing projects such as:

• Composting/gardening

• Weekly trash cleanups

• Bottlecap collection

• Sanitary pads in bathrooms

• Snow shoveling

Keep your eyes prized on our website for an upcoming article on the 2022 trash clean-up. Until then, enjoy your winter season.

Ever onward! And as we say in the club, "Huskies MUSH!"