Club America is registered through our school and has been meeting every Monday at 11 in room 2703 since October. The club was originally inspired by Turning Point and began in the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination. The club’s goal is to promote Christian values and conservative ideas to our high school through open debate. Club America has financial backing from Turning Point, USA, and they can use those funds to rent out entertainment facilities, such as a bowling alley, movie theatre, etc., or to build props or signs for outreach.
How does the CORE Community feel about it? That’s what CORE Insider wanted to find out. The Insider interviewed students and faculty about their thoughts on the club, as well as whether tabling (setting up a table open for debates in a public area, much as Charlie Kirk did) is a good idea.
Lisa Black, Junior
“Honestly, I think it’s kind of cool. I think we need a lot more discussions, debates, and conversations about just… life in general [Regarding tabling] If just anyone can walk up, I’m not sure that they would necessarily be prepared not to cause problems, unlike the members themselves.”
Ace Sands, Freshman
“I don’t think it’s harmful. I think it’s good that you’re allowed to speak what’s on your mind, especially in a nice environment like CORE… [Regarding tabling] I think that’s good for a school setting. I mean, it’s not like you have to participate if you don’t want to.”
Sabin Fairbanks, Junior
“I don’t think I would take part in it, but I think if one group should be able to do it, then every group should be able to do it. And if it’s allowed by the school, then I don’t have a problem with it.”
Principal Matt Harvey
“Our goal is to give students a space to meet and to discuss topics that apply to education or to life. So I’m glad that students have a space to gather on campus, and so far, it’s been productive and seems to be going well… I just hope that our students always continue to respect one another, no matter what clubs, what organizations, what political beliefs, or religious beliefs, that we continue to show respect for each other, even in our differences.”
Daniel Martin, Teacher
“I truly know that the goal is to be respectful… But I know the club’s association with Turning Point is fairly divisive,” Mr. Martin said, adding, “Being able to have civil discourse on controversial topics is an extremely important skill and part of our society, and I could see the upside to that… but you can only control oneself, so there is potential for other people to not be respectful.” Mr. Martin continued explaining that, even if conversations remain respectful during debates, behind the scenes might be different. “My concern is that it can open the door for more divisiveness on our campus.”
In all the interviews we conducted, students expressed wanting to be heard, and everyone can feel the divide growing in our country. For many students, there was excitement that a club had started up to promote open, respectful debates, even between disagreeing sides. However, with the addition of debates comes the additional risk of frustration or anger. It is important to keep a peaceful school environment, so will having open debates release the tension? Or increase the pressure? Club America’s stated number one priority is to be respectful to anyone who wants to talk, and they are practicing doing just that. Whether the people they interact with will be respectful back is unpredictable.
The feedback from students has been positive, but there are definitely some concerns with possible outcomes. If CORE continues to be respectful, logical, and patient, the CORE community seems to be cautiously optimistic about a smooth integration of Club America.
Full disclosure: During the creation of this article, the author joined Club America. With that being said, every effort was made to maintain objectivity.