Zoe Tu

Max Dorsch, Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) vice president and junior, sets up for the meeting on Dec. 14, 2023. The GSA is working towards having an impact on the larger Carmel community during the second semester.

Page Deddens, Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club sponsor, said the first half of the year for the club was focused more on gaining a sense of community rather than service work.

 “(Upcoming meetings are) just going to be an opportunity yet again to get together and to see people that maybe you wouldn’t be able to see in the hallways, you don’t have classes with and are in different grades than and just celebrate the community we have here,” Deddens said.

Caitlyn Mount, GSA president and senior, said they expect the second semester to get more politically focused with an increased number of service opportunities.

“Indiana’s legislative session is coming up (this) semester and I’m expecting some anti-LGBTQ bills to be introduced that may directly impact us at the school,” Mount said. “When that happens, I’m hoping to educate the members on what these bills mean, what exactly their impact is and what we can do to make our voices heard. While the club isn’t expressly political, I think it’s important for students to be informed on these issues, especially if they’re going to be affected.”

Deddens said she expects the club to get more involved with the Carmel community throughout the second semester and summer.

“I think at the beginning and at the end (of the year), it is a lot more about community. In the middle, it is more about planning and organization,” she said. “GSA is really instrumental in helping to prepare for (Carmel) Pride. So as we get into semester two, that’s definitely gonna be one of the main parts of our agenda. So, community at the beginning and end and then working towards the larger community in the middle.”