Photo by Toffy Prakittiphoom ’24/The Choate News
During the month of April, clubs across campus organized an array of activities, ranging from baking cookies to a spikeball tournament, to support and fundraise for various causes.
The Bystander Education Program (BEP) handed out teal ribbons in the dining hall in light of Sexual Assault Awareness Month to advocacate for victims of sexual misconduct and foster upstander culture on campus. BEP member Valerie Guadian ’23 said that their aim was to create “something that was noticeable on campus, something physical and tangible that you could hold onto.” Catherine Cronin ’23, another member of the BEP, acknowledged the global prevalence of sexual misconduct by demonstrating their support for victims of sexual assault on campus. Although the BEP hoped to hand out more ribbons, Guadian acknowledged the success of the initiative. “Making a positive effect is a job well done. Just affecting one person, making their day, or educating them makes a huge impact.”
The Neurodivergence Club collaborated with the Health and Science Education Program (HSEP) to fundraise for Autism Awareness Month. They handed out blue pins in exchange for a donation to the Star Institute, an organization helping neurodivergent people overcome sensory issues. “There are so many websites and articles that you can read online that are harmful towards the neurodivergent community,” said president of HSEP, Sophia Zhang ’23. President of the Neurodivergence Club Campbell Pflaum ’23 noted the difficulty of choosing an organization to donate to. “Organizations like Autism Speaks have abused the phrase ‘aiding’ or ‘curing’ autism,” she said. “It was really important that it was an organization that acknowledged neurodivergent peoples’ humanity.” Their fundraiser strived to spread awareness about the struggles that the autistic community faces and the changes we as a society can make to better support them. Zhang also noted the challenges of picking a date for their event due to President’s Day, long weekend, and conflicts with other club fundraisers, a struggle acknowledged by members of the BEP as well. However, both members considered the fundraiser a success. “Support means a lot, even if they’re not paying money … just the fact that they’re now aware,” said Caroline Kim ’25.
On April 29, WONDER and Boarpen organized a spikeball tournament where students sold custom-designed bracelets to fundraise for New Reach, a local women and children’s shelter. “Our initial thought was to go with something fairly straightforward like Planned Parenthood,” said Sofia Galarza ’23, President of WONDER. “We later decided to do something that was more in touch with our community and something that directly related to the people around us. That’s when we came across New Reach, whose message stood out to us the most.” The process of organizing the event was especially challenging because the clubs faced multiple logistic obstacles, ranging from not receiving email responses to having difficulty finding a speaker. “It was a lot of work to organize everything and I’m really grateful to the four people I was working alongside,” noted Galarza. Despite these challenges, the event was a great success. “I thought it was very successful. I think this was one of the bigger events we have had since the start of Covid. It was super fun with great weather, and people had an amazing time just being together. The things we can do together is impressive,” she concluded. “We raised $415 by the end of the week and it truly made me really appreciate the support in our community.”
With the various fundraisers being held throughout the month, clubs on campus were not only successful in raising money for their respective goals but were proponents in promoting awareness and support for global issues.
