Affinity Club is one way for students of color to come together, build connections, and talk about each other’s experiences. Meeting every other Friday in the forum, the club comes together to socialize, learn and teach about students’ cultures, plan events, and host potlucks. In past years, such events have included holding celebrations for Lunar New Year, Diwali, and EID. The club’s meetings are run primarily by president Zoe Tupper, senior, and vice president Suhaani Garg, junior. The club is advised by Megan Mandel.
“We aim to create a safe space where people of color can come together and discuss, socialize, and do social work around the school.” Tupper said.
An example of such social work was the proposal for an Ethnic Studies class last year, which succeeded and was added as a class this year, or getting a meeting with the district admin for future plans and changes for BIPOC culture at West Linn High School.
Other subgroups of Affinity Club include ISU (Indigenous Student Union), LSU (Latino Student Union), API (Asian Pacific-Islander club), BSU (Black Student Union), and MESA (Middle Eastern South Asian), are all subgroups of Affinity Club. To find out more about these subgroups, check out their Instagram profiles: @wlhs_isu, @wlhs.lsu @wlhsapiclub, @wlhs.bsu, @wlhs.mesa, and @wlhs.mecha.
To learn more about Affinity Club follow them on instagram @wlhs_affinityclub or contact their adviser, Megan Mandel ([email protected]).
![At the bottom of the third inning, the Lions are still scoreless. Rowe stands at home plate, preparing to bat, while Vandenbrink stands off to the side as the next batter up. Despite having the bases loaded, the team was unable to score any runs. “It’s just the beginning of the season. We’re just going to be playing out best by June, [and] that’s where champions are,” Rowe said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3077-1200x900.jpg)
![All smiles. The group poses for a photo with last year’s book, “This is Our House,” along with their award for third Best in Show. Meikle, who was an Editor-in-Chief for the yearbook last year as well, holds both and stands at the center of the group. “That was an amazing feeling, going and grabbing the third place award,” Meikle said. “All of it paid off. I cried so much over that book, being able to receive [the award] was one of the highlights of my high school career, it was like the coolest thing ever.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/8bookpose_philly-1200x800.jpg)
