ACHS’s student unions and groups are student-led clubs that are focused on building community and giving students a voice. Theogony documented meetings from the respective unions in photos.
Ethiopian-Eritrean Club
Members of the Ethiopian-Eritrean club play a Kahoot about Ethiopia and Eritrea during a meeting. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony. During the Kahoot, members conferred with their teammates. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony. Players compared answers during the game. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony. A member brainstorms and writes down fundraising ideas for the Ethiopian-Eritrean club. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony. Students shared and listened to fundraising suggestions. They discussed the pros and cons of each idea and planned the steps they would need to take in order to put their ideas into action. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony.
Asian and Pacific Islander Student Union (APISU)
The APISU, which meets every other Thursday, gathered in room B335 for a meeting. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony. Kim-Anh Aslanian, the founder and president of APISU, shares about the Third World Liberation Front during an API meeting. She spoke about this 1967 ethnic studies movement in honor of Black History month. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony. Sophomores Abigail Gerstein and Amrit Kaur listened intently to Aslanian’s presentation. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony.
API members brainstormed ideas for Asian American and Pacific Islander Month in May. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony.
Latinos Unidos
Leila Abarca (left) and Citlali Chambers (right) are the vice-president and president, respectively, of Latinos Unidos. Latinos Unidos is focused on empowering Latino students. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony.
Black Student Union (BSU)
Dr. Maurice D. Graham, a Clinical Operations Chief at Howard University, shared a presentation titled Improving Health of Black Families on February 17. The presentation was a part of BSU’s Blackbox Theater series in honor of Black History Month, which takes place annually in February. This year’s theme of Black History Month is Black Health and Wellness. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony. Dr. Graham spoke about the disproportionate inequalities that Black Americans face in the healthcare system. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony. RaAlim Shabazz, BSU’s teacher sponsor and the African American History teacher, took the mic to ask a question during Dr. Graham’s presentation. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony. Students attended the presentation along with their classes. Teachers could sign their entire class up for sessions throughout the day. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony.
A committee of nine BSU members decorated multiple display cases in honor of Black History Month. These display cases, focused on Black fashion, dance, soul, and art, are in the B200s hallway. Junior Yanelvis Gomez worked on this case, as well as another on the first floor that honored Black historical figures who have contributed to Black culture. “Highlighting Black art is especially important because a lot of times, it is overlooked and not given the recognition it deserves,” she said. Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony.
Gomez said, “I hope that AC students/teachers gain knowledge on what Black art, soul, music fashion is. It is all about promoting beauty in it all, and I hope this message comes across to the entire school population and that they are able to pass it along to their peers!” Photo by Chloe Yokitis/Theogony.
For more information on these groups, reach out to their Instagram accounts:
Chloe (she/her) is a sophmore at Alexandria City High School! This is her first year at Theogony, and she is an incoming editor for the 2022-2023 school year. She enjoys covering local news stories. In her free time, she likes to read, sew, and spend time with her family.
