The new club Spectrum is a promising addition to over forty clubs already established, available to all students who wish to contribute.
The club is sponsored by Social Science teacher Manuel Santelices, and its purpose is to discuss LGBTQ+ and feminist issues and while creating an inclusive and tolerant environment in and out of school.
In the past year, great strides have been made in the realm of LGBTQ+ rights, most notably the decision to legalize gay marriage. Spectrum aims to continue these efforts to make
a more welcoming world for LGBTQ+ students. The club will provide a safe space for anybody who feels misunderstood for who they are, while also creating a forum for allies to provide support. The club will also be participating in community service opportunities.
“We will work with different LGBTQ+ organizations that focus primarily on youth – both locally, nationally, and internationally,” said Santelices.
The club will meet about once a week
and the content of the meetings will be up to the students who attend. The club will dedicate a
fair amount of time addressing how to discuss issues outside of meetings in ways that benefit the community, therefore, the meetings will be run in a sort of workshop format discussing a wide variety of topics.
“Spectrum will seek to explore various topics pertaining to the LGBTQ+ Community and Feminism, as well as other subjects that inevitably interact with both, such as intersexuality, pop culture, and current social issues,” said senior Marina Wakil, an active member in building the foundation of the club.
Although there are currently no official club officers, various students, including seniors
Colin Cozad, Wakil, Francis Bassari, Andrew Boas, Marlee Glassberg, and juniors Morgan Greaton, Hayley Legon, and Madeline Epstein have taken the lead on the project and they are working together to make it a success. More definitive officer positions will emerge as the year progresses.
The club’s primary purpose is to nurture a more inclusive and tolerant environment for students, with absolutely no qualifications or specifications as to who can join.
“When you take into consideration the incredible student body we have here, it would be a shame to let this issue slip through the cracks. So many Gulliver alums go off into the world to do great things, this is a moment to be inclusive and teach that the world is full of differences and that
it is not something to be afraid of, it’s something to embrace and to celebrate,” says Santelices.
