Every year, student run clubs must go through an approval process and be re-established as a Cub Strong Club. Clubs like Club Diversity, Chess Club, and Debate Club are all easily approved, but this year a controversial club struck up.
A group of students at Sedro-Woolley High School applied to start a Pro-Life club to make their mark at the school, but after review by ASB their application was denied, according to CTE Director, Wes Allen.

“It’s a club that came and put in an application to be formed with ASB. ASB then asked them twice to answer questions on what was going to happen with the club and address some questions that came to their mind when they were considering it. The ASB executive council voted on it and voted not to approve it as an ASB sponsored club.”

The biggest concern for ASB, according to Allen, was that “our focus as a school is to create unity, which is actually the second word in our mission statement. They felt the club didn’t promote unity.”

The interview process consisted of club founders Amy and Lindsey Joyce, as well as club adviser Barbara Goebel and the local representative for Students for Life of America (SFLA), an organization whose mission is “to train high school student pro-life activists to be leaders at their schools (and beyond) and to network those student leaders with their counterparts in the national pro-life movement to help further develop their skills,” according to the SFLA website.

Members of the proposed club were interviewed on subjects like how they would promote their club, events they would attend and how their club relates to other schools who have approved this type of club.

“We would go to trainings so that we are more educated to better educate others. We could have diaper drives where we get donations of diapers and stuff for pregnant students and pregnant women who need help in that area,” said senior Amy Joyce in an interview with The Cub about the process.

“We want to educate people and give support to pregnant students. I did expect them to say no because they seemed really hesitant about it. I was kind of expecting it, but I’m still disappointed,” said Amy Joyce.

Sister Lindsey Joyce, also a club member, reacted to the group denial calmly. “Some will be happy, some upset, some just won’t care. In their letter, ASB said they want a club that has to unite the school, and I believe this club is going to cause some disagreements. But I do believe this club will be good education and it will help the students that are pregnant on campus.”

ASB member Emma Mesman was present for the interview process. Some ASB members were reluctant to an interview on this topic, but Mesman was willing to speak with The Cub. During the interviews, club members were asked how their club would contribute to Sedro-Woolley High School.

“They wanted to [give] support to pregnant teenagers. They had different things planned like a diaper drive, or like people would donate baby clothes and supplies. A lot of it sounded like pregnancy support, but most of it was to stray people away from abortion,” says Mesman. “They didn’t want toe ducate on birth control or how abortion could be useful, they only wanted to talk about not having abortion at all.”

Mesman says she felt this would cause division. “I think it separates our school a lot, like the people who are anti abortion and the people who are for abortion. I think it can create a lot of hostility. We don’t want to divide our students.”

Even though it was denied, a club can still take place, just not during school hours and not under the accountability of ASB. Some members even have plans for a Facebook page for the club to still have an outreach to teenagers needing support separate from school activities.
“The ASB told us they are not approving it as an ASB club and one option is to use the school the same way that boy scouts and girl scouts use it after school,” said faculty adviser Barb Goebel. “But then we wouldn’t have the advantages- or disadvantages- of being an ASB club. It’s probably for sure that we will create a Facebook page so that anyone who wants to find out more or who wants to track our plans we will post it there.”
Amy Joyce says the group is currently considering their options.
“We’ll make a plan from there once we decide. ASB did make a good effort to know what we’re about and they interviewed us twice, or met with us twice, and I think they considered it seriously.”