Love One Another Club focuses on community support, inclusion
Club moderator Robert Schick and junior Misha Noske pose during their second Love One Another Club meeting of the year on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The club meets every other Wednesday after school.
This fall, junior Misha Noske, alongside fine arts and social studies teacher Robert Schick, has revived the Love One Another Club. As stated in an email to the student body, the Love One Another Club “hopes to create a safe space for addressing sexual orientation and gender identity.”
According to Noske, the club, which meets every other Wednesday after school, is built upon support and inclusion of all people. It is not only an organization for the LGBTQ community, but also for anyone in need of someone to talk to.
“We aim to make people feel included, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. If they don’t fit in school for some other reason, we want to make sure it is a safe place for people to come and know they have a support group and people to turn to when they’re having a rough time, or even if they’re not having a rough time, but just to have friends there,” Noske said.
Noske first sought out moderator Schick for advice on making the club a reality. “I had the idea one day, and I talked to my friend about it, and she was like ‘I think you should go for it, and make it happen.’ So I went to Mr. Schick because I trust his judgement … He said I should take a chance,” she said.
According to Schick, he had faith in the project from the start. “I thought it was a great idea. This is bringing back to life a club that existed here a few years ago. I thought it was a good idea then, and I think it is a good idea now,” he said. Schick not only hosts the club in his TV Production room, but also attends and actively participates in the meetings by doing the various projects and discussions.
Schick does not take the role of a usual club moderator, however, and allows the students to run the club as they choose. “This is Misha’s brainchild. Misha has initiated the formation of this club, and I just want to help her do whatever she thinks needs to be done with this club. I don’t think it is my role to say ‘This is my agenda and this is how you run this club.’ I think my role is to help facilitate and moderate things she wants to do,” Schick said.
In the beginning, forming the club was difficult for Noske. “I met with [Principal Tom] Durkin, and I proposed it to him. He said it would take a lot to make it happen,” she said. Her aspiration, however, became much easier to achieve after discovering the club had already been established years before.
According to Dean of Professional Development Gary Scholl, the club had to be approved by the Archdiocese of Baltimore before being initiated. “There was a group established a few years back, but when they moved on, it died. We have a group who have requested an organization be established now, so we said yes. It was approved by the Archdiocese, so we felt comfortable moving ahead with it,” Scholl said.
Noske says the club also intends on participating in several local opportunities and projects. “We’re looking to organize service projects. We want to be more involved in the community,” she said. Some potential plans involve soup kitchens, safe houses for sexual abuse, and donations for LGBT youth.
According to Schick, the club is important due to its endless support for all members of the community and believes everyone can benefit from being a part of it.
“There are a lot of students in this school that don’t fit the mold of being outgoing and extroverted and superstars and involved in all kinds of things around here,” Schick said. “They might have a different sexual identity, they might be super nerds, they might be introverted, they might not feel comfortable getting up in front of classrooms or big groups of people, but they still want to have a chance to talk to other people about things and hang out with people.”
Noske urges all students to attend the meetings and discover what the club is truly all about, instead of believing stereotypes. “We’re there to help, not there to put a label on somebody. We’re there so that people feel safe. We’re trying to be a positive influence in the community, so the more support the better. To me, it is more than a club. It is having an impact on the community as a whole, so the more people that come open up more opportunities for the school,” Noske said.
Schick emphasized the importance of the club and his appreciation for Noske’s bravery. “I am really proud of Misha for stepping forward to organize something like this, and I think it is long overdue and something that JC could really use,” he said.
Alyssa Kraus is the co-Editor in Chief for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.