Every single person in the world has a different story, background, and lifestyle, so it just seems logical that there should be an organization to tell other people’s personal life stories. This is where Humans of Claremont High School (HOCHS) comes in. HOCHS is a club on campus created by junior Nancy Jung in which the club members dedicate their time to taking photos of other students and sharing their personal stories. Jung decided to start HOCHS because she did not want to start a stereotypical club. Instead, she wanted to be unique. Also, when she looked at the Humans of New York (HONY)Facebook page, she realized that she could do something similar at CHS. The members of this club circulate school taking photos of people they may or may not know and asking them questions such as what their proudest accomplishment was and what their biggest hopes are. The majority of responses consist of personal and unexpected student anecdotes, inspired by the typical prompt. HOCHS is an eye opener for not only students because people can see the raw emotions of someone that usually may hide these feelings. Many people who are featured on the page enjoy the confidence that it tends to bring.

“This post in particular hasn’t changed school for me, but feeling confident in sharing my views has left me more comfortable in school. In the past, my tendency was to lay low at CHS, but I’ve found school to be easier when I express myself rather than dip beneath the lasers. I have nothing to hide because I’m proud of who I am,” junior Nathan Jones said.

HOCHS is based off of HONY, which is an immensely popular Facebook page with over 11 million likes, or people who follow the page. Many other people and organizations also took inspiration from the idea and have spawned in diverse different cities and colleges. There are even Humans of Claremont and a Humans of the Claremont Colleges Facebook pages. The goal of HOCHS is to make everyone recognize the diversity within CHS, and the members of HOCHS are dedicated to achieve this goal.

“Humans of CHS definitely helps CHS because it’s a small window into the lives of your peers, and it’s kind of comforting knowing that there are people all around you going through the same situations just like you,” senior Ben Booth said.

With several different clubs at CHS, HOCHS is one of the most unique. The club is a great way to see other people’s lives and step into their shoes. The club does a lot for the perception of a person and that is why it is so popular. No matter what, HOCHS will always be a great way to get involved with the student body at CHS.