This past summer, three Spartans joined forces to create the first feminist club at White Station.

“I was inspired by other girls doing something proactive, and I really wanted to make a difference and inform girls in our community,” Phoebe Anderson (11) said.

Anderson contacted Ema Wagner (11), president of Spectrum, and the two of them met with Alumni Iris Mercado, who helped plan the framework and curriculum of the club. Anderson and Wagner also involved Ariel Lewis (12) with their project.

“I want our school to become more of a community and not so against each other all the time,”  Wagner said.

The purpose of the club is to inform and empower individuals from all backgrounds and to combat social injustice within the school and problems students face on a daily basis. Their main goal is to make an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome and safe to address current issues and

ask questions when students want answers. They are striving to make a community among everyone, especially girls.

When deciding on a club name, Anderson and Wagner decided to keep the word feminist out to avoid a negative perception. Both girls agreed the name ‘alliance’ was the best way to represent them because the name truly reflects what the club is: an alliance of people coming together to fight for something they believe in.

“We chose alliance because it’s mutual to everyone and shows that our club is gender equality based,” Lewis said.

In club meetings, members are presented with detailed information on a topic. For instance, Wagner, Anderson and Lewis gave a presentation on intersectional feminism, which is when different prejudices affect how someone is treated as a human. They also discuss issues members bring up in meetings that are important to them, such as slut-shaming. Other topics for conversation include how to become active in the community and how to make a change for social justice.

“We’re having conversations that are uncomfortable, and I truly think that it will make a difference, especially in the underclassmen’s lives as they go through high school,” Wagner said.

The alliance club is an inclusive environment, not just for girls or angry feminists, where everyone feels like the space is shared. Alliance is continuing to grow and constantly welcome new faces.