As a community, we are determined to integrate with our peers and let our voices be heard. At STHS, we offer many clubs that allow students to meet this goal. Students also use this opportunity to create new clubs. In the past year, four new clubs have been formed: UNICEF, Latino Society, Women Supporting Women, and ASA (Asian Student Association). These clubs all create spaces for different people to connect with or help others.
Spreading and Promoting Latino Culture: Latino Society
Similar to the World Language Club, which aims to spread all types of culture, Latino Society is a club that hones into one area: Latino and Hispanic culture. Their main goal is to spread culture throughout our community, “create a safe space” for Latino students, and “make them feel like they belong in this community,” says Co-Founder Julissa Mexquititla-Martinez. She notes that they aim to “spread awareness about diversity and culture” to every student in our community.
Although the club currently does not have any fundraisers, they comment that they are “working toward fundraising” but “aren’t sure what to do yet,” says Mexquititla-Martinez.
However, they have recently partaken in multiple activities aiming to promote their culture(s). Near the main office, the club decorated a board with colored hands, each hand representing a different country of Latino and/or Hispanic descent. In addition, they held an assembly in the middle school to publicize the importance of Hispanic Heritage Month. They hope to engage in more activities, commenting that they are working towards a field trip and possibly “collaborating with other schools” to spread more awareness, says Mexquititla-Martinez.
Unifying All Women: Women Supporting Women
Looking to connect with the girls of our community, Women Supporting Women was created to provide a safe space for every girl, no matter their likes, traits, etc. They seek to make the club a place where girls can connect with others and be themselves without judgment. Founder Josephine Strenger, a junior, adds to this, commenting that they wanted to create somewhere where “girls can just be girls” and “enlighten the future voices of our generation to stand up.”
Regarding the creation of this club, they remark how they have “missed the women’s group in middle school” because of “how nice it was to connect with girls around us” and “converse about topics that are usually not talked about” says founder Strenger. This encouraged them to create Women Supporting Women, where they can feel that sense of belonging again.
Fundraising is an important component of Women Supporting Women. In October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the club took donations of mittens, scarves, and hats to give to those battling breast cancer. In the future, they hope to raise money for women’s shelters.
The club urges girls to join this club, where they can feel a strong sense of community, meet people they’ve never met, possibly hold different leadership positions, and participate in many different volunteer opportunities.
Students Promoting Advocacy: Unicef
As issues arise locally and globally, UNICEF seizes the opportunity to seek change in our world. Founder Sophia Gatti, a junior, created this club within Springfield to allow students to advocate for change. Their purpose is to “give a voice to the voiceless” and “advocate and fundraise,” noted the treasurer, Bryn McGhiey.
The goal of this club is to raise awareness while gaining a global perspective on different people, backgrounds, and issues. UNICEF is also a fundraising organization that holds fundraisers to raise money for the specific issue that it is focused on.
Treasurer Bryn Mchiey comments that students should join this club to be “advocates and even gain service hours for their contribution to combat global issues”.
Asian Unity: Asian Student Association
Students from Springfield started the Asian Student Association to feel more connected. The goal is to “create an inclusive space for Asian students in our school to share their unique cultures as well as students of all backgrounds to learn about Asian traditions,” commented the co-founder, Andrew Lam, a junior.
The goal of this club is to promote cultural awareness, educate others about diverse Asian cultures, and provide a safe space for students to share their traditions and thoughts.
Andrew encourages people to “join this club to enrich themselves with various Asian cultures and traditions and to participate in the many social and fun activities held within the ASA.”
