After multiple years of unofficial meetings and informal discussions, the Progressives’ Club has been declared an official extracurricular at Etowah. With an intent to educate and make a difference at Etowah High School, the Progressives’ Club welcomes any and all that are looking to help in the movement for change. 

“I am excited to see everyone gather together and have open discussions and see what ideas come from them. [My goal for the club is] to educate others on different topics,” Lara McDonald, club supervisor, said. 

With the help of McDonald, sophomore leaders Lillian Schwartz and Sydney Allen accepted the duty of the Progressives’ Club, and they will be focusing on topics that apply to Etowah students but are open to nearly all subjects regarding change. The first meeting was held Aug. 25, where the members introduced themselves, planned outreach and community events, and decided what to focus on throughout the year.  

“Sydney and I are excited to see the change our club brings about. We plan to have guest speakers and discussions on what kind of solutions we can implement in our school and community,” Schwartz said.  

While the first meeting was just planning, the rest of the gatherings will be centered around awareness, education, and discussions. Some of these issues include addiction, BLM, homelessness, LGBTQIA+, and environmental crises. They are planning to work with other clubs, like the Gay Straight Alliance, and bring in guest speakers to teach about what goes on outside of Etowah. 

“I joined the club to get a greater understanding of everything that is going on in the world and find out what we can do to fix it. I am most excited to discuss Pride/LGBTQ+ and mental health,” Luke Lindberg, sophomore, said. 

Though many of the topics they have chosen to discuss can be controversial, Schwartz and Allen intend to not bring politics into the club as to make it welcoming for people of all political parties. Open discussions are vital to be able to see all sides of an issue, which is why the club is not set to represent any one group of people.  

“We started the club to make a place in our school and community where people can discuss topics happening in our world today and not have to worry about being judged,” Allen said.  

The Progressives’ Club deems itself as a safe space for students to come in and discuss what they are passionate about or feel needs to be improved upon in the community. Contact Lillian Schwartz, Sydney Allen, or Lara McDonald to join the club and attend the next meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 29.