Photo credit: Mary Levine
When I first heard my friends talking about Amnesty Club, I figured that they were just describing another typical club here at the high school—the kind that plays games, eats food, and serves as a period of recess during our often arduous and overwhelming school days. However, after getting to learn more about the organization from some of its officers, I realized that while it does offer a level of respite, Amnesty Club consists of so much more than just eating food and playing games.
Amnesty, as one might have guessed, is a fitting name for this club. The term has several meanings but is most frequently defined as a pardon or act of forgiveness. But how does this word connect to the club’s overall purpose? The primary goal of Amnesty Club is to provide a safe space for students to discuss the issues that affect them and others within their community. Carol Li, a senior and active member of the high school, serves as this year's Amnesty Club President. She expresses her appreciation for the club and explains that she originally joined Amnesty because it “seemed like a club that was really focused on making a difference.”
Sharing a similar sentiment to Li is senior and this year's Amnesty Club Secretary Katie Huang. Katie describes it as an organization that focuses on “securing human rights for all people” and contributes her decision to join back in her sophomore year as a result of the organization Amnesty International's goals “aligning with [her] own.” Amnesty International represents a movement taking place in over 150 different countries that works to shed light on the problems that threaten to abuse human rights.
In the high school's Amnesty Club, these issues are brought to the members' attention through insightful presentations and intentional discussion. Reva Lingala, who serves as this year's Amnesty Club Vice President, goes into detail about some of the causes that she and her fellow club members discuss during their meetings. She recounts the most common petitions and letters, including topics that range from “removing people off the death penalty, freeing activists who have been jailed in their respective countries, and calling to repeal harmful laws.” After the topics have been broached, Amnesty Club members have a chance to voice their opinions and “sign petitions that urge governments to take action.” This last step is made possible by the Amnesty International Write for Rights campaign, which the club participates in every year. The movement encourages people from all over the world to come together and engage in problems relating to social justice, and it often leaves them feeling empowered and hopeful for the future.
None of these opportunities would be possible, however, without Amnesty Club's Community Outreach Officer Anna Kate Bailey. Throughout her time as an officer, Anna Kate, a junior at the high school, has secured the club's impact not just on our school but on our community. When asked if Amnesty Club prides itself on any form of community involvement, Anna Kate emphasizes their “Change for Change” fundraiser, which collected and donated around $161.50 last year to the Central Alabama Food Bank and contributed nearly 650 meals to their cause. Similarly, the club members also worked to package and supply meals to those in need during the Rise Against Hunger event, which took place at the Vestavia Methodist Church earlier this year. She expresses her excitement about everything the club has been able to do over the years and wishes to “continue fundraising and raising awareness within the community,” and ultimately, I am confident that they will achieve this goal.
*Other Amnesty Club Officers include Treasurer Daniel Cheng and Social Media Executive Mary Levine, and the club is kindly sponsored by math teachers Ms. Dismukes and Mrs. Hyde.
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