The clubs and committees at Wilmington Friends have been incredibly active in both the school and the greater Wilmington community. A club this year at Wilmington Friends that looks to make an impact on the students and faculty is the Arts and Activism club, clerked by Evie Kortanek ’18 and Maddie Malone ’18. The club, as its title implies, has a primary focus on current global issues and expression of ideas for change through art. When asked about the club’s ambitions for the year, Malone stated: “our goal as a club is to express our beliefs on modern issues that continue to disrupt society, through different medias. We have a website for people to view the art, and even though it may not be seen by many, we are displaying our different opinions.” The club spent much time working on an installation. “We have an installation that we have been working on for the past year,” says Malone. She also states that the installation “highlights things such as the Quaker values” and that they “feel that this is a simple representation of what the school stands for, in regards to having different opinions, and respecting each other’s thoughts and ideals.”

  The installation is nearly complete, is currently in the art room, and is available to all students. Students are encouraged to visit the installation, even if they are not in the club or an art class. If students are unable to see the installation in person, they can check out the Arts and Activism website where it will be posted once it is completed. More information about the club and its gallery can be found at http://www.artsactivism.com. The ability to voice one’s opinion and respect the diverse opinions of others is something at the core of Wilmington Friends School.

  Another club that allows for students to speak openly about controversial global topics is the World Affairs club. This club allows students to engage in debates that not only allow for two different perspectives to be heard, but are also a great way of spreading important ideas through the entertaining medium of debate. The majority of the high school normally attends these debates, which increases the discourse between diverse opinions before, during, and after the event. The club, proctored by history teacher Javier Ergueta, and clerked by Grant Sheppard ’19, Natalie Depalo ’18, and Izze Rios ’18, has seen debate after debate filling the library with eager spectators. When asked about the value of a club like World Affairs at Wilmington Friends, clerk Sheppard said: “the value of [World Affairs Club] is that it educates the Wilmington Friends School community by showing multiple perspectives on issues facing both our country, and the world.” Sheppard also believes that “in an ever more divided political climate, [World Affairs Club] debates allow us, as students and faculty members, to come together and listen to one another.” The back and forth nature of the debates, coupled with students’ questions directed toward the debaters, both allow the community to walk away with a different viewpoint and understanding of the opposing viewpoints. Both of these clubs serve as shining examples of Wilmington Friends’ pursuit of allowing students to both learn about and express interest in conflicts that affect the community, nation, and world.