Opinion

November 19, 2014

Sequoia pride not limited to purple

By MARS SVEC-BURDICK
and ISABEL DECASTRO
Staff Reporters

Learn your terms

Lesbian. Gay. Bisexual.

Transgender. Queer. In a classroom of thirty, an estimated
one to three students are one or
more of the above.
Every Friday, members of
all sexual orientations and
gender identities meet in the
Gay-Straight Alliance Club to
discuss what it means to be LGBTQ. GSAs overall goal is to
create a safe space for LGBTQ
students, away from the ram- and arm you would be called a
pant homophobia and trans- dyke or a fag, Nguyen said.
phobia that has always pervaded
Thanks to GSA, things have
high school hallways and locker changed.
rooms. For students struggling
Now, homophobia doesnt
to find acceptance, the club is a mean bashing my skull against a
comfortable place to express the trash can. It mostly means queschallenges that come along with tioning me in a more friendly
coming out.
manner, trying to understand,
GSA is always there to give sophomore Brandon Henriquez
support, senior club board said.
member Carson Blumen-Green
Over the past decade, in consaid. Were happy to help.
junction with the legalization
Sequoia has not always had of same-sex marriage pending
a space for
in 32 states,
such
ac- You see all these clichs in movies, of popularizac e p t a n c e . that one gay kid that always gets bul- tion of Pride
T w e n t y lied, but then theres Sequoia which
parades and
years ago, is always very welcoming.
the
introthe hallways
duction
of
Brandon Henriquez, sophomore
echoed
GSA, being
with bigotgay in high school is becoming
ed slurs; there was no safety for less controversial.
queer students.
When I came back to SeOutside of school the jocks quoia two years ago, it was wa
would beat up the only four big shift. I didnt hear thats so
kids who were out [as gay], gay almost at all, Nguyen said.
said Michael Weitzel, a Sequoia Teachers, principals, staff, stugraduate of 1991.
dents, we all dont think [being
GSA faculty adviser Dy LGBTQ] is a big deal.
Nguyen, who also teaches EngComing out is tough, but belish and Special Ed, remembers ing out might not be.
a culture of intolerance at her
[Sequoia] is always very
high school.
welcoming, Henriquez said. I
There was definitely a lot mean, its not like, congratulaa stigma around it. Even if you tions, youre gay! Its more like
were just sorta hanging out with oh, youre gay, whatever, you
your friends and hooking arm still need to do your homework.

Bisexual: Being romantical- Genderqueer: A person

ly and/or sexually attracted who identifies as both male
to people of both sexes and female or neither despite
their biologically assigned
Gender neutrality: An idea sex; also known as gender
that avoids discrimination fluid or gender non-binary
based on ones sex or gender
Transgender: A person
Queer: Can describe anyone whose gender identity does
who does not identify as het- not match their biologically
erosexual and/or cisgender assigned sex
Photo by Mars Svec-Burdick

Gender-neutral bathroom is a first

step, but more awareness is needed
material around her chest to flatten her breasts.
One might bind because having breasts could
make them feel dysphoric.
From
cramming
As administration has stated, a new building
for finals to worrying will be constructed in the space that is currently
about Cornell note taken up by the portable classrooms. Phase Two
formatting, all stu- of these plans will include projects essential to
dents feel stress. But providing students with a top educational expegender- neutral stu- rience, which I believe can be achieved by creatdents deal withtotally ing a space for non-binary students to change
different problems.
comfortably.
They may be bullied and
Imagine a new area with
feel uncomfortable in rest- Imagine a new area with private private showers, lockers and
rooms and locker rooms. Se- showers, lockers and ample space ample space to change in,
quoia has taken notice and to change in...this would elimi- hooks on the walls, a bench,
put in the two gender-neutral nate some of the daily stress non- a clock, and an actual mirror
bathrooms on campus. The binary students endure.
in the bathrooms. This would
bathrooms fulfilled a student
eliminate some of the daily
request as well as a legal responsibility.
stress non-binary students endure.
These bathrooms are a step in the right diThere is currently an option for students to
rection when it comes to improving the high change in one of the bathroom stalls in their
school experience of gender-neutral students, assigned locker room, but those stalls are small
but the bathroom near the B- Quad has boxes and taken up mostly by the toilet. Its a hassle
of cleaning supplies and many other things in for the students, and might even make them feel
it. It seems as though it is being used as stor- like they are outcast and dont belong.
age.
Feeling out of place is a hassle which can
Just having the bathrooms isnt enough. cause stress. As the stress builds up, it may affect
Non-binary students report that changing a students grades and mental health. The school
clothes makes them very uncomfortable, pos- can minimize student stress by providing spaces
sibly because they bind. Binding is when a for everyone, including gender neutral students,
biologically female person wraps or wears a to feel comfortable and that they belong.
By CAMRYN HABECKER
Staff Reporter

Taking a leap: clubs should work toward membership diversity

By ABIGAIL WANG
Feature Editor
Imagine walking into a club
meeting and seeing five people
from every grade,
every race and
from both regular and IB classes.
It seems like a very plausible concept,
and at Sequoia where the population is
so diverse, it almost seems inevitable.
Yet our clubs are filled with the same
types of people: IB students with high
socioeconomic status looking for an extracurricular to improve their college
apps.
Clubs should be a gateway to new
friendships with people of totally different backgrounds, but they only seem to
lead to more segregation.

As a club president myself I am baf- low their friends, which happen to be

fled by this concept, but at the same time mostly the same race as them. This in efI cant help but look to myself and my fect leads to a wider racial gap in clubs.
I too, joined clubs my freshmen year
friends.
The members of my club, the Hap- because I knew the people involved and
piness Club, are very much like me. It only realized the extent of this problem
seems like the leaders of Sequoias clubs last year when I sat in a club surrounded
by my friends and sudare a factor when it comes
denly realized they were all
to who chooses to join Clubs should be a gatewhite.
these clubs.
way to new friendships
In addition, the perI admit that I too fall with people of totally
centage of white students
under the category of IB different backgrounds
who enroll in college is
students involved in clubs. but it only seems to lead
still more than Latinos.
This could be an active de- to more segregation.
Though the numbers
terrent for many potential
are rising, it may not be
members who feel internally uncomfortable because of our dif- enough to encourage students to attend
clubs because they feel they have no
ferences.
This leads me to think that both our need, if they are not even going to attend
race and our cultures directly affect those college or highly competitive schools
that look into extracurriculars.
who attend our club.
So if students want to follow their
Many students in clubs at Sequoia
decide to join because they want to fol- friends and do not plan to apply to com-

petitive colleges, then what do we expect?

To dissolve the racial gap in clubs
there are multiple changes that should
take place. Firstly club day should not
be influenced by outside factors such as
candy and peer pressure. Students should
be given a survey at the beginning of the
year similar to that of the one regarding
SAFE programs that require students to
check off clubs they are interested in and
have space for their contact information.
Secondly, Spanish announcements
should be utilized to target multilingual
students whose English is limited to
make them aware of different opportunities in regards to clubs.
Clubs should be used for self-development and students should join them
because they are passionate about the
cause or simply because they enjoy the
environment. A club you joined in high
school should shape more than your college application.