The high school is home to many student unions that are focused on creating a safe place for students and unity within the school.

Student unions are created for very many different reasons, to meet the needs of many different students. They are meant to ensure a welcoming place for students where they feel at home and can also be vulnerable. 

Cultural liaison Cornelius Rish explained, “Part of the needs of students is a community that has similar interests, similar goals, similar beliefs, and similar ideas where they could create a community. Students need to be able to have that community and have a voice.”

Learning about culture is one of the many key elements of these clubs. Not only are they meant for students to learn about new aspects of culture, but also to strengthen their own culture within. 

Social studies teacher Wayne Perkins said he “hopes that they [students] learn that there is nothing inherently bad with culture” and he added that these clubs “give them an opportunity where they get to see themselves and other people all together in one setting”.

Student unions are open to anyone within the school community. Leaders encourage students from all backgrounds to attend meetings and learn more about each other and their unique lives. 

“All you need in order to join a student alliance is just like a concept of mutual respect and just the want and kind of willing to understand other people’s perspectives and wanting to kind of broaden your horizons. Any student is able to join regardless of their tribal affiliation…some of the best students that have joined our alliances have been students that are not of indigenous heritage,” senior Mason Borchardt said.

The high school is home to multiple student unions with a large number of students being a part of them. Some of these include Asian- American Student Union (ASU), Black Student Union (BSU), and Native American Student Alliance (NASA). They are all dedicated to inclusivity and creating a stronger connection within our school and hopefully impacting the world around them.

“The reality is that we fear what we don’t know and understand, and there are way too many divisions out there. But if we get to know one another we can eliminate some of the divisions we have,” Rish said.

The inclusive aura that student unions possess would not be possible without an inclusive advisor. They are truly what make the clubs possible, and it is comforting for students to know that they have an adult within the school that they can trust.

“Joanna [Tom] has done a really nice job of creating kind of a more organic environment. First of all, I don’t really view her as my advisor, she’s a friend…but beyond that, also, she does a really good job at fostering community within the club,” Borchardt said.

With the many student unions here at the high school, no student is left out. There is a place for everybody.