Throughout history, America has faced problems regarding gender equality. A little less than 100 years ago marked when women officially gained the right to vote. Even today people continue to fight for women’s rights and make history; an example being the upcoming Women’s March on Washington Jan. 21, the day after inauguration day. This march anticipates over 200,000 participants who intend to make a statement about Donald Trump’s presidency.
The X2 Club is a new club at HSE that strives to bring these issues and other controversial subjects to students. Junior Cassie Barnhill, a founder of the X2 Club, is passionate about women’s rights and had the idea to start the club to create an open forum for anyone to discuss problems women face along with other current and relevant events.
“I felt like there were so many debates about what women do and don’t deserve,” Barnhill said. “I believed [this issue] was something that needed to be addressed. We wanted to create a place where people can share their opinions without being told their feelings are invalid. You have women who feel their rights are being violated; and if things are ever going to change, we need to start having these hard discussions.”
Many fail to consider the importance of sharing their opinions about gender equality along with issues people face today. Much like the Political Discussion Club, The X2 Club will be a safe space for students to discuss popular disputes regarding topics spanning from the wage gap, the election, and other prominent news subjects.
“I felt like there were so many debates about what women do and don’t deserve,” Barnhill said. “I believed [this problem] was something that needed to be addressed. We wanted to create a place where people can share their opinions without being told their feelings are invalid. You have women who feel their rights are being violated; and if things are ever going to change, we need to start having these hard discussions.”
Everyone is welcomed to attend these meetings, regardless of gender. The club is based solely on the acceptance of gender equality and overlooks the gender of students who show interest in being involved.
“I think most people believe that high school students are too young and inexperienced to be part of these types of clubs,” Junior Dafne Campos, a founder of X2 Club, said. “During high school, students seem to be in this type of ‘bubble’ where the problems in our society are not visible [to them]. That’s why it is important to have a club like [X2 Club] in HSE, to expose students to the issues of today. We won’t do it to discourage them, but to show them [trending issues] so they can acknowledge that they do exist and to start thinking about how they can make a change.”
