Seitokai

Seitokai is a Japanese affinity club named after the Japanese word  for “student council.” The club aims to bring aspects of Japanese culture to Grant High School. The presidents, seniors Luke Histand and Cora Lanford-Crick, host events ranging from mochi making to movie nights featuring Japanese films. At the end of the year,  they plan to organize a festival featuring Japanese food and games.  “We work to try to bridge the gap between Japanese student culture and American students,” says Lanford-Crick. 

            Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA)

Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, or MEChA, aims to  connect Grant’s Latino community. The MEChA Co-Presidents,  juniors Amira Kieffer and Elena Garcia, say the club practices a variety of bonding activities. In September, they planned an altar fundraiser for Day of the Dead, a traditional holiday primarily celebrated in Mexico that celebrates and pays respects to late friends and family. 

                                                                                                     UterUS 

UterUS, formerly known as Period Club, is run by seniors Margot  Kalmanson and Olive Raak. The club focuses on reducing period poverty and educating students about menstrual health, as well as routinely planning menstrual product drives for a local women’s shelter. Kalmanson, who co-founded the club in her sophomore  year, says that the club’s primary goal is to promote “equity among  people who menstruate (or) people with uteruses.” With monthly meetings full of students aiming to help their community, UterUS has quickly become an essential Grant club. 

                                                                 Jewish Student Alliance

The Jewish Student Alliance (JSA) creates a space where students can express and celebrate their Jewish identity and where allies can support their Jewish peers. “We’re having Jews at our meetings that are from the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, all over,”  says senior and JSA Leader Mica Dorfman. “There’s so many different traditions within the culture, and I think that is what makes  JSA a really different and special experience.” 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Queer Straight Alliance 

The Queer Straight Alliance has been a pillar at Grant for years.  Co-Presidents Daphne Polignano, Moira Novak, and Avery Lee work to create a comfortable and authentic space for LGBTQ+  students and their allies. Polignano says, “We want it to be a safe  space where we can be open about our experiences.” The club also advertises outside events such as “Queer Prom,” where attendees of all grades can meet and celebrate with other LGBTQ+ students.  Novak says, “It felt like it was a little bit more of a place where you could dress up in crazy things. Like, you didn’t have to have the classic prom experience, exactly. But it still felt like prom.” 

Asian Pacific Islander Alliance

The Asian Pacific Islander Alliance celebrates all Asian cultures at  Grant with frequent activities such as potlucks and fundraisers,  including selling boba tea and matcha for students to purchase.  Grant seniors and Co-Presidents Poppy Yue and Kazmer Zawadzki promote collaboration with other affinity groups: “Fostering diverse voices is a big value,” says Yue. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Black Student Union

The Black Student Union (BSU) is a central figure when it comes to representing and supporting Grant’s Black community. Co-Presidents Esther Mwango, Lilieana Piacquadio Pruden, and Imoine Stewart plan BSU’s mandatory assembly every year and work to create a safe community for Black students through their meetings.  This year, they hope to host a cookout for the club to encourage bonding. They also hope to make BSU an inviting space where members can freely talk about their personal struggles. “(My goal is) building an actual support system within our Black community,” says Mwango.

                                               Middle Eastern North African Club

The Middle Eastern North African (MENA) club is an affinity club led by freshman Nada Almahalawy. As a first-year club president,  Almahalawy hopes to find others who share her culture and are passionate about taking action on global issues. A goal of hers is to raise money for Palestine and increase awareness of the conflict.  Almahalawy says, “A lot of people have sides, but my goal is to not  have sides, just to help people who need help.” She emphasizes that the club is open to all, not only those with Middle Eastern or  North African backgrounds.