As an African-American student, when I first came to CHS, I felt like there weren’t a whole lot of people like me. I knew all of these faces, but they seemed unfamiliar at the same time. As a result, I started to feel like I would get lost amongst others who didn’t look like me. However, when I was a sophomore, I joined Black Student Union (BSU) and I found others who shared similar struggles. After this, I realized that many other students have not had that experience; therefore I believe that more students should join cultural based clubs. By joining those clubs, you will have the chance to broaden your horizons, which has made my time at CHS more fulfilling.

In BSU, we learn about African-American culture and more. I think African-American and non-African-American students alike should join these clubs to learn about other people’s culture. As a school where the majority of students are white, it can be difficult to find out about other cultures, but I encourage you all to seek out those clubs because they are there for you to learn about another group’s experiences as a student at CHS. I am also a member of the African History and Cultural Awareness club (AHCA), which has introduced me to a new side of CHS that I hadn’t experienced before.

As a member of a cultural organization, you will have the ability to have your questions answered comfortably. Every group has stereotypes, and with stereotypes comes ignorance. As a member of these cultural organizations, you have the chance to combat these stereotypes. For example, in AHCA, we talk about various stereotypes that people have about Africa and how they affect African students at CHS. Those conversations caused me to check my own biases and analyze how others at CHS exhibit those as well.

Overall, cultural organizations are a great opportunity to connect with others who don’t look like you. They are a way to challenge stereotypes about groups that you don’t necessarily commonly associate with, and at a large school like CHS where students are all unique, those organizations can open your eyes to what other people and other groups are struggling with. In the end, I encourage every student to join these organizations because they give you an acute sense of what the actual world will be like, and, as we head off into the real world, that could be vital.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Jordyn Blakey at [email protected].