When faced with the media in flames, societal pressure, and their rights under threat, Claremont High School students have refused to back down. Whether it is through directly raising awareness of issues and new legislation or providing a platform for others in the community to do so, here are some ways in which clubs throughout campus have been advocating for their beliefs.
Civic Act, as the name implies, focuses on civic action within Claremont and CHS while also tackling global issues like diplomacy, gun violence, poverty, and environmental advocacy. Beyond leadership opportunities, the club actively engages in advocacy and awareness campaigns. Last month, the club’s Instagram page promoted nationwide boycotts of stores such as Target, Amazon, and Walmart for readily complying with President Trump’s anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies. Junior Dorlhe Mendoza, the President of Civic Act, shared more about this campaign.
“DEI is used to attack and justify different extreme, bizarre policies,” Mendoza said. “They’re using the banning of DEI to justify eliminating free school lunches and criminalizing protests, which is insane. […] The CDC has had to erase data on healthcare, suicide prevention, and 504 plans. The biggest takeaway is that even if you don’t think DEI impacts you, it does.”
Mendoza expanded on the club’s position.
“[Civic Act is] technically non-partisan, but if you’re actively harming someone, it doesn’t matter what political party you stand for. Civic Act is going to oppose that,” Mendoza said.
Differing from Civic Act’s approach to student activism and awareness, the Young Democrats Club has taken a more indirect stance in advocating for change. President of the club and senior Finn Lackey explained how the Young Democrats preferred to go about making their voices heard.
“Young Dems is, for the most part, a platform where other people can express their beliefs with confidence,” Lackey said. “We don’t have any specific policy positions at the moment, but we do attend rallies and organize protests.”
While changes regarding individual and student rights have been strong, so has Claremont High School’s pushback, specifically in terms of student advocacy and leadership. In the future, clubs like Civic Act and Young Democrats, as well as many others around campus, will continue to fight for what they believe in.
